I believe human beings are the most amazing thing on the planet. And the most precious and amazing gift we bestowed upon is our brain. No other species has a brain as super-powered and super-charged as ours. Scientists and engineers are trying to mimic human brains for a while now. But it still isn’t successful yet.

Have you seen the humanoid robot Sofia? I just love her. But her brain is also not even any close to the human brain. I saw robots that can jump, ride bicycles, can carry on a conversation. But we humans learn to move, fight, argue, learn new things constantly, sing, dance, and so much more. We can make out bodies do amazing things. Only humans can invent and grow civilization. All because of the superpower that comes with our super brain!

Our amazing brain also could not figure out how to stop aging or conquer death. The rule of nature prevails with its pride. But we can prevent our physical decay significantly. That’s in our hands. We will age with time but we do not have to accept all the aches and pains as soon as we become 50 or 60. To understand the process of decay, we need to understand how the brain works and why it works this way. It has a lot to do with the evolution of our brains.

Evolution of Human Brain

The human brain also did not generate overnight. It took millions of years of evolution for a human brain to come to this point.

I recently read this book “Younger Next Year” by Chris Crowley & Henry S. Lodge, MD where I read about the evolution of human brains and how it links to the growth and decay. I found it so interesting that I thought I should share it with my readers.

According to Henry S. Lodge, MD, our brain chemicals and neural hormones were developed five hundred million years ago by our invertebrate ancestors such as snails and jellyfish. Those chemical were very similar to the Valium, adrenaline, cocaine, and morphine which we use now for our brain function. Isn’t that so amazing! We inherited them from our invertebrate ancestors. Worms and snails use the same chemical as our nervous system! A few hundred years later the first brain formed in fish. Salmon has the same basic-physical brain like us. The fish passed it on to the amphibians, then that rolled over to the dinosaurs, birds, and reptiles. In the process, that physical brain was getting refined. After millions of levels of refinement, that brain sits on top of our spinal cord today.

About two hundred million years ago, we got separated from reptiles but we are carrying that special gift, brain! Neuroscientists label this brain as a reptilian brain or the primitive brain.

This brain is the engine of our body, the total control system. Our nervous system, digestive system, emotions everything is controlled by that brain.

Growth and Decay

This physical brain that we inherited from our ancestors (invertebrates, amphibians, fish, etc.) does its job perfectly to run this body. We need this physical brain for the proper functioning of our nervous system, digestive system, and more. If you try to use your thinking brain to swim or bike, it will be a disaster. You may fall flat on your nose or who knows what. You need to stay connected to your physical brain. It does not understand retirement, aging, depression, happiness, cheat days, lazy days, or fast food cravings. It only understands growth or decay. It looks for the signal that you send through your lifestyle.

Biologically, there is no such thing as retirement or even aging. There is only growth or decay.

Our ancestors had to go hunt for food when nature permitted them to do so. That was their growth period where they could gain energy and save energy as well. But in wintertime or natural calamities, they could not go hunt. That was their time use that saved energy to survive. That was the time to decay. Our improved refined brain still has that similar brain chemicals. So, when we do not move this body at all our brain gets the signal that this is the time to decay. That how our body starts to lose its efficiency and we feel like we are aging.

Live strong, fit, and sexy until you are 80 and beyond.

We can simply slow down this decay in a significant amount by exercising every day or at least six days a week. It is advisable to work out hard but a stiff walk every day also sends our physical brain the signal that this is not time to decay. If you keep sending your physical brain that signal every day, your brain will know that and will keep your joints, muscles, nervous system, and digestive system active and in order. Even if your age is 60 or 70, you can still stay fit, strong, productive, and enjoy life!

Conclusion

It’s not that we will never age or die. It will happen. But we can age a lot better. We don’t have to accept all the aches and pains, high blood pressure, hypertension, and all other physical problem in our fifties or sixties. We can age with grace and keep enjoying sports, traveling, food, and much more!

#brain #evolution #humanbeing #life #health #wellness #exercise #fitness