You have certainly seen or read at least a few times that we only use 10 percent of our brains on a daily basis. This idea has appeared in many books and movies. Probably the best known are the movie Lucy, and the novel The Dark Fields with its adaptation, the movie Limitless (the percentage has been increased to 20 here). There are multiple other novels, articles, short stories, or commercials making such affirmations, and so we got to a point where 65% of Americans believe that “People only use 10 percent of their brains on a daily basis” (according to this 2013 online survey). This is just a myth though, with no scientific basis. So, what percentage of our brain so we use? …

I’m sure you know exercising is good for you, but did you know that you can actually improve your memory with cardio exercise? If you have ever searched for exercising plans (who didn’t at least once?), you encountered the terms cardio or aerobic exercise.

What is Aerobic Exercise?

Aerobic exercise, also known as cardio, are physical exercises of low to medium intensity, that raise your heart rate to at least 50% of its maximum rate and are sustained by aerobic metabolism. The last part means that the body will use oxygen to convert carbohydrates into energy. If the exercises are too intense (like sprinting for example), the body will start to break down glucose without oxygen, because the oxygen supply is not enough to provide the needed amount of energy. …

I’m not a morning person, and I always struggled with a lack of energy and focus in the morning. This was until I discovered that I can jump-start my day with a cold shower! This wakes me up quickly, and I come out of it energized and ready to conquer the day.

I remember that when I was a kid, my father was sometimes ending his showers with a short interval of cold water. He called that “Scottish shower”. As a kid, it sounded like something a strong and brave man does, so I tried it too. …

Body language is a type of nonverbal communication based on physical behaviors like body posture and movements, eye movement, and facial expressions. The first impression you make is extremely important, and body language plays a significant role in building it. It is said that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression, so let’s see how to hack your body language and make sure you project the best version of yourself!

Mehrabian’s Studies

You have most likely heard many times that about 93% of your communication is nonverbal. This is a misinterpretation or an incorrect generalization of Dr. Albert Mehrabian’s two studies conducted back in 1967: Language Within Language: Immediacy, a Channel in Verbal Communication — Morton Wiener, Albert Mehrabian, and Inference of attitudes from nonverbal communication in two channels — Mehrabian Albert, Ferris Susan. …

Can power poses boost your confidence? The idea behind such poses is simple: you can hack your brain and make it think and feel you are powerful by adopting a physical position of power. The “normal” cycle is that you first feel powerful and that influences your body language, ending up in a power pose. The brain does not know which of the two conditions was met first, and it tries to adapt by fulfilling the other one.

Body posture influences your mindset the same way as laughter does. …

Laughter is a very powerful, and yet free and easy way to biohack your mood. It is an amazingly efficient method to deal with stress. All you need to do is laugh, so you can start right now!

Have you ever heard the saying “laughter is the best medicine”? Old sayings are usually true, and this one is no exception.

The Effects of Laughter

There are many studies claiming that you get all sorts of benefits from laughter. …

Vitamin D is actually a group of fat-soluble vitamins responsible for the intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate. The most important from the group are vitamins D3 (also known as cholecalciferol) and D2 (ergocalciferol). It is essential for the normal absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which are needed for healthy bones. Recent studies showed that many other cells have vitamin D receptors, especially the immune system cells 1).

Forms

The vitamin D produced by the body when exposed to UVB (with a wavelength of 290–320 nanometers) or ingested through food or supplements is biologically inert. It has to go through two hydroxylations in the body in order to become active. The first one occurs in the liver and converts vitamin D to 25-hydroxyvitamin D, also known as calcidiol. …

When you practice gratitude, it helps you focus on the good things happening in your life, and trust me, once you start looking for them, you will be amazed by how many they are. Many of us tend to consider good and positive things in our lives normal, thus ignoring them, and we immediately focus our attention on anything that bothers us. Be that a distracted person bumping into you while walking, or bad weather, or a random remark from a colleague you feel was directed towards you, and so many more, usually not important things that happen throughout the day. …