Julia Rucklidge Recap: Upgrade Your Brain

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How much time do you invest in your brain? Well, look, our brain dictates so many things. It's our largest asset. We've got to look after it, right? But often we're putting things on our skin and we're doing all these other things that care for our bodies, but our brain dictates so much. I came across a product a while ago called Flow State and it's made such a difference. And look, they offer functional mushrooms that sharpen cognition, they really boost energy and definitely strengthen immunity. And they actually use one of their key ingredients is lion's mane. Right? So Lion's mane is popular among really peak performing athletes and those wanting an edge. It's known as the brain mushroom and it's currently being studied extensively for its nerve growth factor potential as a means to ease the symptoms of Alzheimer's and for treating inflammation in the body. The thing I love about these products, they don't taste like mushrooms. You can mix them in with your tea, they're a great replacement for coffee. But I actually love the PM mushroom blend, the evening one. It really helps me sleep and to know that my brain is getting extra nutrients is just next level. The one thing that's really important for me is hey, what' in there? So they have tested heavily at Hill Laboratories for heavy metals, pesticide residue, microbials, and also at Massey University for active compounds. So I urge you, if you love your brain and you want to go the extra mile to nurture it, head on over to Flowstate NZ and you can use the coupon code LEADONPURPOSE to get 15% off.

A huge welcome back to Lead On Purpose. This is the moment when I share with you my key insights from our previous guest. Look, we were so fortunate to, to have Dr. Julia Rutledge in the house. She's a professor of psychology and a clinical psychologist in the School of psychology Speech and Hearing at the University of Canterbury. She published an incredible book through Penguin Random House called the Better Brain. She's originally from Canterbury, but now here in New Zealand. And what she studies is just simply, I feel, one of the most important aspects of, of human existence. And it's looking at our psychiatry, looking at our mental health and what we can do to make it better, what we can do to prevent mental health decline. And there's such a massive connection between nutrition and micronutrients and our mental health. But all too often we don't see that or those big organizations that are running our countries see that. So just to get started, first key insight from Julia was that to her leadership is not being afraid of the consequences for speaking up about and standing up for what you are truly passionate about. For Julia, that's clearly mental health. What are you passionate about? What are you leading yourself in? What do you want to stand up for? What do you not stand for? As you listen to this, I urge you to ask the question, what is it that I stand for? What is it that I would be willing to speak up about and stand up for? Is it mental health? Is it poverty? Is it fair treatment of animals? Is it diversity, equity and inclusion? In the corporate workspace, everybody has something that they are passionate about. What is that for you? Another big takeaway from Julia was that she feels currently here in Aotearoa, New Zealand, when it comes to mental health, we are the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. And let me just say, if you're not in New Zealand, or maybe even if you are, you don't know this step. But I want to share with you. New Zealand in the OECD has the highest teenage suicide rate, one of the highest domestic violence rate, always in the top three, and one of the highest child mortality rates. It's disgraceful. And mental health is at the crux of it all. You know, when people are unhappy, when people have unhealed wounds and trauma, then of course we're going to have statistics that involve children being murdered, young teenagers killing themselves, people beating up their partners. It's devastating, it's horrific. And what I love about Julia is she's very clear that There is a connection between nutrition and mental health.

And Julia said, look, we are virtually ignoring diet and how it relates to mental health. She firmly believes that what we eat has a direct impact on our mental health. And people believe and know that what they eat affects their physical mental health being and can make them very sick. However, most people don't even begin to think about what it could be doing to their mental health. Doctors are taught that nutrition and diet does not impact brain health, which is totally not true. Look, I really feel when you look at say going into your workplace, what food is provided at an event or morning tea actually speaks volumes about the employers or the organizers thoughts around mental health. So Julia said, look, when she looks at a morning tea in a corporate setting, it tells you how much the company and the organization cares about you. If they care for you, they're going to pop out some amazing fruit and veg. They won't be giving you Dunkin Donuts, right? Her big takeaway, and I hope this really lands with you, is that we need to reconnect with the land and the soil and with what our ancestors did. We need to gear away from the bad food. We need to grow our own food and look after ourselves. Prevention is the best medicine. For the past three or four years I've really been focused on, well, what do I and how does it impact me. And so for me, a plant based diet has been phenomenal. It's really helped me have more energy, more clarity. It's improved so many different aspects of my skin. It's been great. And I still know that although I eat a lot of veg and a lot of fruit, I still don't get everything I need. So I think I've shared it on a few other shows before. But I use Nutrient Rescue. It's a New Zealand based natural whole food product and it's a superfood powder. I'd like you to definitely check it out because for me, after three or four weeks of using it, I started to feel more energetic, started to feel clearer headed and certainly through those tougher times like winter and when there's. Hey, Covid was a difficult time too for many. But just when our immunity system needs that little bit more. Nutrient Rescue has been great. So if you want to check it out, head on over to Nutrient Rescue, just Google Nutrient Rescue, check it out there. And if you use the promotional code purpose, it'll give you 15% off any superfood powder, including their incredible starter packs. And it's interesting because Julia did talk about Nutrient Rescue in our interview, our full length interview and how she rates it and thinks that it is a good product. So I really firmly believe in it and I would just, you know, if that's not the product for you, that's fine. But please think about what else you need at a micronutrient level to support your mental health and what you're doing in that area. Another thing I do is, you know, I'm not a great cook, not very creative. I'll open the fridge and see no options. Caroline opens the fridge and sees like 30 different dinners she could make. I'm reaching for UberEats and she's like, no, no, no, no, let's cut that out. So anyway, what's helped me a lot has been the green dinner table. And as you know, they're a partner here with Lead on Purpose podcast. But it's been great. On a Sunday, they rock up and have an amazing box of fresh fruit, veg and all the ingredients I need for plant based meals for the week. And it's got a menu recipe so I can just follow it and it keeps me on the straight and narrow. So whatever you're doing, take a little look at what am I doing to set myself up on the daily for good nutrition. Keep it simple, but focus on what it is that you truly need. So I'm really looking forward to seeing you in a couple of days time for our next incredible guest. I hope some of those takeaways from Julia's show will really help you in some aspect of your mental health or somebody else around you. But for now, get out there and I'll lead your life on purpose.

Sam.