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Eat. Sleep. Play. Code.

Brad Montgomery
July 17, 2014
170

Eat. Sleep. Play. Code.

Thoughts on how our lifestyle has an impact on our craft. Presented at the #memtech Super User Group (http://www.meetup.com/memphis-technology-user-groups/events/187330392/)

Brad Montgomery

July 17, 2014
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Transcript

  1. Eat. Sleep. Play. Code. How does our lifestyle affect our

    craft? Brad Montgomery twitter.com/bkmontgomery
  2. Eat The food we eat affects our work Image: Street

    Food and Blue Wall by Louis Vest
  3. The Journal of Physiology Sugar highs and lows: the impact

    of diet on cognitive function Jill N. Barnes and Michael J. Joyner (2012) “...data on the effects of diet on learning, memory and cognition are scarce..”
  4. ...unhealthy diet (high fructose intake, low omega-3 fatty acids) was

    associated with lower cognitive scores and insulin resistance… The Journal of Physiology Agrawal R & Gomez-Pinilla F (2012).
  5. A healthy diet during middle age is associated with better

    cognitive function later in life. The Journal of Nutrition Kesse-Guyot E, Andreeva VA, Jeandel C, Ferry M, Hercberg S & Galan P (2012) Image: Smile by Alan Cleaver
  6. neu·ro·trans·mit·ter! /ˌn(y)o͝orōˈtranzmitər/ Image: human brain on white background by _DJ_

    ! …a messenger of neurologic information from one cell to another.
  7. Dopamine.! ! Motivation & a Sense of readiness to meet

    life's challenges. ! Depleted by: stress, lack of sleep, alcohol, caffeine, & sugar. ! Antioxidants: Fruits & Vegetables
  8. Acetylcholine! ! Primary chemical carrier of thought and memory; Partly

    responsible for concentration and focus. ! Created from B-vitamins (lecithin): egg yolks, wheat germ, soybeans, organ meats, and whole wheat products.
  9. Norepinephrine (aka noradrenalin)! ! Motivation, Alertness, and Concentration. Formation of

    new memories & transfer to long- term storage. ! Created from amino acids & vitamins found in almonds, avocados, bananas, dairy products, lima beans, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds.
  10. Serotonin! ! The calming neurotransmitter. Promotes contentment & normal sleep.

    ! Created from tryptophan & vitamins found in brown rice, cottage cheese, meat, peanuts, and sesame seeds.
  11. …extensive literature now indicates that sleep supports … cognitive and

    emotional brain processes. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences The Role of Sleep in Cognition and Emotion Walker MP (2009)
  12. Sleep has been implicated in both the encoding and consolidation

    of memory. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences The Role of Sleep in Cognition and Emotion Walker MP (2009)
  13. A (2004) study found: ! 1. Learning -> activity in

    the hippocampus 2. Deep Sleep -> more activity in the hippocampus 3. This brain activity during sleep is proportional to “next day task improvement”. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences The Role of Sleep in Cognition and Emotion Walker MP (2009)
  14. Another (2004) study found: ! Given a Problem: Sleeping after

    exposure to the problem therefore more than doubled the likelihood of solving it the next day. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences The Role of Sleep in Cognition and Emotion Walker MP (2009)
  15. The goal of sleep may be to … form the

    basis of generalized knowledge and creativity. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences The Role of Sleep in Cognition and Emotion Walker MP (2009)
  16. “Dozens of studies now show that aerobic exercise can increase

    the size of critical brain structures and improve cognition in children and older adults” 2013 Article from the University of Illinois http://news.illinois.edu/news/13/0218activity_cognition_ArtKramer.html
  17. Creative potential is boosted by moderate aerobic exercise. ! Both

    immediately after and two hours later (residual effects). Creativity Research Journal Aerobic Exercise and Creative Potential: Immediate and Residual Effects Blanchette, Ramocki, O'del, and Casey (2005),
  18. “Individual instances of exercise are unlikely to be very influential,

    but long-term exercise programs producing fitness gains are more likely to impact cognitive functioning” Creativity Research Journal Aerobic Exercise and Creative Potential: Immediate and Residual Effects Blanchette, Ramocki, O'del, and Casey (2005),
  19. Exercise can mean as little as walking 3 times a

    week. Creativity Research Journal Aerobic Exercise and Creative Potential: Immediate and Residual Effects Blanchette, Ramocki, O'del, and Casey (2005),
  20. Things we do:! ! 1. Fit many problems in our

    head 2. And their peculiarities 3. And the edge cases 4. While juggling mental tasks 5. And then figure stuff out Image: Unicycle Lane? by Shannon Henry
  21. Anecdotal “Evidence” • I think I'm more productive when I'm

    well-rested. • Maintenance on that 2am code :-( • I feel more productive after exercise. • Food? I feel good when my diet is good.
  22. A man too busy to take care of his! health

    is like a mechanic too busy! to take care of his tools.! - Spanish Proverb Image: Old Tools by arbyreed