"You're preparing for sleep the moment that you wake up," says Louisa Nicola. Louisa, a neurophysiologist and human performance coach, joins us to discuss how to optimize your brain metabolism, plus: - Louisa’s background & personal health journey (~00:17) - What is Neuro Athletics? (~01:49) - The link between sleep & brain health (~06:24) - How exercise impacts your sleep (~08:34) - How to set yourself up for a good night’s sleep (~13:02) - How alcohol affects your brain & how much you can drink (~15:37) - Louisa’s best jet lag hacks (~24:14) - Physical activity vs. exercise (~26:47) - How aerobic & resistance exercise benefit your brain (~28:36) - How exercise can reduce anxiety & depression ~36:40) - The benefits of proprioceptive training (~38:43) - Why creatine supplements deserve more hype (~44:43) - How taking care of your brain also helps your heart (~50:10) - How to know if you have a healthy brain (~53:56) - Louisa’s personal nutrition philosophy (~55:20) - How to optimize your brain regardless of age (~01:03:51) - The future of brain aging (~01:04:56) - Why we’re seeing such a high rate of strokes right now (~01:07:52) - How to control your emotions by reprogramming your brain (~01:13:11) Order a copy of my new book The Joy Of Well-Being at thejoyofwellbeing.com!  Referenced in the episode: - Neuro Athletics. - Louisa's IG post on Alcohol consumption. - A study on alcohol & brain damage. - A study on melatonin supplement content. - A study on supplementation & Alzheimer's. - A study on lack of sleep & brain health. - Louisa's NACC course. - mindbodygreen's methylation support+. - Sign up for The Long Game.  We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: podcast@mindbodygreen.com.