Neuroscientists call the prefrontal cortex (PFC) the executive part of the brain because it functions like the boss at work.  Use these tips to optimize your PFC and boost the control that you have over your life.
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) – the front third of your brain – is larger in humans than any other animal… by far.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The PFC makes up:

• 30% of the human brain
• 11% of the chimpanzee brain
• 7% of the dog brain (unless your dog is like my dog, Tinkerbell, who won’t stop barking at strangers; hers is likely 4%
)
• 3% of the cat brain (which is why they need 9 lives)
• 1% of the mouse brain.

Neuroscientists call the prefrontal cortex (PFC) the executive part of the brain because it functions like the boss at work. It is the CEO inside your head.

Comedian Dudley Moore once said, “The best car safety device is a rear view mirror with a cop in it.”  Your PFC acts like the cop in your head that helps to prevent you from making bad decisions.  It is like our own personal Jiminy Cricket.  Without it in good working order, poor decisions can put you at risk for a miserable life, and even an early death.
The PFC is involved with:

• forethought
• judgment
• impulse control
• attention
• organization
• planning
• empathy
• insight
• learning from mistakes

A healthy PFC helps you think about and plan your goals, such as I want to live a long, healthy life, and it keeps you on track for the long run.
Low activity in the PFC has been associated with:

• a lack of forethought
• short attention span
• impulsivity
• procrastination
• disorganization
• poor judgment
• lack of empathy
• lack of insight
• not learning from mistakes

The graph below shows activity levels in the prefrontal cortex across the lifespan.
At the time it was created, the data was based on approximately 6,000 scans performed in our clinics.  (As I write this new article, we have performed around 90,000 scans).

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
You can see that a child’s prefrontal cortex is very active, but over time, the activity begins to settle down as unused connections are pruned away, and brain cells are wrapped with a white, fatty substance called myelin – hence the reference of “white matter” within the brain.
Myelin protects the nerves and acts like insulation on copper wires, helping our brain cells work more efficiently.  In fact, cells wrapped with myelin work 10 to 100 times faster than those without it!
The prefrontal cortex is not fully myelinated, or efficient, until we are about 25 years old.
Even though we think of 18-year-olds as adults, their brains are far from finished.  Scientists are now learning what insurance companies have known for a long time. When do car insurance rates change? Age 25. Why? Because that is when people display better driving judgment, are less likely to get into accidents and cost the insurance companies more money!
If we want our children to make better decisions for their lifetime, we need to do a much better job of taking care of their brains.  Their prefrontal cortex provides the horsepower of their decision-making skills for the rest of their lives.
Avoid anything that disrupts myelin formation, such as:
▪ smoking
▪ drinking alcohol
▪ drug use
▪ brain trauma
▪ a lousy diet
▪ too much stress
▪ too little sleep may actually delay or damage brain development
Our research also shows a new burst of increased activity in the prefrontal cortex after the age of 50!
As I looked at this part of the curve (on the graph), I began to think of the wisdom of age.  Have you ever noticed that many “silly” things become less important as we age?  We know the difference between “big stuff” and “small stuff” – and most of it really is “small stuff.”  We become more thoughtful and more able to focus on what really matters in life, which is why some people make better grandparents than they do parents.
Bill Cosby has a great routine where he says that his children think their grandmother is the most wonderful person on the face of the earth. “I keep telling my children,” he says, “that this is not the same woman that I grew up with.  You are looking at an old person who is trying to get into heaven.”  That may be true, but more likely it has to do with the wisdom of age.
If you take care of your brain over time, you are more likely to be wiser – wisdom is a brain function based on intelligence and born from many life experiences.
Another way to think of the development of the PFC is to think about maturity.  I think of maturity as not making the same mistakes over and over.  Mature people have a more thoughtful approach to their lives. As the PFC becomes myelinated, people act with more forethought and are likely to make fewer mistakes.
Boost Your PFC to Rein in Your Inner Child
All of this information is intended to help you win the war in your head between the adult, thoughtful part of your brain (PFC) – that knows what you should do – and your pleasure centers that are run by a spoiled and demanding inner child who always wants what he wants… whenever he wants it.
Your brain’s pleasure centers are always looking for a good time.
The Pleasure Centers:

• want to jump off the cliff
• love going fast on a motorcycle in the rain
• crave the ice cream
• want the double cheeseburgers
• will stand in line for the fresh cinnamon rolls
• will hyper-focus on having the second piece of cake

Left unchecked, your inner child is often whispering to you like a naughty little friend:
do it now …
 it’s ok …
 we deserve it …
 come on let’s have some fun …
 you’re so uptight …
  live a little ….
 we already had one bowl of ice cream, just one more won’t hurt …
 we’ll behave better tomorrow. I promise.
Without adult supervision, your inner child lives only in the moment and he can ruin your life.  I have friend who shared that her daughter-in-law got sick with the flu and had to remain in bed upstairs.  Her four-year-old son decided to “take over” the house while his mother was otherwise occupied with a pounding headache, fever, and vomiting.  When his father came home, the kitchen had ice cream melting in puddles on the counter, the pots and pans were arranged in a pyramid formation in the middle of the floor; cartoons were blaring on TV at full volume; clothes, toys, blankets (made into tents and “forts”) were strewn everywhere.  Absolute anarchy and chaos.  This is great visual of what happens to your life when your PFC is not functioning: your “inner child” takes over while your “inner adult” is napping.  The resulting mess is something to behold.
To balance your pleasure centers and tame your inner child, the PFC helps you think about what you do before you do it.  It thinks about your future, not just about what you want in the moment.
Instead of thinking about the chocolate cake, it is the rational voice in your head that helps you:

• avoid having a big belly
• remembers that “food is medicine” and that you’ll be in a sugar-induced, cranky, sleepy mood an hour after eating that cake
• reminds your inner child of delicious, but healthier alternatives that will both taste good AND nourish your body.
  • A square of dark chocolate, some fresh strawberries, a few walnuts and a cup of green tea will satisfy what your body is really craving (real nutrients), and you’ll feel better rather than worse in later on, without nagging hunger pangs.
  • is concerned about your bulging medical bills
  • have the ability to say no and mean it

When your PFC is strong, it reins in your inner child, so that you can have a fun, passionate, meaningful life, but in a thoughtful, measured, conscientious way.
To live a long healthy life, it is critical to strengthen your PFC and be able to put your inner child into time out, whenever he acts up.
It is also critical to watch your internal dialogue and be a good parent to yourself, not one who is abusive or mean.  I have taught parenting classes for many years and the two words that embody good parenting, even for your inner child, are FIRM and KIND.  When you make a mistake with food or with your health, look for ways to learn from your mistakes, but in a loving way.
Use these steps to optimize your PFC and boost the control you have over your life:

• “Then What?”  Always carry this question with you.  Think about the consequences of your behavior before you act.

• Protect your brain from injury or toxins.  This one should be obvious!

• Get 8 hours of sleep.  Less sleep equals lower overall blood flow to the PFC and more bad decisions.

• Keep your blood sugar balanced throughout the day.  Research studies say that low blood sugar levels are associated with lower overall blood flow to the brain, poor impulse control, irritability and more bad decisions.  Have frequent smaller meals throughout the day that each have at least some protein.

• Optimize your omega three fatty acid levels by eating more fish or taking fish oil.  Low levels of omega three fatty acids have also been associated with ADD, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and obesity.

• Use your One Page Miracle.  I call this exercise the One Page Miracle because it makes such a dramatic difference in the lives of those who practice it.  Your mind is powerful and it makes happen what it sees.  Focus and meditate on what you want.

• You have to practice using your PFC.  Self control is like a muscle.  The more you use it the stronger it gets.  This is why good parenting is essential to helping children develop self control.  If we gave in to our eight-year-old every time she wanted something or threw a temper tantrum we would raise a spoiled, demanding child.  By saying no and not giving in to tantrums, we teach her to be able to say no to herself.  To develop your PFC you need to do the same thing for yourself, practice saying no to the things that are not good for you and over time you will find it easier to do.

• Balance your brain chemistry.  Issues such as ADD, anxiety and depression decrease self control.  Getting help for these problems is essential to being in control of your life.  Trying to use willpower to control your behavior when your sleep is off, omega-3 fatty acids or blood sugar levels are low, or your brain chemistry is off is nearly impossible.

PFC Problems, ADD, and Early Death
ADD (attention deficit disorder) is associated with low activity in the PFC. Initially, ADD was thought of as a childhood disorder that most kids outgrew by the time they turned 12 or 13.  The hallmark symptoms of ADD are short attention span, being easily distracted, disorganization, poor impulse control, and for some, hyperactivity (ADHD).  People with ADD often exhibit excitement-seeking or conflict-seeking behavior, plus they tend to have trouble with time (they are often late and turn in assignments at the last minute).
Over the last 3 decades it has become clear that many ADD children continue to have debilitating symptoms for the rest of their lives.  They tend to outgrow much of the physical hyperactivity, but not the problems with disorganization, inattention, distractibility and impulse control.
Untreated ADHD has been associated with a higher incidence of:

• drug and alcohol abuse (impulsivity and to calm feelings of hyperactivity)
• relationship problems (impulsivity and conflict seeking)
• school failure (attentional problems and impulsivity)
• job related problems (problems with time, attention and impulse control)
• medical problems (associated with chronic stress, plus more head trauma with the excitement seeing behavior)
• obesity (lack of impulse control)
• depression (chronic failure)
• a lack of conscientiousness (all of the above)

In the book I wrote with noted neurologist Rod Shankle, Preventing Alzheimer’s, we argued that ADD is likely associated with Alzheimer’s disease because of its connection with many of the illnesses that put people at risk for it, such as alcohol abuse, obesity, depression and head trauma.  This is very important, because when ADD goes untreated, a person will not be able to control his or her impulses, setting them up for significant health problems, poor decisions and earlier death.  If you or someone you love has symptoms of ADD, it is important to be treated.
Natural ways to treat ADHD, in my experience, include intense aerobic exercise, a very healthy diet, as discussed in this book, a multiple vitamin, fish oil, and supplements (such as green tea, rhodiola, l-tyrosine) or medication (such as Ritalin or Adderall) to enhance prefrontal cortex function.
Once you realize the absolutely critical role of the PFC to longevity you then need to do everything possible to protect it and rehabilitate it if necessary.