Dr Sui H. Wong MD FRCP

🧠 5 signs coffee is working against your brain

Caffeine isn’t good or bad. It depends: dose, timing, genetics.
All five signs trace back to one molecule: adenosine, your brain’s sleepiness signal.

1️⃣ Headaches when your coffee is late

Delay your cup and your head starts to ache?
That’s may be caffeine dependence, not caffeine deficiency…
Caffeine blocks adenosine, so your brain builds more receptors to manage that. 
So how best to cut down? Wean over 1 to 2 weeks, not 7 cups to zero.

2️⃣ Jitters in your hands or eyelid

Fine hand trembling is enhanced physiological tremor.
Blocking adenosine lets adrenaline-type signalling surge, changing how muscle fibres fire.

3️⃣ Jumpy, on edge, quick to snap

Adenosine is one of your brain’s stop signals.
Caffeine blocks it, and the scales tip towards go.
More go, less stop: that’s the startle and the short fuse.
Some carry an adenosine receptor variant that makes them far more sensitive.

4️⃣ Groggy after a full night’s sleep

Your last cup may have been too late.
Caffeine’s half-life is roughly 5 to 6 hours.
So 12 hours on, around a quarter is still circulating.
Caffeine 6 hours before bed measurably disturbs sleep, even if you fall asleep fine!

5️⃣ The afternoon crash

Sharp all morning, foggy by 2pm?
The adenosine caffeine was holding back floods in as it clears.
And your body has its own midday dip anyway - so the two effects add up!
Instead of another cup, how about a brisk walk, or a 20 minute nap?

Yes I did say a nap!


Want the flip side, why coffee is good for your brain? Comment below 👇 and if there’s enough demond I’lld work on one :)

— Dr Sui Wong
Neurologist · Brain Health Advocate • creator of the BRA(i)NS® Method
Helping you build brain energy, focus and performance.

📩 Want my Thursday Tips? Bitesized insights for brain energy, focus and performance – link in bil.

Important note: new or persistent headaches, tremor or twitching deserve assessment. See your doctor.
References in first comment.

Educational content. Not medical advice.

🧠 5 ways to switch off at night, after a day run on adrenaline

Exhausted but wired at 11pm, staring at the ceiling while your brain replays the day.

You’re not broken. Your nervous system has been in high-alert mode for a while, with nothing telling it the day is over. You can give it that signal.

Five ways, and where the evidence actually sits.

1️⃣ 5-4-3-2-1 grounding

5 things you see, 4 you touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste.
It moves attention out of rumination and into the room.
This one comes from clinical practice, not trial data. I use it because it works in the moment.

2️⃣ Legs up the wall

5 to 10 minutes. No yoga experience needed.
A restorative pose that gives your body somewhere to settle.
Plus: it’s the one you can manage when you’re too tired for anything else.

3️⃣ Screens off 60 minutes before bed

Bright, close-up light in the evening can push your melatonin rise later.
The bigger issue is content: emails and news keep your mind in problem-solving mode. Swap it for dim light and a paper book.

4️⃣ Progressive muscle relaxation

Tense a muscle group for five seconds, release, notice the contrast. Work up from your feet.
Stress sits in the jaw, the shoulders, the hands. Pooled trial data links regular practice with better sleep quality.

5️⃣ Brain dump before bed

3 to 5 minutes.
Everything on your mind, onto paper.
Specifically: tomorrow’s tasks, not today’s wins. In a sleep-lab study, people who wrote a to-do list fell asleep faster than those who listed what they’d finished.

Pick one tonight. Which one are you starting with? 👇

— Dr Sui Wong Neurologist · Brain Health Advocate • creator of the BRA(i)NS® Method Helping high achievers feel sharp, calm and in flow again.

📩 Thursday Tips: brain-performance tips for steady energy and focus – link in bio.

Important note: skip legs up the wall if you have glaucoma, raised eye pressure or uncontrolled blood pressure. New or persistent sleep problems can have a medical cause: see your doctor.

References: Chang et al (2015) PMID 25535358, Donato et al (2026) PMID 41633054, Scullin et al (2018) PMID 29058942

A big benefit of broccoli comes from sulforaphane.

This tip activates the chemical reaction that forms sulforaphane in broccoli.

Broccoli doesn’t actually contain sulforaphane.

It is formed by an enzyme called myrosinase.

When you cut the broccoli, you break the cell walls, and activate the reaction for sulforaphane to be produced.

Heat destroys that enzyme, myrosinase, almost instantly.

Which is why cooking it straight away means you miss out on most of the sulforaphane benefit.

But cutting it first and waiting 30–40 minutes gives time for sulforaphane to be made.

🌟What sulforaphane actually does in your brain:
It activates a master switch (called the Nrf2 pathway) that turns on hundreds of your body’s own protective genes. For:

🧠 Reduced neuroinflammation
🛡️ Stronger antioxidant defences (i.e. less damage to brain cells)
🚽 Detoxification of environmental neurotoxins, e.g. benzene from air pollution
⚡ Better brain processing sp*ed: a research study (double-blind RCT) in healthy adults found sulforaphane improved brain processing sp*ed compared to placebo

🌱The mustard seed powder hack works because mustard seeds are in the same plant family as broccoli and contain their own active myrosinase enzyme. So, sprinkling it over cooked broccoli restores the conversion that heat destroyed.

PS: didn’t do this today? No stress. Broccoli is still brilliant for you, with fibre, vitamins C, K, and folate. This tip just unlocks the bonus brain benefits.

Educational content. Not medical advice.
My upcoming book covers this and more → brainsbooklaunch.com

References

Wu N, et al. Biochem Pharmacol. 2025 PMID: 39929442.
Nouchi R, et al. Front Aging Neurosci. 2022 PMID: 35966784.
Fahey JW, et al. Nutrients. 2025 PMID: 40284217

P*e colour cheat sheet: Your p*e colour is a powerful hydration check.

Even mild dehydration can slow attention, memory and mood, long before you feel “thirsty”.

Aim for pale straw‑yellow most of the day (Can even be paler than shown on the video). Your brain and kidneys will thank you!

Nuance Notes:
* B vitamins can make your urine yellower than usual
* If your urine is “cola” dark, it might be a sign of muscle breakdown or blood in urine; see your doctor
* For people with medical conditions (especially kidney or heart disease) please be guided by your own doctor


Education content. Not medical advice

PS - I write more about hydration and the brain in my upcoming book, see: brainsbooklaunch.com

This original video broke the internet! And it’s actually a good one, here’s why:  

The fibre in this recipe feeds your gut microbiome, which produces short‑chain fatty acids that support the gut–brain axis and help keep inflammation in check.

Chia seeds also provide the plant omega‑3 fat alpha‑linolenic acid (ALA), which your body can use as a building block for cell membranes in your brain and body.

Because ALA is sensitive to high heat, you’ll get more benefit by sprinkling chia on once your pancakes have cooled, rather than cooking it in the batter.

Small, delicious changes like this can become daily brain‑healthy habits. 💫

Save this to try, and tag me if you make it!

Original recipe by

This simple test? It’s one of the best measures of brain health we have.

Stand on one leg. Time yourself.
Now close your eyes.
Now switch legs.

Here’s what your time means:

🔴 Under 10 seconds — linked to 84% higher risk of early death

🟠 Under 20 seconds — associated with silent brain changes & reduced cognitive scores 

🟡 Under 30 seconds — signals higher risk of recurrent falls 

🟢 30+ seconds — your protective target 🎯

Why is this a brain test, not just a body test?

Balancing on one leg requires your brain to coordinate three systems simultaneously:
your eyes, your inner ear (vestibular system), & your body’s position sensors (proprioception).

It also activates your prefrontal cortex — the seat of decision-making, focus & working memory.

When balance declines, it’s often one of the earliest signs the brain is under strain.

And don’t forget your other leg! Most people are surprised to find a significant difference between sides. A big gap between legs is worth paying attention to, as each leg challenges a different side of the brain.

👁️ Eyes closed = a whole new level. It isolates your vestibular system and proprioception. Research links shorter eyes-closed times directly to cognitive impairment risk.

📍The good news? You can train this!

Daily life is full of opportunities — putting on your shoes, brushing your teeth, waiting for the kettle. 


👇 Drop your times in the comments — both legs, eyes open AND closed. Let’s see where you’re at!

References:
Araujo et al., Br J Sports Med, 2022 · PMID: 35728834
Tabara et al., Stroke, 2015 · PMID: 25523051
Blodgett et al., Am J Prev Med, 2022 · PMID: 35995713
Wang et al. Front Aging Neurosci, 2024. PMID: 38343877


Dr Sui Wong MD FRCP - Neurologist helping you translate science into actionable tips

Educational content. Not medical advice.

PS - doing this video reminded me of the incredible late Dr Michael Mosley, who inspired me with how he shared health information and created such positive impact with his work

PPS — don’t worry, balance can be trained at any age, & there’s so much we can do to support brain

Breathwork is one of the most accessible tools you carry with you all day, every day.

Breathing is unique in that it is both automatic and under voluntary control, which is exactly why it can influence your nervous system so effectively.

This technique I call “Extended Outbreaths” is my approach to extended exhales ((roughly 1.5–2x longer than your inhale), where studies show it can shift your autonomic nervous system toward the parasympathetic state — that’s your body’s relaxation response.

A longer exhale activates the vagus nerve, helping to slow the heart rate and settle the stress response.

Bonus tips:
👉Gentle pauses between breaths may help reduce over-breathing and excessive CO₂ loss, which can otherwise lead to light-headedness or tingling.

👉Allowing the breath to expand into the lower abdomen and lower back (a 360° breath) supports fuller diaphragmatic movement, which may enhance the calming effect.

💬Comment to let me know how you feel after practising this. I’d love to hear from you 😊

👉 Follow for more science-backed tips.

Dr Sui Wong - Neurologist helping you translate science into actionable tips

Educational content. Not medical advice.

References
Zaccaro et al. 2018 PMID: 30245619
Birdiee et al 2023 PMID: 36871835

One breath can shift your nervous system out of stress mode.

I call this the “In-In-Out Breath”, my approach to the physiological sigh or cyclic sighing.

This breathwork of two inhales through the nose, then a long slow exhale, is something your body does spontaneously when overwhelmed.

The self-hug posture? I like adding this to enhacne this effect futher, with studies showing it reduces the stress hormone, cortisol.

Deliberately doing it activates the Relaxation Response of your autonomic nervous system. That’s the part of your nervous system taht controls the automatic functions of your body, eg blood pressure, heart rate, sweating, pupil sizes).

One side is the relaxation response (parasympathic nervous system)

The other side the stress response (sympathetic nervous system)

You need both. It’s the balance between both that is important, which is why having this breathwork practice in your toolbox can work wonders.

💬Comment to let me know how you find it! I’d love to hear from you.

👉Follow for next post that adds more to this.

Dr Sui Wong - Neurologist helping you translate science into actionable tips

Educational content. Not medical advice.

References: 
Vlemincx et al., 2016 PMID: 27404329
Dreisoerner et al., 2021 PMID: 35757667
Susanti et al., 2025 doi:10.30994/jnp.v8i2.668.