We all know about cognitive decline as we age, but there are things that you can do to help keep your brain in optimal condition. To keep your brain healthy, you just need to focus on doing something each day to ensure your brain is working at its optimum.
10 Ways To Keep Your Brain Healthy
Exercise
By exercising your body, you will also inadvertently exercise your brain. The reason for this is because the co-ordination of your limbs is controlled by the brain.
Try to follow a good exercise plan daily, even if it is just a twenty-minute walk. Every bit helps.
Keep Your Brain Busy
Do crossword puzzles. Learn to use a computer. Learn to play a musical instrument. Study a foreign language. Play chess or bridge.
Try playing memory games, or try to memorize a list of things. This will make your brain sharper.
Try Mnemonics. If you meet someone new, try to associate their name with their profession or their interests. This will force your brain to work a little harder and you won’t fumble to remember the name again in the future.
These are just some ways that you can expand your thinking skills which will both stimulate and challenge your brain, and this, in turn, will keep your mind sharp.
Exploit Your Weakness
This may well seem counterproductive, but there’s good science to support it.
If you’re a morning person who’s most productive and alert early in the day, try tackling a creative task late at night, and vice versa if you are a night owl.
By getting your brain to work at a time when you usually don’t can yield some great results. This method works best for creative tasks rather than analytical tasks. You may surprise yourself at what you can accomplish when you do some work at what is typically not your optimum time.
Avoid Stress Without Rest
Mental performance is negatively impacted by stress.
This can damage or destroy your brain cells and many drugs that treat anxiety have side effects that affect mental clarity.
A calm mind can focus much better as well as retain information and solve problems better.
Stress reduction involves managing time and planning tasks ahead of time.
Maintaining a good balance in your life should be a top priority.
Raise Your Eyebrows
This one you may want to practice privately rather than on the subway. You may feel silly, but as soon as you try this tip, you’ll understand.
Raising your eyebrows opens your eyes wider, resulting in a slight adrenaline boost. You’ll instantly feel brighter and more alert.
Avoid Addictive Substances
You have heard it all before. Smoking narrows blood vessels so that less blood, oxygen, and nutrients reach the brain.
Smoking also increases the amount of carbon monoxide which is a compound that damages brain cells.
Alcohol has a devastating effect on the brain, affecting memory function, learning, reasoning, intelligence, and also your emotions.
Feed Your Brain
Eat small meals regularly.
Snacking on foods that are high in sugar, starch, and caffeine is a no-no.
Flooding your system with glucose causes a rollercoaster effect and results in fatigue and irritability.
instead, eat foods rich in vitamins that promote brainpower:
- Vitamin B6 is found in bananas, halibut, and lean beef.
- Vitamin B12 is found in mackerel, beef, tuna, salmon, and milk.
- Folic Acid is found in chickpeas, spinach, oranges, and strawberries.
Take Your Supplements
One of the brain’s major constituents is fat and essential fatty acids which are required for good brain function. However, they can’t be produced by the body, so need to be consumed in the diet or taken as supplements.
Omega-3 rich foods are oily fish, ground walnuts, and pumpkin seeds as well as olive oil and avocados.
Alternatively, take flaxseed or borage oil supplements.
Drink Lots Of Water
When functioning optimally, the brain consists of 85% water.
When it is dehydrated, your memory and concentration suffer.
Get Enough Sleep
Like exercise, adequate sleep improves every facet of your life.
Operating with a sleep deficit can actually be dangerous, and can in fact mimic intoxication.
One technique that can specifically increase your brain activity while you sleep is to eat a small snack before going to sleep. Something with a little natural sugar, like a piece of fruit, will work wonders to keep your brain healthy. That snack will keep your brain more active while your body rests up, and that active brain will be growing stronger.
Think of your brain like you do your muscles. If you don’t exercise it, it weakens and it atrophies instead of growing and developing.
If you consistently use your brain in new ways, by pushing it, stretching it, and challenging it, you’ll grow that muscle and make it stronger.
Challenge your brain in new ways as often as possible, and you’ll be stronger and smarter than you were the day before.
If you have any other ideas or tips to keep your brain healthy, please comment below.