If you want to boost your brain power, taking classes and keeping mentally active is a start. Studies show that people with a good social life and those who are mentally active have a lower chance of dementia and Alzheimer’s. But the brain is more than just a storage area for facts, it’s a living organ and like all other organs in the body, needs adequate nutrition. What you eat and regular exercise play a huge role in getting and delivering those nutrients to the brain for better brain health.
You’ll think clearer if you spend active time.
You’ll not only feel better if you’re active each day, you’ll think better too. Exercise stimulates the blood flow to the brain. It helps prevent the build up of plaque in that slows or blocks the nutrients from reaching it and can cause the brain cells to slowly die. Getting some exercise every day, whether it’s a workout in the gym or a walk through the park, can help keep the blood flowing and prevent the buildup of plague in the arteries.
Fight off mental decline.
While participating in mental activities, no matter what age in life it was done, made a 14 percent difference in the amount of mental decline faced by seniors, physical activity played a bigger role. Physical activity slowed brain changing diseases such as stroke, dementia and Alzheimer’s. People who were more active in their senior years showed a slower rate of decline compared to the average by 32%. Those who were most sedentary increased their decline from dementia by 48%.
Feeding your brain keeps it functioning at its best.
Just like diet affects the body, it affects the mind. When you eat for your brain, you need to include a certain amount of fat. Most people actually fear eating fat, but healthy fat is important. Sorry, you won’t find that kind of healthy fat in a bag of fries. It comes from a good balance of Omega3 and Omega6 fatty acids, mono and poly unsaturated fat found in oily fish like salmon, avocados, nuts, whole eggs, olive oil and coconut oil. You need to include nutrients such as B vitamins, vitamin D, vitamin K and vitamin C, as well as calcium, magnesium and zinc can help brain power. Don’t expect to just take a pill. The body needs phyto nutrients that are only found in whole foods. Spices, such as turmeric, have been found to be anti-inflammatory and can prevent or slow the development of Alzheimer’s.
– Exercise burns off the hormones create by stress that can leave you depressed and make you sick. These hormones also slow the functioning of the brain. It replaces them with ones that make you feel good again.
– While staying active is important, so is sleep. A good night’s sleep clears away the cobwebs and lets you process the memories of the day.
– For a healthy brain, make sure you drink an adequate amount of water daily. Dehydration can lead to symptoms of dementia that are reversed with increased fluids. The brain is about 73% water.
– High blood sugar levels lead to damage in the area of the brain that performs memory functions, the hippocampus. Keeping blood sugar levels in check is done with exercise and diet.