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Keeping your brain sharp and healthy is important to live a long life. Oftentimes, heart health seems to take precedence so we put aside the importance of making sure we keep the organ on top healthy too.
Keeping the brain healthy can be as simple as making healthy choices from what we put into our bodies to how we feel. Here is a brain health guide on some steps to take to keep your brain healthy:
Stop Smoking
One of the biggest positive changes a person can make is to quit smoking. Quitting can reduce the risk of developing dementia and keep the brain functioning normally into old age.
Encouragement
There is a correlation between being positive and telling someone they can achieve something to them actually achieving it. If a person is encouraged, they are more likely to think it’s possible and to achieve it. A positive mindset helps.
Sleep
Sleeping allows people to make sense of what happened during the day and even work through issues that may be bothering them. Losing sleep can also result in a person not learning or remembering things as well.
Healthy Eating
Certain foods can help improve memory and overall brain function, such as broccoli, tomatoes, spinach and omega-3 fatty acids.
Meditate
Meditation can help increase focus, improve concentration and memory.
Exercise
Physical exercise increases blood flow, which helps the brain to receive crucial oxygen and glucose. It can also improve coordination.
Mental Activity
Keep the brain sharp with reading, working on puzzles or learning something new.
What Is The Best Vitamin For Memory And Focus?
It is possible that some vitamins can help brain function and concentration. Some of the best ones include:
Fish Oil
Rich in omega-3 fatty acids that have been linked to improve brain health, fish oil also has anti-inflammatory effects that may protect the brain against damage and aging.
Resveratrol
Naturally found in the skin of purple and red fruits as well as chocolate, wine and peanuts, this can help with the part of the brain associated with memory.
Ginkgo Biloba
It helps to increase blood flow to the brain and may help with focus and memory.
Creatine
This is found naturally in animal products so could be good for vegetarians to take as it can help improve memory.
How To Keep Brain Healthy And Active
We know that physical exercise is good for our bodies so why should our brain be any different? It’s important we use it to improve memory, focus and just to function. To keep it sharp, it’s important we take part in a few simple brain exercises like the ones listed below
Jigsaw Puzzles
This is good for using our cognitive abilities because we have to see where the little piece fits into the larger picture.
Cards
Playing cards can help several regions of the brain and could improve memory and thinking skills. So try your hand at solitaire, crazy eights or even poker.
Vocabulary
Learning new words can help both visual and auditory parts of the brain. So try looking up unfamiliar words and using them to increase your brain power.
Senses
Using all of your senses can give your brain a workout. Something as simple as trying a new food can require you to use all of your senses, from tasting it, smelling it, touching it, seeing it even hearing the food cook.
Learn And Teach
Learning something new can improve memory function. Teaching also requires you to explain concepts, requiring memory. Want an ultimate brain booster? Learn a new language. It can help delay age-related mental decline.
Music
Whether playing or listening to music, it can boost brain power through creative thinking.
Do Brain Supplements Really Work?
One of the best ways to strengthen the brain and keep it sharp is to use it. But supplements can also play an important part to help improve brain health, memory and cognitive function.
The best brain supplements for 2020 have research behind them. It’s important to make sure you understand how the supplement works and any interactions with other medications you may be taking. So make sure to read any fine print, look at the research and talk to your doctor.
How to Improve Brain Function With Supplements
If you’ve decided to add supplements to your brain health regimen you may wonder how it will work. First, it’s important to understand that natural supplements like herbs have many different compounds in them, which is different than a drug. Drugs have one compound so it’s easier to understand how the result is being produced. Since herbs have multiple compounds, it means they may have more active properties that may work in combination to produce the result.
Brain healing supplements can either be noticeable where people will realize they are more focused and alert. Or they may be less noticeable. Just like medication, herbal supplements may not have the same affect on each person.
What Vitamins And Minerals Are Good For The Brain
We can get a lot of necessary vitamins and minerals for the brain through foods. Below are some of the best vitamins for the brain and the foods they can be found in.
B Vitamins
There are a few B vitamins that are good for the brain.
- B-1 found in sunflower seeds, beef and whole grains, this vitamin can help the nerves and brain communicate.
- B-2 found in almonds, leafy vegetables, eggs and lean meats can help certain types of headaches.
- B-9 also in leafy vegetables, beans and orange juice helps overall brain health.
- B-12 found mostly in animal products can help maintain nerve and blood health.
Vitamin C
Found in citrus fruits and broccoli, vitamin C can reduce inflammation and help improve blood pressure.
Vitamin D
Consume some cheese, eggs and fish to get vitamin D, which can help nerve health.
Omega-3
Eating certain kinds of fish and flaxseed can help brain health overall, while also improving blood pressure and cholesterol.
Coenzyme Q10
Found in cruciferous vegetables, organ meats and fatty fish, this has antioxidant properties that help protect the brain.
How Can I Make My Brain Sharper?
There are some natural brain boosters that you may already take part in and not realize what a profound impact they have on keeping your brain sharp. Something as simple as walking your dog can help boost blood flow to your brain resulting in a healthier mind. So next time your pooch wants to go for a walk, take the leash, you’ll be doing your brain a favor.
Looking for some other ideas to keep your brain sharp, don’t forget to pick up a book or pen. Taking the time to read and write, especially as you get older can reduce the rate of memory decline. Pick something you like and make it a daily habit.
And while you are reading, make sure you maintain good posture. It can help improve circulation and blood flow to the brain.
What Is The Mind Diet?
What we eat has a direct Impact on our health. And there is such a thing as a brain diet known more commonly as the mind diet. It is specifically designed to prevent dementia and brain loss function as people age.
It is a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH diets and stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. Both of these diets are regarded as some of the healthiest out there. So researchers combined the two utilizing foods known to benefit brain health. It consists of these 10 foods:
- Green, leafy vegetables
- Other vegetables (preferably non-starchy)
- Berries
- Nuts
- Olive oil
- Whole grains
- Fish
- Beans
- Poultry
- Wine
Even if people can’t consume the recommended amount for each item, eating them moderately has been shown to help. There are also foods to avoid because they contain saturated and trans fats including:
- Butter and margarine
- Cheese
- Red meat
- Fried foods
- Pastries and sweets
Supplements That Can Help
There are some supplements that can help brain health such as spermidine. It works by triggering the body’s cellular autophagy process. Through this process old and damaged cells are recycled in the body so new cells can be formed. This allows cells to function at optimal efficiency.
It’s important to know that supplements like spermidine cannot cure illnesses, but rather help support the brain to age gracefully while helping to offset cognitive decline.
