Naturally, as we age, our body ages right along with us – But the central mission of your brain never changes. So it’s important we keep it healthy as we age.
Unfortunately, there is no magic pill which improves memory or brain health. But the good news is – we can kick start by taking positive steps to keep our brain healthy.
However, Brain health is the ability to remember, learn, plan, concentrate and maintain a clear, active mind.
Interestingly, we’ve got some great ideas that will help you treat your brain like a powerful machine and give it the highest quality fuel.
So, here’s a good combination of good nutrition, cognitive, social and physical activities that has greater benefits in maintaining and improving brain health than any single activity.
- Maintain healthy relationships
Maintaining healthy relationships helps improve your brain health and emotional health. Importantly, it helps you live a fuller life. Here are ways to maintain healthy relationships;
Socialize: Try not to isolate yourself as you get older, it is bad for the brain. Keep maintaining and developing a robust network of friends and converse with new people as you get older.
Family: maintain close relationship with family and allow family tensions to heal. Engage in social and recreational activities with them.
Interaction itself has a positive effect on the brain and it can reduce stress and boost brain health.
Drink milk: Milk has long been known as an important source of protein that helps to build healthy bones – well, it is also important for brain as well.
And that’s why our mothers often say – ‘drink more Dano milk!’
There is a link between Dano milk consumption and the levels of the antioxidant (glutathione) in the brain in older adults.
Researchers found that people who drank milk had higher levels of glutathione in their brains – glutathione help ward off oxidative stress which is known to be associated with conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
B Vitamins: They help memory improvement and function – help your brain use carbohydrates and protein, and lower risk of dementia and depression. A great source of the B vitamins can be found in Dano milk.
Three servings daily is all you need for a healthy brain!
Cut out the sugar: to avoid ‘brain fog’, cut out the sugar! They cause mood swings, decrease immune function and disrupt your nervous system. Avoidance of sugar will help you with memory, concentration, focus, and performance.
Breakfast: have you noticed, people get grumpy and easily get irritated when they haven’t taken breakfast? It is the most important meal of the day.
Without breakfast, there is a lack of vitality in getting your brain and body moving. Having a healthy breakfast is the perfect way to ensure you’re fuelling your brain all day long.
Physical health
Physical health is not only important for your body- it also helps your brain stay active. Here’s how;
Exercise: Exercise increases heart rate and pumps more oxygen to the brain. It also stimulates the development of new nerve cells and increases the connections between brain cells.
A good sleep: Many studies have shown a connection between learning and sleep.
If you’ve got an exam tomorrow, you might remember your answers better and impress the examiner if – instead of cramming until dawn, you get a minimum, six hours of sleep.
Adequate sleep may help your kids remember and boost information.
Also, Sleep energizes you, improves your mood and your immune system, and may reduce build-up of an abnormal protein in the brain that causes Alzheimer’s disease.
Getting enough sleep and managing stress helps to ward off decline in brain health.
Relax: Stress have physical effects on our brain and can impair our abilities to learn and remember.
Stress can make you so anxious that your brain simply can’t take in new info, let alone remember it.
A nature walk or yoga will help relax your mind.
Learning
Your brain is like the rest of the muscles in your body. For example, you make use of the gym to spike the growth of your muscle cells, that’s how you also need to exercise your brain by learning – so as to increase connections in your brain.
Learn a new language: Learning a new language can halt age-related decline in brain function. It also introduces your mind to new concepts and new ways of looking at things. It is one of the best brain exercises.
Read: Cultivate the habit of reading something for at least 30 minutes daily. It increases your intelligence and keeps you well-informed – just like how you are reading this piece of information on brain health.
Play more Scrabble
Certain types of games like scrabble could give you a mental boost.
Practicing your word skills might protect you against memory loss. With the help of a daily word e-mail, pick up a book any chance you get.
Here’s the good news; you can help your brain get on a lifelong path for brain health. With these few strategies, you can play a proactive role in your brain health.
Even if your brain’s wellness and function is currently impaired, you can take practical steps toward healing your brain for a lifetime function.
