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Boost your brain power with these 5 tips
11/8/2013 10:19:16 PM
Maintaining a healthy brain is essential as it is the command centre of the entire body. It
controls daily functions like motor control, visual and auditory processing, sensation,
learning, memory and emotions.
Your brain deteriorates as you grow older but the rate is accelerated if you don’t take
care of it. Here are some steps you can take to help keep your brain healthy and delay
the onset of cognitive decline.
Exercise
Studies have shown that exercise helps in increasing brain power apart from
strengthening your heart and muscles. Although regular exercise such as walking
boosts brain power, aerobic exercise benefits the most as it improves cognitive function
and increases the size of critical brain structures.
Eat and drink right
Include lots of fibre in your diet. A low glycemic diet is beneficial as it is digested slowly
in the body and gives a more steady flow of energy to the brain which optimizes the
brain’s long-term health and performance. Recent studies have suggested that
Mediterranean diet which is rich in fruits, vegetables, olive oil and seafood with high
content of Omega-3 fatty acids could be the secret to keeping the brain in good
working condition. Also limit your alcohol intake and avoid cigarettes as they impair your brain function.
Meditate
Meditation can strengthen the connections
between brain cells and allow it to process
information faster. Researchers revealed that
meditation strengthens the telomeres, which is
associated with ageing and the hippocampus, the
brain`s key centre of learning and memory formation
Stimulate your noggins
Challenge and stimulate your brain daily; read a
book, write down your thoughts, learn a new
language or play a game. Studies suggest that spending at least 15 minutes a day
doing a crossword, sudoku or other puzzles could be beneficial for your brain as
unfamiliar stimuli and new mental challenges can stimulate neuron growth.
Sleep well
Erratic sleep pattern can lead to memory loss and brain deterioration. Sleep for about
seven hours every night as research showed that getting too much or too little sleep can
prematurely age a person`s brain by up to seven years.
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