If we want to ensure our quality of life keeps up with our quantity of life, we have to start nourishing our brain. In fact, next to losing our ability to keep active and moving, memory loss and a declining ability to concentrate are two of our most common fears associated with getting older.
Does this sound like you?
- You have a child whose brain you want to grow healthy.
- You have a family member who is healing from a concussion or head trauma.
- You have a parent with the first signs of dementia.
- You are forgetting where you left your keys a little too often.
If so, it is time to find some simple ways to boost your brain power for the purpose of healing (ie after a concussion) or prevention (ie keep memory problems from progressing).
Your brain and memory are like a muscle. You need to use it to function at an optimum level. In fact, there’s a lot of truth in the old adage ‘use it or lose it’.
So, how can you get your brain back on track and stay sharp?
1. Exercise Your Body
Numerous research finds that exercise plays a big role in improving memory and brain function. When you move your body you are improving blood flow and circulation to the brain, as well as signaling the release of ‘feel good’ brain hormones. The changes that exercise triggers in the brain keeps your thinking ability sharp and memory clear.
2. Exercise Your Brain
Doing activities like reading, playing an instrument, a game of cards, and board games – are linked to a lower risk of Dementia. But it’s important to not just stick to things you know, it’s called a brain workout for a reason – learn something new, and give your brain something challenging to get into.
3. Eat a Variety of Fruits and Vegetables
Studies show that making a conscious effort to include a wider variety of vitamins and nutrients in your diet can lower the risk of Alzheimer’s by as much as 53%. Vitamins, fiber, and especially antioxidants help boost cognition, coordination, and memory. Your brain especially likes vitamins C and E, so pack your meals full of bell pepper, broccoli, strawberries, and blueberries.
4. Get Plenty of Omega 3 Fatty Acids
The brain is 60% fat, but it doesn’t like the processed fats, trans fat, or Omega-6 fats that consume most of the Standard American Diet. It needs Omega 3 fats where an increase is linked to an alleviation of multiple mental health concerns, from anxiety, irritability, dementia, or depression.
5. Get Plenty of Sleep
Getting adequate shut-eye is important for both your physical and mental health. During the time you sleep, your body ‘takes ou the trash’ in your brain and reorganizes your thoughts and ideas for long-term storage. If you don’t get enough sleep each night, in the short term it can affect the decisions you make and how well you learn and remember information.
The Most Common Missing Piece. . .
The big area missing for most our of clients age 40+ is nutrition. In fact, there is something called the Brain Food Pyramid that says: “Fats build your brain, and proteins unite it. Carbohydrates fuel your brain, and micronutrients defend it.”
If you need additional guidance in the area of nutrition – balancing proteins, carbohydrates, and fats – send me an e-mail (amanda@peakpotentialpt.com) TODAY so we can save you a seat in our next FREE Hands-On Nutrition Workshop.
The big takeaway I hope you’ll come away with is that a healthy lifestyle is the foundation for a fit and resilient brain. Not feeling so sharp today . . . don’t worry, good habits can improve your memory and brain power with the positive benefits lasting for decades to come.
