Brain health is important for everyone. Your brain is the most complex organ in your body and it’s made up of billions of neurons that communicate with each other through chemical and electrical signals.
As we grow older, our brains shrink slightly and lose volume, but this process is normal. However, it can be accelerated by things such as stress, sleep deprivation, and poor diet.
Here are some tips to boost brain health:
- Eat brain-healthy foods. Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains will provide your body with the nutrients needed to keep your mind sharp. Foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids are especially good for the brain because they help protect against cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease and depression.
- Get regular exercise. Exercise helps improve blood flow to the brain, which increases its ability to absorb glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream. This helps prevent mental fatigue and improves concentration levels while helping you think more clearly.
- Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can affect your memory and concentration skills as well as make you more irritable and less able to deal with stressors in life. Studies have shown that people who get less than 7 hours’ sleep each night are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life.
- Stay mentally active throughout life by learning new things and challenging your mind with puzzles or games like Sudoku or crosswords. This type of mental stimulation keeps your brain active which may help prevent dementia in later years.
- Do not smoke or use drugs. both of these can harm your brain over time by causing strokes or other serious conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease.
- Avoid stress as much as possible.
- Practice mindfulness meditation. Meditation has been proven to be a great way to relax your mind.
