Five Habits for Good Brain Health
Our brain is – by far – the most important organ in our bodies. While all body parts and organs are also important, keeping the a good brain health is an important thing if we want to ensure longevity. It’s important to note that the brain is working at all times, so it’s easy for it to become exhausted if you don’t have a healthy lifestyle. Thankfully, there are several habits that you can start doing today to keep your brain functioning at its best.
Keep reading for an overview of five great habits to have better brain health over the years.
Sleeping to Improve Brain Function
Several researchers found that having restful sleep keeps the brain sharp over time. If you don’t get good sleep from time to time, you may have problems with social interaction, remembering things, and more.
Sleeping is important regarding brain working memory and learning. Generally speaking, an average of eight hours of sleep per night can help you boost memory, prevent memory loss and reductions in brain volume, and reduce the risk of suffering from neurological disorders.
Keeping Your Brain Healthy with Physical Exercises
Physical activity is one of the top-rated methods to keep your brain healthy over the years. Research shows that regular exercise has several benefits for both physical and mental health. Overall, people who engage in physical exercise are more likely to experience a slow cognitive decline, especially in older adults.
People with mild cognitive impairment gain many benefits from exercise. These activities also give you a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Overall, here are some of the benefits you can get from exercising regularly:
- Increased synapse between brain cells.
- Increased blood flow to your brain, improving cardiovascular health.
- Creation of new nerve cells.
- Improving the brain’s ability to create new memories.
- You can bring oxygen-rich blood to your brain.
- You can prevent high blood pressure problems.
- Exercise can reduce stress levels.
There are many things you can do to start your exercise journey. If you’ve never exercised before, a daily walk can be enough. Once you get stronger, you may start doing more complex exercises to get your heart pumping.
Engaging in a Healthier Diet
It may not seem like it, but aside from getting enough sleep and exercising, what you eat also affects your brain. Most experts recommend a Mediterranean diet to improve brain health, but as long as you eat a diet rich in fruits or vegetables, you’re good to go.
A healthy diet can help you prevent heart disease while keeping your body in great shape. Some of the elements you may encounter in Mediterranean diets are:
- Healthy fats (Olive oil).
- Whole grains.
- Red meat (Reduced quantities).
Dark chocolate can also be a great addition to your diet since the flavanols in the cocoa beans may help you improve memory, cognitive function, and executive function.
Engaging in Mental Exercises
Physical activity is important, but you shouldn’t leave mental exercising behind. One of the best ways to improve cognitive health is through intellectual stimulation.
Working your brain can also create new cells/new connections and help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and other forms of dementia.
The good news is that there are many activities you can do right now to start working out your brain, such as the following:
- Learning to play a musical instrument.
- Learning a foreign language.
- Doing crossword puzzles.
- Developing a new skill.
- Problem-solving exercises.
All of those activities have shown to improve thinking skills and keeping a healthy heart, so make sure to choose the one you feel comfortable with.
Socializing to Prevent Depression or Anxiety
Staying isolated from the world can have a negative impact on your brain. Some healthy habits for those cases involve remaining socially active.
Thanks to the internet, you can easily find a community of people with your same interests, so getting in those communities can help you reduce anxiety levels.
Where Can You Find More Information About Mental Health?
There are a lot of sources where you can check studies about healthy lifestyles, such as the Harvard Medical School. If you want to keep track of the latest studies regarding his topic, make sure to check reliable sources, such as the Harvard Health Publishing, Mayo Clinic Health System, and more.
Bottom Line
These five habits can help your brain generate cells and promote better memory and cognitive function. If you engage in these activities continually, you can prevent dementia and ensure a longer and healthier life.
Author:admin
