From solving puzzles to eating the right foods, here's how to keep your grey cells in good shape.
While there is no fountain of youth for the brain, there is always the next best thing. There is lots you can do right now to preserve, protect and enhance your gray matter. One hint: If you are already a devotee of a heart-healthy lifestyle, you are already on the right track. What is good for the heart is probably good for your head. And that is a great motivator!
Here's food for thought's and memory. Although we are what we eat, our brains also respond to our surroundings and the activities we indulge in. Apart from foods, certain lifestyle habits too can give your brain a boost.
Follow this food strategy:
Keep unhealthy fats to a minimum. Sticking to a diet involving lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, a minimum of red meat, plenty of fish and the occasional red wine is very important. Brains are made up of about 60 per cent fat, but the fuel they rely on is glucose, a simple sugar. To give your brain ample energy, eat complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta and couscous. Whole grains are superior because they break down more slowly and don't cause big upswings in insulin production, which can cause a number of health problems associated with poor mental performance.
While there is no fountain of youth for the brain, there is always the next best thing. There is lots you can do right now to preserve, protect and enhance your gray matter. One hint: If you are already a devotee of a heart-healthy lifestyle, you are already on the right track. What is good for the heart is probably good for your head. And that is a great motivator!
Here's food for thought's and memory. Although we are what we eat, our brains also respond to our surroundings and the activities we indulge in. Apart from foods, certain lifestyle habits too can give your brain a boost.
Follow this food strategy:
Keep unhealthy fats to a minimum. Sticking to a diet involving lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, a minimum of red meat, plenty of fish and the occasional red wine is very important. Brains are made up of about 60 per cent fat, but the fuel they rely on is glucose, a simple sugar. To give your brain ample energy, eat complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta and couscous. Whole grains are superior because they break down more slowly and don't cause big upswings in insulin production, which can cause a number of health problems associated with poor mental performance.
> Solve puzzles:
Solving puzzles (such as Sudoku) are great daily brain boosters. Research has shown that people who develop new mental skills that increase their mental agility are far less likely to develop age-related mental disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. But apart from that, solving puzzles can also be a great way to pass away those idle moments instead of reaching for the remote and channel surfing.
> The right nutrients:
A member of the B vitamin group, folate is found naturally in legumes, kidneys, oranges and leafy green vegetables. Vitamins B6 and B12 are believed to be involved in the formation of the sheaths around nerve cells that contribute to communication between these cells. People with Alzheimer’s often have reduced levels of B vitamins. A Johns Hopkins University study published in 2004 demonstrated that subjects who had the highest levels of Vitamin C had a greatly reduced chance of contracting Alzheimer's.
>Omega-3 fats:
Eat at least two servings of oily fish a week, but consider taking a supplement, too. Though there’s no recommended amount, most fish oil pills provide plenty. Make sure that a third party has verified the oil is free from contaminants, such as mercury.
Solving puzzles (such as Sudoku) are great daily brain boosters. Research has shown that people who develop new mental skills that increase their mental agility are far less likely to develop age-related mental disorders such as Alzheimer's disease. But apart from that, solving puzzles can also be a great way to pass away those idle moments instead of reaching for the remote and channel surfing.
> The right nutrients:
A member of the B vitamin group, folate is found naturally in legumes, kidneys, oranges and leafy green vegetables. Vitamins B6 and B12 are believed to be involved in the formation of the sheaths around nerve cells that contribute to communication between these cells. People with Alzheimer’s often have reduced levels of B vitamins. A Johns Hopkins University study published in 2004 demonstrated that subjects who had the highest levels of Vitamin C had a greatly reduced chance of contracting Alzheimer's.
>Omega-3 fats:
Eat at least two servings of oily fish a week, but consider taking a supplement, too. Though there’s no recommended amount, most fish oil pills provide plenty. Make sure that a third party has verified the oil is free from contaminants, such as mercury.
> Don't isolate yourself:
We are all social animals. On a social level, as opposed to the individual level, becoming too immersed in yourself is unhealthy as you're always thinking in terms of yourself and not in terms of others. There has to be an outlet, a catharsis, for people in groups. A person who is isolated for a long period of time can literally go crazy. Simply put, interaction is good for the brain, says sociologist Nandini Sardesai. Human relationships stimulate our brains. There's a lot of evidence that other people are the most unpredictable things you can encounter. So activities that have you engaging with other human beings are a fantastic form of brain exercise.
>LOL = Laugh Out loud!
It's long been said that laughter is the best medicine, and science keeps reaffirming the concept. Laughter reduces the stress hormone cortisol in your body. Laughter releases feel-good hormones in the body, which provide you an immediate perk up. It creates a pleasant mood and that increases alertness levels, says clinical psychologist Seema Hingorrany. Oh, and belly laughs activate hundreds of muscles throughout your body. Now isn't that a fun way to exercise?
>Stock up on snooze time:
When we are denied good, restful, sustained sleep on a regular basis, our brains falter in concentration, learning, memory and alertness. That's no matter how much coffee you might guzzle.
We are all social animals. On a social level, as opposed to the individual level, becoming too immersed in yourself is unhealthy as you're always thinking in terms of yourself and not in terms of others. There has to be an outlet, a catharsis, for people in groups. A person who is isolated for a long period of time can literally go crazy. Simply put, interaction is good for the brain, says sociologist Nandini Sardesai. Human relationships stimulate our brains. There's a lot of evidence that other people are the most unpredictable things you can encounter. So activities that have you engaging with other human beings are a fantastic form of brain exercise.
>LOL = Laugh Out loud!
It's long been said that laughter is the best medicine, and science keeps reaffirming the concept. Laughter reduces the stress hormone cortisol in your body. Laughter releases feel-good hormones in the body, which provide you an immediate perk up. It creates a pleasant mood and that increases alertness levels, says clinical psychologist Seema Hingorrany. Oh, and belly laughs activate hundreds of muscles throughout your body. Now isn't that a fun way to exercise?
>Stock up on snooze time:
When we are denied good, restful, sustained sleep on a regular basis, our brains falter in concentration, learning, memory and alertness. That's no matter how much coffee you might guzzle.
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