15 Brain Boosting Habits

I used to think that staying fit starts from the neck down. I worked out to try to keep my tummy trim and my biceps and legs toned. I forgot that like my muscles and other organs, I also need to take care of my brain.

Not everyone is born with Albert Einstein’s noggin so we can all use some tips to help our brains function better. For an athlete preparing for a crucial game or completion, a teenager studying for an exam, a dad trying to beat a deadline at work, or a mom managing household duties and helping the kids with the homework, it pays to be in tip-top shape mentally.

Taking care of your brain could also help you avoid Alzheimer’s disease and other illnesses in your old age. Here are some of the brain boosting habits that I’ve compiled:

1. Exercise – Yes, you need to work out a sweat because since more than 20 percent of your body’s blood and oxygen go directly to your brain, exercise, particularly cardiovascular workouts like running, effectively increases blood circulation in your brain. It’s also worth to try Yoga because many Yoga poses are specifically designed to get blood flowing to your brain faster.

2. Hydrate – Drinking a lot of water is one of the simplest ways to keep your mind alert and refreshed. Coconut juice is also a natural way to hydrate. Forget about the coffee and soda – caffeine may make you feel more alert at first but it will actually make you even more tired by dehydrating your muscles and constricting your blood vessels.

3. Rest – Go get some zzzs. As Jason Bourne said, “Sleep is a weapon.” Almost nothing compares to the benefits of sleep to proper and efficient brain function.

4. Eat Brain Food – Eat protein-rich foods because protein is the main fuel for your brain. Your brain also needs crucial vitamins and minerals, including:
• Vitamin A – vital in protecting brain cell membranes
• B Vitamins – for neuron growth and vitality
• Vitamin C – has levels in your brain that are 15 times higher than anywhere else in your body because it is crucial in brain function
• Vitamin E – helps prevents brain deterioration
• Magnesium – maintains the metabolic viability of neurons
• Zinc – cleanses impurities in your brain
• Amino Acids – vital in the growth and health of neurotransmitters

5. Optimize your Omega-3 levels – Omega-3 fatty acids EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), which are found in fish oil, help maintain dopamine levels in your brain, increases neuron growth in the frontal cortex of the brain and enhances cerebral circulation. Add Omega-3-rich fish like wild salmon, sardines, anchovies, lake trout, herring and mackerel to your diet. Krill oil is another excellent source of omega-3, and may even be superior to fish oil.

6. Eat Weeds – Ginkgo biloba and ginseng are two of the most important brain-boosting herbs. Ginkgo biloba has a blood-thinning  effect which increases cerebral blood flow and helps protect your brain from degeneration while ginseng increases the productivity of your adrenal glands to help the brain adapt to stress agents.

7. Stimulate – Work through boredom and stress by decorating your work area with bright colors. Try switching your font color to something more vivid. Smell is the strongest of senses so it will also be good to try aromatherapy. Scents like lemon, peppermint, and cypress are known to stimulate the brain.

8. Think Positive and Happy Thoughts – Your brain, particularly your memory, is vulnerable to stress. Try to minimize stress in your home and workplace because if you are always tense or unhappy, you’re much less likely to retain information or stay alert.

9. Play Games – Studies on dementia patients show that playing word games and puzzles can increase and even restore mental cognitive abilities.

10. Watch TV – quality TV – Studies show that passively sitting in front of the boobtube is counterproductive. So if you can’t avoid being a couch potato, do your brain a favor by watching game or quiz shows like Jeopardy and try to answer the questions. It’s like playing Trivial Pursuit with your friends.

11. Surf the Net – A recent study done at the University of California Los Angeles revealed that Net surfing stimulated brain areas that control decision-making and complex reasoning.

12. Challenge your brain – Unused parts of the brain stop working so learn something new. Read a new book. Study a new language. Try cooking the latest recipes or challenge yourself with an unfamiliar subject because these activities all increase brain growth and wake up new areas.

13. Time management – Organize your life better. Make the most of your time each day. Keep a list of daily and long-term priorities so you don’t get out of focus.

14. Actively Improve your Memory – The most effective way to remember facts is by forming multiple associations. For example, you may remember the date of your friend’s birthday because that number was also Michael Jordan’s jersey number. Repetition is also a tried and tested method of memorization.

15. Have Sex – A number of activities happen to your body during sex, and a lot of it actually goes on inside your brain. There is no other activity that increases more blood flow to your brain. Sex also produces hormones that dramatically improve brain functions. The hormone oxytocin increases your ability to think of original solutions to a problem. Serotonin and dopamine, which surge after sex, enhances your creative thinking and supports calm and logical decision-making.

Remember, human mental health usually declines before the age of 40. We must take measures to keep our brains healthy, no matter what age.

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Tags: brain, brain health, exercise, mental health, Omega-3