15 Ways to Help Improve our Brain Health

“Brain health” is a term that refers to keeping your brain active and healthy. It’s a preventative measure that can stop the brain’s degeneration and help you work, think, and learn better.

In today’s world, distractions like the internet and other media are everywhere. We need to take time out to improve our brainpower. We need to be able to think fast and clearly.

 15 Ways to Help Improve our Brain Health

#1: Drinking Water

Drinking water is a good habit for your body. It helps to flush out toxins, it keeps your skin and hair looking healthy, and it provides the fluid you need to function correctly. But did you know that drinking water has mental benefits, too? It’s true! Drinking plenty of water will give you more energy and improve how your brain works. It can also help prevent cognitive decline as you age.

How Does It Work?

Our brains make up about 75% water. We need adequate water to keep our brains healthy and perform better. Just like when we’re dehydrated, our bodies become tired and out of energy; when our brains do not have enough water, they also become fatigued and work less efficiently. If you’re in a state of dehydration, your brain fails to send the signals it should – which can make you feel bored and tired most of the time or sleepy.

If you are dehydrated, you may experience brain fog. The symptoms of brain fog can include:

• Being unable to concentrate or think clearly
• Feeling unfocused and unable to make decisions or solve problems quickly
• Having trouble making decisions that will benefit your life in the long term (e.g., what to do with your life)
• You were forgetful or absentminded – forgetting where you put your keys, forgetting an appointment you have made, or getting lost on the way to work.

The solution? Drink water! Keep a bottle of water with you wherever you go. You can sip on it when you’re awake – which will keep it from becoming too warm, distracting your mouth and distractingly from focusing. Stay hydrated throughout the day – at least 2 liters a day (about 8 cups).

#2: Eat a healthy diet

While the food you eat won’t directly affect your focus, a healthy diet will keep your brain running on all cylinders. A good diet will supply your body with essential nutrients that keep it functioning optimally.

Eating the wrong foods can lead to deficiencies in vital brain chemicals (such as amino acids) that improve mood, focus, and concentration. Certain food additives (such as soy lecithin and artificial sweeteners) can affect these chemicals’ actions in your brain. Some common foods, such as egg yolks, contain hormones and other compounds that affect the brain. And eating more than five servings of red meat each week can make your arteries stiff and raise your risk of heart disease by increasing levels of unhealthy LDL cholesterol in the blood. Eating too much-saturated fat also contributes to poor blood flow to the brain, leading to a stroke or dementia.

Many people fail to realize a direct link between diet quality and brain health, including memory, moods, stress levels, and mental fatigue. This is because cognitive functions (the ability to have thoughts and ideas) is dependent on proper nutrition. Proper nutrition includes eating the right foods in the correct amount. What you eat can affect your concentration level, productivity, and even your ability to focus.

Common sense suggests that the foods you eat can affect your concentration. If you’re eating something high in sugar, it will trigger a flood of dopamine in the brain, making you more alert. If you overeat fat (containing trans fats), your brain won’t function well because it needs fatty acids (such as Omega-3). The same goes for carbs (they are not good for brain function) and dairy products (lactose). Carbs, fat, and cholesterol also affect different brain areas, so if you’re eating a lot of carbs, your brain may become sluggish.

We all want to be sharper in all areas of life. However, many people don’t even know what foods are good or bad for their brains and bodies. To help you improve your memory, concentration, and focus, you need to be aware of what foods to eat and those to avoid.

#3: Exercise

Exercise is one of the best ways to keep your brain sharp. Exercise facilitates good blood flow to the brain, which delivers much-needed oxygen and nutrients to your neurons (brain cells). A more robust neural activity helps stave off cognitive decline as we age. Also, exercise can improve blood sugar levels that have a direct effect on your ability to concentrate.

Exercise can also help to make you feel better and happier by helping you release endorphins into your system. Endorphins are the “feel-good” chemicals that are released when you exercise. Through strengthening your central nervous system, exercise helps to increase your ability to focus and concentrate. In a study done at the University of Madrid, after six months of training, older adults could think faster and better than those in the control group.

#4: Deep breathing exercises and yoga

Stimulating your parasympathetic nervous system can have a positive effect on your brain and help you feel energized. Proper breathing can relax your body and mind, reduce stress, help you fall asleep faster, and improve your ability to concentrate. Exercise can also have these same benefits, but you can activate this system without working up a sweat by doing yoga exercises or deep breathing techniques. It is one of the top ways to improve concentration and focus on its own.

 

#5: Try simple games to improve focus

A new study from Newcastle University has found that playing brain-training games improved cognitive function. Scientists found that playing a game that tests cognitive function and is available for free on an iPhone enhanced the abilities of people aged 55 to 70. However, it was only effective for those who played the game regularly.

#6: Avoid stress and anger

Stress can have an extremely negative effect on your brain and memory, so make sure you’re taking care of yourself. You may not know how much stress affects your memory and concentration. Even chronic stress can be damaging to your physical and mental health. High levels of stress can cause the hippocampus in your brain to shrink, resulting in memory problems.

You may be unaware that you are stressed until it is too late. The following symptoms may indicate your body is releasing the “fight or flight” hormones:

• palpitations and feeling your heart race
• sweating, shakiness, and difficulty breathing
• feeling nauseous or light-headed, even fainting
• Feeling anxious or panicky, irritable or tense or on edge.

#7: Go to bed early and wake up early

You should aim to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Sleep deprivation will affect your ability to focus and concentrate, so ensuring you get 7-8 hours of sleep every night is essential. If you have a hard falling asleep, try reading a book before bed or drinking chamomile tea.

Go to sleep and get up around the same time daily, whether you’re on your own or with your family. This will give you a consistent routine and help promote deeper sleep levels, which are crucial for learning and memory.

Especially now, more than ever, it is vital to sleep well because lack of sleep can affect your memory, moods, concentration, and ability to think clearly.

In addition, make sure you don’t stay in bed all day – rise with the sun! Experts recommend getting up early and starting the day with an exercise routine.

#8: Physical Activity

Physical exercise makes your brain healthier by increasing the amount of oxygen and nutrients to the brain cells and decreasing waste products such as ammonia and lactic acid. It also aids in reducing harmful cholesterol levels, which can protect the blood vessels in your brain from damage caused by high blood pressure.

The key to maintaining and improving your brain health is to make sure that you start exercising early in life. This is because almost any amount of physical activity will help you maintain your brain function as you age. Start exercising!

#9: Not Smoking

The human brain is a very sensitive organ with a complex structure and uses clear signals to control different body aspects. If the signals are disrupted, then the system can start to malfunction. One of the most destructive effects of smoking is that it decreases blood flow in your brain, leading to irreversible damage and impairment over time.

Smoking also harms white matter in the brain, responsible for transmitting signals among various parts of your brain. This could lead to a weakened concentration, reduced short-term memory, and poor decision-making skills. This could even affect your work performance or affect you socially with difficulty in communicating with others.

Lastly, smoking increases the risk of heart disease, which can lead to a stroke. A stroke and other brain diseases are the second leading cause of death in the Western world.

#10: Take care of your gums and teeth!

The gums and teeth reflect our overall health. Problems in the mouth affect both your brain and body. There are more than 20,000 miles of blood vessels in your head – but only about 1% is visible. If your gums are inflamed, this can lower your brain’s blood flow and make you sleepy. There are even some studies that reveal that gum disease can lead to dementia.

The effects of gum disease on the brain include mild headaches, dizziness, irritability, and depression. If you have had gum disease in the past, you can protect yourself from this by taking care of your gums. This includes brushing and flossing regularly to keep bacteria at bay.

#11: What you eat can have a significant impact on your brain.

High blood sugar levels can cause low glucose levels in the brain, which is responsible for certain aspects of memory. A diet rich in carbohydrates can also lead to low energy and slow mental function. The opposite goes for protein which is needed to maintain healthy CNS (central nervous system).

When it comes to concentration and focus, your diet is just as important. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants that can help protect the brain from free-radical damage. Cognitive impairments are often associated with low levels of omega-3 fatty acids produced in fish oils. Sources of omega-3 include walnuts, flaxseeds, barley, and beans.

#12: Take care of your eyes

Other signs of poor brain health include dry, irritated eyes. In some cases, even vision problems such as blurred vision can affect learning and concentration. This is because certain types of neurons that communicate with the eye muscles are located in the brain, which directs conscious visual perception. Constant exposure to light can also damage the eye and lower the amount of oxygen and nutrients delivered to the brain.

#13: Go natural for your hair and skin

The skin, along with hair, acts as an external barrier that protects our brain, muscles, and internal organs from potentially harmful substances in the environment. It is essential to protect yourself from toxins by taking care of your skin and hair. Otherwise, you can face problems such as eczema or dry, itchy skin, which could lead to cognitive impairment.

#14: Meditate to prevent brain problems later in life

Recent research has shown that regularly meditating may help counteract grey matter atrophy associated with the aging process. Meditation can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, all linked to poor cognitive health in older age. Research carried out at Harvard University found that meditation can reduce stress and lower the risk of dementia. It also decreases blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. Similar results have been found by a study at Massachusetts General Hospital involving people with mild memory loss.

Meditation is shown to be beneficial on how neurons function and promote happiness, and reduce anxiety. There is even evidence that meditation helps with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), autism, depression, and schizophrenia.

#15: Improve your memory by learning a new language

Our brain’s ability to remember is mainly dependent upon the number of connections between different parts of our brains. To enhance your memory, it is essential to create new relationships and train these networks together. Learning a new language is a great way to do this.

In the hippocampus, learning something new leads to an increase in brain cell connections, and these new connections can improve your memory. By learning a language, you also force your brain to overcome any barriers that it encounters when thinking in this new language. Learning a new language also boost your memory by making you think on different levels and adapting to nuances and differences in the meanings of words; being able to think on different levels is imperative for cultivating attention skills.

In Summary

Brain health is essential because it helps keep our thoughts and memories and control mental processes that enable us to make decisions fast and efficiently. Having a healthy brain means being able to work, do school, and perform other activities well.