MInd your brain
If you want to hold onto your cognitive abilities like memory, reason, imagination, etc., you have to start now minding your brain health. As we grow older, our brain can begin to lose functionality and flexibility unless we take some simple preventive steps. Here are 5 easy tips to begin:
Get Enough Sleep. Sleep deprivation harms your brain several ways. First of all, it slows your reaction times to that of inebriation with just a few hours of shortage. Second, your body detoxes the brain’s at night while you sleep, preventing the build-up of toxins accumulated during the day. Third, without good quality sleep, your brain cannot form or maintain necessary pathways for learning. You need 8-9 hours of deep, restful sleep each night, preferably EVERY night consistently.
Drink Plenty of Water. While your body is approximately 70% water, your brain is actually around 90% water. Just 10% dehydration causes up to a 50% decrease in cognitive ability. There’s a scary thought — may people are functioning on half their mental capability due to lack of water. You need to drink at least half your body weight in ounces of water each day, and no more than about 6 ounces at a time (you cannot absorb more than that within 30 minutes — so it does not good to try and guzzle a gallon of water to get your intake amount!)
You Need Fat. Fatty acids, i.e., fish oil/omega 3 is absolutely essential to proper brain function. There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These three are considered “essential” because we don’t make them… we have to obtain these EFA’s through out diet or supplementation. Most people have heard about fish oil, but many sources are contaminated with heavy metals. My favorite non-fishy EFA is this one, which comes from Atlantic krill.
Consume Brain Healthy Foods. Certain foods contain great brain-health components: Broccoli is high in vitamin K, delivering more than 100% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) in a 1-cup (160-gram) serving of cooked broccoli. This fat-soluble vitamin is essential for forming sphingolipids, a type of fat that’s densely packed into brain cells. Broccoli also contains compounds, such as sulforaphane, that provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and may help protect the brain against damage. Sulforaphane levels are highly concentrated in broccoli sprouts. Pumpkin seeds are rich in many micronutrients that are important for brain function, including copper, iron, magnesium, and zinc. The flavonoids in chocolate may help protect the brain. Studies suggest eating chocolate, especially dark chocolate, could boost both memory and mood. Click here for a list of more brain-healthy foods.
Use It or Lose It. Keep your brain agile by continuing to challenge it and learn new things. In this Information Age where we can look up all the info we need, we are slowly losing our ability to remember things like phone numbers, addresses, faces, and names. You can do crossword puzzles, or find a brain-training app that help you “exercise” your brain in various ways.