The Importance of Brain Health

Brain health is vital. Each part of the brain provides function to different areas in the body.

Just like our body we need to keep our brain mentally strong and healthy. I like to think of this as brain hygiene. The brain can only function optimally if you are using it frequently. This is commonly referred to as the ‘use it or lose it’ principle of neuroplasticity. Just like our muscles, bones and endurance levels, our brain will deteriorate over time if there is disuse.

By doing certain brain exercises and fueling it with the proper nutrients not only boosts our brain power and helps us become competent thinkers but it may also combat against age related degenerative brain disorders like Dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Here are some Brain hygiene tips:

▪️ Play memory and logic games (Luminosity / Sudoku) to stimulate different parts of your brain

▪️ Eat lots of healthy fats such as fish oils from salmon, nuts (walnuts), seeds (flax seed) and olive oil.

▪️ Foods rich in antioxidants

▪️ Keep your brain active by learning a new skill, read and/or write in a journal

▪️ Get moving! Physical activity helps to boost the brains ability to process and retain information. It increases blood flow to the brain, helps stimulate new brain cell growth and releases happy hormones (endorphins)

▪️ Change your routine once in a while, so you jump start your brain and so it doesn’t get used to the same daily activities.

▪️ Practice positive mindfulness. If you have a tendency to over-react to stress, it could be due to changes in your brain brought on by negative thinking. Negative experiences are stored in the brain by the amygdala and it is also responsible for the brain’s fight or flight response. The prefrontal cortex regulates our response to stressors. We can improve our brains stress response by replacing our negative thinking with positive thinking.

Change your habits and focus on your brain health!