In honour of Brain Awareness Week, we have put together some tips and trick to help you fuel your brain to keep it healthy and active. Our brain is the most important organ in the human body. It is the powerhouse of our framework, controlling our thoughts, memory, speech and the functions of all the organs within our body.
Fun fact: The human brain contains about 100 billion nerve cells (neurons) and that’s equivalent to the number of stars in the Milky Way. By not taking care of our brain, the nerve cells may die – that’s like seeing each star in the milky way dimming out slowly.
We understand that with the busy schedule that many of us go through, it may be a difficult task to tick of these practices but if you slowly incorporate each of these steps into your routine, you can make it a lifestyle to live be. You can do it; we believe in you! Below are six easy ways that we could all incorporate into our daily routine, to give our brain some TLC it needs in keeping it healthy and well.
- Exercise regularly
Exercise has a lot of known benefits but by taking out a few minutes each day to exercise, we can keep our mental function from declining and we would have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Easy exercises such as walking regularly will show improvements in memory performance that are also related to growth of memory areas in the brain.
- Hit that snooze button
“Sleep is the most important things you can do to reset the brain, allow it to heal, and to restore mental health” says Romie Mushtaq, a neurologist and integrative medicine specialist. Ensuring that we get seven to eight consecutive hours of sleep per night gives our brain time to consolidate and store our memories effectively.
- Diet
We all know eating healthy and clean is good for our body, but it is also good for our brain. By eating healthy, we do not mean a strict diet of only vegetables but to be selective of what we choose to put in our bodies. A highly recommended way to achieve this is to follow the Mediterranean diet which have been proven to prevent Alzheimer’s disease. This eating lifestyle emphasises on plant-based foods, whole grains, fish and healthy fats such as olive oil and to incorporate less red meat.
- Stay social
Socialising is a good way to prevent depression and stress, both of which can contribute to memory loss. Take the time to gather with your friends, family and loved ones and relax your mind!
- Stay mentally active
Our brain is very much like our muscles- if we don’t use it, we’ll lose it. Our brain needs to be used daily to stay active. There are many ways to do so, such as puzzles or reading. A tip is to incorporate different activities to increase the effectiveness of it. Below is a brain teaser to start you off!
Question:
Which figure should be placed in the empty triangle?
- Relaxing
Relaxing your mind and focusing on self-care plays a vital role in boosting brain power. Taking out 10 to 15 minutes daily to practice meditation or just sitting down in a calming space to inhale and exhale deeply will help reduce stress levels and improve cognitive ability.
With it being an awareness month, we hope this article has helped you create awareness about our brain. Awareness is the greatest instrument for change and as our awareness increases, our control over our own body increases with it. Take these steps into practice and achieving a healthy brain.
Oh, and before we forget, the answer to that brain teaser is 3 (The top number minus the bottom left-hand number is then multiplied by the bottom right-hand number) but we’re sure all you smart cookies already figured it out 😉