How To Take Care of Your Brain
Most are balancing multiple things on their plate which can lead to stress and mental clutter. A question most people find themselves asking is “how?”. How do you find the energy to move forward? How do you find mental clarity? How do you stay focused? It’s what you do and what you eat that answers these questions.
Many people are getting too little good food, nutrients, light, air, water, rest, sleep, exercise, community, love, meaning, and purpose. We are exposed to far too much poor-quality food, stress, negativity, toxins, and allergens.
If you want to keep up or stay in control of this lifestyle, maintaining optimal health and an optimal brain becomes a top priority. It goes without saying… when your brain is functioning well, you receive more opportunities and life just gets better. Taking care of your brain goes further than just making adjustments to your diet. You have to make the choice to do more and stay proactive.
Here are 6 things you can do everyday to keep your brain healthy, to stay sharp, energized, and happy:
- Don’t poison your brain. Cut sugar, trans fats, food additives, high-fructose syrup, and preservatives from your diet. All of these things poison your brain and interfere with your biochemistry. Easiest thing to remember: if it’s not real food, don’t eat it.
- Take control of the foods you consume. Something to visualize: at least 75% of your plate, by volume, should be colorful plant foods. Why? Because these super-foods are loaded with brain boosting stuff. They’re easy to enjoy, too! Blueberries and dark leafy greens are great examples. You also want to eat the right amount of healthy fats. Embracing fats, even good saturated fats, pushes your mental clarity even further. Use protein! You need about 30 grams of protein per meal to build muscle. Muscle is important, losing it makes you age faster and has a negative effect on your brain. So you want to include protein in every meal. This includes omega-3 eggs, protein shakes, nut butters, and even fatty fish for breakfast.
- Relax and calm the brain. Did you know 95% of all illnesses are caused or worsened by stress? Stress hormones are damaging and can cause memory loss and dementia. You have to learn how to actively relax. That means in order to engage the powerful forces of the mind of the body, you have to DO something – you can’t sit there and do nothing or turn to tv or a beer. Choosing ways to actively relax, like meditation or learning something new, help you cope with stress.
- Be active, move your body. Most people shy away from this because they think this means you have to exhaust yourself in the gym everyday. That is not the case but you do need to make time for movement or play. This can be yoga, a sport, bike riding, exercise in a gym, running, etc. Whatever you enjoy doing, do it! Do you know the benefits of exercising? It improves your memory, learning, concentration, mood, energy, and reduces your overall stress that crowds your mind and body.
- Choice to connect. Making time for your relationships could be considered the most important thing to keep your brain happy. Stay aware of your network and build it with positive influences, friends, family, and community. They are your most powerful allies in achieving long-term health.
- Omega 3 Depression and Brain Health. Finally, if I were to choose one supplement that has the most profound benefits for the brain it would be omega-3’s, hands down. The brain is made mostly of fat and it functions especially well with high levels of EPA and DHA. They help the brain’s communication processes and reduce inflammation that can help slow aging. Because of omega-3’s role in brain function, researchers have looked at whether omega-3 fatty acid supplements help relieve depression and many studies have proven its effectiveness. Also, there is strong evidence that omega-3 fats improve ADHD and also help Alzheimers and other forms of cognitive decline and dementia.
There are many other things that you can do on a daily basis to keep your brain sharp. Taking supplements, steam rooms or saunas, drinking purified water, and avoiding neurotoxins are a few examples. But, the tips above are the most important ones that anyone can do starting today. As you find yourself feeling better and your body is performing better, you will find it easier to adapt to a better lifestyle and add things to your daily regimen.
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