Boosting Brain Power

Are you doomed to slower reflexes and poor memory as you age? Science says, “Not necessarily!” Every person’s brain, like their body, is uniquely different. Not everyone is subject to the slowing down of mental faculties that tends to come with aging.

Like every organ, the brain needs specific nutrition to feed it and help it function. Feeding your brain, the right foods helps you concentrate better, helps clear the “brain fog” and keeps your moods steady. 

Like every muscle, the brain needs stimulation and exercise to sustain its function. Exercising the brain has as many benefits as exercising the body: You’ll be able to remember things later on in life, you won’t forget as many details about other people, and you won’t have as many “senior moments” as perhaps you may fear.

But brain training and nutrition isn’t limited to those who are approaching their golden years. Experiments with multiple sclerosis patients with cognitive damage have shown that doing activities specifically tied to brain training can help the brain develop stronger connections. Their brains literally became stronger through the power of exercise and nutrition. There’s also a suggestion that doing brain exercises early in life can expand your later amount of cognitive reserve (i.e. how much your brain can bounce back as you age).

Not all brain exercises need a machine or website to provide benefits to their users. Lumosity and NeuroNation have become popular in recent years and have proven very entertaining. But other activities, such as these, will also help give your brain a boost:

1. Reading. What’s the last full book you read? The more you stimulate your brain by learning, the harder and longer your brain will be able to work.
2. Eat Healthy Fat. There is a reason they call them “essential” fats!  We can not produce them in our own bodies, so we NEED to eat them! Your brain is 60% fat and will benefit from a healthy dose of healthy fat every day.  Great choices are wild fish, avocados, olive oil and coconut oil and a variety of nuts and seeds.
3. Staying in touch with friends. Maintaining social ties is extremely important. Having people around to talk to and challenge you keeps your brain working in a way that it wouldn’t ever work when you’re by yourself.
4. Talk about problems. Holding on to problems is much more troublesome to your health than just annoying you in the moment. It can lead to serious stress and can even impair your brain’s abilities later in life. So, if you’re feeling depressed or have a mental problem you want to address, bring it up sooner rather than later. You’ll save yourself a lot of stress and potential harm to your brain.
5. Try new things. Force your brain to be creative, whether by building something in your backyard or cooking a recipe for the first time. It’ll do your brain good!
6. Quit smoking. This decision benefits many different parts of your body, but the fact that your brain will potentially reverse deterioration is a very good benefit!
7. Sleep more. Sleep doesn’t just restore your body. Your mind also benefits from having enough time to rest through the night.

Want to get even healthier? Do you do brain exercises? If so, what have you found benefits you most? Share your story in the comments! Curious about how health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes? Let’s talk! Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with me today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about! Visit www.noshoesnutrition.com and sign up for a FREE consultation.  I work with people from all over the world individually or in groups so don’t let anything hold you back!