Your brain is the CPU of your body, and for a healthy life, brain health is as important as your physical health. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, approximately 100 million Americans suffer from chronic brain disorders at some point in time. And these numbers are only expected to rise in the future.
The modern stressful lifestyle is one of the prime reasons for the rising number of brain disorders, with other reasons being unhealthy diet, improper sleep, and lack of physical activities.
Once a brain disorder occurs in a person, the treatment can be a real hassle, and that’s why you need to take effective preventive steps well in advance to prevent such conditions. You need to incorporate some essential daily practices that support brain health to avoid major health conditions in old age.
Here are some tips that will help-
1) Exercise Regularly
The body-mind connection is the most crucial aspect of a healthy life. Dr. Scott McGinnis, a neurologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School says, “Exercise of moderate intensity over six months or a year, is associated with an increase in the volume of selected brain regions.”
So, you don’t need to bust yourself up with high-intensity cardio and heavy lifting, but a moderate exercise routine is a must.
Find at least 45 minutes in a day and do basic body-movement exercises to keep your joints and muscles active. Doing this regularly for longer periods will greatly and positively affect your brain health.
2) Maintain A Healthy Diet
Yup, if you want your brain to function well, you need to cut short that junk food consumption and start eating healthy. Avoid consuming fatty foods and include plenty of green vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts, seeds, berries, oily fish, soy products, etc.
As per research conducted by the US National Center for Biotechnology Information, regular consumption of these foods can significantly boost brain health. These healthy foods contain essential minerals and vitamins such as vitamin C, vitamin B-complex, vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids, and flavonoids & antioxidants that are highly beneficial for brain health.
3) Brain Boosting Activities
Various activities like reading, solving mathematical puzzles, literary works, arts, etc., can keep your brain active and functioning at all times. These activities encourage your brain to observe, analyze and find solutions, giving essential practice to vital brain functions.
Giving some time every day for such activities is a fun way of exercising your brain and boosting your brain health.
4) Sufficient Sleep
Lack of sleep is the main cause of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease, and several other physical disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and depression.
According to the US National Institute of Neurological Disorder and Stroke, sufficient sleep is vital for several essential brain functions like neuron communication and toxin removal. When you sleep, your brain and body stay relatively active and works to remove toxins. Sleep also provides rest to the brain’s motor system and other functions that remain active during the day.
5) Set Goals and Achieve Them
A lot of brain disorders occur when the brain has nothing to aim for. Throughout our evolution, mankind has used its brains to overcome obstacles presented by nature. But in the modern world, we live a safe life, where our brains often have nothing to aim for. As a result, several essential brain functions become weak as we age.
Living a goal-based life is an effective solution for this. Set goals for everything you do. From cooking and exercise to work at the office, constantly set goals and work to achieve them. This will keep your brain active and functioning at all times.
Final Word
As you can see, you can improve your brain health and avoid serious neurological disorders just by implementing a few changes in your daily life. All you need to do is eat, exercise, sleep, and live an active and happy life overall.
Isn’t that simple? Well, it is surely more convenient than going through extensive medical treatment for chronic brain disorders. So, don’t waste time anymore. Instead, make time for these 5 healthy daily activities now.
