There are many things you can do to keep your body in good health and shape; from exercising and dieting to avoiding certain habits and adopting new ones. The same applies for the brain; an organ which’s health is as vital as the body’s health. So what are some lifestyle changes you need to apply in your life in order to keep your brain healthy and active?
1- STIMULATE YOUR MIND
Mental stimulation is the best way to keep your brain active for as long as possible as it means the stimulation of the connections among nerve cells, and sometimes the production of new cells. The latter may protect develop neurological plasticity which allows the brain to adapt to situations due to previous experiences. Mentally stimulating activities, such as reading, taking new learning courses, solving puzzles and math problems, contribute in the growth of your brain. Create your own exercises but make sure that they balance between the ability to use your hands and senses with the required mental effort.
2- EXERCISE AND EAT HEALTHY
They say that a healthy brain is better in a healthy body, therefore, give your body the healthy boost it needs. Start by becoming more active; you can enroll in a gym and aim at working out for a minimum of 3 times per week. Exercising can increase the number of small blood vessels that transport oxygen-rich blood to the brain, especially to the region responsible for thought. Also, make sure that you are consuming the right food, and avoiding the ones that are rich in fat and bad cholesterol that will definitely wreak havoc with your body.
3- AVOID SMOKING AND DRINKING ALCOHOL
Many studies have proved that smokers, current and former ones, have a thinner cortex (the part of the brain where significant thoughts such as memory and language, happen and are processed) than those who never smoked. If you are a smoker and you decide to stop smoking now, your decision will lead to a partial restoration of the cortex's thickness. Alcohol, on the other hand, can cause brain damages on the long-term such as Fetal alcohol syndrome and brain injuries.
4- ACTIVATE YOUR SOCIAL LIFE
A good social life has been linked with very low levels of dementia and brain issues. Furthermore, socializing and being around people, doesn’t just help you avoid mental illness, it also boosts your memory making you remember and think better and more clearly.
5- PROTECT YOURSELF FROM NEGATIVE EMOTIONS
Being sleep-deprived, anxious, sad or depressed affects a person’s cognitive skills and functions. Negative emotions, especially if they are persistent for a long-time, build up stress, circulating negative hormones in your brain. The body's hormone imbalance, reduces the brain substances required for happiness, and also negatively affects the immune system. Chronic stress can actually make you live less, reducing your lifespan. It is now proven that stress makes the end caps of the DNA strands shorter (known as telomeres) which causes us to age faster.
