Tired of forgetting where your keys went or where the remote is hiding? Do you suffer from “brain fog” and struggle to remember important things? Nearly 600 million people worldwide are affected by cognitive dysfunction. However, you can actually train your mind to think sharply again. Check out these 5 tips to improve your brain activity.
1. Eat brain boosting foods
Increasing your brain sharpness can be as easy as cooking a new meal or incorporating new foods in your diet. Green leafy vegetables are rich in brain-healthy nutrients such as vitamin K, folate, and beta carotene. In addition, plant-based foods in general may slow cognitive decline. Fatty fish are also are a great meat source for omega-3 fatty acids. If you dislike meat or fish, try an omega-3 supplement, flaxseeds, avocados, or walnuts. Other brain boosting foods include berries, nuts, tea, and coffee. Add these into your daily meal plan to keep your brain sharp.
2. Exercise
It’s no secret that exercise is good for your body, but did you know it’s beneficial for your brain too? Exercise stimulates the release of growth factors, chemicals in the brain that affect the health and survival of brain cells and the growth of new blood vessels in the brain. This means that exercise changes the brain in ways that protect memory and thinking skills.
3. Get better sleep
Getting sufficient sleep is one of the best ways you can take care of your brain. Poor sleep can have immediate negative effects on your hormones, exercise, and brain function. Improve your sleep by reducing blue light or screen time at night, keeping a consistent eating schedule, and creating a relaxing environment. Hit the hay a little earlier tonight to begin improving cognitive function.
4. Meditate
The practice of meditation has so many health benefits, such as lowering stress, improving focus, and helping us rest and sleep more soundly. The neurological benefits on the brain include fighting depression and anxiety, improving mood and well-being, and boosting concentration and attention. To keep your brain sharp, meditation stops our minds from just wandering from one thought to the next. This is essential for brain activity, especially when it comes to aging.
5. Learn a new skill
When the brain is learning, the density of your myelin increases, which is the white matter within the brain that helps improve performance on tasks. Brain games can improve only a limited aspect of short-term memory, but challenging new activities can strengthen the entire network of the brain. New skills include learning a language, playing a card game, painting, or cooking something you haven’t tried before. Learning a new skill is one of the more fun ways to keep your brain sharp and healthy!
At Foothills Neurology, we understand that seeing a neurologist can make some people anxious, but our highly experienced neurologists keep up on the current developments and changes in the field of neurology, which includes helping keep your brain sharp. Schedule an appointment today to begin your brain journey with our team!