Brain Health

Do you know that brain health is  influenced by your lifestyle choices? So, check these out, guys :D

DIET

• Do not drinking coffee or tea 

  If you have the ability to abstain from coffee or tea, try to continue it or drink decaf, or maybe just have a little of it.

  While some previous research has shown some neural benefits to drinking coffee and tea –- perhaps because of the antioxidants they contain -- our research suggests that drinking too much coffee and tea is associated with slowed processing speed.

• Eat enough fish or shellfish to have a positive effect on your brain

  Eating 3 or more servings a week of fish, shellfish, flaxseed oil, walnuts, or cooked soybeans and that means your brain is getting a good amount of the omega-3 fatty acids that are critical for communication between brain cells. Be careful not to overdo it, however. Certain types of fish have been shown to be high in chemical such as mercury, which can have negative effects on the brain.

  DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is a particularly important omega-3 fatty acid that is a component of the structure of brain cells.

  I like eating fish since I took boarding for school. Knowing this fact makes me keep eating fish! lol :D
  

• Keep eating foods with lots of antioxidants.

  The antioxidant-rich foods you're eating are good for cognitive fitness. Certain types of berries, beans, and vegetables are high in antioxidants and are highly beneficial for cognitive function.

• You picked chocolate, a good choice for brain health!

  Chocolate improves your brain grade, but consider trying dark chocolate. When eaten in the same amounts, dark chocolate contains much higher levels of antioxidants.

  The higher the percentage of cocoa in the chocolate, the healthier it is.

• Avoid excess alcohol consumption; that's good for your brain

  Avoiding excessive alcohol consumption is increasing your brain grade. Keep it up.

EXERCISE

• Maintain your aerobic exercise routine

  Your aerobic is helping keep your brain fit, as well as your body. Aerobic exercise leads to the growth and development of brain cells, and may even stimulate the production of new brain cells.

  Lack of aerobic exercise is associated with declines in cognition, and may increase the risk of dementia.

• Do more strengthening exercise

  Strength training is an important part of overall fitness and a key to keep your brain healthy. Adding some strength training to your exercise regimen will increase your brain grade.

  Strong muscles improve balance and reduce frailty, making it less likely that you will experience a serious injury that could restrict your movements and throw your brain-healthy lifestyle out of balance.

HEALTH

• Keep avoiding stress

  An absence of severe life stressors improves your brain grade. Keeping your brain healthy in other areas can help you prepare for when times get tough.

• Maintain your aerobic exercise routine and getting enough sleep

  Getting enough sleep is critical for proper brain function. The brain consolidates learning and memory during sleep. Maintaining regular sleeping habits is critical for cognitive function and brain health in general. While the ideal amount of sleep differs by individual, most need between 6-8 hours for optimal cognitive performance.

• Continue to abstain from smoking

  Smoking can be detrimental to your cognitive function in a variety of ways, and has been linked to an increased incidence of cognitive decline. By not smoking, you're keeping your brain, and body as a whole, in much better shape.

LIFESTYLE

• Expand your social network

• You might consider reaching out to some old friends or family members you haven’t spoken to in a while.

  Having a close and active social network has been shown to be associated with a reduced risk of cognitive problems in aging.

• Doing cognitively stimulating activities

  While there has been little rigorous study of the benefits of particular leisure time activities, many scientists believe that engaging in cognitively stimulating activities is good for keeping the brain sharp.

• Continue to challenge yourself

  Continue to challenge yourself. Taking on new challenges is an important part of keeping your brain functioning its best. Brain plasticity, the ability for the brain to reorganize itself, is spurred on by new challenges.

• Do more cognitive training to improve your brain grade

  Studies have shown that doing cognitive training exercises can improve attention, memory, and fluid intelligence. These types of exercises have also been shown to have benefits for driving performance and health-related quality of life.

• Edited from: Lumosity