
The brain is one of our most precious but neglected organs. We can get so caught up in focusing on finishing school, going to work, or paying the bills, that we forget to make time to nurture and boost our brain’s functional capacity.
Making a few simple lifestyle changes can have a huge impact on brain health. Instead of feeling mentally drained all of the time, you’ll feel happier, more energized, and more focused.
1. Practice Meditation
Studies show that meditation can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia by helping us become calm and physically relaxed. This is important because taking care of our mental health is necessary for maintaining a clear and sharp mind.
Research also shows that those who practice meditation on a regular basis, have more folds on the outer layers of their brains due to a biological process called gyrification. This allows the brain to process more information. Mindfulness meditation also adds cortical thickness to the hippocampus which is the part of the brain that controls learning and memory.
If you’re new to meditation, the practice is much simpler than you might think. Although there are several different types of meditation, most of them include the following elements:
- Finding a quiet place with minimal distractions
- Sitting or lying in a comfortable position
- Focusing on your breath, a mantra, or a sacred picture or object
- Noticing the thoughts that arise in your mind
- Bringing your focus back to your meditation
A meditation session doesn’t have to last very long either. Starting out with just 10 minutes a day is an easy step towards making this an enjoyable and beneficial daily routine. You can also enhance your meditation with aromatherapy by burning incense or diffusing essential oils such as cedarwood, lavender, or holy basil to help calm your mind and body.
2. Stay Physically Active
Exercise (specifically cardio) is so often promoted for improving physical appearance and fitness that we forget how essential it is for brain health. Here are a few reasons why exercise is good for your brain:
- More oxygen is pumped to the brain. When you exercise, your heart rate increases. This allows more oxygen to flow to the brain through the blood stream. It also causes the body to release hormones which help create more brain cells.
- Physical activity increases brain plasticity. By causing new connections to form between cells in different parts of the brain, as well as new connections between neurons, exercise has a huge impact on brain development.
- Stress hormones are diminished. The mood-boosting effect associated with exercise, often called a “runner’s high,” is caused by a drop in stress hormones in your brain. This leads to cell growth in the hippocampus.
- Your brain actually gets bigger. The prefrontal cortex and medial temporal cortex, which are parts of the brain that contribute to thinking and memory, actually gain volume due to frequent exercise. Like with meditation, this also improves your memory and learning skills.
The standard amount of exercise recommended is about thirty minutes-a-day of moderate-intensity workouts, such as jogging, hiking, swimming, tennis, dancing, etc.
If consistency and discipline is an obstacle, try joining a class, working out with a friend, or keeping an exercise journal to track your progress. These are all helpful ways you can stay committed to your exercise routine.
3. Regulate Your Sleeping Habits
Getting enough sleep helps your brain function optimally. A good night’s rest is needed to maintain communication between the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. These two parts of the brain work together to keep your emotions under control.
Quality sleep also helps create and preserve the pathways in the brain that are responsible for learning, memory, concentration, and response time. Toxins that build up in the brain during the day, are removed during sleep.
If a healthy and consistent sleep routine is difficult for you to stick to, or you have trouble falling asleep, then improving your sleep hygiene is a must. When getting ready to fall asleep, its helpful to de-stress and relax. Taking a warm bath, reading, listening to calming music, and drinking warm herbal decaffeinated tea, are some great activities that can help you unwind before going to sleep.
It’s also important to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, in addition to avoiding caffeine in the late afternoon and evening, or giving it up entirely.
4. Eat a Simple and Nutritious Diet
If your body is deprived of the nourishment it needs to live and function, your brain will suffer as well. One of the best ways to make sure your brain has all the nutrients it needs is to eat a variegated and simple diet. This means eating plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and dairy products like milk and yogurt, as well as avoiding processed foods.
A recent study found that people whose diets are high in ultra-processed foods tend to overeat and gain weight, even when the foods they are eating have the same nutritional content as those in a well-balanced, unprocessed diet.
It’s also important to get enough omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12, both of which are nutrients that are vital for brain health.
The Importance of Omega-3
Omega-3 acids have been associated with a reduced risk of depression, ADHD, and memory loss. They are also believed to help brain development, especially in infants.
The three categories of omega-3 fatty acids, include alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Your body cannot produce ALA on its own, so you need to get it from ALA-rich foods. Your is able to convert the ALA to EPA and DHA, but only in small amounts. This is why it’s important to also get EPA and DHA from food sources, or if necessary from dietary supplements.
Here is a list of vegetarian sources of omega-3s:
- Ghee
- Organic whole milk, yogurt, butter, and cheese
- Mung, Urad, and Kidney beans
- Soybean oil, Canola oil, and Perilla oil
- Avocadoes
- Tofu
- Cabbage, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts
- Winter squash
- Walnuts
- Flax, hemp, and chia seeds
- Seaweed and algae (nori, spirulina, and chlorella)
The Importance of Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps make DNA and keep nerve and blood cells healthy.
Getting enough of this vitamin is especially crucial for brain functioning. Lack of B12 can result in depression, confusion, poor memory, and early-onset dementia.
To give your brain an extra boost, regularly consume B12 rich foods, such as:
- Organic whole milk, yogurt, butter, and cheese
- Seaweed and algae (nori, spirulina, and chlorella)
- Nutritional yeast
- Bean and alfalfa sprouts
- Wheat grass
- Shitake mushrooms
- Fortified non-dairy milks
- Fortified breads and cereals
If you apply these four tips to your life on a regular basis, you’ll become a calmer, healthier, and more focused individual. Your brain will thank you!