Boost Your Brain Power
As a holistic chiropractor, I like to think of my patients and myself aging much like a fine wine. I believe we should get better with each passing year. The one area that is arguably the most crucial in maintaining overall health and vitality is the brain. A healthy and happy brain functions to maintain good hormonal balance improving our mood, our mental thought processes including memory, perceptions and sensory input. I am sharing 7 key areas to focus on to boost your brain power and to living your healthiest and most vibrant life!
Exercise
Physical activity has been consistently shown to help us maintain memory and healthy brain function as we age. The heart pumps nutrients and oxygen to the brain, stimulating the release of chemicals that cause more effective communication between brain cells. There have been studies that have revealed significantly improved mental processing in a group of elderly women who lifted weights twice a week for a year, compared to a control group who followed a program of balancing and toning instead.
There have been other studies that have indicated that even simple activities such as walking, cooking, gardening and cleaning can be beneficial to brain health. An easy way to start is make a commitment to walk for just 5 minutes a day, three times per week. Add just one minute a day and in just two months’ time you are up to walking 30 minutes a day!
Conscious Eating
The way you eat is important. You may have heard the adage “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper.” That recommendation still holds true today. Start your day with a good breakfast. Skipping breakfast can affect your mental acuity, your emotional well-being, and your energy levels for the remainder of your day.
In a British study it was reported that people who do not eat breakfast performed poorly on memory tests and had higher levels of physical and mental fatigue later in the day. Most people have seen the evidence first hand of how good nutrition supports clear thinking. I encourage you to compare your memory and concentration after eating a balanced breakfast rather than having a donut and coffee or skipping breakfast altogether.
The DHA portion of omega 3 fatty acids has been clearly shown to support the brain. This is no great surprise, as 60% of the brain and the nerves that run every system of the body are made up of fats. The more nutritious the fat, the better the nerve and brain function. Natural foods like cold water fish such as tuna, salmon and sardines as well as certain nuts and seeds such as walnuts, flaxseed, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds are rich in these required fatty acids.
Hydration
In other words, drink water and hydrating beverages. It has been reported that even mild dehydration can cause mental impairment and decrease mental performance. It is recommended that the average male drink 13 cups of fluid per day and the average woman 9 cups per day. Drinking caffeinated beverages like coffee and tea has been shown to improve mental functions and decrease the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease.
It is important to note that you must increase your water intake to account for the diuretic effects of caffeine. It is also important to maintain a good mineral balance to have the water used effectively by the body.
Gratitude
Showing gratitude can have big payoffs for your body and mind. According to Dr. Robert Emmons, a psychology professor at the University of California at Davis, grateful people — those who perceive gratitude as a permanent trait rather than a temporary state of mind — have an edge on the not-so-grateful when it comes to health.
”Grateful people take better care of themselves and engage in more protective health behaviors,” Emmons writes. Gratitude research is beginning to suggest that feelings of thankfulness have tremendous positive value in helping people cope with daily problems, especially stress.” Grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that researchers say boosts the immune system.
In his book The Gratitude Effect, Dr. John Demartini recommends beginning and ending your day with a “gratitude” journal. Even spending just a few moments each day in a state of gratitude can have a transformational effect on our lives. Living this way helps us replace fear, anxiety and worry with joy, happiness, and peace, resulting in a healthier and more balanced body and mind.
Laughter
Laughter has huge effects on physical, emotional, and mental health. Research shows that investing in laughter can pay good dividends, too. Everyone knows the adage, “Laughter is good medicine,” and studies reveal that laughter has a profound effect on a person’s overall health. In addition to the physical and psychological benefits, laughter can sharpen a person’s mental focus. It moves the attention away from stress, anger, guilt, and other negative emotions which can cloud a person’s concentration.
Music
Listening to music improves energy levels and engages the senses. Most people know from experience that listening to uplifting and inspiring music sharpens concentration and encourages creativity. The power of music to enhance mental focus is well-documented. Listening to music and taking note of the various sounds, images, emotions, and even smells it evokes, is a great way to exercise the brain.
Challenge Yourself
Research has shown that you may dramatically decrease mental deterioration later in life by remaining physically and mentally active and staying connected to others, right here, right now. What you don’t use, you lose. This applies to the brain as much as it does to our muscles. Engage in stimulating conversation, learn a new skill, do puzzles and games of strategy, take up tai chi, dance, or move your body in a new way. Clear out the cobwebs and turn on your brain power!
Take Away
Exercise, conscious eating, hydration, gratitude, music, laughter and mental challenges are just seven ways a person can increase mental clarity and focus. There are many other ways to enhance mental clarity, improve memory, and decrease the likelihood of brain deterioration, but these seven suggestions are easy methods that anyone can incorporate into their daily lives.
Simple and scientifically-proven, they are great ways to increase energy levels and keep mental focus clear and sharp. Begin to incorporate some of these simple techniques into your own life so that you can accomplish more.
GET IT NOW!
One of the best methods for body and mind balance is to focus on the present moment fully. Take 3 deep breaths and allow yourself to just think about one thing that you are grateful for in your life. It brings to mind the saying that “everyday above ground is a good day.”
One of the best ways to keep your mind alert and focused is to start off your day with a powerful morning routine. Get your complimentary report “Power Up Your Day” by signing up for our free weekly newsletter at www.VibrantBoomerWoman.com/freegift.
Dr. Doreen Borseth is a holistic chiropractor with 28 years of experience in mind-body medicine. She specializes in women’s health and longevity and created www.VibrantBoomerWoman.com, to help women access greater energy and vitality throughout their life. She holds a vision of the world entering an era of peace that will be ushered in by women who stand firmly in their own power, passion and purpose.
Believing in You!
Your Next Steps to Love after 50. . . .
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I would add “throw away your TV set”. TV encourages a sedentary lifestyle, relating to and judging yourself based on fictional characters and celebrities rather than being in the reality, the here and now. Commercials encourage you to buy stuff you don’t need, eat foods that are unhealthy. TV viewing is passive interaction rather than active learning. If you throw the silly thing out, you free up hours a day to engage in those other activities listed by the poster. Haven’t had an idiot box since ’84, the best decision I’ve made in my life.