Healthy habits for your brain

healthy habits to help take care of your brain

Everyone want to get healthy, and there are million dollar industries that revolve around losing weight and keeping the body fit. But health is more about just physical fitness. It's important to take  care of your brain too! Try to practice some of these healthy habits for your brain that improve memory, concentration, mood, and brain function.

The brain is the control center of your entire body. A healthy brain leads to a healthy body and mind. Healthy habits for your brain keep your whole body healthy as well.

Healthy habits for your brain

1. Drink fewer sugary drinks - Cutting soda out of your diet may do more for you than reduce your waistline. Limiting soda - or cutting it out of your life completely - is a very healthy habit for your brain. Recent studies link frequent soda consumption to lower mental performance, poorer memory, and increased risks of Alzheimer's later in life.
2. Limit sodium intake - Salty foods may taste good, but too much salt isn't good for us. High levels of sodium can increase risks of cardiovascular disease, but it can also cause problems for the brain. When you consume too much sodium, you can increase your risk of stroke and even increase the risks of developing dementia.
3. Quit smoking - You know that smoking can do harm to your brain, but recent studies show that it does even more harm than previously believed. Smoking massively increases the risks of stroke, and frequent smoking causes damage to the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and thalamus of your brain. Smoking can lead to memory loss, anxiety, and impaired neurological function.
4. Limit alcohol consumption - Frequent alcohol consumption does long term damage to the brain's health. While some studies suggest that small, infrequent consumption of alcohol may have positive benefits for physical and mental health, it can also cause long-lasting damage to the brain. Alcohol is a depressant, which in the long term worsens depression, anxiety, and stress. Alcohol consumption also damages the parts of the brain that store and create new memories, leading to memory loss, poor memory, and even reduced motor functions.
5. Keep a healthy diet - Have you heard of "brain food"? There is truth to this! Eating properly is a good habit for a healthy brain. Junk food, salt, sugar, and other processed foods can severely damage your brain. Instead, try to eat healthy "brain foods" such as fatty fish, leafy green vegetables, and healthy oils.
6. Make time for exercise - Exercise isn't just good for your body, it's good for your brain as well. Cardiovascular exercise promotes the growth of new healthy blood cells and brain cells. Exercising regularly can increase memory and mood, and reduce the effects of anxiety and depression.
7. Watch less TV - "That'll rot your brain", is what my mother used to say about too much television. And she was right! Spending a lot of time in front of the television (or the computer screen) can do long-lasting damage to critical thinking, creativity, and memory retention. Limiting television time can make your entire body healthier, both mind and body.
8. Play video games (in moderation) - On the other hand, video games (in moderation, of course) can actually be very good for your brain, especially in older people. Video games, especially those that pose a puzzle or a challenge, can help increase coordination, memory retention, and problem-solving skills. Although video games are fairly new, scientists are beginning to believe that some challenging puzzle games may help stimulate parts of the brain, increasing memory and overall mental functions.
9. Read for pleasure - Reading frequently slows down the process of brain ageing, and increases  memory function. Reading is also a way to learn new things, and a brain that continuously learns is a healthy one. Reading can introduce the reader to complex ideas and thoughts, and increase your vocabulary. Those who read more frequently can feel more relaxed, and reading directly decreases stress and anxiety, and can lead to a reduction in depression, memory loss, and the risks of developing Alzheimer's.
10. Learn a new language - Learning a new language at any age can increase brain functions and boost memory. While it's true that learning a new language may become more difficult as we get older, the benefits of actively working to learn a new language are enormous. Learning a new language is a healthy habit for your brain, and it increases mental functions, memory, and the ability to learn and process new information and complex ideas.
11. Visit friends - A healthy social life is good for a healthy brain. Take some time to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee or a day out with a (healthy and positive) group of friends. Being social can help to maintain a healthy brain, especially as you age.
12. Make time for fun - Never underestimate the power of fun. Having fun can improve your mood and reduce anxiety. Making time for fun can also help protect your brain from aging, and can reduce the risks of dementia.
13. Enjoy an interesting hobby - This ties in with having fun. An interesting (and challenging) hobby, such as building models, keeping a garden, playing an instrument, or playing board games can all increase mental function. A brain that is kept busy is one that keeps its health and cognitive functions more easily as it ages.
14. Play crossword puzzles or Sudoku puzzles - Challenging your brain can help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's, and can increase critical thinking skills, reasoning, memory retention, and more. Playing puzzle games (many of which can be found completely free online or in the local newspaper) makes your mind sharper, quicker, and can even make you more intelligent.
15. Practice creativity - Paint, draw, write, knit... creating something, no matter what, is really good for the brain. Nowadays, the parts of our brain that manage creativity are often under stimulated. Even if you have no artistic talent (like me!), just picking up a piece of paper and a cheap watercolor set, and trying your best to make something, can have huge benefits for your  brain's functions, and for your mental health and happiness.
16. Take the proper vitamins and supplements for brain health - B vitamins, vitamin C, omega-3 fish oil, and calcium are among the most important nutrients for maintaining a healthy and highly functional brain. Take proper care of your brain by eating foods rich in the proper vitamins and nutrients, or supplementing them with the right multivitamin.
17. Meditate daily - Just five minutes of meditation can make your brain much healthier. Meditation can improve your mood, reduce anxiety, and lower stress levels.
18. Try new things - Never stop learning, and never stop trying new things. The brain begins declining rapidly once it becomes bored and sedentary. To  prevent memory loss and declining cognitive functions, make sure you continuously learn and try new things. You could try to learn a new hobby or a language, or even try a new food. Pick up a new cookbook and try a new recipe that you've never made before. It doesn't matter what you do, all that matters is that you make learning a lifelong habit.
19. Manage your stress levels - Stress negatively affects brain functions in almost every way. Stress can lower memory and the ability to learn and retain new information. Meditation, exercise, and yoga are just a few of the ways that you can healthily manage the stress from modern daily life.
20. Get the right amount of sleep - The right amount of sleep begins with keeping a regular and habitual sleep schedule. Make sure that your brain gets enough rest, as sleep is vital for the brain. Go to sleep at the same time every day, and wake up at the same time every day, even on the weekends. The human brain needs a fairly regular sleep schedule to function properly. Even if you are getting eight hours of sleep every night, it's not nearly as good for your brain's recovery if you don't sleep regularly.
21. Get out of the city - Life in a city, with the traffic, crowds, non-stop atmosphere, pollution, and constant noise, is hard on the human brain. Take a weekend trip, or even just a one-day trip, to the countryside. Get out to the fresh air and surround yourself with nature. Being in nature can refresh your brain and drastically improve your mood. If it's impossible to get out to the countryside, even a visit to the local park or forest can do wonders to your mental health.
22. Eat less red meat - Red meat may be delicious, but it's not good for your brain! Eating too much red meat can slow down cognitive functions and make your brain sluggish. This isn't to say that you have to give up hamburgers and steak completely, just cut back and try to replace it with healthier white meat from time to time.
23. Drink more green tea - I can rave on for hours about the amazing health benefits of green tea. It's not just good for your body, but it's incredible for your brain as well. Drinking a cup or two of green tea every day can improve your mood and reduce anxiety and stress, and can even improve memory and reduce the risks of developing dementia.
24. Get out in the sunlight - Staying in the office underneath artificial lighting may be slowly killing us. When we wake up before the sun and return home after dark, our bodies lack essential vitamin D. When we don't receive enough natural sunlight, the levels of serotonin in our bodies drop drastically, increasing anxiety and depression. In fact, not enough sunlight is one of the biggest factors in poor mental health and cognitive functions. Try to spend some time outdoors every day, even taking a walk during your lunch break, and offset the negative effects of the lack of natural sunlight by taking a vitamin D supplement and employing the use of an artificial UV light generator to simulate the effects of natural sunlight.
25. Take care of your mental health - If you are suffering from depression or anxiety, talk to someone and get help. Trying to manage your feelings on your own, or keeping them inside, is  harmful to your overall health. If you are feeling depressed, reach out. There is always someone who is willing to listen.