Brain Health

I thought that this was a great topic.  As I get older (39 now again!) I want to be sure my brain stays in as good a condition as possible.  Senility is not for me!  So here are 10 ways to keep your brain in top shape.

1.  Learn or continue playing a musical instrument.  Multiple areas of the brain are stimulated and it even improves your math skills.

2.  Listen to music.  Particularly, harmonius music elevates memory and emotion.  It also helps focus, social skills, and concentration.

3.  Learn something new.  Like number 1 above, it stimulates brain function much more than our routine daily activities.  It has even been shown to reduce the chances of Alzheimer's disease.

4.  Stay social.  There are a lot of advantages to this but specifically a good social network has been shown to enhance neurological fitness.  Facebook can be helpful but face-to-face communication is the best.

5.  Get enough sleep.  Studies have shown that lack of sleep reduces regeneration of the brain.  It also appears to increase stress hormones.

6.  Stay (or get) active.  We all know about the physical benefits of activity but it helps your brain too.  Keeping all that blood and oxygen flowing freely to the brain cleans out toxins, brings in fresh nutrients and as mentioned above reduces stress hormones.  A recent study showed that inactive people increase their risk of Alzheimer's by 250%!

7.  Eat brain food.  While an overall healthy diet low in white flour and white sugar and high in fruits and vegetables is very important, the brain needs fat too.  The best fats contain lots of Omega 3 fatty acids.  This is found easily in fish oil supplements and in fish such as our abundant Northwest salmon, tuna, and sardines. 

8.  Pray or meditate.  People who engage in regular spiritual activities have been shown to have lower stress levels and are less likely to develop depression and anxiety.

9.  Watch less TV.  Studies have linked excess TV time to many diseases.  It has also been shown that the single worst thing a parent can do that would impede their students learning is to put a TV in their bedroom. 

10.  Get regular chiropractic adjustments.  You might have wondered if I would get to this.  Once you understand the effects of subluxation (especially impeded nerve and blood flow) it is easy to see how staying well adjusted would help your overall health as well as brain health. 

I hope that these ideas are useful.  If they seem a little overwhelming, at least try to do two or three of them.  As I've said in prior posts, take your next step to better health, don't worry about taking all the steps at once.  Just get started!