People are worrying less and less about the way they look as they age and more about taking care of their mental capabilities. Of course, there’s no sense in having a good looking face or body if your brain is so far gone you can’t hear the compliments. So there is a huge push right now to start taking care of brain health, no matter what age you are, you can improve your chances of having an active brain long into old age. There are a lot of things that can be done from nutrition and nootropic supplements to exercise and crossword puzzles. Here are some top tips on keeping your brain going for as long as possible.
Eat These Foods And Avoid These
The best foods that seem to help with the brain are those that contain the very healthy fat omega 3 fatty acids. That’s going to be fish, like salmon, cod, haddock, tuna and sardines, and nuts like walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and some others. This particular fatty acid helps to keep the arteries cleaned out with less cholesterol and plaques clogging up the blood vessels in the brain. Olive oil also seems to be great for the brain as well.
Nearly the entire Mediterranean diet has great health benefits for the entire body and the brain is no exception. The whole grains are far better than refined flours, green leafy vegetables and the entire family of nuts are also on the menu. Dark chocolate seems to be especially good, so load up on that.
What to avoid, of course, are all of the processed meats like hot dogs, sausages, and ham. Then stay away from pork and beef as much as possible. If you do like to eat a lot of beef, range fed beef has a better fat mix with more omega 3 fats and fewer of the others.
Lots Of Spices Are High In Antioxidants
Turmeric, the yellow spice of many Asian cuisines, is full of antioxidants and a compound called curcumin that has been shown to reduce Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Ginger root, cinnamon, and almost any bright colored spice are heavy in phytonutrients which are still being investigated as being very good for longevity.
Bad Habits That Can Kill Brain Cells
Smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking drugs are at the top of the list of bad habits to be avoided. Smoking is bad in so many ways that it’s hard to list them all, but the nicotine restricts blood supply and the smoke causes cancer and emphysema which will either kill you or cut the oxygen to your brain, both bad.
Although alcohol can be a real killer, causing more deaths than a lot of diseases or accidents, it’s also good for you in small amounts. The best way to enjoy alcohol is in red wine which contains natural nutrients like resveratrol that reduces cell damage and helps the body repair itself when injured. It is also suspected of helping to remove the dangerous brain plaques that are the root of many diseases like dementia.
The Vitamins That You Should Be Taking
To begin with, vitamin C is great for reducing the oxidants that continually eat away at our precious brain cells. And vitamin E also helps keep blood flowing smoothly in the brain while also being an antioxidant as well. If you can’t eat enough fish, fish oil capsules can take their place, you should try to get as much as 1,000 mg each day.
Exercise Your Brain And Your Body
Every single day of your life you should strive to get at least 30 minutes of brisk walking in. Or you can swim, bicycle, jog, or do aerobics at the gym. However, if you get in the habit of walking, just 15-20 minutes in the morning and again in the evening, you’ll give your brain the oxygen boost that it needs to function well.
Another key ingredient to great brain functioning is to continually read, write, and do mental puzzles every day. People that keep their brains active on a daily basis stave off most kinds of dementia longer than those that sit and watch TV all day long.
If you’re just now getting serious about taking care of your brain, you’re not alone. But there is no better time to start than right now and it will add years onto your healthy life in the future.