Has this ever happened to you? You start forgetting names more often than you used to or why you walked into a room and you want to know how to keep a healthy brain. Maybe you’ve seen your elderly parents mentally decline and you want to protect your own mental health.
You’re Right to Be Concerned
See, scientists have a discovered a few things that contribute to “senior moments” and more serious issues like Alzheimer’s or dementia.
1—Your brain is shrinking. Studies show the brains of older adults are literally smaller than the brains of younger adults.
2—Your brain isn’t producing as many neurotransmitters as it did when you were younger either. This means your messages aren’t transmitted as well.
3—You have a protective coating on your nerves that’s wearing away. Your nerves are left exposed and can fray on the ends which also makes it hard for messages to get through.
How to Keep a Healthy Brain
1—Exercise—Your brain needs oxygen to function at a high level. Oxygen pushes the nutrients through. In fact, studies show exercise can actually help prevent your brain from shrinking. So, whether you bike, run, swim, dance or get your exercise some other way, exercise is critical to a healthy brain.
2—Learn a new skill. Every time you learn something new, you’re creating new pathways in your brain. That means more connections and more opportunities for messages to be connected. You can take up a new hobby or even take a new route to work, but each new skill/knowledge benefits your brain health.
3—Eat right. Your brain needs the right nutrition to stay healthy. Eat plenty of antioxidants.
They help counteract the effects of oxidizing on your brain caused by free radicals. Free radicals are zipping around your body looking for healthy cells to mutate and age prematurely. Eat lots of berries, spinach and other veggies for your antioxidants.
4—Get your omega 3’s. Studies show your brain is made of omega 3 fatty acids. Nutrition experts say few Americans are getting enough of these fatty acids because they’re not in the foods we eat. Yet, they are essential for a healthy brain. Studies show omega 3 fatty acids can improve your memory and boost your mood.
You can get them by eating fish 2-3 times a week or taking a fish oil supplement. Visit my website to learn how to keep a healthy brain with omega 3 fish oil.