MentorMorphis

Boost Your Brain Power

by Dee Menges

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August 9, 2021

Boost your brain power and the various brain functions, such as cognitive function, mood elevation, performance, focus and memory with the following easy lifestyle tips.

The brain is the most vital organ, the most important muscle. It co-ordinates all other muscles, our well-being and vitality, and basically our lives. It is also the one muscle that we tend to neglect most. We don’t see it in the mirror and so we tend to focus on exercising and firming the arm, legs, abdomen or buttocks. Building up our brain power has a magnitude of health benefits.

Changing dietary and lifestyle habits can vastly improve brain function.

1. Getting Sufficient Sleep

Sleep plays such a vital role in brain health and brain function. When we sleep our brains process our memories from the information we have received that day, and places it into our long term memory bank. REM sleep also helps you to process various emotions you go through during the day, and lack of sleep increases the tendency to experiencing more negative emotions and therefore fewer positive emotions. Sufficient sleep helps to form and maintain pathways in the brain that allow you to concentrate and be alert. Restorative sleep slows down brain ageing, protects mental health and helps to ward off Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

2. Daily Movement

Movement helps to boost your mood and overall well-being. Ideally, 30 – 40 minutes of blood pumping exercise such as jumping jacks, jumping on a trampoline or even a brisk walk enhances brain function due to the oxygenation to the brain. If you are a busy professional and cannot manage to do 30 minutes of exercise every day, even 10 minutes of a brisk walk in the morning or during your lunch break goes a long way to keeping your vascular system healthy, getting oxygen flowing to the brain and elevates your mood by getting a boost of happy brain chemicals such as endorphins, dopamine, and serotonin flowing in the brain. It also builds neurons in the brain especially in the learning and memory centres of the brain.

3. Eating A Brain Boosting Diet

Berries, especially blueberries or strawberries are an essential source of brain food that protects the brain by protecting neurons from dying. Harvard^[1] studies have shown that eating 2 helpings of blueberries or strawberries per week every week slows brain ageing by up to 2 years, the studies show reduction of memory decline even in women over the age of 70. Berries are rich in antioxidants, keeps your arteries healthy, helps to fight inflammation and is known to also reduce the risk of cardio-vascular disease. The benefits are endless.

Load up on fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines or trout. They are rich in Omega-3. Why this is important for the brain is because about 60 % of the brain is made up of fat, half of which comprises of Omega-3. This too sharpens the brain, improving memory function and decreasing chances of Alzheimer’s disease.

Turmeric has great healing properties, also improves memory function, eases depression by boosting serotonin and dopamine, thereby lifting your mood. Add this to your green smoothie in the morning and reap the benefits of this amazing spice.

Adding broccoli to your diet is great for protecting your brain against damage, thanks to it being rich in vitamin K, which is packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Green tea boosts brain function, keeping you sharp, improves alertness, mental acuity and performance, as well as focus.

Eggs, are rich in choline, an essential micronutrient which your body needs to produce the neurotransmitters that regulate memory, mood and mental function. Eggs are also rich in Vitamin B which slows down mental decline as we age, and vitamin B12 which regulates brain chemicals and sugar levels in the brain. Studies show that elevated sugar levels can lead to an acceleration of brain ageing.

4. Be Mindful Of Your Posture

Most of us are unaware of our tendency to slouch, especially when sitting in an office chair slouched over our computers, or lounging around on the couch. It feels comfortable, but slouching reduces the space for your lungs, which reduces the lung capacity. How does this affect the brain? A reduced lung capacity mean less oxygen for the brain. A good posture is also crucial to the health of your spine, which in turn is crucial to brain health. Sitting up straight allows for a healthier blood flow and cerebral spinal fluid supply to the brain and it also alleviates tension in the neck and shoulders. Practicing yoga poses helps alleviate compression of the spine and corrects posture.

5. Mindfulness

Breathe work is a powerful tool for bringing about mindfulness, and it provides your brain with oxygen for needed for higher brain function. Taking ten minutes to concentrate on deep breathing exercises helps to counteract shallow breathing which we experience particularly when under stress or in anxiety. Deep breathing improves blood flow, is a natural pain killer and helps you to sleep better. It is also known to stimulate the lymphatic system, relaxes the mind, and detoxifies the body by expelling carbon di oxide, providing the brain with a healthier blood supply which is vital to brain function.

Meditation has numerous health benefits, specifically for brain function. Known to maintain brain health especially as we age, meditation alleviates mental stress, and it strengthens neural connections in the brain, not to mention sustaining focus. Meditation can ease a frantic state of mind, especially in the fast paced world we live in, promoting overall well-being, so give your brain a break a few minutes a day with this mindfulness exercise.

Visualisation or mental imagery exercises allows you form a clear picture of what you would like for your day, a 90 day goal, or for your life. The most successful influential people will tell you that they have harnessed this skill as a way to meet their goals and reach their dreams. Visualisation alters the mind and placing it in a positive state by focusing on the things that you love. The brain cannot differentiate between imagination and reality, so consistently visualising the perfect day, vastly increasing your chances of having that perfect day.

6. Brain Fun & Games

The brain is a muscle and needs exercise just like our other muscles do. You can train your brain while relaxing, by playing games. Have a game night with family or friends, this lets you spend time with loved ones, have fun and stimulate your brain. Games like Pictionary ensures an evening of roaring, is entertaining and stimulates your visualisation skills. Board games such as Trivial Pursuit is a wonderful way to build your general knowledge on an array of topics. You can also build a jigsaw puzzles or play card games together with the family or in your alone time. Playing beloved games that have been around for a long time, like Tetris, leads to a thicker cortex which boosts the overall efficiency of the brain, according to studies conducted by Medical News Today^[2]. The study also suggests that playing a mere 3 minutes of the game leads to a reduced craving for food, cigarettes and alcohol.

7. Do Something New

Ever wanted to go on holiday to a far away and exotic location, and to interact with the locals in their native language? Why not try learning a new language. The benefits of learning a new language in adults are numerous, including making you a better communicator, even in your own mother tongue, and knowing more than one language allows you to improve your multitasking skills. Knowing a second language is said to increase the size of your hippocampus, which is the learning centre of the brain, and it also improves memory function. A second language also allows for a higher ability to solve problems, according to scientists.

Has it ever happened to you, that in the midst of a stimulating conversation, the exact word you were searching for to eloquently express yourself was on the tip of your tongue, but you just could not access it, to make your point? Or maybe you know a word, and what it means, but when someone asks you to explain the meaning to them for better understanding, you just cannot find the right words to explain something that you fully understand? Grow your vocabulary by learning 2 new words a day is a an excellent practice for working out your brain, and to boost your communication skills. Try picking random words from the dictionary, learn the definition and its uses, and practice utilising them in a sentence. Use this in the written and spoken word and watch your vocabulary and your brain power soar.