We’re all heard the saying: “your brain is like a muscle and needs to be exercised regularly”, and while your brain isn’t actually technically a muscle, the principal is true. The average person will only ever use 10% of their brain’s true power, so it makes sense to spend a little time working on it.
For a long time, it was believed that the brain you were born with is the brain you would always have, but luckily for us, we know that’s not true. When you spend time actively engaging and exercising your brain, your cognitive function increases and you benefit from sharper thinking, a higher retention rate for new information and more logical thinking.
Here are three simple ways to boost your brain power and cognitive thinking for a healthier brain.
Actively Challenge Your Brain
Simple activities, such as games, challenges or memory exercises are a great way to get your brain working as they can be an important form of cognitive training. Some examples are chess, scrabble, sudoku, jigsaw puzzles and crossword puzzles. It’s important to remember that brain training can be fun, and - most importantly - enjoyed with others!
Nutrition
You are what you eat, and when you actively seek out to eat a nutrient-dense diet, you’re fueling your brain with everything it needs to perform highly. Some great foods for healthy brain cognition are:
~ Salmon - for a healthy source of omega-3 fatty acids which have been linked to larger brain volume and higher mental function.
~ Walnuts - for Vitamin E which has been shown to reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
~ Eggs - for a healthy source of choline, a nutrient vital to maintaining memory and communication among brain cells.
~ Spinach - for an excellent source of folic acid which has been shown to prevent dementia. In addition to this, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, and dark, leafy greens can also help improve memory.
Exercise
Daily movement and physical exercise are incredibly important to the function of the brain. Even smaller activities, such as walking, are beneficial to the brain.
Regular exercise produces aerobic health benefits to the brain as well as the lungs, heart, blood pressure, and general physical condition, and for those that don’t enjoy aerobic exercise, stationary exercises such as yoga have also shown to be beneficial to the brain.
Once you take actions to consistently challenge and flex your brain power, you’ll notice an increase in memory, brain function and retention of new information.
It’s also important to remember that you don’t need to tackle all these at once - choosing just one, or even two, and practicing them regularly will offer you a great benefit.