While growing up, you were most likely told two things about your brain. First, that somewhere around age 7 your brain quits growing. Second, after age 30 the ability of your brain to function begins to decline. Science has determined both of these statements to be false.
The fact is, no one ever needs to experience a loss of mental abilities as they age. Your mind is designed to improve with use for as long as you live. It is up to you whether this happens, or not. How?
Create a brain nourishing environment:
- Exercise: Your brain needs oxygen to function properly. The more physically active you are the better chance you have of keeping your brain supplied with oxygen. Pick an activity you like and get moving every day.
- Eat healthy food: Like any other part of your body, your brain needs nutrients. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Avoid chemical additives, pesticides and toxins. Stay as close to natural organically produced food as you possibly can. Stay away from sugar and excessive carbohydrates. Limit protein consumption.
- Rest: Your brain uses the hours you sleep to clean up the trash from the day. At least 7 hours of sleep per night is mandatory for peak brain performance.
- Nap: Science has proven that a 20 minute nap during the middle of the day improves mental performance by 36%. So relax – take a nap – perform better afterwards.
- Stay socially connected: People who have a close circle of friends, family and community connections not only tend to live longer, their mental abilities stay intact much longer.
- Practice positive attitude: Your brain thrives on positive reinforcement.
- Learn something new every day: Your brain cells tend to go dormant when they are not used. Concentrate on learning something new and challenging every day.
Remember your brain is designed like a fine wine – it is meant to get better with age. You have the ability to make that happen.
Sources for this article:
http://nourishholisticnutrition.com/what-should-you-feed-your-brain/
http://www.mindful.org/5-ways-to-nourish-your-brain/
