health

Be Honest: How Would You Rate Your Brain Health?

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If you were to score the health of your brain on a scale of one to one hundred, what would you give it? 

The number you choose gives you a sense of your overall physical and psychological wellbeing. Low scores suggest that you’re depressed, unable to think or have trouble concentrating. High ratings indicate that you’re happy and buzzing with new ideas. 

In this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the critical pillars of brain health. 

Physical Exercise

Physical exercise is incredibly important for brain health. People who move more tend to have a lower incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and enhanced memory, cognition, and learning capacity. The fitter you are, the smarter you can be. 

Food And Nutrition

Food probably plays a more significant role than most people realize in overall brain health. Pro-inflammatory foods like processed junk can affect your mood. When you eat a poor diet, it can sometimes lead to an immune response and a buildup of inflammatory compounds in the brain, changing how you feel. People who eat poor foods report feeling more anxious and depressed than those who eat well. 

Resources on brain fog also highlight the importance of diet in the condition and foods that may improve symptoms. Foods high in omega-3 oils, like flax, and anti-inflammatory spices, like turmeric, could eliminate the inflammation that sometimes makes it hard for people to think. 

Rest And Sleep

Getting enough rest and sleep is essential for improving your mood and building your immune system. People who don’t have enough shut-eye can experience worse performance at work and poorer mental health. Over the long term, a lack of sleep can lead to more severe illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s. 

Relaxation is also becoming increasingly important. While we need regular movement throughout the day, our bodies need time to recover and wind down, especially in the evenings. 

Mental Fitness

If you were to rate your mental fitness score, what would it be?

Mental fitness is a vital component of staying alert, well into old age. Some of the most successful older people engage in activities designed to improve their brain’s functioning. It can be something as simple as Sudoku or complex as writing a novel. The key is to remain focused on something over the long-term, exercising your brain cells. 

Social Connection

Without social connection, we humans struggle to thrive. It’s hardwired into our DNA. 

Social connection, though, is vital for another reason: it signals to our bodies that we’re safe and that we can enjoy the protection of the tribe. When we’re alone, we don’t have that. 

Our bodies physically respond to the presence and touch of others. When somebody hugs us, our brains release a torrent of feel-good hormones that helps us to feel more relaxed. 

As people get older, their brains need social interactions more than when they were younger. Unfortunately, opportunities for connection seem to decline. Research shows that people who have the most social interactions have the best memory capacity. 

 

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