In summary, the scientific literature recommends the following 4 pillars for Brain Health: work out, eat well, stimulate your brain, and reduce chronic stress.
Any good brain health program must provide you a variety of new challenges over time. Recreational activities like bridge, classes, and crossword puzzles can work your brain and be fun, but a comprehensive scientifically-based program will easily provide you the tools you need to take care of your brain for the rest of your life. A computer-based program can work all of your mental muscles systematically and regularly. It provides novelty, challenge, and stretching practice for your mind.
You may be surprised to hear this...but stress reduction is another major concern. Maintaining your exercise routine and social networks will help a lot in this regard. Make social appointments to go for a walk with a friend or family member. Get a dog. Write letters to friends you haven't talked to in ages. Volunteer in your community. Take ballroom dancing lessons. All these activities will help keep you mentally engaged, physically fit, and socially active.
Let's now review each of the four essential pillars to maintaining a healthy brain that functions better now and lasts longer. Those pillars are Physical Exercise, Mental Exercise, Good Nutrition and Stress Management.
Physical Exercise: Start by talking to your doctor, especially if you are not currently physically active, have special health concerns, or are making significant changes to your current program. Set a goal that you can achieve. Do something you enjoy for even just 15 minutes a day. You can always add more time and activities later. Schedule exercise into your daily routine. It will be become a habit faster if you do.
If you can only do one thing, do something cardiovascular, meaning something that gets your heart beating faster. This includes walking, running, skiing, swimming, biking, hiking, tennis, basketball, playing tag, ultimate frisbee, and other similar sports/activities.
Mental Exercise: Be curious! Get to know your local library and community college, look for local organizations or churches that offer classes or workshops. Do a variety of things, including things you aren't good at (if you like to sing, try painting too). Work puzzles like crosswords and sudoko or play games like chess and bridge. Try a computerized brain fitness program for a customized workout.
If you can only do one thing, learn something new every day.
Good Nutrition: Eat a variety of foods of different colors without a lot of added ingredients or processes. Add some cold-water fish to diet (tuna, salmon, mackerel, halibut, sardines, and herring) which contain omega-3 fatty acids. Learn what a portion-size is, so you don't overeat. Try to eat more foods low on the Glycemic Index.
If you can only do one thing, eat more vegetables, particularly leafy green ones.
Stress Management: Get regular cardiovascular exercise. Try to get enough sleep each night. Keep connected with your friends and family. Practice meditation, yoga, or some other calming activity as way to take a relaxing time-out (maybe a bath). Try training with a heart rate variability sensor, like the one in emWave (formerly known as Freeze-Framer).
If you can only do one thing, set aside 5-10 minutes to just breathe deeply and recharge.
Have a great long brain life!
Copyright (c) 2007 Alvaro Fernandez
In the US iron deficiency has been found to be a major problem in people of all ages. Everyone knows the lack of iron causes anemia. Iron is the center of our red blood cells, which allow oxygen to be carried throughout your body and into your brain. Your brain uses over 20% of the oxygen available in the blood. Lack of oxygen has a major impact on your brain's health and in the formation of dementia.
When a person is deficient in iron, they may have difficulty in keeping a conversation or in keeping a good attention span.
The actual ability to absorb iron into your body is dependent on the amount of acid you have in your stomach. If you have acid reflux or heartburn and are using drugs or antacids to get relief, you are affecting your ability to absorb iron.
To absorb iron, the pH in your stomach has to be normal, 1 - 2 pH. Under these conditions, iron in your stomach chemically reacts with other chemicals and is prepared for absorption in the small intestine.
When you take drugs to reduce the acid in your stomach, the iron does not chemically react and change for proper absorption in the intestine. The result is iron deficiency.
Here are some of the best foods that have iron.
Fired liver, fried kidney, fired chicken liver, wheat bran, ovaltine, coco powder, spinach, parsley, radishes, peas, leeks, carob bar, sesame seeds, pistachio nuts, dried coconut, cashew nuts, muesli, cornflakes, oatmeal, brown rice, total cereal, baked potato Use 25 to 50 mg of iron supplement daily. If you take iron supplements check with your doctor to see if you really need them. Take excessive iron can result in poisoning. Keep iron supplements away from children B-Vitamin
The B-vitamin folic acid and B12 have also been a major problem in the US. B12 has been consistently found deficient in people with Alzheimer's. Folic acid and B12 have been found to improve mental health in people who were in metal institutions.
Folic acid and B12 work to produce neurotransmitters and replace nerve cells. The lack of neurotransmitters is responsible for loss of a good memory.
To make sure B vitamins work for you in keeping your mental capacities in tack start making sure you are getting them in your diet or taking them as a supplement. If supplementing, use the B50 or B100 complex.
It appears that after a certain age B12 will not help in alleviating mental changes or problems.
Here are some the best foods that have B vitamins.
* fish and seafood * whole grains breads, cereals, oats, and barley * chicken, beef, eggs * most leafy green vegetables, avocados * cheese, milk and yogurt * beans and peas * oranges, lemons, grapefruits * various nuts
It is always best to get your minerals and vitamins in food. In food, minerals and vitamins are combined with other chemicals that allow your body to absorb them better than supplements.
Both Alvaro Fernandez & Rudy Silva are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Alvaro Fernandez has sinced written about articles on various topics from Aging, Brain and Aspen Travel. SharpBrains, , provides the best science-based information, programs and support for. Alvaro Fernandez's top article generates over 201000 views. to your Favourites.
Rudy Silva has sinced written about articles on various topics from Constipation Causes, Blood Pressure and Acid Reflux. Rudy Silva is a Natural Nutritionist. To learn more about the other nutrients you need to hold off signs of dementia or Alzheimer's go to