Improve Brain Function Using a Few Easy Activities
Most people don’t think about the aging process until they are in the midst of it. With the stresses of life being what they are today, our brains are being stressed as well. Your brain needs 3 basic things to thrive: energy, love, and stimulation.
Energy for your brain comes down to good oxygenation and actual nutrition. When we breathe, we should be exhaling twice as long as we inhale. That means if you inhale for two seconds, you should exhale for four seconds. Breathing at a rate where inhalation is greater than exhalation time can put your body into acidosis and one of the side effects is less oxygen in your blood, which means less nourishment for your brain. Make a conscious effort to work on your breathing so exhalation is twice as long.
Your actual diet plays a role in nutrition of the brain. Any food sensitivities can throw you into fight or flight and over time can even cause you to have autoimmune issues. There are 4 major areas where most people have issues; they are gluten, dairy, soy, and over-consumption of sugar. You can pay to have them tested, but the easiest way is to eliminate them for a month and then introduce one at a time back into your diet and see how you feel. If it causes problems, you will know you have a sensitivity to it. Right now you are probably thinking, what in the world will I eat if I cut all that out. Believe it or not, there are a lot of options, and you will begin to feel really good after just a few days. I suspected that gluten may be an issue for me, so I gave that up for a time. I introduced it back into my diet and experienced all sorts of intestinal discomfort, including gas. This was a sign to me that there was a sensitivity there.
We are social beings. We were created to be social and interact with others. If you are one of those people that think, “Ugh, people”, I get it. However, socializing keeps our brain healthy. You don’t have feel loved by every human you come in contact with, but you should find a few people with whom you feel mutual respect and love. This may mean getting out of your comfort zone and even at times being hurt by others, but the rewards far outweigh the risk.
The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, Dementia, and other memory problems has greatly increased in the population over the years. One thing you can do to improve memory is to play a game called the N Back Test. You will need a shuffled deck of cards. Flip one card at the time and your job is to remember the numbers on the cards starting with 2 cards back. For example, I flip the first card and it is a 10 which I will now need to keep in my mind as I flip the second card. As I flip the second card (we’ll say it’s a 4), I will need to remember it as well and now I actually say the first card I flipped, which was a 10. Then, as I flip my third card I will say the number from the second card (4) and so on. The object is to remember the numbers in order that were 2 cards back. Once you get good at 2 back, try 3 back. Once you get good with 3 back try 2 back with suit and continue on that way. If you can master these, you will have improved your memory. You will also want to keep practicing so you are continuously improving your memory.
There are many exercises that stimulate your brain, but the best bang for the buck, in my opinion, are balance exercises. Balance feeds several areas of your brain and there is no way to cheat. Once you have mastered it, you have improved those areas of your brain. You should be able to stand with your feet together and hands at your side with eyes open for a long period of time. If not, that is where you begin and shoot for 30 seconds. Next, try the same position with eyes closed. You should be able to do that for at least 30 seconds without having to catch yourself. If not, work on that. Next, you should be able to stand on one leg with arms at your side for close to 30 seconds (depending on age) with eyes open. Next, try eyes closed. You should be able to do that close to 20 seconds (depending on age). You will also want to do the opposite leg eyes open and then eyes closed. You may find that one side is worse than the other. Keep practicing balance and your time should get longer on each task. You are actively improving your brain when you do this.
Another great way to stimulate your brain is to exercise. The best exercise is walking. It affects several centers in your brain and causes your vasculature to become more vigorous. The nitrous oxide your body produces when you exercise causes your vessels to become stronger and more pliable therefore decreasing your risk of heart disease and stroke. Walking also calms down your brain and causes you to release hormones that decrease stress. I recommend at least thirty minutes a day most days of the week.
Getting adjusted can most definitely help with brain health. Removing interference in the spine lets blood and CSF flow through the spinal cord as it should. Also, it allows the nerves at each spinal segment to have good blood flow and nerve signals in and out of the spine and up to the brain.
The last tip I will give is both fun and annoying. Just one day a week, try doing some of your daily tasks with your opposite hand. If you are a righty, try brushing your teeth or brushing your hair with your left hand. This affects right vs. left brain. This is not an all-inclusive list and there are far more details that I could add, but it is a start to improving your brain health. Try them out and enjoy the wonderful benefits!