No matter your age, there are ways to keep your brain functioning in balance. Start with these 10 smart tips:
1. Eat Regularly “The fuel the brain requires is staggering, so we need consistent calorie intake to function at our best.” Eat every 2-3 hours. Choose healthy, filling snacks high in protein, fiber and some fat, like a small handful of almonds, celery sticks with peanut butter or a piece of string cheese.
2. Super-Size Your Brain Super foods such as spinach, strawberries and blueberries are a delicious way to boost brain function. A diet rich in those foods reversed age-related brain changes, according to a 2000 study by James Joseph, Ph.D., a neuroscientist at Tufts University in Boston.
3. Drink Hot Beverages Coffee, tea or hot cocoa? All three provide comfort and boost brain function. Green tea has powerful antioxidants, soaking up cell-damaging free radicals and reducing the risk of stroke. Cocoa improves blood flow to the brain and heart.
4. Watch the Spirits Although a drink a day can be good for the body and relaxing for the soul, anything more plays a role in forgetfulness. Limit yourself one drink a day – or less – and explore other ways to relax, such as taking a bath, yoga or exercising.
5. Take Your Vitamins “The brain needs a variety of vitamins, minerals and enzymes to run properly, just like a car needs gasoline and oil,” McClellan says.
6. Stock Up on Herbs Nature provides some brain-boosters too. Ginkgo biloba, made from dried leaves of the ginkgo tree, has shown promise for clearing up fuzzy thinking and memory problems. Fish oil is another supplement that provides brain food...
7. Make Time to Unwind Work downtime into your day – a walk around the block, watching your favorite TV show or curling up with a good book before bed. Your brain needs a little TLC every day.
8. Go Out and Play Try the daily crossword puzzle in the newspaper, grab a Sudoku book (a book full of number puzzles) or go high-tech with Nintendo’s Brain Age, a handheld video game system for adults.
9. Get Moving Work out the body and your mind will stay young. A 2006 University of Illinois review of exercise research over the last 40 years found that staying active also helps keep the brain in top shape.
10. Find Your Slumber Cycle Getting enough sleep has a domino effect on the brain and body, affecting everything from mood to memory to s*x drive. So sleep and wake up at the same time every day. And lose the bright distractions at night: Turn off TVs, cell phones and computers. It signals the brain that it’s time to relax. Instead, listen to soothing music and dim the lights.
