MOST OF US will know someone suffering with some form of neuro-degenerative disease – dementia. The forecasts are bleak, with the number of cases increasing by 200% by 2050, and one in four people in the UK will have a mental health issue.
There are many ways to enhance your brain health – for now and into the future, using your mind, body and diet.
MIND
Understand how stress affects your brain. Stress literally drains blood away from your frontal lobes, affecting your thought processes. The stress hormone, cortisol, affects areas of the brain involved in emotional control, learning and memory. Excess cortisol during prolonged periods of stress can reduce neurons and damage mitochondria (the cellular ‘power houses’). Instead of allowing negative thoughts and feelings to dominate, try to put a positive spin on things, for the sake of your brain!
Grow your brain. Meditation is good for you, and your brain. It has been shown to encourage new brain cells to grow, reduce inflammation and balance brain impulses. Meditation and exercise are undoubtedly the best way to reduce stress too.
BODY
Being active is a fundamental necessity for good brain health. You need to exercise to produce the oxygen and energy that triggers the brain to form new neurons and keep neural pathways strong. There is evidence that cardio and weight-training can increase the volume of one part of the brain and even reverse the shrinkage of brain matter as we age. Interval training is thought to be key in boosting cell production (mitochondria) within the brain.
Healthy gut, healthy mind. We make a lot of our ‘happy’ hormones in the gut so any imbalance there can adversely affect our brain. Maintaining a balance with good food, probiotics and lower sugar intake will enhance mood, memory and focus.
Which brings us nicely onto diet!
DIET
Reduce inflammation. A lot of inflammation in the body is caused by poor diet, as well as from stress, toxins, viral and bacterial overload. What you eat can have a direct effect on inflammatory mechanisms within the body and brain. Probiotics, tumeric and ginger are very potent ingredients, and help to boost the immune system.
Eat a diet that feeds the brain, as well as the body. Focus on foods that are lean and choose ‘clean’ proteins i.e. toxin-free, organic fish and meat. Use pure raw ingredients; natural fats and oils, try to go ‘gluten-free’, or stick to slow release carbs. Work towards a plant-based diet, which is shown to help prevent the onset of degenerative brain problems.
Fish is essential! We’ve all heard about omega-3 fatty acids, and the brain needs this to work efficiently, and prevent disease. Fish is the easiest way to source the common fatty acids (ALA, EPA and DHA) although Krill Oil is another pure source and has the additional benefit of reducing inflammation.
Vitamins B, C, and E provide energy for the brain. B6, B12 and B9 are all essential for good brain health, and to aid the repair process within it. Vitamin C is easy to find – in all fruit and vegetables – and the anti-oxidants contained within them boost production of neurotransmitters in the brain, as well as reduce oxidative stress (high levels are a common characteristic of dementia). Vitamin E also plays a part in this and is thought to offset age-related degeneration. Naturally sourced vitamin E and CoQ10 (another anti-oxidant) provide a potent way to increase the cerebral cortex and boost cell strength within the brain.
#MADEINFITNESS
