Science has established that the brain is a growing thing and its health affects the way it functions. An article in New Science outlined ten different approaches to improving the health of that gray matter.
l) Food. Breakfast is especially important to brain function, as the brain needs special feeding when it wakes up. Good brain food breakfast: beans on toast. Lunch should be eggs and salad with yogurt as dessert. Have fish for dinner, with strawberries and blueberries for dessert.
2) Listen to music, or better yet, take lessons. The “Mozart effect,” the increased ability in mathematics after listening to Mozart, is even stronger if listening is accompanied by active practice. Music lessons are better than going to concerts.
3) Get a job! If not, then work puzzles. Using your mind to good purposes is helpful to the brain. Research has found that IQ is not a fixed entity, but can be increased by brainteaser workouts.
4) Improve your memory. A good memory is part technique. Training in memory enhancement methods, usually having to do with training attention and using organizational techniques, improves brain function.
5) Go to sleep. Your brain hates going without sleep and can be very sensitive about it. A day without sleep makes you perform about as well as someone legally intoxicated. Sleep is when your brain does a lot of its homework, so get plenty.
6) Go for a walk. Exercise, even quiet or mild exercise boosts the brain’s abilities. Exercise helps older folks especially, and regular walking slows the cognitive decline normally seen in elders.
(Tune in to “Staying in Touch” again tomorrow for more ideas on helping the brain to keep healthy and alert.)
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