4 Tips On How To Improve Your Memory
The brain is one of the most active organs of the body. It is the central processing unit of the body and it controls virtually every other process in the body.
According to research, brain functions and activity are at the highest during teenage and youth, which then starts to decline, as one gets older. This is the reason seniors experience brain fog or lapses in memory in their golden years.
Although memory lapse was initially associated with old age, more and more young people are suffering from a steady decline in cognitive abilities. This has been attributed to the modern lifestyles, poor eating habits, lack of exercise, exposure to toxins and stress among other factors. Most of the memory lapse cases can therefore be reversed through a number of ways, and not necessarily using medicine. According to research, the brain’s memory center (the hippocampus) has the ability to grow new brain cells throughout a person’s lifetime.
As long as the hippocampus is well taken care of, you will then never suffer from memory-related conditions. Outlined below are some of the best ways of caring for this vital organ to help improve one’s memory.
1. Adopt proper eating habits: Foods play a critical role in a person’s memory and cognitive capabilities. While some foods can help replenish hippocampus cells into vigorous growth and rejuvenation, most of the foods available today do exactly the opposite. Focusing on whole and organic foods can therefore help improve your memory remarkably. Some of the best foods for memory include:
a. Green leafy vegetables: These include cauliflower, celery, spinach, broccoli and even curry. These pack bountiful compounds that not only promote proper brain cell health but also rejuvenate cell regeneration. These vegetables are also excellent sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants play a vital role in that; they help expunge harmful toxins from the body, and especially the brain for this matter.
b. Seafood: Seafood’s, e.g., fish, oysters, and crabs, are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids obtained from fish contain astaxanthin, a compound that not only promotes good health but also prevents oxidation around brain cells. This helps safeguard the memory center from aging and degradation thus improving a person’s memory and attention. Adding some tuna, salmon, krill oil or oysters to your diet plan should be beneficial for your brain health.
c. Fruits: Fruits are some of the best sources of vitamins and antioxidants. These play a vital role in safeguarding the brain from possible oxidation due to extraneous exercises or eating habits. Citrus fruits, melons, grapes, apples, and berries are some of the best fruits for brain health.
2. Get plenty of exercises: The brain is a muscle that also requires some exercise to stay fit. Regular body exercise encourages the brain to work optimally by stimulating multiplication of nerve cells. This helps protect the brain cells from damage and even strengthen their interconnections. Studies on the effects of strenuous body exercises reveal that nerve cells release neurotrophic compounds (proteins) that help improve cognitive functions, learning, and the brain’s health.
The best way to benefit from regular body exercises is by taking comprehensive high-intensity exercises at specific intervals. Jogging in the morning, taking the stairs, swimming and riding a bike does help significantly. It is also through strenuous exercises that the body gets rid of toxins and other harmful compounds naturally through sweating and urine.
3. Get plenty of sleep: It is during sleep that body cells (especially brain cells) get to regenerate in readiness for the next day’s tasks. Studies also reveal that getting at least 8 hours of sleep every day does help improve cognitive functions as brain cells are already rejuvenated. This is the reason persons suffering from insomnia or lack of sleep find it hard to concentrate at work or school. It is also for this reason infants and young children learn new behaviors and things quickly as their brains have enough capacity to take it all in.
4. Try brain games: Giving your brains a challenge, by playing puzzles or board games, helps boost your brainpower significantly. This is because the brain strains to solve the mysteries, which in the process, helps, expand its capacities. Researchers also believe that the brain is stimulated into intense action when it faces a challenge. Challenging your brain every now and then, therefore, helps improve its status and ability to solve even harder puzzles you would think of.
The principle behind improving your brain’s memory is by providing it with plenty if essential nutrients, giving it a break, and exercising. The foods you eat can make or break your brain. Factory processed and fast foods, for instance, contain impurities/preservatives that are tasking to the brain. Staying away from these and focusing on healthier organic foods is the best way to improve your brainpower.