It’s hard to overstate the importance of brain health for the average individual. A healthier brain can reduce your susceptibility to cognitive decline in later years, allow you to think clearer and more creatively, and could even prolong your lifespan. But what does it take to improve your brain health? And is it worth the investment?
Three Reasons to Improve Your Brain Health
If you’re not immediately convinced to improve your brain health, here are three good reasons to get started:
- Your brain has a role in every bodily function. Your brain is associated with pretty much every bodily function you can imagine. Sometimes, it’s in charge of taking care of things without your conscious knowledge. Sometimes, you’re using it actively to solve important problems or interact with other people. It’s hard to argue against the idea that the brain is the most important organ of your body.
- Many brain diseases are (at least somewhat) preventable. Cognitive decline is, on some level, unavoidable. If you live long enough, eventually you’re going to face some sort of neurological aging and decay. That said, most brain diseases are at least somewhat preventable, and you can always mitigate or delay the cognitive decline ahead of you.
- Healthier brains lead to greater life satisfaction. Finally, healthier brains lead to higher life satisfaction. Not only will you live longer and avoid the worst diseases with better brain health management habits, but you’ll also be more intellectually stimulated and better capable of socializing with others.
How to Support Brain Health
These are some of the best ways to support brain health.
- Eat healthily. One of the best strategies for improving your brain health also happens to be the best strategy for improving your overall health: eating healthier. Your best bet is to get a full and balanced diet, with a mix of different foods like fruits, vegetables, foods high in fiber, and lean protein sources. Try to limit the amount of sugar and processed food that you eat as well, and keep your portion sizes reasonable.
- Get the right supplements. Eating healthy is a great start, but you can go even further to protect your brain health by using the right supplements. For example, omega-3 fatty acids are shown to be effective in improving brain health and lowering your susceptibility to certain brain illnesses. You can also try a supplement like NAD+ Gold, which is specifically formulated for age optimization and the promotion of brain health.
- Physically exercise. Exercise does a number of things for your brain and your body, stimulating higher blood flow and keeping your cardiovascular system tuned. Exercise is also important for keeping your mind active and preventing obesity, along with a number of other health complications that could indirectly affect the brain. On top of that, people who regularly exercise are much less likely to suffer from mental health irregularities.
- Make time for good sleep. If you can, make the time to get enough sleep every night. If you chronically skip nights of sleep, or if you’re not getting enough hours of sleep per night, or if your sleep isn’t high enough quality, your risk of developing a brain complication will increase. Try to get 7 to 9 hours of good sleep every single night.
- Intellectually challenge yourself. Keep intellectually challenging yourself. Read new books. Solve word puzzles. Participate in murder mystery games. Listen to podcasts from people you do and don’t agree with. The more active your mind is and the more time you spend critically thinking, the better.
- Avoid smoking, drinking, and other bad habits. Did you know that smoking can increase your risk of dementia by 44 percent? Drinking alcohol excessively can also cause premature cognitive decline. Try to avoid substance abuse and similar bad habits as much as possible.
- Expose yourself to novel situations. Being trapped in a routine or never leaving the house can make it difficult for you to keep your brain healthy. Instead, try to expose yourself to more novel situations by traveling to new places, meeting new people, and trying new things.
- Stay social. Finally, try to stay social. People who have plenty of fulfilling relationships are much more likely to stay active and healthy throughout the duration of their elder years. If you don’t have many friends or family members to talk to or engage with, go out and meet some new people – and interact with strangers in the meantime.
Most of these strategies don’t require much time investment or money investment. Instead, they’re free or inexpensive and are widely available. The sooner you start taking care of your brain, the more benefits you’ll eventually receive, so don’t delay making improvements to your brain health.