7 Ways to Boost Your Brain
How much more productive would you be if every day you felt more focused, clear-headed and even smarter? Well here are some awesome brain-boosting tips to help get you there:
- Leafy Greens: Once again, your mother was right – you really should eat your spinach. Leafy greens like spinach, kale, swiss chard, collards and mustard greens (to name a few) are packed full of nutrients that your brain thrives on. These delicious veggies can fight dementia as well as help prevent other brain conditions such as Alzheimer’s, stroke and Parkinson’s disease.
- Meditation: While it may take a little practice to get the hang of this ancient practice, meditating even for just 10 minutes a day can clear your mind of clutter and even better, stress. Stress takes a lot of brain power to maintain, so consciously relieving your mind helps to improve memory, attention span and decision making.
- Getting Organized: That old expression “sweep it under the rug” may very well be causing more harm than good. Research shows that all that “forgotten” clutter can be distracting – sometimes unconsciously. Reorganizing, cleaning up and clearing out your work space or your home can make your memory and your concentration better.
- Laughter: All work, no play may make all of us a little duller. Laughter causes the brain to think more creatively, so don’t be afraid to let loose and have a little fun. Your brain will be better for it.
- Dance: studies suggest that dance does two things: the aerobics of dancing can enhance your brain power by improving your circulation. Better circulation means that your blood is actually better able to deliver much needed nutrients to your brain as well as the rest of your body. But dance takes aerobic exercise to the next level by challenging your brain in areas like coordination and planning. This kind of brain exercise may just prevent against cognitive decline.
- Coffee: Good news! You might not have to completely give up your caffeine fix in the morning. Some research says that the amount of caffeine in one 8-ounce cup of coffee can improve mood, attention span and short-term memory. Just remember to use in moderation. In this case, too much of a good thing could be harmful.
- Novelty: Keep your brain on its toes. Switching every day activities, like which game you play on the computer a thousand times or what route you take to work can help shake the proverbial dust off. New experiences release dopamine in the brain which increases motivation and actually causes more neurons to grow. That means, you get smarter every time you try something new.
Always consult your chiropractor or primary care physician for all your health related advice.
Image Credit: by kozumel. Used under a creative commons license.