6 Ways to Keep Your Brain Healthy and Running Fast

By Sandy Schroeder

In a fast-moving society, most of us value our brains a lot! Staying focused and thinking quickly and creatively are skills we use every day.  

If you can relate, you might want to see what you think of HarvardHealth’s plan of attack to maintain a healthy brain.

First, Harvard’s medical community reminds us a healthy brain requires a healthy body. They advise regular checkups, following doctor recommendations, and paying close attention to health issues.

Harvard doctors suggest a six-way program to make the most of your brain’s capability and memory. Their philosophy is the better you treat the brain the more return you will get for your efforts now and long term.

To keep the brain healthy and fit, the Harvard medical community suggests six basic lifestyle changes.

• Make plants a central focus in the diet
• Keep moving with daily exercise
• Sleep well getting 7 to 9 hours of rest every night
• Find ways to eliminate stress
• Stay in touch with family and friends
• Stimulate the brain every day

Eat healthy - Visit your farmers market regularly to pick fresh fruits and vegetables that your family loves. Then look for key recipes that cater to their tastes to make dinners work. Epicurious.com is a good choice for savory recipes that may soon become family favorites for meatloaf, veggie pizza, or black bean and fish tacos.

Move 30-minutes daily - Get your doctor’s approval for new exercises and then plan to be out there running, walking, jogging or working out every day.

Rest well every night - Set a regular bedtime and make your bedroom your sleep retreat. Make sure your mattress and pillows are comfortable. Add blackout drapes to eliminate light, and an air filter to screen noise. Kick laptops, phones and TVs out of the bedroom and enjoy a good night’s sleep every night.

Keep family and friends close - Your loved ones can be natural shock-absorbers that help you handle life’s daily challenges. Call, write or sit down over dinner and stay in touch.

Challenge your brain - Keep your brain focused with a steady diet of new information, interesting people, and current puzzles. The more stimulation you get, the better.

Make stress go away - Focus on music, nature, or a favorite hobby. Or try meditation, yoga or tai chi to siphon off daily stress. When life gets complicated, step outside and breathe deeply.

When these six steps are used together, the brain will be getting the overall support needed to perform well every day. Start using the program and see if you notice a difference.

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Seal Beach, Calif.

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