Harmful Habits for Your Brain
By Sara Butler
Healthy habits are most often associated with increased health and wellness. You hear people talk about being heart healthy or keeping their joints healthy, but what about the brain? There are bad habits that can impact how well your brain performs. If you want to keep those cognitive wheels spinning at their very best, then you need to avoid a few of these bad habits!
Drinking Soda
You already know that soda is full of sugar, but that may not be the worst of it. Some sodas, usually citrus based, also contain something called brominated vegetable oil. This substance can eventually lead to memory loss and even cause nerve disorders if it builds up in your system. If you like to guzzle citrus soda, then you may need to rethink that strategy – while you’re still able to think clearly!
You Eat a lot of Tuna
Tuna is great for you – within reason. The American Heart Association suggests you get fatty fish like tuna twice a week to help keep your heart healthy, but too much tuna can do you more harm than good. The mercury found in a lot of tuna can cause issues with cognition. If you love the fatty fish, try other options such as salmon, trout, or anchovies in order to get your omega-3 fatty acid fix.
You Sit a Lot
Sitting at a desk all day is bad for your waistline and your brain. When you move your muscles, they pump fresh blood and oxygen to your brain, releasing all kinds of feel-good chemicals that improve your mood. When your body slows down, so does your brain – and that can lead to some serious issues with brain fog.
You Don’t Get Enough Sleep
For the sake of your brain, make sure you’re getting enough sleep at night. Missing one hour of quality sleep at night can decrease alertness and cognitive performance by one-third – and that’s just in the short term. In the long term, lack of sleep can impact your memory and even the volume of your brain. So, make sure you work on getting a good night’s rest in order to take care of your brain properly.
Take care of your brain - it's the only one you've got! Make sure the habits you have nurture a productive brain that will keep you spry well into old age!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Arvada, Colo.