Fascinating Facts About Your Brain
The brain is the center of it all. It allows you to walk, talk, think and breathe, among other things. Your brain also makes you, well, you. It’s an incredible organ with so much going on, it’s no wonder there may be some things you weren’t aware of that are pretty interesting when it comes to your control center. Here are a few thought-provoking tidbits about your brain.
The Brain Constantly Changes
Throughout your life you brain will undergo changes influenced by things you think, do and even eat. It creates new neuron connections and in a sense is capable of being trained. This goes for positive and negative things, however. It’s always possible to pick up a bad habit, but it’s also possible to slow down the aging process of the brain. So keep that mind motivated!
Your Lifestyle Impacts Your Brain
It turns out that what you put in your mouth is very important to your brain. Processed foods, bad fats and disproportionate sugar and salt in our diets can be bad for your noggin. Drugs, alcohol, environmental toxins, cleaning products and even negative thinking patterns can be detrimental to keeping our brains healthy and happy. A healthy diet may improve brain function, increase energy and even stabilize your mood and decrease anxiety.
Another interesting fact is that your brain uses 25% of the calories you consume. That’s a lot of energy, so that makes the foods you eat even more important. If you’re eating junk, so is your brain. In order to keep your brain (and the rest of you) healthy you should eat a balanced diet full of lean protein, vegetables and healthy fats such as coconut oil, butter and olive oil.
As Your Waist Increases, Your Brain Decreases
If you are overweight or obese it can actually cause your brain function to decrease. It’s even been shown that the physical size of your brain shrinks as you pack on the pounds. This can lead to memory loss and may make you more susceptible to diseases that impact the brain as you age, including Alzheimer’s disease.
No one fully understands the reasons behind this phenomenon, but it is thought that some factors such as changes in hormone levels, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and lack of exercise – all possible results of being overweight or obese – can cause the shrinkage.
The lesson your brain wants you to learn is that today you can make changes that will be good for your body and your mind. Eat a healthy diet and get some exercise. Laugh. Do a puzzle. Keep yourself and your brain healthy!
Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Allan Ajifo