It’s no secret that our bodies change as we age. With the passing years, certain joints might feel stiffer, or we might not have as much energy as we used to. And that same phenomenon applies to our brain health as well.
Once we reach our 30s and 40s, the brain starts to shrink, hampering brain function. The areas most affected tend to be those related to learning or performing other complex mental tasks.
A strong mind is indispensable for enjoying a high quality of life into old age. It’s why finding ways to maintain and improve brain health as we age is essential. Here are only a few natural ways that you can keep your brain healthy for years to come.
Get Active and Stay Active
Taking regular exercise isn’t only good for your physical health. It can help keep your mind sharp as well.
Physical exercise helps increase blood flow throughout the body, including to the brain. This increase in blood flow helps keep the region rich in the oxygen and nutrients the brain needs to function at its best.
Research suggests that obesity is a marker for several forms of brain decline, most notably Alzheimer’s disease. So getting moving now can help prevent serious mental decline down the line. Further, exercising enough to shed some extra weight may have benefits, too.
Use Brain Exercises
Regarding exercise, working your brain is as important as working your muscles.
Like the rest of the body, your brain can suffer if you don’t work to keep it in shape. Crosswords, word-recall games, and even a few rounds of Tetris are all excellent ways to keep your grey matter active and engaged.
Research suggests that staying active, maintaining social ties, and exercising the mind all work in concert to help improve cognition.
Eat Plenty of Brain Foods
Again, much like caring for your body, exercise is only one-half of the equation. No amount of training can make up for an insufficient diet.
The “Mediterranean Diet” is a popular choice for improving health across the board. But it may be a strong option for improving brain health.
This diet is heavy on fish and olive oil, which include plenty of the healthy fatty acids that brain cells need to function. And for carbs, the diet relies on a lot of fruits and nuts that are rich in beneficial antioxidants.
Neurofeedback Therapy
Beyond feeding the brain and keeping it active, there are natural techniques that a person can use to help improve brain health. Neurofeedback therapy is among the most promising.
This brain-based treatment can be used to help manage issues and disorders related to impaired or irregular brain function. It works by analyzing the brainwave patterns produced during periods of mental activity and using that data to tailor a custom training program for an individual.
Neurofeedback therapy can help address issues ranging from depression and anxiety to ADHD and learning disabilities. But for our purposes, its most promising application is helping to remedy the memory problems that come with age or damage due to injury.
Learn to Improve Brain Health for a Longer, Happier Life
It’s normal to feel a little stiffer or less energetic as we age. But a substantial loss of brain function, even due to natural causes, can reduce our quality of life.
Hence, we need to make greater use of techniques like neurofeedback therapy to maintain and improve our brain health. To get started today, reach out to us to learn more about the treatment and schedule your first appointment.
