The brain is one of the most complex organs in the human body and controls all the essential functions such as heart rate, breathing, digestion, and endocrine function. The brain is also responsible for many cognitive processes like attention, concentration, memory, and learning.
So when it comes to staying on top of your mental game, making sure your brain is in optimal health is a crucial part of your mental training and mindfulness progress.
A number of variants can cause “wear and tear” on the brain. Some of these damaging factors are related to inadequate nutrition, increased toxicity, and chronic stress. Another factor is aging, and although age brings wisdom, it also brings age-related changes in the brain causing a cognitive function decline. We can, however, support our brain in maintaining optimal health through simple lifestyle changes, nutrition, and brain-balancing practices.
LIFESTYLE CHANGES FOR BRAIN HEALTH
Sleep
I think the first and most important factor to mention is adequate sleep. Scientific research shows that during sleep the flow of the lymphatic system within the brain increases allowing the brain to detoxify most efficiently.
Inadequate sleep, which means sleeping too little or not having good quality sleep, also leads to cognitive decline, high blood sugar, weight gain, high cholesterol, and heart issues.
To improve the quality of your sleep, create an optimal sleep environment with complete darkness and cooler room temperature. Make sure you are asleep by 11 pm to support your cellular biological rhythm and the detoxification pathways of your liver (another crucial component to healthier life). Avoid exposure to blue light on your phone or computer screen for at least 30– 60 minutes before you go to sleep, and make sure all your electronic devices are turned off while you sleep.
Limit toxicity
The brain is highly sensitive to toxins. This includes dietary toxins such as sugars, alcohol, processed foods, and inorganic foods that contain pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. Cosmetic products are another important source of toxins to avoid. While the brain is the most complex organ, the skin is the largest one. Anything that goes on your skin goes into your circulatory system and therefore into your brain.
Cosmetic products that are applied close to the brain like shampoos, makeup, shaving products, and perfumes should be replaced with the most natural alternative. Natural moisturizers like shea or mango butter, and cold-pressed oils like rosehip, argan, or marula oil are great options. The most natural replacement for shampoo I tried is a vinegar water rinse and it works great. There are many natural deodorants available too! Perfumes can be easily replaced with essential oils that apart from beautiful fragrances also offer endless health benefits. Yes, essential oils can be used by men too, and many woody and earthy essential oils are available. It might require a little investigation initially, but I guarantee you will find your favorites.
Hydration
All the cells in the body including the brain cells depend on water to function properly. Dehydration has a negative impact on brain function, cognitive performance, and mood, and contributes to increased fatigue.
Women are more sensitive to the effects of dehydration than men. The average recommended daily water intake is 9 cups for women and 13 cups for men. It’s also important to remember that caffeinated beverages and alcohol dehydrate the body and compensate accordingly. Although dehydration is more common than overhydration it is important to mention that overhydration can flush important minerals like sodium out of the body and cause delirium and other neurological complications.
Walking
Exercise is a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle. But you don’t have to break the sweat in the gym to get some of the benefits exercise offers. Studies show that just 20 minutes of walking increases blood circulation to the brain improving the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the brain cells, improving attention and focus, and even fighting fatigue. Additionally walking releases the “feel-good” neurotransmitters called endorphins. One study at Stanford University found that walking even boosts creativity by up to 60%.
From a neurological perspective, walking strengthens neural connectivity between the two hemispheres of the brain helping the brain to operate from a whole brain state. When our brain operates from a whole brain state we are able to see situations in our lives from a broader perspective and interlace logic with emotion and intuition. This can hugely reduce perceived stress.
NUTRITION FOR BRAIN HEALTH
Healthy fats
The human brain is nearly 60% fat so feeding your brain healthy fats such as DHA Omega-3, coconut oil, avocados, and walnuts is important. DHA Omega-3 is anti-inflammatory and is found in salmon, sardines, and mackerel so if you don’t get enough of these in your diet consider supplementing with a high-quality supplement. Other sources of omega 3 are flaxseeds, walnuts, and chia seeds. To activate the enzymatic process in nuts and seeds, and make them easier digestible I recommend soaking them for at least 12-24 hours. If you prefer to eat your nuts dry, you can rehydrate them after you soak them.
Now I’ve covered what fats help to fight inflammation, I also want to share what fats create inflammation so you can eliminate them from your diet. Pro-inflammatory oils contain omega-6 fatty acids and are found in seed oils like sunflower, canola, rice, corn, and soybean oil. If you don’t love coconut or avocado oil, using organic grass-fed butter or ghee is a much healthier choice than the omega-6 seed oils. Cold press extra virgin olive oil is considered healthy as long as it’s not exposed to high cooking temperatures.
Magnesium
This essential yet often deficient mineral in many people plays an essential role in nerve transmission, neuromuscular conduction, cognitive processing, heart, and immune system health, and blood sugar regulation, and also has a protective effect on the brain cells. Studies show that magnesium levels are often low in patients with migraines, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, ADHD, epilepsy, and even Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Good food sources of magnesium are green leafy veggies like spinach, cabbage, or kale, whole grains, red and black beans, almonds, and dark chocolate.
A great way of supplementing magnesium is with a magnesium salt bath or foot bath. For oral magnesium supplements that specifically target improving brain health, and that help to reduce brain fog, anxiety, and depression look for magnesium threonate.
Vitamin D3
This vitamin is actually a hormone and plays an important role in the healthy function of the brain, the immune system, and bone strength. In the brain, it prevents age-related cognitive decline. For best absorption, it is recommended to choose a D3 supplement that is combined with vitamin K2. Foods that are naturally rich in D3 are fatty fish and fish liver oils.
B Vitamins
Those vitamins have a protective effect on the brain and the nervous system. Thiamin and niacin help the brain to use nutrients for energy. Vitamin B12 and B9 help to protect the brain from cognitive decline. Vitamins B are naturally present in meat, fish, and eggs, as well as leafy green vegetables. B12 is however only available from animal products and should be supplemented in those that don’t consume meat. The most bioavailable B12 supplement is in a form of methylcobalamin.
Lion’s mane mushroom
This mushroom is a type of nootropic, which means it contains compounds that improve brain health and function. Lion’s main stimulates brain cell growth, has a neuroprotective effect against inflammation and oxidative stress, and enhances cognitive function. It is also thought to have an adaptogenic effect and eases stress.
BRAIN BALANCING PRACTICE
In my previous article, I spoke about the power of visualization practice in reprogramming our subconscious mind and reshaping the neural pathways of our brains to reach our goals.
In this article, I want to focus on a practice that helps to shift the brain into a healthier brain wave frequency and synchronize communication between the left and right hemispheres. After all, our minds can achieve much more if they are supported by a healthy brain.
Brain wave training to reduce stress and enhance creativity
During each day the brain moves in and out of different brain waves, but for most of us busy westerners the brain mostly operates in Beta. Beta brain wave state is also known as busy thinking, sometimes even chaotic brain wave state, and while this is where analytical thinking takes place, the excess in Beta activity can cause stress, anxiety, poor concentration, and brain fog.
This is why it’s important to entrain the brain to operate from a slower more relaxed brain wave – Alpha. When our mind is racing and we are stressed it’s difficult to focus, remember things, and find solutions to our problems.
One of the easiest ways to entrain your brain into easily accessing the Alpha brain state is by listening to Alpha binaural sounds. Yes, it’s that easy! You will need a pair of headphones as binaural beats use distinct tones in each ear to synchronize the brain activity.
Of course, it is important to dedicate some time to sit back or lie down and just listen. Most people can benefit from using this practice for just 5 – 10 minutes per day. It is not recommended to do this practice while driving or performing tasks that require attention.
You can also implement listening to Theta binaural beats just before you fall asleep. Theta is a deep relaxation brain state in which the subconscious mind can be reprogrammed more easily. Setting a clear goal and affirmations as you listen to Theta sounds can help you to start reprograming your subconscious while you are sleeping.
In my next article, I will share a simple yet powerful technique that will help you to start operating from a whole brain state, access the state of super learning, reduce stress, and stabilize your nervous system.
The information in this article is for general guidelines. Please consult your physician if you have an underlying illness and wish to introduce supplements into your diet.
If you would like to embark on a holistic healing journey and personal development, get in touch with me using the form below.
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