In today’s very competitive world wherein brain power is a major element for somebody to be on top, it is important to enhance the brain’s maximum potential. In school or even in the corporate arena, brain power is one big asset that is good to invest on. Furthermore, knowing that studies about aging say that our brain functioning slows down as we age, we must aim for keeping our brain healthy while we are still young, to diminish the rate of decline of brain power during old age.
Before learning how to enhance brain power, it is more important to know how to protect our brain from decline. As the saying goes, “first, do no harm”. The two most important measures in preventing brain power decline are avoiding frequent alcohol intake and quitting smoking. Alcohol has very harmful effects to the brain. It kills neurons, which are the cells found on the brain. These neurons are classified as permanent cells. Thus, they are types of cells that do not regenerate once they die. The more you take alcohol, the more neurons are killed and thus, the more decline in brain power can occur. On the other hand, smoking increases nicotine in the body. Nicotine causes our blood vessels to constrict, which may cause a decrease blood supply to the brain.
Enhancing our brain power is ideally a multi-factorial approach which narrows down to one idea: living a healthy lifestyle. When we say “living a healthy lifestyle”, it all includes regular exercise, balanced diet, enough sleep and having just the right amount of stress. These are all very basic, but also indeed very ideal. And we all know that in this very busy world, some cannot afford to exercise three to four times a week or even to sleep eight hours a day. But definitely, even the busiest of people love to eat. It is suggested now that we can eat different types of food that can enhance brain power.
Food that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like fish and walnuts, are said to be brain enhancers because omega-3 fatty acids help maintain a good blood supply to the brain by keeping its blood vessels clear. Foods that are rich in antioxidants are also good for the brain because they decrease the free radicals in the brain. Examples of food rich in antioxidants are guavas, blueberries and dark chocolate. Dark chocolate also has caffeine, which is a natural brain stimulant. Caffeine is good for the brain if taken in regulated amounts. Lastly, since glucose is the major fuel that makes the brain work, foods that are rich in carbohydrates are also advised. Take note however that these are complex carbohydrates, so that a steady, not a fluctuating blood sugar supply is given to the brain. Examples of complex carbohydrates are whole grain bread, brown rice and oats.
One should invest on enhancing brain power now. It could be done by lifestyle modification.
