There are several practical ways to be spiritual, to turn inward, and to quiet your self. Consider the following:
- Engage in deep breathing exercises for 10 minutes, three times a day.
- Engage in progressive muscle relaxation from head to toe and focus on those parts of your body that are targets of stress.
- Write down your anxieties to get them out of your head and onto paper. Now problem-solve
to reduce or eradicate the stressors. - Pray or meditate on a daily basis.
- Attend a place of worship or meditation on a regular basis.
- Give to others.
- Create “your time” during the day, where no task is involved. Finding one’s passion in life and then applying that passion to the benefit of others can be uplifting.
- Enjoy something in nature daily.
- Get more sleep.
- Enjoy a pet.
The key to the spirituality slice of the brain health pie is to turn inward, to slow down, and to let your brain more deeply encode the information it has processed throughout the day. A recharged brain is a great thing!
Nutrition
Brain health fact: Your brain is composed of nearly 60 percent fat.
It is important to realize that your brain is a fatty system, perhaps the fattest part of you. The fat helps to insulate nerve tracts and to speed information processing. Without the fat, information processing slows and our brains are rendered inefficient. Exercise has been shown to help build some of the myelin sheath or lipid in the brain and so has nutrition. In fact, there is an entire field known as nutritional neurosciences for those interested in this slice of the brain health pie. The key is to review your current eating habits and consider incorporating the following foods and behaviors into your new brain health diet:
- Increase the amount of fish you eat on a weekly basis. Several ounces of salmon, herring,
mackerel, and sardines several times a week is great for the brain. - Increase your daily intake of unsalted nuts, particularly walnuts.
- Increase your daily intake of fruits and vegetables to five fist-full servings a day — these are great antioxidants.
- Reduce your intake of processed foods and try to stay away from fast and fried foods.
- Eat with utensils, as you will eat less and eat healthier relative to using your fingers.
- Sit with family or friends for one meal a day. You will slow down, share stories, listen to music, and use utensils — all brain health promoting!
- Grape juice is great and one glass of red wine daily is all right if your physician agrees.
- For those who do not consume or like fish, consider an Omega-3 fatty acid supplement.
Brain Basics
The human brain is indeed a miraculous system, the greatest ever designed. It is important that you take some time to learn about the basics of your brain and how your own daily lifestyle can have a positive effect on your brain, particularly if you sustain a proactive brain health lifestyle throughout your entire life. Try to make some small changes to increase those behaviors that research tells us relate to brain health promotion, most likely through development of your own brain reserve. This can be a fun pursuit, and you will notice that the little ones in your life circle will also want to join in. They will want a pedometer, to play board games, to try the new food, to exercise, and to enjoy slowing down. A proactive brain health lifestyle most likely has a role in helping us preserve access to our life story. It does not get any more personal or important than that!
Dr. Paul Nussbaum is a clinical neuropsychologist and author of “Save Your Brain: The 5 Things You Must Do to Keep Your Mind Young and Sharp.” For more information on please visit paulnussbaum.com.
This article was first published in Brain World Magazine.
