COGNITIVE FITNESS FOR BRAIN POWER

Since hot girl summer is officially over, let’s focus on hot brain season. I use the word season lightly, as your brain needs to be like a perennial seed all year through. Do you want to start making better decisions in your life? And cope better with stress? Do you want to be able to be a sharp thinker and someone with logical reasoning?  Do you feel like your brain is slowing down a bit? Then it’s time to send your brain to the gym. Cognitive fitness for hot brain season is about to begin.

Cognitive is just a fancy word that describes how we think, solve problems, acquire knowledge, store information, stay focus and remember things. I am impressed with people like former President Barack Obama, who speaks with eloquence and intelligence that you will wonder if he is a walking dictionary. And Stephen Hawking, whose disability did not limit his cognitive performance to bring forth amazing theories even as he aged. If you ever play chess, you know the mental process involves is not a simple task; Grand-master Judit Polgar shows us nothing is impossible.

Each part of our brains plays a role in your cognitive functions. There are also things called neurons that continuously send signals, or information back and forth from our external environment, straight to our brains. Genetics and our environments can impact the functioning of those neurotransmitters. When those neurons die off, so does our cognitive functions. Other threats to cognitive decline include Dyslexia, brain injuries, dementia and Alzheimer’s, which is a form of dementia. Don’t panic! Just like any athletics, or pianists, you too can achieve brainpower through continuous training, and change of attitude and lifestyle. Cognitive fitness will help you become mentally sharp and improve your cognitive performance even as you get old.

Here are three cognitive fitness practice to improve your intellectual performance, boost memory, and increase your brain sharpness and concentration.

1. Diet

What we eat and drink can have a profound effect on the functioning of our brain, which in turn is responsible for our cognitive performance. Maintaining a healthy balance of plant-based protein diet, polyunsaturated fats, fruits, vegetables, legumes, less sugar and water daily, can optimize brain function and lower the risk of cognitive deterioration. Food with high sugar content decreases attention and concentration. Here are some food choices that help improve cognitive ability; they are also a great meal or a snack option.

• Walnuts: Improve blood flow and deliver oxygen efficiently to the brain. It also helps boost your concentration. It contains a high level of vitamin E

• Blueberries– Contains flavonoids an antioxidants and anti-inflammatory that help boost your body’s natural defences, help fight the mental effect of ageing, and help fight neurogenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

•  Flake seed: Contains the omega -3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic (ALA) which boost the cerebral cortex area of the brain that processes sensory information.

• Salmon or other fatty fish: They are low in mercury and contains polyunsaturated fats. These are healthy fats that the body needs for brain function and building of brain tissue.

• Kale/spinach/ Sweet Potato leaves & broccoli-contains vitamin k that is good for brain functions

• Avocados: Contains folate and vitamin K that helps prevent blood clots from developing in the brain.

2. Exercise

Physical activities or exercises can greatly improve your health and overall wellness. Challenge yourself with mental exercises and continuously aim to learn new things. For instance, learn a new language, practise mental math, learn to play chess, or other board games.

3. Stress Management

Stress is an emotion caused by your body’s reaction to challenges. Stress can affect your day to day life. There are different ways to manage stress to be cognitively fit. These include getting enough sleep to increase memory stability, relaxation and maintaining a positive social connection. Practice relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga or talk to someone when you are feeling down or depressed.

Positive social connection is crucial as it helps with mental stimulation and increases physical activity. Positive social connections can help decrease loneliness and depression and delay or prevent cognitive impairment.

Αs we begin a new month, let’s focus on our attitude and lifestyle choices to strengthen our brain intellectual and mental capacity. Just as we pay enough attention to our physical appearance, we need to pay more attention to our cognitive performance. Cognitive fitness can help us be productive, make a better decision and stay focus on our goals.