You Keep Your Brain healthy. Keeping your brain healthy als promotes overall health. So here are some points to keep your brain going. The most important aspect of health is to keep your mind active and your brain healthy especially in old age. Body degenerates actively and constantly. This also applies to brain. The main reason is, if the brain does not get raw material it requires, the generation process suffers. Taking stairs keep your brain young. A study by researchers from Concordia University in Canada, showed that the more flights of stairs a person completes, the younger their brain physically appears. The reaches found that brain age increases by 0.95 years for each year of education, and by 0.58 years for every daily flight of stairs climbed, i.e. the stairs between two consecutive floors in a building. “This study, shows that education and physiological production of age and chronological age, and that people can actively do something to help their brains stay young,” Steffener said. Things that brain requires to stay healthy: 1. Specific nutrition for brain. The brain is made up of ˜good fats” - a lot of its nerve coverings are manufactured from good fats and oils. From the moment of birth to the age of 2 years, physically brain development is very rapid. So a baby needs lots of good fats to ensure that it has the necessary supply of essential oils for brain development. Research shows that ˜Good fats” are also responsible for neurons and the entire nervous system. Good fats include unprocessed, unrefined oils from nuts and oil seeds. Seeds are a treasure store of healthy minerals, B vitamins and folic acid. They are a naturally rich source of iron and zinc, and are also good sources of healthy protein. Sesame seeds are an excellent source of calcium – important during adolescence, childbirth and menopause. All seeds are a source of Vitamin E. So eat almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, chilgoza, hazel nuts and pistachios. Add sunflower and flax seeds to the mix. Unhealthy oils and fats are trans-fats, deep fried and refried oils, adulterated oil oils and excess saturated fats. Antioxidants are very important for the brain. This is because the brain is susceptible to tissue problems due to its high level of work and regeneration. Antioxidants ensure that the brain has enough cleansing and detoxifying agents to keep it clean and healthy. Good antioxidants for the brain are organic fruits and fresh vegetables, green tea (without milk and sugar) and some herbs. Good Proteins are just as important for brain development. These include sprouts of organic dals like mung. Channa, lobhia, moth and so on. Tofu, soya milk are also good sources. The brain requires a lot of carbs to function effectively. Starving makes the brain dull, but be warned so does glutton. Good carbs are fruits, dry fruits like dates, figs and raisins, whole grains like dalia, oats (not instant variety), unpolished rice, barley, whole corn and millets. 2. Herbs for Brain Regeneration: Yastimadha (liquorice or licorice), guduchi, shankhapushpi, mandukaparni, chitrak root, brahmi, vacha, haritaki, kustha and shatavari. 3. Oxygen: Is vital for brain health. Aerobic exercise, pranayama (Bhastrika Pranayama), dancing, active playing, - all of these contribute to lung expansion, thus ensuring that oxygen reaches the brain. 4. Mental exercise: Solving puzzles, learning new languages, Challenging problems, learning new skills all this creates a very healthy and active brain. 5. Physical exercise: promotes blood circulation to the brain and helps the regenerative process. 6. The moderation of certain lifestyle hazards: Food and alcohol; addictions, lack of sleep, too much anxiety, nicotine, over-medication and a sedentary lifestyle make us dull. Yoga Nidra: (or psychic sleep meditation Brain health is a combination of all the factors above Tips for Brain Health: *Your brain forms 2% of your total body weight but uses 20% of your body’s energy enough to light a 25-watt bulb. *Brain uses glucose as fuel. When you work late, eat fruits and dried fruits like raisins, prunes, dates and apricots. They provide healthy sugar and minerals. *Alcohol weakens connections between neurons. Take multivitamins and detox the liver frequently if you drink alcohol regularly. *The brain produces 70,000 thoughts a day on an average. *Humans make new neurons throughout their lives in response to mental activity. So join hobby classes or a social welfare activity. *A study of one million students showed that students who ate lunches that did not include artificial flavors, preservatives and colors did 14% better on IQ tests than students who ate lunches with these additives. Slouching on the Sofa: Lack of exercise can speed up the rate of age related memory problems. The brain shrinks naturally as we get older, resulting in fewer brain cells and poorer memory, but as little as 30-40mts workouts a week could reverse this shrinkage in the over – 50’s – and even encourage the brain to grow. *Try a 10 minutes brisk walk. One study found a short stroll before a word recall test improved people’s performance. Researchers said, to the extra rush of blood to the brain. Being Pregnant: Many mums-to-be swear they experience ‘baby brain’ and become more forgetful while expecting and a recent Australian study experts think this may be due to the elevated hormone levels affecting brain function. *Have a Baby: Although pregnant women’s memories did deteriorate and stayed affected for up to 3 months after the birth, they gradually return to normal after one year. Yoga works Wonders: For those who don’t wish to go in for heavy exercises, an hour of yoga and meditation will also work. Make sure that you do it regularly and not miss it so that you stay healthy during the days ahead. Hit the Gym: An ideal way to ensure that you do not put on weight is by working out in the gym whenever you are free. Cardio accompanied by weight training Regular Exercise: There is no substitute to a good workout regime when it comes to improving your digestion. Exercise helps building one’s immunity system and stamina. Exercise’s effects on brain and muscles: Exercise helps maintain levels of mood boosting chemicals in your brain. It also has therapeutic effect. After doing exercise, the brain secrets a tranquilizer-like substance after 10 minutes of continuous exercise. Regular physical activity in maintaining healthy bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis As age progresses, bones lose their strength and become fragile and weak. This condition is called Osteoporosis. This is not only common in women after the menopause but also affects elderly men. So, exercise is a must for strong bones. The important exercises and strength training exercises. These exercises are performed when feet and legs carry the body weight. This leads to more stress on the bone, making the bones harder. The goal of all exercise should be to ‘tone’ muscles, not to stress ligaments, grind joints or fray tendons.