6 tips for a brain in a good health !

I apologize for my english. My native language is french. I tried to do my best in english to provide you good content to the english community too.

Introduction

You know, it's not a secret, for your brain to function properly it needs to be stimulated.

Incidentally, an unstimulated brain runs to the loss of the person (I may come back to this one day, but there are old and not very ethical studies showing how children were housed and fed but not stimulated by speech or caresses and how these children let themselves die... Yes, it's terrible...).

So, to be lively and effective, your brain needs stimulation. By the way, did you notice that when you run out of ideas, just walk out and fresh new ideas come back?

But I get lost...

I recently read an article on the different techniques to stimulate the brain and here is what I learned from it. I put you lower sources if you're interested because there are others!

Move your brain, the book! Review.

Wendy Suzuki is a neuroscientist and professor at New York University (and more specifically at the Center for Neural Science). She also runs an active research laboratory there. She wrote the super book Move Your Brain and, in this promotional video of her book, she shows us a real human brain (that she hid in a pretty hat box the rascal!).

She wrote this book because she explains that despite being a professor in neuroscience, she was herself in a bad dynamic that she finally managed to get out of... Thanks to the advice she shares in her book.

Here no chipo, she explains step by step what it takes to get better in her head and body.

And you know what else? In 2016, she received the Neuroscience Researcher of the Year Award! It's not nothing...

His research interests include understanding models of brain activity underlying long-term memory and the role of aerobic exercise in improving learning, memory and cognition.

In the video below, you will find a presentation of the book by two external people. I hope this will motivate you to read it too!

How to stimulate your brain?

1. Playing sports (physical)

Experiments in mice have shown that exercise improves the rate at which new hippocampal cells are born.

For a long time, scientists believed that the adult brain could not regenerate. And no later than Friday I was reading in the last Science & Life that neurons can regenerate!

So yes, the brain is able to make (partially) new cells! This is called neurogenesis and is promoted by physical exercise!

Plus, exercise is also good for your heart and arteries, which help keep your brain healthy by providing oxygenation and nourishment for the brain!

Exercise also makes it possible to modify the chemistry of the brain as I mentioned in my previous article about love... By making love for example, our body releases endorphins which are neurotransmitters that are both stress-relieving and promote concentration after exercise. (Make love to be concentrated and live longer!

The brain may only represent 2% of the human body, but it consumes 20% of the oxygen we inhale! And the little gourmand also consumes 25% of the total energy intake!!

Feed your brain! Pamper him! This is important!!!

2. By doing sport (intellectual)

Learn, learn, learn, learn! My grandfather used to say that to me all the time: I would die old because I like to study and study, keeping my brain awake!

And he died at 102!

By studying, you make your brain exercise: it must learn, retain (use mnemonic means, etc.).

3. Having a healthy lifestyle

Avoid stress at all costs:

It's bad for your brain. Try to make one single choice at a time in peace and quiet.

Sleep enough:

Lack of sleep is very bad for your brain. In fact, it slows down its functioning to the point of affecting short-term memory and causing difficulties in concentration and reflection.

4. By pleasing yourself

It may seem strange, but as you get older, dopamine decreases between synapses and neurons, and to avoid this: you have to offer yourself moments of pleasure.... Think carefully. What makes you happy? See your grandchildren? Read a good book? Going out to see your friends?

The older you get, the happier you must be to keep your memory healthy!

That's why people who have sinned are less inhaled (and sometimes say out loud what no one would have dared to say): it's because the dopaine is decreasing (in fact, it slows down!).

5. By being creative

Being creative is like learning something new: new connections in your brain are made.

I'll tell you about how I learned to draw thanks to my right brain! But that's another story!

6. By your diet

Our brain is made up of 60% fat. But be careful: good fat: not saturated fat. The fats our brain needs will need the polyunsaturated fats (containing fatty acids necessary for neurons to be healthy).

Eating fish:

As a child, I was always told to eat fish to increase my memory (and keep my brain healthy). Over the years I got scared of fish because of mercury. But in the end, if you know how to choose it, there is no worries.

Our brain needs DHA which is a fatty acid and is found mainly in fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardine, herring)

Eat flaxseed:

Flaxseeds and linseed oil contain DHA (fatty acid), which is also found in fish. And it also allows you not to be constipated (sorry for the details!).

Drink plenty of water:.

The ideal solution is to consume at least one and a half litres of water per day because dehydration is a threat to your brain! Moisturize him as much as possible! By the way, I had read at the time that many psychic illnesses could be reduced by drinking more water (I will probably come back one day!).

Avoid alcohol/tea/coffee:

Because they're diuretics because they make us lose water! Be careful after an evening well watered with water!

Eat a maximum of antioxidant foods:.

I'm not going to take you over the entire list of these foods because you can find them here: http://selection.readersdigest.ca/cuisine/nutrition/40-aliments-riches-en-antioxydants/. But to motivate you, know that you are entitled to one square of dark chocolate a day!

Have enough vitamin B in your body:

Vitamins are essential to metabolism and B vitamins are essential for memory because they influence the production of specific neurotransmitters.

For example, vitamin B1 deficiency can lead to drowsiness.

Vitamin B2 deficiency causes stress.

Vitamin B9 (called auss folic acid) prevents memory and slow thinking disorders. Here is a list of foods in which you can find it: http://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Nutrition/PalmaresNutriments/Fiche.aspx?doc=vitamins_b9_nu.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is suspected of causing dementia. Besides, a little note for vegetarians: watch out for deficiencies. Vitamins B12 are found only in foods of animal origin!

To learn more about the vitamins in group B, take a look at this website:

http://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Solutions/PlantesSupplements/Fiche.aspx?doc=complexe-vitamins-b_ps

For those who speak English (otherwise, there are subtitles) here is a video presentation at a Wendy Suzuki TedTalk on How to train your brain.

Yes, this woman is inspiring!

The games I suggest you play to stimulate your brain

For all those who would like to train at the cerebral level, I invite you to find a "partner in crime" because it's easier to do this together. Whether it is playing chess, going out to play sports, participating in creative workshops, etc. Being together is easier to motivate than doing it alone.

If you are alone, you can go to different websites to train.

Here are the ones I'm advising you:

Happy Neuron's website http://www.happyneuron.fr/. Careful, it pays off after the 7th day.
And Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training Program (How old is your brain?) that you can buy if you have a Nintendo DS (that's what my family gave me the game and DS and believe me, it really helps!).
And the memorado site http://memorado.fr/

Personally, I am strongly attached to my DS and Dr. Kawashima! But I understand that not everyone has a DS at home.