Working on new and challenging skills is linked to better health in general, including lower weight, better exercise, and a happier outlook. Two of my favorite places to learn new things are my alma mater, Gonzaga University or locally, Central Penn College. However, you don’t have to go back to school to improve your brain health.
One easy thing to do right now is to start talking – in person – with people. People who are social tend to have better functioning skills. Put down the electronics and start talking face-to-face. Call someone and chat. Walk to your co-worker’s office (another brain booster!) to ask something rather than email. Your brain and your body will be so happy!
Of course, as a nutritionist, I love to tell you about foods. Eating nutritious foods can lower your risk of brain-associated diseases, like Alzheimer’s, by 70-80%. Lowering your blood sugar with simple, real foods can help prevent dementia.
Some brain boosting foods:
- Berries, red wine, dark chocolate – all high in polyphenols and other compounds to help with your circulation, so also good for heart health. These three boost your memory, mood and learning capacity.
- Salmon, walnuts, avocados – high in fatty acids, which the brain needs to function.
- Dark leafy greens, like lettuce, spinach, kale, collards – good sources of Vitamin K and other nutrients that have a positive effect on your brain health.
- Caffeine – blocks receptors in your brain that impair memory, but limit to about 2 cups per day, earlier, so caffeine doesn’t impact your sleep.
Keeping your memory sharp helps with everyday productivity, focus and problem-solving. When we’re problem solving, especially being creative, we activate our frontal cortex, which is the part of the brain when memory is stored and retrieved.
Puzzles, especially, can be great for brain health! Doing new tasks, like puzzles, coloring (with all the adult coloring books that are popular!), and mental juggling are great for keeping the neurons in the brain sharp. One of my favorite types are Cryptoquotes - word puzzles where a phrase is revealed. Each letter of the puzzle stands for another letter in the quote. For instance, every “A” in the unsolved puzzle would be an “L” in the quote. Once I solve the quote, I often use it in my writing or teaching. Try this one:
A G H G Z E U S U L R S A H !
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ !
