Throughout your life, your brain’s job is to help you make sense of the world and help oversee your daily operations and life. Brain health refers to the ability to remember, learn, play, concentrate and maintain a clear, active mind. It's being able to draw on the strengths of your brain—information management, logic, judgement, perspective and wisdom. Simply, brain health is all about making the most of your brain and helping reduce some risks to it as you age.
Lifestyle Recommendations:
• Avoid chronic sleep deprivation; get at least 7 hours of solid sleep to improve brain performance. • Exercise early in the morning; aerobic exercises such as running, swimming and bicycling get extra oxygen to the brain and help build new brain cells; avoid exercising late in the evening, especially if difficulty with sleep exists. • Do not internalize stress; talk about and process thoughts with a confidant or counselor. • Practice stress-relieving techniques such as prayer, meditation, relaxation and listening to music. • Engage in brain-stimulating exercises such as crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and language learning, as well as physical exercises like ping pong, tennis and dancing that strengthen connections between new brain cells. • Stay socially engaged. • Stop smoking.
Dietary Tips and Caveats:
• Make good nutritional choices that will help build healthy bacteria and avoid inflammation. • Eat a gluten-free anti-inflammatory diet; drastically cut back on wheat, carbs and refined sugar, especially those in sodas and processed foods. • Add healthy omega-3 fats such as raw walnuts, flaxseeds and flax seed oil, wild-caught oily fish, chia seeds and dark, leafy greens; avoid trans fats. • Add healthy spices and herbs such as saffron, rosemary, turmeric, oregano, cloves and ginger to meals. • Eat a diet of unprocessed whole foods, abundant in organic, high antioxidant vegetables and fruits, especially berries that may improve short-term memory. Eat organic foods whenever possible.
Neurofeedback can help:
Neurofeedback is like going to the gym specifically for enhancing your brain. The goal is to help your brain learn a new way to function better. Neurofeedback uses advanced computer technology to help your brain become more flexible, stable and functional.
Why Chiropractic Care Can Help:
Our moods are regulated by our body’s chemistry. The chemistry in your organs as well as your brain are all regulated by the nervous system. Misalignment of the spine (specifically the first, second or third vertebrae) can cause pressure in the area of the brain steam which can cause interference neurologically and chemically.