Table of Contents
- Do Brain Workout
- Eat Less Added Sugar
- Increase the Intake of Omega 3 Fatty Acids
- Do Meditate
- Healthy Weight
- Get Enough Sleep
- Eliminate Alcohol Consumption
- Cut Down on Refined Carbs
- Exercise
- Consume Anti-Inflammatory Foods
- Consume foods Known to Improve Memory
- Intermittent Fasting
- Avoid Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
A strong memory resembles a healthy brain. The health and vitality of the brain enhance memory. A strong memory is vital not only in the young age but in all ages to combat with life requirements. Whether you are a student, a professional or a senior looking for dealing with your elderly matters with your age, you are always better with a strong and sharp memory. There are a number of activities you can do to enhance your memory and brainpower.
Do Brain Workout
Our brain is conditioned to build neural ways according to our surrounding to recall and process the information easily. As we grow, we get firm on these processes to execute familiar tasks effortlessly or with a minimum effort. However, sticking to these neural pathways means the blockage to further development and growth of mind. The brain needs stimulation to keep developing. For this new learning and brain exercises are important. These exercises break the fixed-routine and give you challenge you to use and develop new brain pathways. To achieve this, look for the activities and exercises that help you take an easy start and bring you to the level where you can improve your capabilities. These activities include many IQ enhancing exercises and other problem-solving programs available online.
Eat Less Added Sugar
Excessive sugar intake is not only harmful to overall physical health but it also leads to poor memory problems, research has shown that excessive sugar intake may lead to reduced brain volume especially in that part of the brain which is responsible for boosting short-term memory. According to research, those who consume less sugar have increased memory than those who consume more. Moreover, cutting down on sugar may provide you with other added benefits too.
Increase the Intake of Omega 3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that enhance the brain and mental health. These fatty acids are primarily found in fish oil. Fish oil contains two types of omega-3 fatty acids —EPA and DHA. These fatty acids have incredible effects in brain function particularly for the improvement of short-term memory. Due to the less consumption of fish, many people fall short of these healthy nutrients. Taking fish oil can be a good alternative if you do not consume the recommended amount of fish intake. Consuming a moderate amount of omega 3 fatty acids gives an incredible memory boost.
Do Meditate
Meditation is found to be very effective for enhancing the brain functioning. It has several great effects on mental health including relaxation and reduced mental stress and pain. It also lowers the blood pressure level and has good effects on memory. As you age, the grey matter declines and negatively impacts the memory. Meditation is found to be good in booting the grey matter.
Healthy Weight
Being not able to maintain a healthy weight is the root of many ailments. By keeping your body weight in a healthy state, you can keep your mental health better. Obesity can cause inflammation and insulin resistance, both of these can impact the memory negatively. Obese people are more likely to have poorer memory than healthy people.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep deficiency has detrimental effects on memory functioning. When you don’t take proper sleep, your memory is more likely to be disturbed for a certain time. Proper sleep is very important for memory consolidation. This is a process in which the short-term memory gets strong and gets converted into long-termed memories. According to research, a sufficient amount of sleep is directly related to the improvement of memory.
Eliminate Alcohol Consumption
Consuming a lot of alcohol has damaging effects on memory. Consumption of alcohol shrinks the brain and cause memory loss. It can damage the hippocampus which is related to the memory functioning.
Cut Down on Refined Carbs
The excessive consumption of carbs can be detrimental to your memory function. Avoid consuming an excess amount of carbs from cookies, cereals, rice, white bread, and others. The body quickly digests these foods and gives a spike to sugar levels in the blood and can have heinous effects on the brain. The western diet—high in refined carbohydrate—can lead to cognitive decline and reduce cognitive functioning.
Exercise
Exercise is an essential thing for over-all physical and mental health. It helps in improving memory functioning in people of all ages. Even moderate level of exercises for shorter periods has shown improvement in overall cognitive performance including the memory in people of all ages.
Consume Anti-Inflammatory Foods
Include the foods which are antioxidants. It helps improve your memory. Antioxidants reduce the oxidative stress in the body by lowering the inflammation caused by free radicals. Antioxidants are present in fruits, vegetables, and teas. Berries are very rich in antioxidants and a prime source of it. Anti-inflammatory foods thus enhance your memory and brain functioning.
Consume foods Known to Improve Memory
There are many foods which are associated with improved memory. To boost your memory, eat more fruits and vegetables. They are full of antioxidants and prevent your brain from cell damage. More colors show a higher antioxidant property in fruits and vegetables. Limit your calorie intake. A healthy diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats such as nuts, olive oil, and fish are not only beneficial for bodily health but also for your memory improvement. Include the intake of turmeric in your food as it contains curcumin. Curcumin is an important antioxidant element which applies strong anti-inflammatory effects in the body. Proper intake of vitamin D is also crucial to enhance memory.
Intermittent Fasting
Ketones are an ideal fuel for the brain. Conventionally, it was believed that the brain fuel is glucose; however, ketones are an essential fuel for brain improvement. When the body uses the excessive fats stored in the body instead of consuming energy from an outer source, ketones are produced. When you stop consuming carbs and start consuming coconut oil and healthy fats into your diet, your body becomes body fat-adaptive. To make your body burn fat instead of taking energy from glucose, intermittent fasting is recommended. It also helps in reducing the overall calorie consumption, which enhances brain cell growth and connectivity. By narrowing down your window of food intake, you can fast for the rest of the day. It is an effective way of fasting and enhancing your memory functions.
Avoid Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a popular flavor enhancer that is used in many processed foods. MSG when breaks down in the body, it produces glutamate. Glutamate is a natural neurotransmitter which, when taken in excess, can over-stimulates the brain cells. The side effects of MSG include asthma, flushing, migraines, mood swings, sweating, headache, psychiatric disorders, burning or tingling, convulsions, nausea, diarrhea, heart palpitations, fuzzy thinking, numbness, muscle weakness, chest pain, and back pain.