1. Eat Healthy Whole Foods
Your mental health is dependent on the health of your brain, What you put into your body has a strong impact on your mental health.
Chemicals from many highly processed junk foods are used directly by your brain, or are used to create chemicals that influence how your brain works.
Calcium and potassium are key examples. These ions are important in handling electrical charges that allow your nerves to communicate with each other and with your body. Run low on them and you may feel sluggish.
2. Monitor Carbs
Your body can burn carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for fuel. Your brain, however, is only able to run on the energy released from carbohydrates and fats.
That means that if you try to cut fats and carbs out of your diet, like some extreme diets recommend, you may be getting enough nutrients to power your muscles, but your brain might be running behind.
Just make sure to get your carbs from healthy sources like fruits and whole grains rather than from processed grains and sweets.
3. Eat The Right Fats
Fat is metabolized for brain fuel. Your brain and key components of the rest of your nervous system, are made primarily out of fat. Fat in your nervous system works as an electrical insulator to help keep electrical signals in your body running the way that they should. Successfully avoid fats for too long, and your brain will notice.
Just be sure to get your fat from healthy sources such as walnuts, avocados, fatty fish and olive or nut oils.
4. Moderation Of Alcohol
Your brain is made primarily of fat. Alcohol is a solvent capable of dissolving fat. Fortunately, your liver can filter alcohol at a rate of about one standard drink per hour.
After that, it starts to circulate in your blood. Drink too heavy too often, and it can cause permanent damage.
5. Keep Your Body Active
Your brain needs oxygen and other nutrients, which are brought to your brain by your blood. Your blood is pumped by your heart, but it’s helped along by muscles. This is especially true of blood in your lower body.
Your body needs to work against gravity to get blood from areas like your legs back up to the heart and lungs. That’s why if you sit for too long you can lose focus.
When you are physically active, you also take in more oxygen. This helps your muscles, but it also helps your brain. The next time you need to “jog your memory” try actually jogging and see if that helps.
6. Keep Your Brain Active
Your brain doesn’t work exactly like a muscle, but the “use it or lose it” mentality should be the same. To keep your mind sharp, use it often by playing word, number, and logic-based games.
7. Keep In Touch With Your Friends
Crosswords and sudokus aren’t the only way to keep your brain sharp. Chatting with other people can encourage you to think about new ideas and to think of them in new ways. Any time that your brain is being challenged, it is growing.
8. Keep In Touch With Yourself
Mental health problems like memory loss and other conditions have a way of sneaking up on you.
Every now and then, take a few moments to check in with how you are feeling.
Are you able to remember things, including names and important dates?
Do you often find yourself confused while carrying out tasks and conversations?
If so, it may be important to talk to a healthcare provider.
9. Keep In Touch With A Healthcare Provider
Your healthcare provider can be an important resource if you think that something is wrong with your mental health.
Your mental health is closely tied to your physical health. By helping you to stay physically healthy, your doctor is helping you to maintain your mental health as well.
10. Keep Reading
Your brain craves information. You can also do more research on some of the topics discussed in this guide so that you can improve your mental health and keep your brain going strong for as long as possible.
