The phrase “as we age” is often used when writing to seniors, but when you take a second to think about it, everyone is aging all the time, from toddlers to teens to people in their 80s. Of course, past a certain age, many people begin experiencing a decline in their mental sharpness. Maybe it’s a slight 1% decline that you barely notice, or perhaps it’s a 10% decline that gives you cause for concern. If we can rule out any serious medical issues, which you should see your doctor about ASAP, oftentimes, our decline in brain activity is due to the natural process of aging.
Fortunately, there are several simple ways you can begin to get some of your mental horsepower back.
Here are 5:
1) Learn Something Brand New
Regardless of your age, taking on a new activity, whether it’s a language, a hobby, an instrument, or even a strategy game like chess, is a great idea to kick-start parts of your brain that may have gone slightly stagnant. Think of your new activity as a mental workout. The more you do it, the stronger your brain will get.
2) Eat Smart to Be Smart
You may not believe this, but what you eat affects how you think. As your brain ages, feeding it healthy unsaturated fats and oils can help ward off cognitive impairments. Fish. Vegetables. Nuts. Olive oils. Add these to your diet and remove unhealthy fats, excess sugars and chemicals and you’ll see a huge difference in brainpower.
3) Exercise!
A sedentary lifestyle is not only a cardio killer, its a brain killer too. Your brain relies on oxygen-rich blood to function properly and a great way to pump that blood into your brain is to work out regularly and strengthen your heart. Exercise can also be a catalyst for the development of new cells, not to mention it reduces stress, improves cholesterol and lowers your blood sugar — all things that will improve your mental abilities.
4) Relax
An overstressed brain is an overworked brain and an overworked brain is a slow brain. Make sure you take time to decompress and let your brain idle on neutral for a bit. Yoga. Meditation. Reading. Even staring at a sunset in peace and quiet. All of these things can calm your mind. Do them on a daily basis and over time the results will be undeniable.
5) Get Smart with Smart Supplements
There are a host of vitamins and minerals that have shown the ability to improve brain function, but an exciting addition to the list is NAD⁺. NAD⁺ is short for Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, which is a cofactor compound found in all living cells. There are several studies that show NAD⁺ can signal the growth, repair and development of brain/nerve tissue.
