There’s a lot of focus placed on physical wellness, but what about the brain?
Considering the brain controls all your physical and cognitive functions, it’s important to understand how to maintain it. The good news is that you can take a sustainable and holistic approach to brain health.
Reducing stress is also an important way to protect your brain, especially during times of high stress like the holidays.
Here are five rituals to improve brain cognition holistically.
1. Get More Sleep
Adults should get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. However, with busy lifestyles and problems such as insomnia and sleep apnea, that doesn’t always happen.
The problem is that sleep deprivation impacts you in several ways. Not only can there be physical signs, such as dark circles under the eyes, but your cognitive skills and memory may also suffer. Not getting enough sleep can also lead to depression.
2. Avoid Chemicals in Your Produce
Eating the wrong foods can hurt your brain. Even if you’re eating enough fruits and veggies, they can have pesticides on them if they’re not organically grown.
There is a list of the biggest non-organic culprits called The Dirty Dozen. The 2019 list contains strawberries, kale, peaches, grapes, potatoes and more. If you have a chance to buy the organic version of these food items, do it. Your brain and gut have a connection. Picking organic anti-inflammatory foods, prebiotics, and probiotics can calm your gut, ease digestion, and nourish your brain. Choosing organic fiber focused foods for holistic healing and nutrition is another intentional practice for supporting brain and gut health through whole foods.
3. Consume The Right Fats
When it comes to fats in common foods, some can be bad for you while others can benefit your health.
For example, polyunsaturated fats found in some nuts and fish can have a positive impact on brain health. In particular, omega 3 fatty acids found in fish aids in brain development and maintenance.
Meanwhile, a study shows that saturated fats found in red meat and butter can be as bad for your brain as it is for your body, affecting memory and cognition over time.
4. Get Enough Exercise
Exercise does more than build muscle and improve your heart health.
There are also brain benefits of hitting the trails or going to the gym. Increasing your heart rate helps pump more oxygen to the brain. Studies also show that exercise helps to stimulate the part of the brain that’s associated with memory and learning. In the early 1990s, the molecule Anandamide, was discovered within the human body. With mild to moderate aerobic activity that is enjoyable for you, this activates anandamide and increases signaling in the brain to release endorphins.
As a bonus, exercise can also be a mood enhancer and help you work off holiday stress. Studies also show that working out helps manage mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder.
5. Try CBD Oil
Studies have shown that cannabidiol (CBD) can have a wide range of health benefits, from relieving pain as a holistic inflammation treatment to easing seizures. You can also consider CBD oil for hormone regulation.
CBD can also help reduce anxiety, and it may help patients that have neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.
Take a Holistic Approach To Brain Health
You can improve your brain health with some adjustments to your lifestyle, a healthy diet, and by trying safe over the counter supplements such as federally tested CBD oil that offers CBD test results. By taking a holistic approach to brain health, you may be able to improve learning and memory naturally.
To learn more about our natural health solutions, contact our integrative nurse coach today.
Add Comment