How to Have a Healthy Brain?

The brain is considered the central processing unit of the human body. It is the main organ that controls the rest of the body parts. And when the brain is like a muscle, it must be exercised regularly to keep it in optimum condition.

It is true that all organs of the body play an important role. Apart from heart, we need to keep our brain healthy all the time. Its brain which helps us learns, think and remember things. If we fail to maintain it healthy, we may be at high risk of degenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia. Good thing is that there are several things you can do to take care of your brain so that you don't easily succumb to mental and brain disorders.

Stress is the number one cause of diseases and disorders for the organs in the body. If you want to preserve youth and health of your brain, do your best to get rid of stress in your life. When you're under severe stress hormone called cortisols rush in the hippocampus, the part of your brain that stores memory in short term. When there is too much cortisol rushing in the hippocampus, the brain cells may die and create problems in learning and memory. To avoid loss of short-term memory and improve your brain function, try relaxation techniques to help you eliminate or at least control stress. When you feel stressed, take long deep breaths to allow more oxygen into your brain. This helps you relax and improve your focus and concentration.

Sometimes, stress can result from lack of sleep. Sleep can heal the damaged tissues in the body. During the time of sleep, the body repairs the part of the brain that holds memories, so it's a great activity to add to your long-term memory. Even a short nap during the day can boost significantly to the health of the brain. Some companies allow their employees to take 20 minutes nap in the afternoon because they think it can help improve their job performance. This is quite true because studies have shown that people who get at least 8 hours of sleep each day have clearest memory than those who only get 4-5 hours of sleep.

Playing brain games like crosswords, scrabble, puzzle and Sudoku can improve a lot of mental abilities. When you spend time thinking seriously about how you can win the Mastermind, the hippocampus of the brain generates new cells.

Our brain needs protein to function properly. Protein found in eggs, poultry and fish increase levels of serotonin in the brain. This chemical can increase feelings of well-being of a person Endorphin is a chemical, which is released in the brain during physical activities such as exercise. It is a great way to maintain good brain health with regular exercise. Every time you sweat during your exercise routine, you're actually supplying blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

There is no doubt that the brain controls most of your body functions. By keeping the brain in right condition; you can keep your overall health in good condition as well.