You might have heard of the cliché “mind over the body” and it quite proved true for most people on more than one occasion. Your mind holds the greatest power over your body and it would seem that it is the greatest asset a person can have. But then, what if your mind is in for danger? What are the biggest threats to your memory and brain power that you should be aware about?
Memory loss
Have you ever experienced looking for something, say a pencil or your reading glasses, and someone pointed out that you are actually wearing your glasses on your head or you have your pencil stuck in your hair? That seems such an awkward situation to be in right?
It would seem that memory loss can go about short term or long term; depending on how much your brain is damaged and affected. However, you don’t have to be rattled if you’re into short term memory loss. Most of us experience it and you would be surprised to know that the reason behind it might be your lack of sleep and too much stress.
Sleep deprivation and too much stress put together are no healthy recipe for you and definitely not a very good concoction for your brain. Both are reasons why you might be experiencing memory loss along with other things like not being able to focus on your work. Our brain is basically the one responsible for controlling all other parts of our body to operate right and it needs to repair itself and rest as well which it does when we are asleep. If you are not too careful and will always pull out an all-nighter, it may not be too good for your body and your brain. That’s why for some suggestion, get yourself a good night’s sleep to help your brain recuperate from all the stress and work that it has to do during the day.
Concussion
It seems normal for you to bump your head somewhere and be good with it right? You may do well with a little bruise and be practical enough to put a cold compress on it. However, having concussions in your head is not actually a simple matter to ignore. If you are not well aware of it, your brain is one of the most delicate organs of your body that’s why it has to be protected the most. A simple bump in the head may be something that you can ignore but if you always bump your head, you might be in for a long term brain damage.
Concussions are dangerous if ignored totally because it might pose a threat both to your overall health and your brain. You might be suffering from internal brain haemorrhage and you still don’t know it. Blood clot may also form in the spaces between your brain hemispheres and that eventually might cause stroke which will in turn paralyze your whole body.
Exposure to harmful substances
The modernity of today’s world has its good side but it also has its downsides to consider. Exposure to harmful substances like too much radiation; which we get by using electronic devices, proved to be harmful enough to our brain. One experiment showed that putting an uncooked egg in the middle of cellular phones and simultaneously ringing each one cooked the egg. Putting it in context of the human brain, using too much of technology today might “cook” the brain if not moderated.
Unhealthy living
Keeping a lifestyle far from being healthy might be hurting your brain more than you know. When you don’t eat the right kind of foods, you deprive your brain of the right nutrition that it needs. A malnourished brain will not function at its best compared to one’s brain that gets the nourishment it needs. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, sardines and canola helps your brain improve its cognitive function.
If you are someone who have never tried running as a form of exercise or haven’t done any exercise at all, then you might want to reconsider your decision. Exercise empowers not just your body but as well as your brain. Whenever you exercise, more oxygen is pumped into your system and into your brain. The brain then has the capacity to work more efficiently and do its processes better. Why? Because exercise improves your brain’s capacity to absorb more nutrients and oxygen thus increasing your memory retention and cognitive functions.
So what are you to do?
Now you know that there are a lot of factors that you have to consider in taking care of your brain. The biggest threats to your memory and brain power may not be an immediate accident but rather an unhealthy lifestyle of living. Whatever the course may be, always remember that you alone have the power to take care of your brain and nobody else’s. It is definitely hard living with memory loss and even forgetting the most remarkable moments of your life. But you don’t have to live with it if you can avoid your brain to be damaged right? And that’s exactly how you have to do it.
Again, don’t stress yourself too much because it stresses your brain more than you know. Don’t be stressed to the point that you even forgot how important sleep is or you will be depriving your brain of the time it needs to repair and recover from all it functions during the day. You surely don’t want to suffer from any kind of memory loss just because you haven’t slept right? And surely you don’t want to keep your brain malnourished with the wrong foods. Instead, eat foods that are healthy and avoid junk foods or processed goods. Lean more on fresh foods like fruits and veggies as well as omega-3 fatty acid rich foods like salmon, sardines and an assortment of nuts. Drink moderately but hydrate your brain with enough water for it to function well. Lastly, always remember that if your body can make use of a good exercise, your brain can make use of it too. Just always remember: to live healthy is to live a life with a good memory.
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