The brain is one of the organs in our bodies that have been studied widely but a lot of things concerning this vital organ remain obscure. There is no doubt that brain function is a major determinant of success in almost all the areas of our lives. Whether it is a student striving to achieve better grades, a programmer trying to come up with a new application or a politician preparing for a speech, the desire is almost always the same: to have better brain function.
The good thing is that the brain is in some way similar to a clay in the hands of a potter; it has huge flexibility and can adopt to a myriad of challenging situations. This property is known as neuroplasticity. When exposed to the right stimuli, it can easily form new pathways of memory and alter preexisting ones in a manner that helps the individual to survive best in their new environment.
The starting point should be to identify and to adopt a set of habits that will help one to improve their memory and critical thinking ability. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to get involved in regular mental workout. The benefits realized here are not the same as those that result from the performance of memorized routines regardless of their complexity. Only new challenges stimulate the formation of neural pathways.
The most beneficial activities are those that require one to maintain a high level of attention. You need to be challenged to generate solutions that you had not thought of before. If one is a musician, for instance, playing a simpler new piece is better than playing a more complex piece that has been played repeatedly before. Repetitions do not stimulate the formation of new pathways.
There is a role for physical exercise. When one is involved in strenuous physical activity, there is an increase in blood supply to the brain. This translates into higher levels of oxygen and nutrients. Exercise has also been shown to stimulate the release growth factors that are vital to enhanced neuroplasticity. Aerobic exercises (particularly those done in the morning hours) are believed to have the greatest impact.
Diet plays a major role in brain development and function. It has been established deficiencies of vitamin B12 can cause loss of memory and mental fogginess. In one study conducted in Europe, the vitamin was found to be protective against development of Alzheimers and atrophy. The rich sources of this vitamin include milk, eggs, pork, beef and seafood among others. The other important nutrients include vitamin D, omega 3 fats and coconut oil.
Make sure that you get adequate sleep every night. This is about 6 to 8 hours in a peaceful environment. When we are sleeping, the brain hits a reset button which enables us to look at challenges from a different angle. As a result, our creativity is increased. Sleep is also said to enhance synaptic connections between different fibers which also helps with improved mental function.
Achieving improvements in mental function can occur at any age. The only prerequisite is that a challenging environment should be provided on a regular basis. Most seniors have some degree of atrophy but this does not necessarily affect their ability to learn. They are still capable of forming new pathways that are vital to optimization in performance.
The good thing is that the brain is in some way similar to a clay in the hands of a potter; it has huge flexibility and can adopt to a myriad of challenging situations. This property is known as neuroplasticity. When exposed to the right stimuli, it can easily form new pathways of memory and alter preexisting ones in a manner that helps the individual to survive best in their new environment.
The starting point should be to identify and to adopt a set of habits that will help one to improve their memory and critical thinking ability. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to get involved in regular mental workout. The benefits realized here are not the same as those that result from the performance of memorized routines regardless of their complexity. Only new challenges stimulate the formation of neural pathways.
The most beneficial activities are those that require one to maintain a high level of attention. You need to be challenged to generate solutions that you had not thought of before. If one is a musician, for instance, playing a simpler new piece is better than playing a more complex piece that has been played repeatedly before. Repetitions do not stimulate the formation of new pathways.
There is a role for physical exercise. When one is involved in strenuous physical activity, there is an increase in blood supply to the brain. This translates into higher levels of oxygen and nutrients. Exercise has also been shown to stimulate the release growth factors that are vital to enhanced neuroplasticity. Aerobic exercises (particularly those done in the morning hours) are believed to have the greatest impact.
Diet plays a major role in brain development and function. It has been established deficiencies of vitamin B12 can cause loss of memory and mental fogginess. In one study conducted in Europe, the vitamin was found to be protective against development of Alzheimers and atrophy. The rich sources of this vitamin include milk, eggs, pork, beef and seafood among others. The other important nutrients include vitamin D, omega 3 fats and coconut oil.
Make sure that you get adequate sleep every night. This is about 6 to 8 hours in a peaceful environment. When we are sleeping, the brain hits a reset button which enables us to look at challenges from a different angle. As a result, our creativity is increased. Sleep is also said to enhance synaptic connections between different fibers which also helps with improved mental function.
Achieving improvements in mental function can occur at any age. The only prerequisite is that a challenging environment should be provided on a regular basis. Most seniors have some degree of atrophy but this does not necessarily affect their ability to learn. They are still capable of forming new pathways that are vital to optimization in performance.
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