How to Improve your Mental Capacity Hour by Hour
Words by Katherine Castillo Eustaquio
Published in Total Fitness Magazine Jan-Feb 2012 issue
The biblical phrase “you reap what you sow” is certainly true in keeping your brain in its prime state of health. Whether Alzheimer’s disease runs in your family or not, what you do with your brain today largely determines its health tomorrow. Boosting brain health doesn’t always mean having to play chess all the time. Here are some simple ways on how you can power up your brain hour by hour.
8 AM: Sit down for a Power Breakfast and a Game of Sodoku
According to a study done by Kyorin University School of Medicine in Japan, the scent of freshly brewed coffee fuels up the brain. In another French study done on women aged 65 and above, the findings showed that those who drank 5-ounce cups daily are 33% less likely to lose their verbal fluency.
In his book Superfoods Rx: Fourteen Foods Proven to Change Your Life, Dr. Steven Pratt called blueberries, “Brainberries.” In several animal studies, researchers have discovered that these tasty berries aid in protecting the brain against oxidative stress, improve motor skills, and increase mental capacity. So instead of your usual Egg McMuffin and the morning rush, go for a serving of whole grain cereals + low-fat yogurt + a cup of berries and maybe a game of Sodoku or the Sunday’s crossword puzzle to kick start your brain.
12NN: Have Luteolin for Lunch
Luteolin is a memory-protecting vitamin found in carrots, green bell peppers, olive oil, and celery hearts. It’s also found in chamomile teas and herbs like peppermint, thyme, basil, and parsley. In a 2010 study done by the University of Illinois and the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., researchers found that luteolin can overturn age-related mental deficits as well as lower brain inflammation.
3 PM: Take a Longer Power Nap
Great news for afternoon snoozers! In a study done by Matthew Walker, Ph.D., an assistant psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, people who napped for 90 minutes improved their learning capacity. This is because the brain wipes away short-term memories during the second stage of a non-REM sleep and creates more room for new memories.
6 PM: Improve your Hippocampus
Walking a mile a day helps in brain health maintenance so try incorporating that little cardio workout on work days. Take the stairs, walk around during break times, or park your car a mile away. Speaking of cars, switch off your GPS. The more you depend on this little device, the more you compromise your hippocampus, which is the part of the part responsible for spatial navigation, orientation, and memory. Unless you’re really, really lost, switch it off. Taking a different route home is also a good exercise for the hippocampus.
7 PM: Have a Hearty Dinner in Two Ways
A dinner rich in omega-3 fatty acid, which is found in salmon and tuna, is another surprising way in which you can improve your mental capacity without even knowing it. Moreover, this friendly fat is good for your heart. Level up your hearty dinner with good conversations with friends and family. According to Michelle Carlson Ph.D., “an engaged lifestyle can modify the genetic risk of dementia.”
Published in Total Fitness Magazine Jan-Feb 2012 issue
The biblical phrase “you reap what you sow” is certainly true in keeping your brain in its prime state of health. Whether Alzheimer’s disease runs in your family or not, what you do with your brain today largely determines its health tomorrow. Boosting brain health doesn’t always mean having to play chess all the time. Here are some simple ways on how you can power up your brain hour by hour.
8 AM: Sit down for a Power Breakfast and a Game of Sodoku
According to a study done by Kyorin University School of Medicine in Japan, the scent of freshly brewed coffee fuels up the brain. In another French study done on women aged 65 and above, the findings showed that those who drank 5-ounce cups daily are 33% less likely to lose their verbal fluency.
In his book Superfoods Rx: Fourteen Foods Proven to Change Your Life, Dr. Steven Pratt called blueberries, “Brainberries.” In several animal studies, researchers have discovered that these tasty berries aid in protecting the brain against oxidative stress, improve motor skills, and increase mental capacity. So instead of your usual Egg McMuffin and the morning rush, go for a serving of whole grain cereals + low-fat yogurt + a cup of berries and maybe a game of Sodoku or the Sunday’s crossword puzzle to kick start your brain.
12NN: Have Luteolin for Lunch
Luteolin is a memory-protecting vitamin found in carrots, green bell peppers, olive oil, and celery hearts. It’s also found in chamomile teas and herbs like peppermint, thyme, basil, and parsley. In a 2010 study done by the University of Illinois and the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., researchers found that luteolin can overturn age-related mental deficits as well as lower brain inflammation.
3 PM: Take a Longer Power Nap
Great news for afternoon snoozers! In a study done by Matthew Walker, Ph.D., an assistant psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, people who napped for 90 minutes improved their learning capacity. This is because the brain wipes away short-term memories during the second stage of a non-REM sleep and creates more room for new memories.
6 PM: Improve your Hippocampus
Walking a mile a day helps in brain health maintenance so try incorporating that little cardio workout on work days. Take the stairs, walk around during break times, or park your car a mile away. Speaking of cars, switch off your GPS. The more you depend on this little device, the more you compromise your hippocampus, which is the part of the part responsible for spatial navigation, orientation, and memory. Unless you’re really, really lost, switch it off. Taking a different route home is also a good exercise for the hippocampus.
7 PM: Have a Hearty Dinner in Two Ways
A dinner rich in omega-3 fatty acid, which is found in salmon and tuna, is another surprising way in which you can improve your mental capacity without even knowing it. Moreover, this friendly fat is good for your heart. Level up your hearty dinner with good conversations with friends and family. According to Michelle Carlson Ph.D., “an engaged lifestyle can modify the genetic risk of dementia.”
