Neuroscientist uncovers how to support your brain health – from what to eat to how to exercise

There are key pillars to look after about your brain health.

In the same way as other aspects of our health, the basics to support are: sleep, food, and exercise.

Neuroscientist Dr. Elisabeth Philipps of Fourfive says there are ways we can upgrade these areas to boost brain health.

It’s important to get the essentials under check, and these are basic simple methods for guaranteeing your every day isn’t adversely affecting your mind.

These are what to integrate into your everyday routine.

Sleep

Assuming you’re under stress, it’s significant you focus on your sleep quality – which, if it goes down, influences the brain’s ability to repair and restore itself.

Elisabeth says: ‘Getting into a bedtime routine – it should involve avoiding bright lights one hour before bed and you could use mindfulness or meditation apps.

‘Try journaling before bed to get thoughts out of your mind, releasing stress.

‘CBD also helps balance the brain’s response to sleep so can be a useful part of a healthy sleep routine.’

Food

The brain is almost 60% fat – so you shouldn’t remove this from your diet.

Elisabeth says: ‘For specific focus, I would suggest a good breakfast smoothie to start your day – this would include healthy fats like almonds, pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, alongside protein from those foods and a protein powder.

‘Smoothies also blend the foods so your gut doesn’t have to do the hard work of digestion so you get instant access to their brain-boosting nutrients.

She additionally says to incorporate omega 3 essential fatty acids from oily fish like salmon, in addition to flaxseeds, eggs, and nuts into your diet.

‘Avocados and extra virgin olive oil (preferably not heated but used as a dressing for vegetables or salad) also contain brain-boosting fats,’ she adds.

Fitness

Fitness-phobes rejoice – Elisabeth says: ‘A longer and more intense workout is not necessarily better for brain health, as this can create extra stress and reduce oxygen circulation.’

Rather include 30 minutes of walking in your day.

‘This can be highly beneficial when it comes to keeping your brain in top condition and it needs oxygen to function so fresh outdoor air is the best.

‘Forest bathing is highly recommended to calm brain activity, as well as boost mood, energy, and concentration in the long term.’

To keep your mind ‘fit’ with brain exercises, you could likewise attempt crosswords, sudoku, playing an instrument, or listening to music.

Supplements

Supplements ought not to be used instead of a healthy diet, however, they can fortify and uphold a current one.

Elisabeth says: ‘Your brain needs fuel to function, and to burn that fuel you need many nutrients to help brain cells function.

‘This is why a varied diet rich in lots of different colored vegetables which are packed full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants is important for brain health.

‘Products like fish oils help top up the essential fatty acids missing from the diet. Eggs contain choline, another important fat that makes up brain cells, but if you don’t eat eggs then you can supplement with lecithin powder which contains choline and other healthy phospholipid fats.

‘The gut and brain are intimately linked via the gut-brain axis. This means what happens in the gut affects brain function and health.

‘Helping to keep the gut bacteria levels healthy is essential for overall health, as well as brain function. Probiotic supplements containing healthy gut bacteria can therefore help support our brain health.

‘Vitamin B12 is also important especially if you’re following a vegan diet – supplement with methylcobalamin form either as part of a multi-nutrient or on its own.’

People

At long last, cut out people that drain you.

Elisabeth says it’s essential to ‘spend time with people that uplift you’.

She adds: ‘Quality relationships support a healthy brain, relationships that drain energy and emotion can negatively affect brain health.’