A Guide To Boosting Cognitive Performance

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A Guide To Boosting Cognitive Performance

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The human brain is one of the most complex and essential organs of the body. It’s capable of regulating multiple body functions, such as keeping your heart beating and lungs breathing. Also, the brain is associated with creativity and memory.

Brain health is made up of four essential aspects. One of these aspects is cognitive health, which refers to one’s ability to remember, think, and learn new things. Without it, it’ll be difficult to absorb what you do and what’s happening around you.

Now, you’re probably wondering if there is anything you can do to improve your cognitive health. Fortunately, there are plenty of activities that can boost your cognitive performance. This article outlines the following techniques, activities, and exercises that may help boost cognition.

Take Nootropics

If you’ve ever had a hard time while studying or mentally preparing for a task, you’d probably wish for a pill that can improve your brainpower significantly. Worry no more because nootropics are here to save your day!

A nootropic, also known as a cognitive enhancer, is a drug that can boost cognitive performance by boosting the blood flow to the brain and replenishing it with essential nutrients. It’s strategically developed to enhance one’s attention span, mental focus, and memory.

If you’re interested in using one, you might want to consider Alpha-GPC or other similar brands. But if you’re unfamiliar with it, consider visiting https://wholisticresearch.com/alpha-gpc/ for a full review to give you a glimpse of what the product is all about.

However, keep in mind that nootropics may cause adverse side effects, just like any other drugs or supplements on the market. These include nausea, vomiting, vivid dreams, headache, insomnia, high blood pressure, and blurry vision.

If such symptoms persist for several days or become severe, don’t hesitate to consult your doctor for treatment as soon as possible.

Meditate Regularly

Meditation is the process of concentrating your attention in a controlled manner. This soothing practice offers great benefits to your brain, such as:

It improves concentration and attention span.
It increases the amount of gray matter in the brain, which is responsible for working memory.
It increases the amount of white matter in the brain, which is responsible for thinking quickly and staying upright.
It increases the intensity of gamma wave frequencies in the brain, which is responsible for processing information.
It helps relieve stress, allowing you to think and learn effectively and efficiently.

Aside from these cognitive health benefits, meditating regularly can also prevent brain aging, keeping it fully functional as you age.

Engage In Physical Activity

Engaging in physical activities is one of the best ways to improve cognitive performance, helping you learn, solve problems, and think effectively. Also, it can boost memory and relieve mental health conditions, such as anxiety, eating and personality disorders, and depression.

However, there’s no need for you to become an athlete or fitness enthusiast to take advantage of all the benefits physical activities can do to your brain. All you need to do is stand up and get your body working.

Here are some physical activities anyone can do:

Walking: You can walk in the morning after waking up or in the evening before bedtime. Start walking for 15 minutes and gradually increase the duration day after day. And don’t forget to warm up to prevent injuries.
Brisk Walking: If you want a more intense walking experience, you should try brisk walking. This is faster than simple walking, around three miles per hour. You’re probably brisk walking if you can’t make a song with any words.
Jogging: If walking and brisk walking are too normal for you, consider jogging. Do this for 20-30 minutes per day and increase the duration if you become comfortable with your current duration. However, don’t push yourself to avoid injuries like shin splints.
Jumping Rope: This is another great cardio that benefits not only your brain but also your entire body. Since this is more intensive than jogging and brisk walking, don’t forget to warm up before doing it to prevent heel and calf injuries.

Aside from these physical activities, you may also do sports, such as tennis, basketball, badminton, and other aerobic activities that can boost your heart rate.

Eat A Healthy Diet

A balanced and healthy diet is crucial to your cognitive health to ensure that your brain gets all the essential nutrients it needs. So, what should you include in your diet? Here are some foods you might want to consider:

Fatty Fish: Fatty fish, such as herring, tuna, salmon, sardines, and trout, contains significant levels of omega-3 fatty acids responsible for building new brain cells and boosting memory function.
Coffee: Most people start their day with a hot cup of coffee, and you’ll be so happy to hear that it’s great for you. It helps improve cognitive health by increasing alertness, mood, and concentration.
Blueberries: These fruits are overflowing with anthocyanins and antioxidants, preventing brain aging and the development of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
Turmeric: This Asian root crop contains an active compound known as curcumin, an antioxidant that can improve cognitive performance by improving memory retention and recall and generating new brain cells.
Broccoli: This flowering vegetable is packed with vitamin K, which is responsible for powerful memory and cognitive abilities. In addition, broccoli contains other anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants that protect the brain from damage.
Dark Chocolate: This is rich in brain-boosting compounds, such as antioxidants, caffeine, and flavonoids. Studies suggest flavonoids may help boost memory and stop mental decline as you age.
Eggs: Eggs are a good source of choline, a micronutrient responsible for the production of acetylcholine in the body. Acetylcholine helps boost memory, improve mood, and enhance mental function.

Aside from these foods, you may also consider green tea for alertness, oranges to prevent mental decline, and nuts to protect brain cells from free-radical damage.

Improve Blood Pressure

High blood pressure increases the likelihood of cognitive decline as you get old. That’s why it’s important to keep your blood pressure in normal condition as much as possible. So, what should you do?

Here are some ways to control and improve your blood pressure:

Lose Extra Pounds: Blood pressure and weight are directly related. As your weight increases, so does your blood pressure. That’s why it’s important to lose those extra pounds, especially if you’re overweight or obese.
Exercise Regularly: Regular exercise can help lower blood pressure by five to eight millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Some examples of exercise you can do are swimming, dancing, jogging, cycling, and walking.
Eat A Healthy Diet: A diet high in nutrients and low in cholesterol and saturated fats can help lower blood pressure by up to 11 mmHg. Fill your diet with whole grains, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, and potassium-rich foods.
Reduce Salt Use: Reducing salt consumption can help lower your blood pressure by five mmHg. Instead of using salt when cooking, consider fresh herbs and spices to make your food flavorful. Also, always look for low-sodium products in the market.
Limit Alcohol Intake: Drinking too much alcohol can increase your blood pressure and reduce the effects of your medications. That said, try to reduce your alcohol consumption to once a week. Or, get rid of all the alcohol from your life if possible.

Aside from these helpful strategies, you can also improve your blood pressure by getting a good night’s sleep, quitting smoking, and monitoring your blood pressure.

Keep The Mind Active

Keeping your mind engaged is one of the best ways to maintain overall mental health. This can help sharpen your brain and lower the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Here are some activities that can exercise your brain:

Playing Memory Card Games: These games help improve short-term memory and remember patterns. Also, they can boost one’s ability to recognize and recall different objects that come in patterns.
Playing Crossword Puzzles: Crosswords help stimulate cognitive function, which prevents memory deterioration, especially for people who have dementia and other age-related memory decline issues.
Playing Sudoku: Sudoku is a great way to challenge and stimulate the brain. According to a 2019 study, people who played sudoku puzzles had better cognitive performance than those who didn’t.
Learn A New Language: Learning a foreign language may be one of the most difficult tasks, but it offers great benefits to the brain. It delays the onset of dementia, improves recall, and boosts recognition.

Keep Stress Levels Low

Stress occurs naturally in everyday life, whether you’ve got problems at school, issues with your boss, or physical injuries to treat. Also, it doesn’t always mean a bad thing. In fact, short-term stress can help you focus better.

However, that’s not the case when it comes to chronic stress. This type of stress can alter your brain, causing memory gaps and increasing your risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

To keep your stress levels low, here are some things to do:

Exercise regularly to develop your sense of well-being.
Keep everything in a journal to monitor your day-to-day activities.
Practice relaxation techniques to calm your mind, body, and soul.
Always stay positive despite all the negativities.

You can also try other tips, such as laughing often, doing yoga, and getting enough sleep to keep your stress levels low.

Final Words

The brain is the control center of the body, capable of regulating multiple body functions. Cognitive health is an aspect of brain health responsible for thinking, learning, and remembering abilities. You can improve your cognitive performance by eating a healthy diet, maintaining healthy blood pressure, keeping stress levels low, engaging in physical activities, and meditating.

If there’s something abnormal about your cognitive performance, don’t hesitate to call your doctor to determine the root cause of the problem.

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