If you think that you are far too young to worry about keeping your brain healthy and happy, then you are wrong. It is never too early to start taking better care of your whole body in general, and if you think that you will have to invest in expensive products or treatments to keep your brain healthy, then you are wrong again. Keeping your brain healthy comprises a series of small yet efficient lifestyle changes. It is a process that requires commitment, patience, love, and support. And we are here to help you. You will not be alone at any step of the way. We are offering seven simple steps for a healthy brain, and now it is up to you to decide if you are willing to follow them and make your brain happy or not. And trust us – your brain deserves this.

Why Is It Important to Take Better Care of Your Brain?

What was once thought to be a health problem of the elderly now seems to be occurring among more and more young people as time passes: stroke. Using data from the New Jersey Department of Health spanning from 1995 to 2014, researchers at Rutgers University discovered that the rate of stroke had increased surprisingly among young people. And what concerns us the most is the fact that stroke most often leaves difficult consequences.

Another study talked about the consequences of stroke among young people. When a stroke occurs among young people, we are left with more and more young people stuck with difficult impairments before their most productive years.

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Now you can see why it is essential to take better care of your brain to keep it healthy and happy no matter your age. Do what you can to prevent stroke, not increase your chances of getting one.

Let’s see how you can help you improve your brain’s health.

The 7 Easy Steps to Keeping Your Brain Healthy and Happy

1. Engage in activities that challenge your brain – When we say activities that challenge your brain, we mean learning a new language, playing chess, doing a crossword or Sudoku, or other activities of that kind. However, in order to get the full effect, you need to find the exact activity that challenges your brain, because some activities that may seem easy for you are considered to be difficult for other people. To find the right activity, get a piece of paper and divide it into two columns. In the first column, write all of the activities that you enjoy, and in the other, write all the activities that you wish to explore but seem a little bit difficult for you. Trust us — it will not take long to find the right activity for your brain.
2. It is all about exercising – Exercising can be a lot of fun if you choose something you actually enjoy doing. Explore different types of exercise to find the one that will make you feel as though you cannot wait to do it again. It will help you to take control over your blood pressure and lose that extra weight. Hypertension has been linked as a major risk factor for stroke, according to a recent study. And losing that extra body weight will automatically reduce the burden that you have put on your lungs, heart, brain, blood vessels, and bones.
3. Control your blood sugar – If by any means your blood sugar gets too high, then you risk contributing to major damage to not only your brain but your heart, eyes, and kidneys as well.
4. Follow a brain-friendly diet – There are some of the best brain foods that you need to include more of in your diet. These include avocados, blueberries, nuts, broccoli, dark chocolate, etc. Make sure to include more fresh fruits and vegetables and fewer amounts of red meat, alcohol, sugar, etc. Drink lots of water and as well.
5. Reduce, even eliminate smoking – Smoking is yet another major factor that increases your risk of stroke, according to the Stroke Association. Why? It is because cigarettes can affect your cholesterol levels, increasing the levels of your bad cholesterol or LDL and reducing the levels of your good cholesterol or HDL.
6. Set up a sleep schedule – After spending the whole day working, exercising, and doing all the other things you need to do each day, you need to rest, which means that your body needs to rest. Most importantly, your brain needs time to process and store the information it has gathered during the day. Give your brain at least seven to nine hours of rest each night. The best way to do that is to create a sleep schedule that will allow you to plan your time so that you can get the needed rest.
7. Stay connected – Make time in your day to connect with your loved ones. However, leave your phone and computer out of this process. Face-to-face time is very important. Reduce your stress levels with the help of your family and friends.

Conclusion

Keeping your brain healthy will make your life easier and longer. Decreasing the risk of stroke and other common neurovascular diseases and problems with the help of our seven simple steps will give yourself the chance to live a long, healthy life. Your brain deserves all the attention and commitment that you can give. And think about it: Is watching your diet, exercising, sleeping more, and staying connected with your friends and family too much to give your brain in return for what you get every day? Make the changes today.

Reprinted with permission from Collective Evolution.