Brain Power
Though health and fitness professionals promote the benefits of exercise for physical and mental well-being, stimulating the brain could help improve memory and cognitive function. Ayurveda, which is translated from Sanskrit and means "science of life," is a natural health system thousands of years old that uses herbs and a specific nutritional plan to keep the human body in balance and to keep the mind in peak form. To improve your brain functions, including memory, ayurveda advocates that you follow a diet that includes whole grains and beneficial fats.
Instructions
1. Eat as many natural foods as you can. Ayurveda teaches that foods that are processed or refined are stripped of their nutrients and lack "Chetana," which is translated as living intelligence, and "Prana," which is life energy. Natural foods include fresh vegetables and fresh fruits.
2. Convert to a vegetarian diet if possible, but if not, eat a balanced diet of beans, nuts, grains and legumes, which nourish the brain. The ayurvedic system suggests that you drink plenty of water and consume fruits to cleanse your body and eliminate toxins, and that you include leafy greens in your daily diet.
3. Consume specific fats, such as clarified butter and almond oil. Ayurveda promotes the idea that because the synapses in the brain that regulate memory are made of fat, it's important for you to eat good fat to nourish those synapses as the human body doesn't produce its own fat.
4. Eat high-protein foods, such as milk, yogurt and soybeans, to stimulate brain activity. Ayurveda teaches that natural foods loaded with protein help to feed the parts of the brain responsible for verbal and nonverbal memory.
5. Get eight hours of sleep per night to replenish the mind and relax the brain. Ayurveda teaches that when the brain is at rest and not controlling your senses, it recharges itself, which helps to improve memory. Prepare yourself for sleep by drinking herbal tea.
6. Challenge your brain with daily activities, such as puzzles, logical reasoning games, memorization exercises or learning something new. Constant stimulation keeps your memory sharp and forces your brain to resolve problems, which improves its performance.
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