Stimulating your brain is above all protecting it. And to keep it healthy, there are a number of simple rules.
Many books or specialists regularly offer methods or exercises to stimulate the brain : crosswords, arrows, calculation exercises, etc.
“However, stimulating your brain is above all protecting it to keep it in good health for as long as possible… explains Dr. Michel Lejoyeux, psychiatrist. This development is essential because we cannot dissociate the brain from the rest of our body. The health of the latter is connected to the health of the whole body. We are therefore not going to stimulate the brain on one side, then the arms, or the legs. Everything works in synergy. And for that, no need for very complicated exercises!
The most toxic substance for the brain… is alcohol
“What is essential is to protect your brain from anything that can be toxic to it”, underlines the specialist. The most toxic substance remains alcohol. It may sound trivial, but drinking causes memory problems. But not only. It also disrupts the emotional processing of situations.
Morality: we do not exceed one glass for women and two glasses for men per day. Beyond, we create damage to our brain.
And the consequence is that if on the one hand we drink too much and on the other hand we do a lot of crosswords and crosswords, it will be of no use. “We forget that alcohol causes dementia. And that they are ultra harmful to the brain”, reminds the psychiatrist.
What’s more, you should know that the brain needs good vascularization. However, there are harmful toxins for it. The tobacco Above all. Smoking exposes you to a cardiovascular risk, which itself will affect the brain and harm it. Meaning, if you drink alcohol in moderation and don’t smoke, you get the way to 80% good brain stimulation. Let us also remember that the cannabis causes major intellectual and memory impairment.
Stimulate your brain by moving
Rather than relying on games that stimulate and which have not been the subject of studies proving their effectiveness, we must first look at the consumption of these three toxins. Apart from these instructions, physical activity is also a pillar to preserve the brain. It reduces the risk of dementia, strengthens memory and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s.
Ideally, you should be able to move 30 minutes a day, and choose a discipline that increases heart rate by 30%. It’s not about exhausting yourself daily, but about stimulating your heart by moving. It is also a way to stimulate his brain and boost his memory. So keep this advice in mind: if you hesitate between a sudoku game or a walk in the forest, choose the latter! By going to get some air, you oxygenate your brain and put all the chances on your side so that it stays in shape for a long time! Of course, if you like crosswords, you can keep doing them, but there’s no point in imposing them on yourself as the best way to stimulate your brain. Half an hour of walking will do him much more good…
Thanks to Dr. Michel Lejoyeux, psychiatrist at Bichat hospital, author of “The 4 times of the renaissance”, published by Jean Claude Lattès.
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