You don’t have to be aging to find yourself at a loss for that one specific word or forget where you left your keys. However, as you age, forgetting things may occur more frequently. Whether you’re facing your senior years, in your senior years or just a young kid, boosting your memory can be a huge help whether in class or on the job. It also can be quite reassuring the older you get. You can improve your memory with spinach and many other foods. There are also other ways a healthier lifestyle helps you improve your recall.
Why spinach?
You don’t have to be Popeye to appreciate this delectable leafy plant. Whether eating it cooked or a fresh greens for a salad, it offers loads of nutrient. Some of those nutrients are exceptional for a healthy brain. Not only will adding extra serving of spinach to your diet help keep your brain functioning at top speed, it also will help you stay thin! Spinach is a dark leafy green. Those foods contain several vitamins and minerals that help keep your memory sharp. You’ll find high levels of folate, vitamin K and vitamin E, which help slow down the loss of cognitive functioning. If it’s green, it’s also probably good for you. Consider broccoli and Brussels sprouts. That stuff in the bowl in the back of your refrigerator you’ve been meaning to throw out and green M&Ms don’t count in that group.
Exercise can help protect your brain and boost your memory.
Physical exercise is important for a good memory. Physical activity helps stimulate circulation that sends oxygen rich blood to the brain. It also helps create new neural pathways which aid in remembering. Exercise helps your mind grow, while also boosting brain cell creation and burning off the hormones from stress. Cortisol, one of the hormones of stress, actually causes the memory centers in the brain to shrink. It also is linked to the accumulation of abdominal fat, so exercise helps your brain and your belly.
While spinach is important, so are some herbs and spices.
Turmeric contains curcumin that is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. There are studies that are considering the effectiveness of curcumin for Alzheimer’s. It may remove the plaque build up from beta-amyloid. Sage is another herb that’s important for brain health. Lemon balm, ginkgo biloba ginseng gotu kola and rosemary are a few more.
- When you shop for spinach, make sure you get organic spinach. Spinach made the top of the list on the dirty dozen, foods that were highest in pesticides.
- Not all the benefits of spinach come in the form of vitamins and minerals. For instance, spinach contains high amounts of quercetin that helps prevent inflammation.
- Spinach also contains a high amount of nitrates. Nitrates aid in moderating blood pressure levels and decreasing the risk for heart disease.
- While there are a lot great foods for a healthy brain, there are also some you should avoid. Stay away from beer, smoked meat and products made with white flour, such as pasta, bread and cakes. Run from sugar and sugar products as well as white rice.