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There is no single factor to achieving a healthy mind and body. It is widely acknowledged that Cognitive Exercises such as those on Actibrain have their part to play in a broader based healthier lifestyle for mind and body. Cognitive Exercise This means exercising your brain. Any engaging activities exercise your brain to some extent some examples are crosswords, reading books or magazines, knitting to a pattern, surfing the net purposefully or doing specific cognitive challenges such as those in Actibrain. Diet Eating a balanced diet is an essential step towards a healthier mind and body. - Fish - We've all heard that fish is brain food - according to recent research this is true. In a study of over 65s, those who ate at least one fish meal a week suffered cognitive decline slower than those who did not regularly include fish in their diet. Omega 3, found in oily fish, is already widely known to be beneficial to the heart. Research has also shown that it is beneficial for brain health and may reduce the risk of incident Alzheimer disease
- Mediterranean Diet - This diet is low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat from the olive oil. This diet is pleniful in fresh fruit, vegetables, cereals, fish, olive oil and a moderate intake of red wine during meals. Fish, poultry, cheese, yogurt and eggs are consumed in low amounts. The meiterranean diet is associated with a significant improvement in overall health status. A recent study1 combining the diet with moderate exercise provided the following findings regarding the prevention of major chronic diseases.
- 9% reduction overall mortality
- 9% reduction in mortality from cardiovascular diseases
- 6% reduction of or mortality from cancer
- 13% reduction in the incidence of Parkinson's disease an Alzheimer's disease
- Folic acid - Most people know that pregnant women have been advised to take a supplement of this for some years as it has been found to reduce the incidents of neural tube defects. Short-term memory, mental agility and verbal fluency were all found to be better among people who took a folic acid suppliement.2 It has also been linked with other health benefits such as reducing the risk of Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke and improving fertility. A shortage of folate has been linked with depression.
Exercise
The Basic recommendation from ACSM and AHA for healthy adults under the age of 65 are: Do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week
Or
Do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week
And
Do eight to 10 strength-training exercises, eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise twice a week. Moderate-intensity physical activity means working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat, yet still being able to carry on a conversation. It should be noted that to lose weight or maintain weight loss, 60 to 90 minutes of physical activity may be necessary. The 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult to maintain health and reduce the risk for chronic disease. Relaxation and Social Interation It is important to get enough quality sleep every night. In addition to this stress management is also important. This can be achieved through various methods including simple solutions such as a warm relaxing bath, meditation, yoga and exercise. Social interaction and a sense of belonging are also important factors to relieving stress. Keeping in touch with friends and family is a simple way of achieving this. Also joining a club or group can help. References and Research Project Reports
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