We will all suffer some form of brain damage in our lifetime, but how we treat our brain makes a difference. Some of us will start killing more braincells during childhood, while others of us will do this later on. The neurons in our brain are what give us consciousness, but they can still be damaged. There will be people who kill a hell of a lot of brain cells, while some people get lucky and avoid it altogether. Many of us will struggle with defects from birth, while others can hide behind decent genetics for safety. It can occur because of drug abuse or even hitting your head one too many times on the monkey bars. No matter what, losing your brain’s natural ability to think, feel, and function properly is no good. These are the 10 ways to avoid killing brain cells the right way.
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In spite of it’s cause, the effects are what matter most, and they can be brutal. The affects of brain damage can vary, but it can pertain to an inability to focus, speak, or even be happy. While the killing of brain cells is mostly an expression, the brain damage is real. Be it a lack of dopamine from substance abuse or motor dysfunction from a lack of rehabilitation, there will be suffering. While it will not happen from watching too much television, there is no doubt that some of this is true. You have to take proper action before the harm is done, as mental impairment is hard to fix. Regardless of what you did to burn those braincells away, i.e., blunt trauma or stress, the damage is already done.
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At some point, many of us will begin to lose our lucidity because of age. This will be part of the atrophying of the brain, and it is good reason to avoid acute damage early on. There is nothing we can do to stop this, but we can certainly slow it down. It is not to say that every little brain cell counts, but we are always in the process of losing them during stress. There is a lot of stress in all of our lives, and the degradation can happen without us even being aware of it.
While much of this damage can be accounted for, it is not always so easily fixed. This is why we should take preventative measures in the meantime to avoid making any kind of needless mistakes. The affects of brain damage can add up over time, so it is on us to prevent it’s overtaking. If push comes to shove, we can always try to make up for it later on. Although, the less damage we do, the less we have to compensate for it within the time we have left; it is your choice.
10 Ways to Avoid Killing Brain Cells
1. Stress Management
While managing stress is easier said than done, there are plenty of ways to mitigate the worry. The biggest part of the struggle for most of us is our lack of motivation to change. The better we can adapt, the less stress we will end up dealing with in the end. This tendency towards adaptation typically happens during childhood, but it can be learned at any time. Sometimes, we cannot adapt, but this is because of our lack of practice, even within the worst of circumstances. There will be situations where things will be too overwhelming, but there are things we can do to train ourselves. It may take some work, but it ends up being worth it for the sake of our personal wellbeing and motivation.
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The best things we can do involve diet, exercise, and creative endeavors. The more we focus on the right things through positive reinforcement, the better off we are. If we happen to fall for stress, we are doing ourselves a disservice more than anything else. It is not only a waste of time, but stress leads to bad habits that can lead to further stress down the road. This can end up affecting our overall view of life and affect our emotional lability in in a negative way; this is called negative affectivity. Our moods can affect us gravely, but our stress can have a horrible affect in how we deal with moodiness. While it may take some hardcore practice to begin with, the end result winds up paying off in a positive way.
10 Ways to Avoid Killing Brain Cells
2. Brain Activities
Using your brain for creativity and thought-provoking fun is one of the best ways to mitigate brain damage. It could be learning a language, drawing, or doing a crossword puzzle — the small challenge keeps you on your game. The more you have a good time, the better off your brain will be in spite of your daily worries. It is great at reducing stress, but it also keeps your brain from faltering too soon. There are lessons in how to properly cope with stress, but it’s not to say that it is a cure-all. Like any treatment, forcing the body through reasonable amounts of anxiety is a good thing; this is the way life is anyway. There are even things you can do that involve little to no stress whatsoever.
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Most of this is common knowledge, but it can make all of the difference in the world when it comes to brain health. Since your nervous system is constantly being stressed, you have to find reasonable ways to take the extra weight off. While your body is dealing with constant oxidation, your brain is experiencing stress as well. This anxiety goes under the radar all too often, but it can catch up if we do not act accordingly. The same thing occurs when we are digesting our food, where our consumption ends up causing stress and damage. While using your brain from time to time will not fix a brain tumor or massive head trauma, it can certainly help. If you are struggling with other issues like memory loss or withdrawal from a drug, it works as a solution.
10 Ways to Avoid Killing Brain Cells
3. Decent Dieting
You are what you eat, but if avoid eating at all, then you may as well be turned into nothing. We all must eat, but what we eat makes a massive difference in how our brain functions. Every time we pick up the silverware, our health is on the line, be it our weight or mental state. If we are overweight, we can end up struggling more with depression and diabetes. This is the last thing any of us want, as this can cause undue burden on our peripheral and central nervous systems. We can choose to eat humus and apricots, or we can decide that pizza every night is a good idea. These lousy diet choices can effect your stool, and it can even cause cancer or diabetes. There is always a choice we can make with food, even if it seems like a daunting thought to think.
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The healthier we eat, the less brain cells we lose in the long run. The task may seem challenging at first, but this is the kind of challenge that does no harm. It ends up being worth it, as you can lose any extra weight or keep that unnecessary fat off. The less fat you have, the less oxidative stress your body has to deal with. If you are eating too many carbs, it’s best time to quit, as carbs only end with problems such as cancer and stroke. If diabetes weren’t bad enough, your diet can affect your productivity and motivation. While a balanced diet is good, it should be a balanced diet full of vegetables and healthy proteins. A good diet helps with the production of feel good chemicals like serotonin. Everything should be in moderation, as a good diet can help keep your brain cells alive.
10 Ways to Avoid Killing Brain Cells
4. Supplemental Help
Sometimes, simply knowing what you need to do is all the motivation and insight you need to make a change. The wording can matter, but what the person takes from it is the most important part. As long as you can motivate someone to do the right thing, you are making the biggest difference. The reason someone believes something is important, but this should be moot if you are convincing right with facts. This is the point of this article, as most of this is common knowledge used to help push for a change. The use of supplements is the same, as there are many brain-smart drugs you can take. They may be called drugs, but they are actually healthy nootropics that help with brain function. While some are better than others, none of them are a fix-all that replaces a healthy lifestyle altogether.
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There is something called neurogenesis, where you brain literally creates more brain cells. Your brain cells are called neurons, and the process creates more activity and synapses between these cells. Through all of this, you can become smarter, but the process typically happens most during childhood. You can take a supplement to help, but you cannot reach infant levels of neurogenesis as an adult. There are specific supplements that are considered a nootropic by brand. Although, anything that helps with brain function is a considered a nootropic drug. This can be applied to what you eat, but the term generally applies to over-the-counter supplements. Some of these supplements are listed here: piracetam, creatine, ginseng, caffeine, bacopa monnieri, rhodiola rosea, L-theanine, and even nicotine.
10 Ways to Avoid Killing Brain Cells
5. Avoiding Drugs
There is no hiding the fact that, at least at this point, drugs will induce all sorts of problems. One of the most sizeable issues with drugs is how much they can ruin the brain. While someone is burning up that next crackpipe, they are essentially signing away their brain’s ability to think and focus. Not only are they harming their ability to concentrate, they are ruining their brain’s capacity to produce certain chemicals, i.e., dopamine. Since our brain runs on neurotransmitters to help with mood fluctuation and critical thinking skills, degrading them can cause critical damage. Most of the damage can be reversed, but some things cannot be fixed without extensive care and luck. Although the evasion of drug culture sounds like filler, it is one of the best things you can do for yourself and others.
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It does not matter the drug, as pretty much any “medicine” that relies on your brain for chemicals is the problem. The list of drugs to avoid can range from alcohol to crack cocaine and meth — it does not matter. Any kind of substance that can get you high should be reconsidered, as they can destroy that prized gray matter. While some supplements are alright, drugs that drain the brain of chemicals are the main perpetrators. If we want to talk about the biggest brain waster other than flat-out stupidity or blunt trauma, then this is it. We are always taking a risk when abusing drugs, as they are typically addictive because of how they affect us. This addiction drives the force of brain damage, so be sure to get help or prevent it while you still can.
10 Ways to Avoid Killing Brain Cells
6. Fasting
If you did not already know, fasting is one of the best ways to keep your brain cells intact. This silly little eating plan that involves little to no eating for a period of time is actually very helpful. The process of fasting is not a diet, as a diet is more about what you eat. While dieting is also important, fasting is what you should implement on top of a good diet for good health. There are plenty of ways to fast, but the best ways to fast involve a period of time without consuming calories. For it to be considered a helpful fast, you have to avoid eating (or drinking) for at least 16 hours. This is when the magic truly begins to happen, but it can take some hard work. You never want to rush into a fast, but most people will have little issue with this.
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When you first get into fasting, the whole ordeal may seem a little overwhelming. You will get used to it with some time, but rushing into a fast will only exacerbate things. It is not healthy to begin by fasting for days on end, as your body has to first adjust. After a period of time, you body will appreciate you for it, and the benefits will seem more worth it. While fasting, you will gain the benefits of autophagy, weight loss, neurogenesis, energy gain, and muscle maintenance. Every listed aspect is good for your brain, but the direct neurogenesis is the most substantial thing you can gain. There are more reasons to fast, as fasting is a lifestyle choice you should invest in for numerous health benefits. These benefits can range from cancer and stroke prevention to curing diabetes and wounds.
10 Ways to Avoid Killing Brain Cells
7. Exercising Well
There is nothing wrong with going outside and getting a few rays of sun while exercising to your heart’s content. If anything, you are doing yourself a favor, even if that so-called runner’s high comes at a cost. While exercise is painful, it is the kind of suffering that helps build character and good habits. You can even gain many of the same benefits of fasting with a few laps around the block. The more you exercise, the better, but there are still lower and upper limits when doing it. Every week, you should be sure to get at least 150 minutes of exercise in. While you can overdo exercise, underdoing your cardiovascular health is just as bad. The kind of exercise you do is also important, as joint health and other factors come into play. If done right, you can lose and maintain weight while pursuing your overall health.
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The main benefit exercise has for your brain is it’s foundation for neurogenesis. Like fasting, you can exercise, but it is also important to avoid overdoing it when starting out. Your body has to adjust, but once it does, you will know exactly how to go about it. When you exercise, you will also learn how to motivate yourself and get proper rest. This is also important when you are exercising, because exercising can cause injuries if done in excess. It does not matter if it happens in a gym or outside, as long as you put in the hard work. The same can be said for resistance training, i.e., weightlifting, but there are less overall health benefits. With resistance workouts, you are more likely to sustain injuries in the short and long-term. The best thing you can do is balance them both in order without taking too many risks.
10 Ways to Avoid Killing Brain Cells
8. Proper Sleeping
Our brains are always replacing old brain cells, but if we do not get enough rest, our brains cannot recuperate. This is why sleep is so important, but it may take some concessions in our schedules to make it all work out. Most of the time, things work out fine, but our lack of rest can linger without us even knowing about it. It is important to learn time and stress management, as daily grind can often interfere with sleep. If we are stressed all of the time, then downtime will become a challenge. This lack of sleep then becomes the driving force that perpetuates most of our stress. We have to learn when we can rest, but we also have to put enough time aside for it. While there is no such thing as oversleeping, this can have unintended consequences that can interfere later on.
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If you have a long and hard day at work, the last thing you want to do is go and party hard. You will likely be tired, and you will go home to rest for the evening. Unfortunately, our sleepiness often gets bogged down with chores before we end up with a second wind. We will end up poorly managing our time, eating too much when dealing with it, and ruining our schedules. This time lost ends up adding way too much to our personal plates, and we end up exploding. It can lead to needless anger, anxiety, depression, and frustration that only serves to stress us more. Some of us are lucky, but this so-called good karma comes from the ability to change. As long as we choose to get at least 6 to 8 good hours a sleep a day, our brains will be better for it.
10 Ways to Avoid Killing Brain Cells
9. Mindfulness
Although it sounds goofy to me, trying to be mindful of your mental state is an exceptional way to stay healthy. There are plenty of ways to clear your mind, but it boils down to a way of thinking involving the present moment. The point of mindfulness is stress management, but you have to do it right to gain the benefits. It can help you prevent horrible mistakes, and it can teach you how to make calm and informed choices. To think with clarity may take some time, but it can help you make better decisions with ease. Some of the best ways to gain this mindfulness range from stringent and focused meditation to a clear-minded walk. It should be something that involves fun without too much negative insight and worry. Anything that helps cut a knife through the brick of incessant stress will often do the trick.
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Just like getting enough sleep, mindfulness depends on the person and their needs throughout the day. While some of us can get by on 15 minutes of meditation on occasion, others will need an hour every evening. As long as you are well-rested, you will be good to go on your next little adventure. The benefits of clearing your head are numerous, as it is a cathartic way to deal with stress. As we all know, stress can lead to diminished wellbeing and anxiety. It also helps with time management and self-reflection, which are both highly important. There is nothing wrong with trying to set yourself straight with a little bit of alone time. The more self-help therapy you involve yourself in, the better you will be overall. Your brain will even gain the benefits of focus and neurogenesis in the process.
10 Ways to Avoid Killing Brain Cells
10. Informing Yourself
As long as you are learning something about yourself, you are doing yourself a good deed. If you need to go to the doctor or read a book, then do it for the sake of your health. This information can be used to help other people as well, and this is always a good cause. The reason we are here today talking about maintaining our brain cells is because of things like practical science. The more we teach ourselves how to do it right, the more we can use the things we have learned for everyone. We are always learning something new, but the information we gain can be false. This is why it is very important to know what you are learning and how to go about it properly. There is always something to add, so as long as you are searching for it, you are doing well.
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Any damage done to our brain is compromising our neurons, but we can always stop it. If we happen to screw the pooch though, some of these things cannot be fixed. While some claims are exaggerated for the sake of expression, our brain cells still do count. They may never truly be lost, as our brain can maintain them or create new ones. Although this damage can add up, we can always find a fix not worth relying on. The best route is prevention, even though the numbers of neurons we can lose seems high. It depends on other factors, as blunt trauma or drug abuse create different sets of consequence. The more we choose to ignore our health in the meantime, the more it will catch up. Altogether, our neurons are what everything else boils down to, and we should be the first ones to take care of them.
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