7 Ways to Improve Your Brain Power

EAT YOUR WAY TO A BETTER BRAIN

You are what you eat, and that includes your brain. So what is the ultimate mastermind diet?

First, go to the top of the class by eating breakfast. The brain is best fuelled by a steady supply of glucose, and many studies have shown that skipping breakfast reduces people's performance at school and at work.
But it isn't simply a matter of getting some calories down. According to research published in 2003, kids

breakfasting on fizzy drinks and sugary snacks                    performed at the level of an average 70-year-old in tests of memory and attention.

Wholemeal toast,high fibre and protein food like beans, marmite rich in B Vitamins, eggs, antioxidant rich salads, yogurt, fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids like fish are all good options.

MOZART TO THE RESCUE

A decade ago Frances Rauscher, a psychologist now at the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, and her colleagues made waves with the discovery that listening to Mozart improved people's mathematical and spatial reasoning. Even rats ran mazes faster and more accurately after hearing Mozart than after white noise or music by the minimalist composer Philip Glass. Similarly, Rauscher found that after two years of music lessons, pre-school children scored better on spatial reasoning tests than those who took computer lessons.Surely, it can't hurt to try music lessons for a better brain.

GAINFUL EMPLOYMENT

Until recently, a person's IQ - a measure of all kinds of mental problem-solving abilities, including spatial skills, memory and verbal reasoning - was thought to be a fixed commodity largely determined by genetics. But recent hints suggest that a very basic brain function called working memory might underlie our general intelligence, opening up the intriguing possibility that if you improve your working memory, you could boost your IQ too.Genetics determines a lot and so does the early gestation period, but there is a few per cent that can be improved by training.

MEMORY MARVELS

Mind like a sieve? Don't worry. The difference between mere mortals and memory champs is more method than mental capacity. People with a great memory are not necessarily having a better IQ. they use memory tricks to memorize things better, like using emotional meaning attached to words, or making a visual route that helps them visualize words or using mental associations.

SLEEP ON IT

Skimping on sleep does awful things to your brain. Planning, problem-solving, learning, concentration,working memory and alertness all take a hit. IQ scores tumble. If you have been awake for 21 hours straight, your abilities are equivalent to someone who is legally drunk.Luckily, it's reversible.  If you let someone who isn't sleep-deprived have an extra hour or two of shut-eye, they perform much better than normal on tasks requiring sustained attention, such taking an exam.Sleep is when your brain processes new memories, practices and hones new skills - and even solves problems.

BRAWN BOOSTS BRAIN

Physical exercise can boost brain as well as brawn. Aerobic exercise may boost mental powers by getting extra oxygen to your energy-guzzling brain and by promoting the growth of new brain cells.Simply walking sedately for half an hour three times a week can improve abilities such as learning, concentration and abstract reasoning by 15 per cent. The effects are particularly noticeable in older people. schoolchildren who exercise three or four times a week get higher than average exam grades at age 10 or 11.

PAYING ATTENTION

There is no single remedy to enhance your concentration. But there are a few ways to improve it.The brain's attentional state is controlled by the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenalin.  So anything that raises dopamine levels can boost your powers of concentration.The best strategy is to sleep well, eat foods packed with slow-release sugars, and take lots of exercise. It also helps if you are trying to focus on something that you find interesting.
The second step is to cut down on distractions. Workplace studies have found that it takes up to 15 minutes to regain a deep state of concentration after a distraction such as a phone call. Just a few such interruptions and half the day is wasted.

SO GET SET AND GO....TRAIN YOUR BRAIN! 

LET YOUR BRAIN BE THE BEST THERE IS!!