We’ve told you before about the daily activities you should do to keep your brain healthy, and since today is the World Mental Health Day, we’ve gathered a few more tips to help you avoid memory loss and similar issues.
Discover the 4 worst habits for a healthy mind you should definitely avoid!
Worst habit for a healthy mind #4: Having a poor diet
What you eat is incredibly important. Consuming food with no nutritional value is as bad for your body as it is for your brain, since it forces your system to depend on the minerals your body has stored until there’s nothing more to drain.
On the other hand, highly processed foods or sugary foods release dangerous molecules which affect your DNA and can cause organ failure and degeneration. This includes, of course, mental erosion, which can lead to dementia or similar diseases of the mind.
Worst habit for a healthy mind #3: Smoking and drinking
We’ve all heard about the perils of smoking and drinking regularly, but why is it that these two activities are so dangerous for our minds? Smoking, for example, releases a feel-good substance called dopamine, but as you begin to smoke more frequently, the stimulus will decrease, and you’ll unconsciously begin smoking more and more. Your brain will soon develop a resistance, and you’ll feel anxious or depressed when you can’t reach the same level of pleasure as before.
On the other hand, drinking is a tricky activity. Studies show that drinking alcohol moderately can actually be good for the brain, while consuming it in high amounts causes thiamine and magnesium deficiency, which affect your brain’s alertness and can cause depression, anxiety, irritability, and can contribute to memory loss.
Worst habit for a healthy mind #2: Using drugs
Consuming drugs is one of the most dangerous recreational activities. Not only is it illegal, but it’s also highly dangerous for our bodies and our mind. Most drugs will create addiction to feel-good chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, making you highly dependent and affecting your ability to think.
Some drugs can even deteriorate your brain and body faster, while others can alter your mood and cause anxiety, depression, or augmenting your risk of developing mental illnesses.
Worst habit for a healthy mind #1: Not stimulating your brain
Want to keep your brain young and active? Try being involved in occupations which give stimulus to your mind. Not reading enough, not developing hobbies, and not getting involved in situations which require social interaction, are certain to affect your mind and help it decline faster.
To keep your mind sharp, be sure to present it with new challenges every day: learning a new language, reading a book, taking a new hobby…anything that can stimulate your brain will help you fight off mental illnesses.
You might also like:
- Daily activities that can keep your brain healthy
- Best foods for a healthy mind
- What’s Depression? All you must know about this illness
