Living A Healthy Lifestyle

It is hard to turn on the news without seeing reports about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. Of course, most people when they hear the words "healthy lifestyle" often conjure up images of 'eating salads and exercising until you drop', but this is not the case at all ... you can eat healthy foods that actually taste good and participate in moderate exercise ... all to benefit your life.

Moreover, a healthy lifestyle is not only good for your physical body, it is good for your mental health and actually can keep your memory in tip top shape.

You surely have heard that "we are what we eat" and while this is true in regards to weight problems and many medical conditions, it also affects your memory. By eating healthier foods and engaging in regular exercise, your body releases hormones in your body, such as endorphins that make you feel good and when you feel good, you engage in more activities. As you engage in these activities, your mind remains active and an active mind helps improve your memory and keep it sharp.

It should come as no surprise that if you eat high fat foods that cannot easily digest, your brain becomes foggy and you are then unable to focus and therefore can lose some of your memory's edge.

Researchers are learning more about how diet affects the brain and memory because as your brain ages, it begins to naturally lose some of its capacity to shield itself from oxidation and inflammation. As this process continues, free radicals bind to the cells, which can reduce memory function.

Therefore, living a healthy lifestyle is not only good for your body and heart, but the foods you eat, such as low saturated fats and by increasing your intake of fresh foods and lots of fish oils, you begin to strengthen your brain. As your brain becomes stronger from the foods you have fed your body, your memory improves and if your memory is currently not bad, it protects you from developing some of the memory problems often seen in the aging process.

For years, studies were conducted to show how food and exercise protected the heart and other vital functions but failed to see the connection with the brain. Recent studies, show that exercise, food, and sleep all play a role in mental health, which includes memory.

It appears that what is good for your heart is also good for your brain, and of course, it makes sense because when the body is working in harmony, everything functions better. One of the exciting new findings is that omega 3 fatty acids play a role in a healthy heart, learning, and good memory. You can find omega 3 fatty acids in walnuts, salmon, and kiwi fruit.

In addition, the omega 3's protect you from depression, dementia, and other mood disorders.

Finally, your body works synergistically with what you feed it and how you exercise it. If you are living a healthy lifestyle that is improving your heart health, you are also improving your mental health. What is good for the heart is also good for the brain.

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