7 Fatal Habits That Affect Your Brain

You are perhaps one of the millions of people around the world who strive every day to keep their bodies in shape through a balanced diet and exercise. But what do you do for the health of your brain?

“The human body has been designed to resist an infinite number of changes and attacks brought about by its environment. The secret of good health lies in successful adjustment to changing stresses on the body.” – Harry J. Johnson

Dr. Sandra Chapman, director of the Center for Brain Health in the United States, insists that "one of the most flexible parts of our body is the brain," and yet we care very little about maintaining its shape. Not only does what we put into our bodies prove to be harmful to our brains, but also the lifestyle and the environment in which we spend our time play a major role when it comes to our cognitive abilities.

By avoiding these seven habits, you can substantially reduce the negative effects on your brain, improving your overall physical health:

1. Skip the breakfast

Skipping breakfast may seem like a good way to reduce the number of calories you eat, but most of the time, it causes an urgent need to consume glucose in the middle of the day. Insufficient or unbalanced intake of nutrients can lead to malnutrition and contribute to the degeneration of brain cells.

2. Overeating

Overeating, which can result from a lack of or skipping one of the daily meals, can also lead to some brain irregularities. When you cause a shock in your body with a large number of nutrients, it increases your blood pressure, which leads to stiffness of the arteries, a symptom of decreased mental capacity.

3. The smoke

Everyone knows that smoking hurts the heart and can be the main cause of many cancers, but less is known that it affects the brain as well. The chemicals in cigarettes, especially nicotine, cause permanent damage to the recipient's brain cells, causing them to shrink and weaken.

4. Breathe in polluted air

Air pollution is a major factor in nerve cell damage. As the main beneficiary of oxygen, the brain is unable to use polluted air, and a decrease in oxygen supply leads to a decrease in its capacity.

5. Have bad sleep habits

Irregular sleep is the main factor in the loss of neurons. Sleep is the exact moment when our brain can rest and recover after a day of stimulation. Sleeping with your head covered may seem like a good way to protect yourself from sound, but the resulting lack of oxygen can have annoying repercussions.

6. Too much work

Working when you're sick can do more harm than just contaminating your office colleagues with your cold. The brain plays a major role in healing, so adding extra pressure can not only cause it but also slow down your healing.

7. Having a short social life

It is proven that social isolation has a negative influence on brain development and resilience. The conversation helps to form new connections in the brain and, without a flow of ideas, the brain can stagnate or regress. A stimulating conversation encourages the efficiency of the brain.

Medical authorities rarely monitor the well-being of our spirits and often focus solely on physical information such as blood pressure, weight, and heart function. Research at the Center for Brain Health in Dallas, Texas reminds us that this organ is essential not only to our well-being and longevity but also to the most vital part of our body.

To keep the body in good health is a duty…otherwise we shall not be able to keep the mind strong and clear.” – Buddha