Author: Vivian BenjaminBrain health or as we call it mental health is the health and well-being of one of the most complex organs in your body, called the brain. There are several definitions for brain and/or mental health. According to WHO, “brain/mental health is state of well-being in which individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can make contribution to his or her community.”
On the other hand, Centres for Disease Control has stated that “brain health is the state of brain functioning across cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, behavioural, and motor domains, allowing a person to realize their full potential over the life course, irrespective of the presence or absence of disorders.” Mental health is as important as physical health and needs to be supported all the time, so we could live healthily. Remember, the body acts as a unit (whole) therefore; impairment in mental health leads to disruption in bodily functions consequently; making us unable to perform activities in our daily lives. Presently, mental health has been a famous topic buzzing around the world (especially since Covid-19). Many people are developing mental health issues, for instance, anxiety, depression, psychosis, bipolar disorders, eating disorders, trauma-related disorders, and many more. Living in these turbulent times, where rare and new diseases are emerging; living in a place or a country where the cost of living crisis is increasing dramatically; and living in a world where we have to work in a stressful work environment, have all taken a toll on not only our physical health but also our mental health. Suicide cases, alcoholism, and substance abuse cases are constantly escalating every year. Authorities and organizations are doing their best to support people affected by mental health issues. Nevertheless, only you and I can decide if we would like to live a fulfilling life or continue drowning in darkness. Your brain plays a significant role in your thoughts, senses, and feelings thus; you need to nourish and support your brain health accordingly. An overview of the brain Your brain is part of the nervous system in the body. The nervous system acts as a response to changes inside and outside of the body. It regulates body functions and maintains homeostasis (the ability to maintain the internal environment for the body to survive), along with the endocrine system (a system that is responsible for the body’s metabolism). When the nervous system is stimulated, it provides a quick response. Due to the structures and arrangements of tissues in this system, a swift transmission between different parts of the body is enabled. The brain consists of 3 major parts: 1. Cerebrum The cerebrum is the largest part of our brain. It is responsible for mental activities such as memory, intelligence, thinking, reasoning, and learning. 2. Brain stem The brain stem consists of the midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata. The medulla oblongata is the bottom part of your brain, which connects to the spinal cord. This part of the brain encompasses the respiratory centre and cardiovascular centre. 3. Cerebellum The cerebellum is located below the posterior (back side) portion of the cerebrum and behind the pons. This section of the brain involves the coordination of voluntary muscular movement, balance, and posture. Factors that result in damage to brain/mental health 1. Physical – accident, trauma, neurological condition such as epilepsy 2. Psychological – abuse, isolation/loneliness, bereavement 3. Social – poverty, debt 4. Lifestyle – work, diet, sleep, the influence of social media Nourishing your brain from the inside 1. Nutrition Since ancient times, diet has always had the power to sustain our brain health. Let’s not confuse it with food that improves your mood (emotional eating). That is a different side of the story. I would like to share how certain food benefits your brain health. Have you heard your parents or grandparents saying okra improves memory? That is exactly what I am going to entail in this section, about how certain types of nutrients keep your brain health in check. Carbohydrates One of the main macronutrients, carbohydrates is essential to your body. It gives energy so that all bodily functions such as thinking, breathing, movements, and heartbeats can take place. If your body doesn’t have sufficient calories/energy, your daily activities will be affected. However, be mindful of your simple carbohydrate intake and try to incorporate fibrous food into your diet. Whole grains are a good source of fibrous food. It also provides magnesium, zinc, vitamin B, and many more powerful nutrients. Examples of food:
Healthy fats Recent studies are suggesting the Mediterranean diet as part of the healthy diet to improve overall well-being. This diet is beneficial for brain health. It consists of vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, legumes, seeds, and nuts. Examples of food include:
Fruits and vegetables Fruits and vegetables are great sources of vitamins and minerals. Examples of food:
Proteins Cells and tissues make up the organ. Therefore, your brain is made up of millions of cells and tissues. Protein supports the growth and repair of cells and tissue in the brain. It is also essential in the synthesis of enzymes and hormones. Examples of food:
Nourishing your brain from the outside 1. Physical activity Regular exercise is important to manage your health. According to some studies, high-intensity or vigorous exercise can injure your cells and tissue however, balanced and mindful activities can support you tremendously. Maintaining your weight is also part of nurturing your brain health. The recommendation to exercise is to perform 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise in a week. Strengthening exercises are also important so, make a daily habit out of it. Examples of moderate-intensity exercise
Examples of high-intensity exercise
Examples of strengthening exercise
2. Sleep Insufficient sleep leads to chronic diseases and mental health issues like depression. The recommended amount of sleep a healthy individual needs is between 7-9 hours a day. Tips to sleep better
3. Manage stress effectively Stress has become common these days. Everyone in the world experiences a sort of stressful moment during their life. However, not managing it positively will lead to health and mental issues. I have experienced quite a lot of stressful moments in my life. I started my career as a nurse with just a diploma. After graduating, I worked in a general medical ward. Initially, seeing the total number of patients overwhelmed me. However, somehow, I managed to survive while furthering my studies to a Nursing bachelor’s degree. Trust me, I felt like I was working 24/7. This is what I did to manage stress: Time management No matter what kind of job you do, managing your time effectively is essential. There will always be some work to be done. We will try to pull long-nighters to finish it or by waking up early. Delegate your task and time yourself on each assignment. Enjoy being in the present When you’re not working stop thinking about work and enjoy your day off. Do whatever makes you happy and remember to be in the present. Warm bath amzn.to/3LqIrpy Having a warm bath soothes your muscles and mind, add some calming bath salts. Scented candles or incense amzn.to/3HwMteM I have always loved scented candles and incense. They bring such a nice smell and make me feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Hobbies I love cooking and baking. Baking makes me feel happy and light. I bake whenever I’m happy. On the other hand, I also bake when I’m stressed. Strangely, whenever I’m stressed it sparks my curiosity, creativity, and innovation to produce a masterpiece. Clean your home It is understandable that when you’re busy you don’t have enough time to clean or tidy your home. This is the last thing on your mind. You may even put it off and eventually forget about it. But do you want to come back from a long day at work to a dirty house? Do you want to stumble upon a book or a file on the floor which makes you fall? Does it not make you feel depressed? My tip – is to clean on the go. We can text on the go, eat and drink on the go, talk on the go, and send an email on the go, so why can’t we practice “clean on the go”? All in all Brain health is an important part of maintaining your general health and well-being. We can do our best to curb mental health issues by educating the population. Peer support is an important method to incorporate. By sharing what helps us with our daily health practice, we support each other in our struggles. Brain health and/or mental health can be nourished from the inside and outside with holistic intervention. Decide what’s best for you and start including them in your lives. Remember, help is available if you need it. Let us live our life with a sound mind. Reference 1. Galderisi S, Heinz A, Kastrup M, Beezhold J, Sartorius N. (2015); Toward a new definition of mental health; World Psychiatry; 14(2):231-3. 2. Bradley J. Baranowski, Daniel M. Marko, Rachel K. Fenech, Alex J.T. Yang, and Rebecca E.K. MacPherson (2019); Healthy brain, healthy life: a review of diet and exercise interventions to promote brain health and reduce Alzheimer’s disease risk; Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism; 45(10): 1055-1065. 3. Bo Ekstrand, Nathalie Scheers, Martin Krøyer Rasmussen, Jette Feveile Young, Alastair B Ross, Rikard Landberg (2021); Brain foods - the role of diet in brain performance and Health; Nutrition Reviews; Volume 79; Issue 6; Pages 693–708. 4. Gómez-Pinilla, F (2008); Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function; Nat Rev Neurosci ; 9:568–578. 5. Bremner JD, Moazzami K, Wittbrodt MT, Nye JA, Lima BB, Gillespie CF, Rapaport MH, Pearce BD, Shah AJ, Vaccarino V (2020); Diet, Stress and Mental Health; Nutrients; 12(8):2428. 6. Di Liegro CM, Schiera G, Proia P, Di Liegro I (2019); Physical Activity and Brain Health. Genes; 10(9):720. 7. https://www.who.int/health-topics/brain-health#tab=tab_1 8. https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/healthy-body-brain.html 9. Brunner & Suddarth’s Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing
4 Comments
Philo
25/3/2023 04:56:49 am
Very well said author. A very applicable article to be read by all stressful people and living a busy lifestyle. Keep us updated always.
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Vivian Benjamin
28/3/2023 05:30:49 am
Hi, Philo thank you for your comments. I do appreciate you reading and supporting my blog. Take care.
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Vivian Benjamin
28/3/2023 05:25:19 am
Hi, thank you for commenting. I do appreciate you taking the time to read my article. I did receive your newsletter subscription however, when I tried emailing the Gmail is not in use. Please do correct your email address if you would like to receive my newsletter. Thank you very much
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