8 tips to support your brain health without medications

Getting older comes with pros and cons. Over the years we become richer in experience and hopefully also wiser. But for many of us, physical and mental disabilities also come into play.

Did you know that most people are primarily afraid of... become a burden on their environment ? This fear even scores higher than death . This emerged from a study involving 518 people aged over 40.

Mental decline and the fear of becoming forgetful and demented is the fear of many. Who doesn't know a poignant example in his or her environment? Who doesn't sometimes wonder whether forgetfulness is a harbinger of the decline in the functioning of your brain?

We all want to maintain our self-reliance and independence for as long as possible. In any case, make sure that you do everything you can to keep your brain in top condition and optimally support your brain health.

But how do you do that? What can you do today to keep your brain as healthy as possible?

In this blog I give you information about how the brain works and I give your 8 tips to optimally support the healthy functioning of your brain without the use of medications. You can get started with this immediately!

Finally, I will discuss omega-3 in more detail as one of the most important building blocks for your brain. Omega-3 fatty acids are real brain food and are fundamental to the healthy functioning of your brain cells and nerves.

What is brain health?

Your brain controls all kinds of functions in your body. You can roughly divide these brain functions into four parts:

• Cognitive functions – determine your ability to think, understand, learn and remember.
• Motor functions – determine your ability to move, control movements, maintain balance.
• Emotional functions – determine your ability to recognize emotions and how you deal with these emotions.
• Sensing functions – determine the ability to perceive your environment (visual, temperature, pressure, etc.) and how you respond to it.

With healthy brain function, you score high on all these components.

Factors that influence cognitive brain functions

Ultimately, the healthy functioning of your brain is determined by the following factors, among others:

• your genes (your predisposition),
• your environment (think of pollution),
• physical events (such as an accident),
• your relationship with your environment (think of stress, negative emotions) and
• your behavior (smoking, exercise).

We often only become aware of the importance of being healthy as a basis for happiness when we have (temporarily) lost that health or when we have someone in our environment with whom this happens.

These are moments when we pause for a moment in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, take stock and take action. Important moments that often lead to improved behavior. Usually temporary, sometimes permanent.

You probably came to this blog because you are worried. Why else would you Google brain health? Good that you're here – with my 8 tips I hope you pick up something that will benefit you in the long term.

8 tips to support your brain health without medications

Are you concerned about the condition of your brain? Or are you not worried but looking for what you can do proactively to keep your brain in the best possible condition? Then read these tips carefully and take action:

Tip #1 Take your omega-3 supplement daily

Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil or algae oil are very important building blocks for your brain. 50% of the dry mass of your brain consists of fat. And most of it from omega-3 fatty acids.

Our brain mass developed on a diet rich in omega-3 from fish, shellfish and aquatic plants and our brains require a continuous supply of omega-3 fatty acids to maintain healthy brain function.

However, our body cannot produce these essential fatty acids itself. You must therefore obtain them through food (oily fish such as herring, mackerel or salmon) or through a supplement.

To support healthy brain function, you must consume at least 250 mg of DHA fatty acid daily. This is an officially permitted health claim within the EU.

I recommend you UnoCardio 1000 to take. This is the most powerful dose of omega-3 per softgel with proven absorbability.

If you eat oily fish at least twice a week, take 1 UnoCardio 1000 softgel per day as a supplement. If you eat oily fish less than twice a week, start with 2 softgels of UnoCardio 1000 per day for 3 months.

Tip #2: Take care of your physical health

By being careful with the health of your body, you also support the healthy functioning of your brain.

How do you do that?

• Protect your head!
  • I ride my racing bike with a helmet – that makes sense. But we do not yet apply the same logic to a normal bicycle, e-bike, scooter 25 km/h, skating (!, yes it was possible again), etc.
  • Avoid risky activities that could result in brain damage or protect yourself optimally.
• Sleep well! First of all, make sure you get enough sleep. During a good night's sleep, your body and brain recover. On average, your body needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep per day. Do you sleep poorly? Do you wake up without energy? Then it is important that you work on that. Consider:
  • • Do not eat or drink (except water and tea without sugar) after dinner.
    • No more screens after 8 p.m. (or 1.5 hours before going to sleep) and grab a good book.
    • Take a cold shower before bed (yes, really). This will get you out of your head.
    • Stop snoring (yes how?). A big problem for me. I'm learning to breathe through my nose.
• Protect yourself optimally against cardiovascular disease. See tip #2 where I will discuss it in more detail.
• Are you taking medications? Ask your doctor or pharmacist about the side effects of medications and their possible influence on memory, sleep patterns and brain functions.
• Avoid excessive alcohol consumption! And remember that alcohol can interact dangerously with some medications.
• Do not smoke or use other substances containing tobacco.

Tip #3 Protect yourself optimally against cardiovascular disease

Protect your brain against cardiovascular diseases such as a stroke or cerebral infarction. Pay particular attention to these 3 things: blood pressure, cholesterol and triglyceride.

Do you know how high your blood pressure is? No? Then have it measured by your doctor. If you have high blood pressure, take immediate action. How? Read our blog “ 10 tips to lower your high blood pressure without medication ” or download our free e-book.

Studies in which people have been followed for decades show that there is a danger if you suffer from hypertension in the 40-60 age group. You then run the risk of being confronted with a decline in your cognitive brain functions later in life.

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How is your cholesterol? No idea? Then have a blood test done by your doctor. Measuring is knowing. If your cholesterol is too high, take steps. How? Read our blog “ 10 tips to lower your cholesterol without medication ”.

How high is your blood triglyceride level (read blood fat)? Too high a triglyceride level is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. A high carbohydrate diet in particular leads to high triglyceride levels. Read more here.

Tip #4 Eat healthy: You are what you eat!

There are actually 3 aspects to healthy eating:

• what you eat,
• how often you eat,
• how much you eat.

Healthy eating reduces the risk of chronic lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease and contributes to the healthy functioning of the brain. Our bodies have not adapted sufficiently to the changes in our diet over the past 10,000 years. We are becoming busier or feel that we are becoming busier. And so preparing food must become increasingly efficient and faster. Then I think not only of fast food at the Mac but also of (semi-)prepared meals at the Appie.

We also grew up with 'fat is bad'. A misconception that has led to fat in processed products being replaced by carbohydrates (read sugars). And it is precisely those (at least the fast sugars) that are bad for you.

Prepare your own meals from basic ingredients. Use plenty of healthy fats (olive oil but not sunflower or rapeseed oil). Avoid (reduce) carbohydrates (especially fast sugars). Take time to cook and enjoy it (make it part of tip #7 De-stress).

Eat oily fish twice a week. Download our free e-book with oily fish recipes here:

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Eat a maximum of 3 times a day. Limit the number of eating moments. A meal time is also that snack in between. Let your body rest and limit the number of blood sugar peak moments.

Intermittent fasting is on the rise. And some gurus recommend that you eat in an 8-hour window. So stop after dinner and have your first meal again after 10 am, even limiting the number of eating moments to 2.

Furthermore, make sure that you do not overeat that your calorie intake is just sufficient or that you may fall short.

The core of this story is that you limit the height and frequency of your blood sugar peaks and thus prevent obesity and all kinds of obesity-related chronic diseases.

Tip #5 Stay or become physically active

What an open door! Yet in practice it is often difficult to develop a good pattern in the hustle and bustle of everyday life with all the balls we keep in the air, children who need to be taken care of, etc.

It is important that you put physical exercise on your agenda first before you fit in the rest. Why?

• You maintain and improve your muscle mass and strength and reduce your fat percentage.
• You feel more energetic, robust, happier, feel better about yourself and are more optimistic (also nice for those around you!)
• You maintain better balance and physical alertness and thus limit the risk of falls and the like.
• You have a reduced risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other conditions.

The Heart Foundation advises elderly people to exercise moderately intensively for at least 2.5 hours per week (your breathing should speed up and your back should sweat!). For example, go walking or cycling.

The Brain Foundation has the Ommetje app launched in which you are encouraged to walk every day.

2.5 hours a week is half an hour a day, 5 days a week. That's a good start. If you are not yet exercising, set the bar there and plan time in your weekly agenda now and stick to it for 6 weeks first.

See how you feel and what it does to you and then take further steps!

Tip #6 Train your brain like a muscle

Stimulate your brain, keep it on its toes. Think of your brain as a muscle. You have to keep training a muscle to build it but also to maintain it.

How do you train your brain?

• Take up hobbies that require some of your creativity.
  • Make something in and around the house, solve a problem, build something or develop something new.
• Learn something new.
  • Take a course. Take up creative writing or learn to play an instrument.
• Engage in personal and meaningful connections.
  • Volunteer, people who do this feel happier and healthier.
• Follow programs to keep your brain fit.
  • The Brain Foundation has the training for example BrainCoach . This free training is online and lasts seven weeks.

Tip #7 Maintain your social contacts

Dealing with people requires creativity and flexibility from your brain. Improvisation with what presents itself in the moment, emotional involvement, being present, refreshing and using your memory, reminiscing.

Participating in social activities keeps your brain active and fit. You also avoid isolation and feel more connected to the rest of the world and it gives meaning to your life.

With corona, we are of course in a period that makes it difficult to see each other physically and this requires a lot of our creativity. Pick up the phone, learn to zoom, meet for a walk.

And, you are never too old to build new contacts. Read your local newspaper and join a local social initiative to connect with your immediate environment. There is nothing more fun and rewarding than giving and sharing.

Tip #8 Limit (negative) stress

Nowadays we have the means to be on continuously. Everything within reach in that one phone that is always with us. Your email, social media, the news, the phone, Netflix, everything. You can lose yourself in it endlessly and be continuously stimulated.

We are our own problem. Because we always have our phone with us, everything goes faster and faster. Every moment of the day is “used”. And everyone also expects you to be available. You have that thing in your hand, right?

So if you do not have a clear idea of ​​what you want and keep the initiative on your side, you will be affected by those around you. You can respond endlessly to stimuli and do what those around you expect without going where you actually want to go. And that leads to stress.

Stress because:

• You feel like you can't keep all the balls in the air.
  • Saying no is an art and a huge step towards focus and peace.
  • Focus on those 20% of the things that make 80% of the difference (Pareto, I love it), the rest is secondary.

• You feel dissatisfied and inferior.
  • The grass looks better on Facebook dude! Get rid of it.
  • Comparing yourself with others (self-image, gadgets) is an enormous source of stress.
  • The beautiful things are not gadgets but experiences.
• You don't do the things you want to do or should do.
  • What do you still want to achieve in your life?
  • Remember, life is short and health is not a given.
  • Which people you love are you failing?

If you have a clear idea of ​​who you are and what you really want, you can draw a clear plan and choose where to spend your time. And especially what not to do! To get to and stay with yourself, it is important that you regularly turn OFF.

You can do this simply by putting the phone away (see also tip #1) and spending time with yourself. Exercise, go into nature, read a book. And create and maintain a mood board. You write down everything you really want to achieve in your life and hang it in a place that you see every day when you get up.

Finally: omega-3 supports the development and maintenance of your brain

In this blog I have emphasized on maintaining healthy brain function. And I hope the tips help you take steps to take care of your body and your brain so that you stay in good health for as long as possible.

Omega-3 from fish oil or algae oil in capsules or liquid supports the healthy development of the brain from before birth until death. It is an important brain food that is part of healthy development at a young age and good maintenance throughout your life.

Develop the habit of taking 1 softgel UnoCardio 1000 or UnoCardio VEGAN daily. This will help you build a healthy omega-3 level and more than meet the daily required intake to support healthy brain function.

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