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Beth Aldrich, mother
of three, is a Healthy Lifestyle-Green Living Expert, media
personality, writer and public speaker. She is the publisher
and founder of forherinformation.com,
the online magazine for women and former host of the PBS TV
series, For Her Information. To find out more about Beth,
log on to bethaldrich.com.
 Nowadays
more than ever, our brains are in overdrive. On top of a regular
work day, we’re using our noggins constantly after hours—on
seemingly simple family or social activities, like planning
holidays or organizing parties. This never-ending mind work
on a day-to-day basis causes some people to experience mental
fatigue, which could lead to a variety of health problems.
Improve your mental fitness, so you can manage—and maybe
being to, gasp, enjoy—daily responsibilities with ease.
Here are a few ways to keep your mind healthy and fit:
1. Consume food that’s good for your brain. Healthy
fats will make it stronger, so try to incorporate more olive
oil, walnuts, flax seeds and wild salmon into your diet. Keep
consumption of saturate fats at a minimum, and refrain from
consuming trans fat.
2. Physical exercise will improve mental fitness.
When you’re exercising and moving your body, your brain needs
to coordinate the use of muscles, control strength and distances
of movements, as well as maintain the balance of the body.
So you’re actually exercising your brain during exercise,
too. Try to do a wider variety of activities to make your
brain more flexible.
3. Reading gives your brain a great workout. You know
the drill: reading increases knowledge and inspires imagination-which
means it also provides great exercise for your brain. Try
reading different types of materials, so your brain can develop
new ideas and reflect on new possibilities. It’ll become more
active and agile if you change reading topics constantly.
4. Simple changes make your brain younger. Routine
can make your brain dull and lazy. When it gets used to performing
the same activities, your brain won’t put in extra effort
to get things done, and will fall into a comfort zone. By
changing the way you do simple things, such as taking a different
route to work or opening the door with your other hand, you
will awaken your brain from its sluggish state, and make it
more energetic and youthful again.
5. Meditation promotes a healthy mind. Meditation
is one of the most effective ways to rejuvenate your mind.
While it provides great relaxation for your body, it also
strengthens your brain and allows it to experience pure consciousness.
Meditation is a process of mental cleansing, and it can help
the brain overcome the pressures of daily life.
6. Learning new skills will improve mental flexibility.
Learning new skills is a great way to train different areas
of your brain. It will improve your ability to adapt to new
situations, solve problems, master new movements and understand
new concepts. It’ll also boost the power of your memory. Try
a new hobby or cook something you’ve never heard of to provide
new challenges for your brain.
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