A Healthy Mind Takes Care Of A Healthy Body.


By Ange Fonce


Good health includes both physical and mental well being. 

And the two go hand in hand. 

A healthy mind contributes to a healthy body. 

The mind like the body benefits from low blood pressure... low cholesterol... nourishing food a healthy weight and physical activity and there are many healthy lifestyle choices you can make to keep your body healthy and avoid illness and disability. 

There are additional steps you can take to help preserve healthy minds.

So what can you do to keep your mind healthy?

For the last several years new research has emerged that shows there are many things you can do to keep your minds healthy and many of the same things you do to keep our bodies healthy contribute to healthy minds. 

Physical activity and a diet that helps lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure also helps to keep your mind healthy by allowing your body to deliver oxygen rich blood to your brain. 

In addition activities that stimulate your mind like crossword puzzles... reading... writing and learning new things also help to keep your brain healthy and staying engaged with the people around you and your communities plays an equally big part in staying mentally fit.

The following are some specific recommendations to keep a healthy mind and ward off mental health problems.





Be Physically Active 


The benefits are numerous. 

Being physically active helps prevent bone density loss... maintain balance and ward off illnesses like heart disease... stroke... some cancers and for some illness and disability can bring on or contribute to mental illness. 

For example... those who live with diabetes... cancer and heart disease can also suffer from depression.

Regular physical activity helps to...

Maintain and improve memory

Maintain and improve mental ability

Prevent dementia impaired intellectual functioning including Alzheimers disease

Make us happy and prevent and alleviate depression

Improve energy levels

How does exercise do all that? 

Physical activity whether it is walking... running... swimming... dancing you have a lot of choices helps to...

Decrease heart rate

Decrease blood pressure

Decrease blood cholesterol

Strengthen the heart and increase the flow of oxygen to the brain

Improve reaction time

Improve mobility

If you are thinking about starting an exercise program talk first with your doctor. 

Start slowly and take proper precautions...for example walk in well lit areas in sturdy shoes and have fun... remember you do not have to be athletic to benefit from regular physical activity.

Keep your cholesterol levels low as high blood cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease as well as dementia... the higher your blood cholesterol level the greater your chance of disease and illness as an excess of cholesterol a fat like substance in your blood can build up on the walls of your arteries and this causes them to harden and narrow which slows down and can block blood flow... a blood cholesterol level of less than 200 mg/dL is considered healthy 200... 239 mg/dL is borderline high and 240 mg/dL and above is high. 

Heredity... age and gender can affect cholesterol levels... cholesterol rises with age and womens levels tend to rise beginning after menopause and healthy changes to diet... weight and physical activity can help improve blood cholesterol levels.




Eat Your Vegetables And More 


You have heard it all your lives the good advice to eat your vegetables and the same diet that can help you stay strong and healthy provides the nutrition necessary for a healthy brain. 

It starts with a diet rich in fruits and vegetables whole grains and nonstaturated fat products so experiment and find out how you best like to eat the good things that your entire body needs... there is an endless variety to suit every taste.

Some specific dietary recommendations for a healthy brain...

Folate is a B vitamin found in foods such as spinach and asparagus. 

Folic acid is the synthetic form used in supplements and fortified foods. 

Folate is necessary for the health of your cells and helps to prevent anemia and changes to DNA the building blocks of cells that could lead to cancer. 

Folate is also necessary to maintain normal levels of homocysteine an amino acid in the blood. 

Good sources of folate and folic acid include dark green leafy vegetables... asparagus... strawberries... beans and for meat eaters... beef liver.

The vitamins E and C are important antioxidants found in foods that help guard against cell damage and may reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease... while there is no conclusive evidence the scientific research is showing that vitamins E and C may help boost mental ability and prevent dementia.

For adults the recommended dietary allowance RDA of vitamin E is 15 milligrams per day from foods and foods naturally rich in vitamin E include nuts such as almonds... olive oils... seeds... oat germ... spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables.

The RDA of vitamin C for adults is 75 milligrams per day for women and 90 milligrams per day for men. 

Vitamin C is found in oranges... grapefruits... asparagus... Brussels sprouts... broccoli... bell peppers... collard greens... cabbage... cauliflower... kale... potatoes... spinach and turnip greens.


Drink Moderately...


If you do not drink do not start. 

If you do drink limit yourself to no more than one drink a day,

One drink is 12 ounces of beer 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits or 5 ounces of wine.

Give Up Smoking... 

If you are a smoker do not wait until you are debilitated by a serious disease before considering quitting. 

Smoking significantly increases ones chance of having a stroke and developing lung and other cancers... emphysema... chronic bronchitis... chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD... heart attacks and peripheral vascular disease.

Maintain A Healthy Weight... 

People who are obese or overweight are at increased risk for heart disease... high blood pressure... diabetes... arthritis related disabilities and some cancers and the health risks of being overweight include high blood pressure high cholesterol... heart disease and stroke. 

Being underweight also carries risks including poor memory and decreased immunity... ask your health care provider how much you should weigh and for suggestions on reaching that weight. 

Whatever your weight a healthy diet and regular exercise will only improve your overall health.




Reduce Stress

Just as stress can wear your body down and increase blood pressure and the risk of heart disease it can also affect the way you think... your moods and ability to remember. 

In fact the hormones your bodies release when you are under stress may shrink the brain affecting memory and learning. 

Stress can also cause or contribute to depression and anxiety and to deal with stress first identify its causes and determine what changes you can make to avoid it. 

For example... if rush hour traffic is causing you stress time your driving or change your route to avoid heavy traffic. 

If party planning and gift buying during the holidays overwhelm you simplify and concentrate on those aspects you really look forward to like getting together with friends and family.

Sometimes talking through your stress with a friend... coach or therapist or even writing in a journal helps to put things in perspective.

And learn to relax whether it is by taking walks... playing golf... hitting a tennis ball or meditating find ways to release your stress and take a break.

Get Moving...

Physical activity on most days of the week helps your body keep mental stress in check.

Give yourself a break and if you must live with a stressful situation take mini vacations. 

Whether it is 20 minutes or several days take time to relax and enjoy the things and people you find pleasurable.

Keep Mentally Fit... 

Just as we exercise our bodies to keep them in working order so must we exercise our brains to stay mentally agile and adept. 

It is the use it or lose it theory. 

By engaging in mentally stimulating activities you can maintain your brain functions and mental fitness is just as important as physical health and should not be neglected. 

Incorporating mental dexterity exercises into your life can help you reap the benefits of a sharper mind and a healthier body for years to come.

Mental fitness is exactly what it sounds like by keeping your brain and emotional health in tip top shape and it does not mean training for Brain Olympics or acing an IQ test. 

Rather it refers to a series of exercises that help you slow down... decompress and boost a flagging memory.

Mind And Body Connection...

It is no surprise that the more you help your body the more you help your mind. 

Physical activity increases the flow of oxygen to your brain and increases the amount of endorphins the feel good chemicals in the brain and for this reason it is not surprising that people who are in good physical shape also tend to enjoy a higher level of mental agility.

Engaging in a vigorous workout can help you battle depression and gain a more positive outlook on life and yourself and it is also a great way to beat stress which can harm you mentally and physically.

While exercise is good for the brain and the body so is meditation and in conjunction with other methods is an alternative way to treat depression. 

Calming the mind allows you to calmly think through your problems.




Benefits Of Mental Fitness


When you finally get to bed after a long day on the go your body begins to relax yet the mind does not always follow.

Achieve a sense of calm through imager the process of picturing a calming scene or location as this reduces tension in both your body and your mind by challenging neurons in the less dominant area of your brain and the less dominant side of your brain is the area that controls feelings of confidence and optimism. 

Increasing activity in your brains neural structures by forcing yourself to think about something other than your daily worries through visualization for example boosts emotional well being in addition to calming you down mentally.

Become Mentally Fit...

Keeping your mind mentally fit is not as difficult as getting ready for a marathon and it is the best way to view it. 

You can simply add it to the many activities you already perform such as reading... daydreaming or finding humor in life.

Stop Multitasking...

You may think that multitasking enables you to get many things done at once yet it actually creates more problems than it solves. 

Focusing on one task at a time will not only improve your concentration and it will help you to see the bigger picture and get you pointed toward in a productive direction.

Be Positive With Yourself...

Positive affirmation is one avenue to increased mental proficiency.

Affirmation or the way you talk to yourself involves strengthening neural pathways to bring your confidence... well being and satisfaction to a higher level.

To start make a list of your good qualities and remind yourself that you do not have to be perfect. 

Set goals for what you want to improve and start small to avoid becoming overwhelmed.

Try Something Different...

New experiences can also set you on the path to mental fitness.

Trying new foods and different ways of accomplishing routine tasks and traveling to new places improves your memory and expands your horizons and even taking a new way to work improves your brain.

According to the Franklin Institute mental dexterity exercises help you see the world in a new way and strengthen your neural pathways. 

In essence breaking out of your routine can help keep your brain young and healthy.

Play Games...

Crossword puzzles... Sudoku and other games that test reasoning and other portions of your brain are fun ways to keep your mind sharp. 

Any kind of game that employs the use of logic... reasoning or trivia are great ways to build up your brain muscle.

Read More...

Reading is great for your brain. 

Even as you are reading this sentence your brain is processing each word recalling the meaning instantly.

Beyond the mechanics reading helps you visualize the subject you are reading about imagine what voices sound like in dialogue and more... if you do not think this works find a picture of Morgan Freeman on the internet with a quote next to it and hear his voice in your head and it is also a great relaxation technique as well.

Reading is a great activity because it can stoke the imagination and ignite so many different parts of the brain. 

There are also endless genres and types of reading material that you will never run out of interesting things to read.

Take The Time...

Mental fitness does not have to take up a lot of your time. 

Just investing a few minutes every day visualizing... affirming or relaxing can help you feel better and think more clearly. 

Schedule a mental fitness break into your calendar right next to your workout schedule. 

Your mind and your health are worth it.

Take care of your Mental Health and Physical Fitness. 

You have the DYNAMIC power!

Have you any thoughts or comments you would like to share with me on what I have written?

I would love to hear from you.

Thank you and may you enjoy a Loving... Prosperous and Dynamic day!

Yours Sincerely




Dynamic Lifer... The Tribe of Dynamic Lifers

1... A person with a penchant for Science... creativity... books... writing... communication... fitness... women... sexing... sexuality... human relationships... psychology... physiology and any other area involving heavy use of the Intellect.

2... A bright person and glamorously Intelligent!

3... Ange is an Author... Speaker and Dynamic Peak Performance Personal Development Consultant and Coaching Psychologist... Sexologist and Multipreneur who works with those men and women who desire to personally develop themselves and their relationships to become Dynamic Lifers... creators of their own life... relationships and wealth!

4... If you are Happy and you Know it you are becoming a Dynamic Lifer!

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