Clever Brain

There’s an old myth that has been going around for ages that says humans only use 10% of their brains. While the scientific community has been trying to dispel the said myth through countless research and the releasing of their findings, this statement still finds its way to make people believe it is so.

While it is true that all of the parts of the brain may not be functioning all at once at any given time, within a 24 hour period, many of the areas do work (much more than the said 10%) and are active though we may be conscious of it or not. Examples of these are when we are asleep or when we are bombarded with information through the different media channels. We may not be aware of what’s going on within our gray matters but as long as there are no neurological problems present, the brain cells or neurons (cells that transmit electrical or chemical impulses to and from other cells in the body) within them would be definitely working.

There are several tips on how to increase one’s brain power. These could include doing or not doing, physical or mental activities, depending on the activity and their effects; being aware of the beneficial and not so beneficial foods; or even taking food supplements.

Although there are many to mention, below are just some of the best known ways on how to increase brain power:

1. Take care of your physical body.

Much as you might not really be into it and would rather procrastinate on it, exercise is a good way to keep your body and brain healthy. It has been shown that doing regular exercises help in the formation of new brain cells and reinforce the connections between them. Another thing is that while you exercise, there is an increase of oxygen flow to the brain and there are findings that with the increase in oxygen, there is also an improvement in mental sharpness.

One other point comes up when brain power is discussed. It is said that since our earthly bodies deteriorate while we age and because of the aging, loss of brain function is inevitable due to the wearing out of the neurons. However, this is not so. And exercise is such an example. To see if exercise really does help maintain and improve mental ability even in the advanced years, research was done on the elderly populations which included those who were active and inactive. Results showed that those who led active lifestyles demonstrated better mental skills. According to research, exercise is also said to be one of the best ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

2. Learn, learn, learn.

It is shown that as we learn new things and challenge ourselves, the brain grows as well. There are so many things to learn as there are different hobbies or interests one is into.

If you are into music and have always wanted to play an instrument but just didn’t have the time to do so before and you do now, this could be a good opportunity to pick up a guitar and strum, pluck or try a wicked riff (in due time) or play the piano to your heart’s content. Trying to study a new language also helps prevent the aging of the mind.

While we think that learning ends after we graduate from high school, college or any learning institution, life in itself is a long process of learning. And as we continue to do so, whether it’s even just to learn to cook a new dish, the brain gets much advantage from it

3. Be careful of what you eat.

Have you ever noticed that there are times when, after a meal, you either feel lethargic, have a difficult time to focus or your mental alertness doesn’t seem to be there? This is because the food that we eat does affect our brain function, concentration and thinking. It has been shown that fatty foods have a negative effect on the level of mental alertness and function.

So what are some of the foods that could be deemed brain-friendly? Brain healthy foods include walnuts, fruits like blueberries, apples and oranges, oatmeal and bran and milk among many others. Water is also a good way of helping your brain as drinking enough of it will prevent dehydration that raises stress hormones which in turn can cause damage to your brain.

What to be considered brain healthy to eat are those foods with a low glycemic index. Glycemic index or GI is the rate at which carbohydrates affect blood sugar levels and the higher the GI, the greater the chance of getting the sugar rush and the crash that goes with it.

You can also try food supplements to help increase brain power. As there are those that aid in lowering cholesterol or control diabetes, there are also those, so-called nootropics, that aid in boosting the power of your brain. An example of this is gingko biloba which not only act as an anti-oxidant but also improves circulation of blood through the brain.

4. Manage your stress and mind your thoughts.

Stress can have not only a bad but even leave a damaging effect on your brain. Studies show that a long episode of stress can result in impaired memory and brain cell communication.

Since stress is part of our lives and we can never really avoid them, it’s best to learn how to manage them by changing how we perceive and address them or having a break from them by relaxation or trying to do things that you enjoy.

As mentioned, these are just some of the ways in helping boost your brain power. By trying to practice and apply these, perhaps you might be able to see improvements sooner than you think. Anyone wants to try an IQ test?

Reading is one of the most basic ways on how we gather information. Reading, and in particular speed reading, is also one of the ways to improve your brain power. Through reading we are able to obtain adequate knowledge about almost anything and everything. However, some people read faster than their average peers, and this gives them greater advantage when it comes to performing various activities.

Having a faster reading speed doesn’t only mean that you read the lines fast – it also indicates that you have understood a particular statement as quickly as you have read it, and through this, it would be much easier for you to do your tasks and responsibilities as you won’t have to spend as much time interpreting the instructions.

If you want to increase your reading speed and be more capable of gathering information faster and better, then here are some helpful speed reading tips you can do:

1. Read Just About Everything You See

Whether it is a table of ingredients found on a soda can or directions written on a billboard, make it a point to read. The words, lines and phrases are stored immediately on your head and become of good use once you encounter similar statements in other reading materials. Your brain will no longer spend much time interpreting information as it already has the previous lines stored in its archives.

2. Read in the Morning

While eating breakfast, make it a point to read. Most people who read newspapers and books in the morning have better memory throughout the day, and it becomes easier for them to process information particularly when given new reading materials.

3. Look for the Main Idea

Each paragraph in a given reading material has a main idea. To boost your reading performance, skim for the main ideas in every paragraph. You then need not read the whole chapter or essay since you have already understood its gist via the main points found in the paragraphs involved.

4. Avoid Highlighting Lines

Indeed highlighting certain thoughts or statements in a reading material can be of great help for those who are reviewing for exams, but you can actually avoid this effort by taking time to read the whole material. You don’t actually save time highlighting ideas as you will still spend almost as much time viewing the reference and reviewing it. Also, highlighting only encourages you to memorize the phrases regardless if you have understood it or not.

5. Ask Questions

In most reading text, you would find subheadings which focus on a particular subtopic. Use these subheadings by forming them into questions, then find the answers by means of reading the corresponding text. This way it would not be difficult for you to understand what you are reading, and even have fun learning more about the given topic.

6. Practice!

Of course, practice makes it perfect, and that includes increasing your reading speed. Read a lot of materials, ranging from books to newspapers and even graphic novels. Also, read in a quiet, comfortable place in which you can concentrate on your reading and not be distracted by other things. Best place for reading: the library.

7. Read with Sense

There are certain documents which have to be read with proper care and attention, and you will really have to spend time on them. These include medical records, legal documents and mathematical theorems, as the brain needs more time and space to interpret and understand what they mean. Be allowing yourself to read them more than once, you will be able to make sound decisions and avoid further mistakes due to carelessness. There are other types of reading materials that could be read faster, such as books, newspapers and short Internet articles.

Practice each of these seven speed reading tips each day and always when you’re reading and you will find that the speed with which you read will increase. Happy reading!