Brain Foods: 5 Ayurvedic Remedies For Strengthening Memory
One common inheritance we have in modern times is an active, busy, and overwhelming world of stress that transforms our mental strain into physical health issues. Being attentive focused, and coupled with the ability to remember information have one thing in common- a brain that functions well, and we can get them just by eating brain foods.
Unfortunately, our world, which is filled with multitasking and various factors that lead to stress, complicates the situation. These distractions add to the burden and make it challenging to control hyperactivity which boils down to stress build-up. But we are lucky these health concerns can be alleviated using Ayurvedic remedies.
What is this Ayurvedic medicine? And what is its effect on human memory? These and more are what this blog post seeks to answer. Let's dig in
The Concept Of Memory And Brain Food
Just like the body requires food for maintenance, the brain also needs brain foods to be healthy and function properly. The ability to remember things is an important role that only the brain performs. According to the American Psychological Association, memory is the ability to retain information based on the mental processes of learning, retention, and retrieval.
Our memory enables us to recollect past information and events. When one is on the verge of memory loss, remembering little pieces of information, like where you kept your cell phone, can be difficult. This happens when the brain becomes weak. It is evident that disease is right at the door.
However, we are fortunate to be blessed with natural foods that improve retention. And there are tons of them in our environment, and we need to include them in our diet. These include herbs, fruits, etc. It's these brain foods that gave rise to Ayurveda.
What Is An Ayurveda?
In simple terms, Ayurveda means using natural herbs and foods to balance the physical body, mind, spirit, and the world around us. It's one of the oldest medical systems originated in India and has been practiced for over 3000 years.
The idea behind it is that there are diseases in our bodies that are caused by stress. Thus this medicine ensures that we engage in lifestyles and habits that involve eating healthy brain foods that will rejuvenate our minds and spirit.
This treatment starts with an internal purification process followed by special dieting, herbal remedies, massage therapy, yoga, and medication.
The goal is to eliminate impurities from the body, reduce disease symptoms, boost the immune system and ultimately bring about wholeness in the individual's life.
In India, Ayurveda is considered to be in the same league as standard western medicine or Chinese medicine, etc., but not in the rest of the world. The reason is that it comprises herbs, minerals, metals, and other nutrients that may pose a danger when used in the wrong quantity or without the guidance of a certified medical practitioner. As such, it should complement conventional medicine and not replace it.
5 Ayurvedic Remedies For Strengthening Memory
I guess everyone desires a retentive memory. These remedies, when practiced over time, have the capacity to improve our memory.
1. Concentrate On Eating Foods That Boost Memory Retention
Some foods are more beneficial than others. Nature has blessed us with herbs, fruits, and healthy foods which are better than those manufactured. But the continual quest for processed foods will not relent.
There are numerous natural brain foods for strengthening memory that you should incorporate into your daily diet beginning today. Foods such as olive oil, walnuts, soaked almonds, raisins, dates, lentils, beans, and fresh fruits are but a few examples.
Natural foods such as cumin seeds open the channels of our brain, while black pepper boosts our mind's processing. Constant eating of these nature-based brain foods will have an overall health impact on our memory.
2. Form The Habit Of Eating Enough Herbs
There are several herbs that help improve our brain health. Many of these herbs have been tested for their overall effect on cognition, like thinking, understanding, learning, and remembering.
Herbs like sage, turmeric, Ginkgo Biloba, Ashwagandha, Ginseng, Gotu Kola, and Lemon balm, just to mention a few are essential for our health and for improving memory.
Also, the learning abilities in the human brain can be improved when we eat these brain foods to boost our cognition and increase retention of information.
These herbs should be eaten regularly or replaced with already formed bad habits for fast foods or processed foods.
3. Eat Foods That Are Rich In Antioxidants
Antioxidants are substances that protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals in the body. These free radicals play a part in forming diseases in the body like cancer, heart disease, stroke, etc.
We should understand that the human brain is highly susceptible to oxidative stress due to its high oxygen consumption and lipid-rich content. And it results in a surplus of free radicals in the body's cells.
That is why antioxidants are essential to help the brain. They are a proven strategy for neutralizing free radicals and balancing our mental state. This shows that we need to consume more antioxidants like the ones found in pink and red fruits; and vegetables such as watermelon and tomatoes. Consuming these brain foods will strengthen memory and lead to retention.
4. Drink Herbal Tea To Hydrate Your Brain
You may feel weak or unstable if your body lacks enough liquid to perform its functions. This happens when the brain is dehydrated. Our brain needs all the fluids it can get. Thereby, drinking water or liquids regularly to hydrate the brain is essential to improving our memory.
But we can step up our liquid intake by drinking herbal tea. Ayurvedic experts believe drinking special herbal tea can hydrate our brains and increase our mental strength and memory.
Herbal teas contain unique ingredients in them that make them what they are. These unique ingredients include lemon balm tea, bold matcha, etc. The best thing we can do for our memory is to form the habit of taking herbal tea.
5. Have A Good Night's Sleep
We understand that you have a lot to do and deprive yourself of sleep to catch up with your workload. You need to give yourself a break. The human body is not a machine that can work without rest.
Sleep deprivation or lack of enough sleep impacts the brain and the body as a whole. And it is recommended that we get enough sleep to enable the body to relax, rejuvenate the next morning, and be ready to take on the day's activities.
We shouldn't take sleep deprivation lightly. The effects are dangerous to our mental well-being. It can severely damage brain functions and impair memory and thinking.
It's equally recommended that you align your sleep cycle with the sunset and sunrise hours for the best results. That's having a routine of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. But if you find it difficult to fall asleep, taking an Ayurvedic herb that induces sleep can help to calm your mind.
Say No To Sugar
The first rule of almost any Ayurvedic diet is to avoid processed foods in favor of natural foods. Some people can snack all day without having the urge to eat raw foods. This becomes a challenge when it comes to sugary snacks and beverages. Unfortunately, many being aware of the implication of sugary intake and its attendant effect, still throw caution to the wind.
High sugar consumption causes a decline in brain volume, thereby affecting memory. Our memory and overall health will improve when we avoid sugar and replace it with natural recommended sweeteners such as dates.
Conclusion
In this blog post, we have been able to explain the importance of taking natural brain foods that are beneficial to improve our memory retention. We will do ourselves a lot of good when we consciously form the habit of taking these brain foods that strengthen memory.
We would love to know which of these natural remedies you have been practicing and which you intend to try.
