Forget Lumosity – Try These 4 Simple Ways to Keep the Mind Sharp

1
4086

Lumosity fooled several people into believed that their app could improve cognitive ability and protect them against age-related issues such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. And for that deception, they paid the price and were deservedly fined a whopping $2 million. If you were one of the myriad customers of Lumosity believing that playing their games would improve your brain health, then you must feel really let down by Lumosity’s audacious claims. Like many of the skeptics already knew, there is no evidence to back Lumosity’s ability to improve your cognitive health. Luckily, there are many simple ways to keep the mind sharp and all of them are backed by research.

4 Simple Ways to Keep the Mind Sharp

1. Meditate

Meditation teaches us to live in the present moment. Whether you’re practicing mindfulness meditation or pranayama breathing exercises, meditation has several benefits including improved cognitive function. A simple Google search will show you numerous research articles which indicate the positive impact of meditation. The benefits include improved cognitive function, alleviation of stress and anxiety, improved immunity, among many others. There are several apps which can help you meditate. We highly recommend Calm and Sattva. Headspace is another app which is very popular among meditators.

2. Exercise

Exercise can have a positive impact not just on physical health, but mental health as well. Exercise is a simple, cost-effective lifestyle modification with several health benefits.Why cost-effective? Because you can work out at home. There is no need of an expensive gym membership. There are umpteen number of videos on YouTube where you can find simple workouts which you can do at the comfort of your home. There are many studies which indicate the profound impact exercise can have on mental health. The other benefits of exercise include improved sleep, stress relief, increased energy and stamina, weight reduction, and reduced tiredness which once again can increase mental alertness.



3. Try the Mediterranean Diet (more vegetables, fruits, olive oil)

Yet another simple lifestyle modification which has several health benefits. A recent study found that a Mediterranean diet is not just good for the heart, but is also good for our cognitive health. What you need to do is reduce your intake of red meat and high-sugar food, and focus on fish, eggs, chicken, fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, and healthy fats such as olive oil. Also include nuts such as walnuts, almonds, and cashews in the diet.

4. Consume More Fish

If you love seafood, good for you! Fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, anchovies, and sardines contain omega-3 fatty acids which are not just good for the heart, but also good for the brain. The only disadvantage at this point of time is the limited research conducted in this area. The current studies in this area are purely observational. One study indicates that a diet heavy in omega-3 may protect against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but there needs to be more substantial evidence to back this claim.

Conclusion

Once in a while, there comes an app like Lumosity preying on our fears such as age-related cognitive decline, memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease. And these apps claim to magically protect you against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease without have any evidence to back those claims up. Be wary of such apps and always take their claims with a pinch of salt. Instead go for the tried and tested methods such as meditation, exercise, and a healthy diet to improve brain health and to keep your mind sharp.

Ad
Previous articleAyurvedic Remedies for Cold
Next articleTibetan Pranayama: The Little-Known Meditation Technique with Powerful Benefits
Editorial Staff at Soulful Arogya is a team of bloggers led by Sandeep Mallya.

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.