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The Intense Truth: Can High-Intensity Exercise Improve Your Memory?

It’s well-documented how exercise creates significant changes on human health, particularly on the brain. For starters, it increases heart rate and in turn enables the pumping of more oxygen to the brain. It also helps release hormones to provide an environment that’s conducive to the growth of new brain cells.

A body of new research, however, points to the specific benefits of high-intensity exercise to the brain, particularly to your memory. Let’s get the lowdown on exercise’s memory-enhancing effects.

Short Bursts of Activity Go a Long Way in Memory Enhancement

High-intensity interval training, also known as high-intensity intermittent exercise or sprint interval training, is a strategy that combines short bursts of intense exercise with periods of rest or lower-intensity workout.

In 2019, Canadian researchers at McMaster University suggested that the intensity at which we get more exercise and movement is important. In their study, they found that elderly who had short bursts of activity had an improvement of up to 30% in their memory performance. Participants who exercised at a steady-tate, moderate level experienced no improvement. Lead author Jennifer Heisz said in a press release that there is an “urgent need for interventions that reduce dementia risk in healthy older adults.”

In an earlier study from 2017, scientists found that six weeks of intense exercise, which were made up of interval training over 20-minute periods – led to significant improvements in high-interference memory. This type of memory enables us to distinguish our car from another of the same make and model.

The findings, according to the authors, are important because the memory performance of the subjects, all healthy young adults, climbed over a relatively short span of time. The subjects also got higher increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein supporting brain cells’ growth, function, and survival.

How to Improve Memory and Focus

Exercise is a promising way to delay or prevent the onset of dementia. This means that adding some high-intensity workouts a few times every week can be a beneficial way to reap its promises.

Yet while exercise is a surefire way to get meaningful memory, focus, and concentration benefits, smart lifestyle choices will offer a more complete picture of brain health. A raw, balanced diet and good sleep, coupled with supplementing with a high-quality memory pill, are astounding ingredients of good brain aging, including sharp memory no matter your age.

Why You Should Take ‘Smart Drug’ to Boost Brain Power

If you’re seen the movie Limitless, you would realize what smart drugs or nootropics are trying to do all along. While the Hollywood film was sort of an exaggerated version of the real, nootropics exist to help enhance cognitive functions including memory, focus and concentration, attention, motivation, and other important brain functions.

Before we delve on why you should use smart drugs, let’s go on a little definition of terms to familiarize you with the concept of enhanced brain power.

What Are Nootropics Anyway?
The use of substances to enhance brain function and boost brain power is no longer a novel concept. Piracetam, one of the first cognitive pills launched in the market, was developed more than 50 years ago by C. C. Giurgea, a psychologist and chemist. Believing the drug was able to boost brain power, Giurgea ventured into exploring “smart pills” or nootropics, a word he coined from Greek words that mean mind and bend.

Piracetam leads the pack of synthetic brain enhancement pills that have invaded the market and are frequently used as nootropics. The group includes agents that promote wakefulness, such as modafinil, as well as several in the racetam class of medications.

Piracetam
Aniracetam
xiracetam
Modafinil
Ginsenoside Rg1
Additional: Prescription psychostimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin

Note that nootropics can be used alone or in combination with other nootropics. This is what’s usually called stacking. In fat, nootropic stacks have been more extensively studied compared to those used alone.

Sounds like a happy ending, right? Not so fast, as synthetic nootropics have been associated with a number of side effects and unwanted reactions. Because of this, the way has been paved wide open for natural nootropics, which are mostly herb-based and combine these herbal extracts with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that can boost brain power and performance.

Why Take Nootropics
If you’re already interested in the subject of nootropics, then you might be more interested to know more about them. In a nutshell, the short and long term benefits of nootropics can be summed up into this:

Short-term benefits – Nootropics drive up performance-based thinking like focus, short-term memory, resistance to stress, and other areas that lead to further productivity, intensity, and ability to ace exams and work presentations.
Long-term benefits – They promote healthy brain function and structure in the face of the aging process, which includes support for memory and age-related cognitive decline. They can also enhance mood and clarity as one advances in age.

Let’s dive deeper into the specific benefits of “smart drugs” and why they matter:

Greater energy – Many ingredients in nootropics have been clinically shown to boost the energy metabolism in the brain, as well as increase ATP energy and decrease stress-induced fatigue in the same organ. Vitamin B12, too, is deemed a key cofactor in cell energy metabolism.
Improved free recall – The brain gets a better ability to store a set of items, hold on to them for a longer time, and remember them properly even in another order.
Enhanced memory – Nootropics have been shown to enhance memory performance in users, particularly in the elderly, due to their brain-energizing as well as regenerative qualities. The wealth of memory boosters in them help slow down the rate at which the brian forgets newly acquired knowledge. A number of vitamins and minerals also significantly help improve information storage, particularly in older adults.
Boost brain energy – Brain pills have been demonstrated to support healthy blood flow to the brain, which supplies oxygen and glucose for energy. They also help optimize the mitochondria in the brain cells for efficient energy production. They also assist in strengthening the brain’s resistance to stress, as well as promote wakeful relaxation by tuning brain waves to alpha frequency.
Enhanced mood and emotional being – Some components of herbal nootropics have been shown to encourage an anxiety-free state, calmer heart rate, as well as reduced stress markers. This can effectively address fluctuating mood and emotional issues.
Better attention – Nootropics may improve focused attention, or the capacity to stay focused; selective attention, or focus on a single stimuli against a wave of distractions; alternating attention, or the ability to move seamlessly from one task to another; and divided attention, also known as classic multitasking or tackling different cognitive tasks at once.

Sleep, stress, learning, and a creative approach to tasks are just some of the known benefits of brain pills. What this means is nootropics are more than just for boosting brain power. They are a powerhouse of health effects that can give you an edge in your everyday performance as well as long-term wellness.

Keep posted for more news and updates on smart pills and how they can make a “limitless” difference in your life and health.

7 Natural Focus and Concentration Enhancers to Try

Perhaps you’re facing the last big hurdle to your work promotion. Or have to finish an ambitious project to ace your subject in college. The good news is you can eat your way to better focus and concentration.

Nootropics or smart pills are in fact used alone or in stacks to boost memory, mood, learning, and overall brain functioning. Part of its arsenal of cognitive enhancement effects are increased focus and concentration, which in today’s world full of distraction are a precious commodity.

Take note that there’s no magic bullet to boost your IQ, focus, or emotional well-being. But there are foods and natural extracts that can do part of the job, which is to help you focus and concentrate on your tasks better than you normally would, especially under stress or with plenty of external stimulation.

Let’s have a look at seven of today’s winning focus enhancers.

Caffeine
Certain substances such as caffeine can provide a jolt of energy and help you concentrate better. It’s found in coffee, chocolate, energy drinks, as well as some medications, giving that wake-up buzz that makes millions around the world grab a cup of joe more than once daily. Take note, though, that the effects are short term. The more, the less ideal, too, since overdoing your caffeine intake can result in jitters and a feeling of being uncomfortable.

Good Ol’ Breakfast
A busy schedule often makes you skip breakfast to save some time in the morning. Studies find, however, that eating breakfast may enhance your short-term memory and attention. In research, students who consume breakfast tend to perform better than their peers who don’t. So why not make it a habit to grab that bagel or sit down to a decent morning meal? Some brain-fueling foods include high-fiber whole grains, fruits, and dairy products like milk. Yet just like in using caffeine, be careful not to overdo it – high-calorie breakfasts may also hinder good concentration.

Omega-3 Fats
Fish is considered a focus booster as it’s a protein source linked to brain enhancement. The key: its abundance in omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats have always been tied to better brain power, as diets high in them are thought to lower dementia, stroke, and mental decline risks. The elderly may especially benefit from at least two servings of fish every week.
Blueberries
Research shows that consuming blueberries can increase concentration and memory for a grand five hours after consumption. In the trial, the researchers made the subjects drink a blueberry smoothie in the morning and then measured their ability to complete mental tasks in the afternoon. The blueberry drinkers fared well while those who weren’t saw their performance decrease by 15 to 20 percent. Blueberries have their rich antioxidant, vitamins C and E, and flavonoid content to thank for this amazing quality.

Avocado
Optimum blood flow is key to nearly everything, as every organ in your body depends on it. Imagine how much your heart and brain need it to function properly! A diet that values avocados and other fruits can help enhance blood flow. Avocados’ fat content is mostly monounsaturated fat, the good kind and assists in healthy blood flow. What’s more avocados are tasty, flexible food items that can go from savory dishes to sweet, after-dinner treats.

Leafy Greens
Kale, spinach, leafy greens – they’re not the most popular when it comes to taste and appeal. But they can be some of the biggest enhancers of mental focus. For instance, they contain potassium, which speeds up the connections between neurons to make the brain more responsive. Lutein, a carotenoid or pigment found in vegetables and fruits, is known not just for eye health. It also helps improve learning, memory, and cognitive function. Certain components of leafy greens can also ward off stress, improve mood, and function as a natural antidepressant. They help slow down aging happening in the brain with these many different factors.

Nootropics or Brain Enhancement Pills
Supplements on store shelves furiously show every single brain-boosting benefit they can claim. Yet it’s really nootropics or cognitive pills made of nutrients and natural herbal extracts that have captured so much attention and market share with their ability to help one become ‘limitless’ in memory, focus, and brain performance. The key here is their synergistic blend of extracts such as Panax ginseng, ginkgo biloba, and phosphatidylserine to improve cognition, slash mental fatigue, and ramp up alertness and concentration. Not all brain pills, however, are created equal. It’s important they are backed by a reputable manufacturer and offers a pure, potent, and safe formula that can be taken every day, in conjunction with smart lifestyle choices like a good diet and plenty of exercise and sleep.

Qualities to Look for in the Best Focus Pills and Cognitive Enhancers

It’s amazing how certain things can help boost the brain’s ability to think under stress, stay focused and alert, memorize well and be productive for hours, and track large amounts of data and information. One of these are focus pills that go by different names in the marketplace, including nootropics and cognitive enhancers.

With some contenders for the best focus pills in the market, how do you find the best nootropic and not just another dud? Here are some characteristics to look for in your next focus pill that will provide serious brain enhancement.

Improves memory pathways.
So what does this mean exactly? Studies show that brain enhancement pills assist with long-term and short-term memory, along with information storage and recall. A nootropic can even be argued as first and foremost a memory enhancer, whether for students looking to ace their exams or working adults who have an important presentation the next morning.

Enhances mood and motivation.
The best cognitive enhancers increase motivation while lifting your mood, making studying and completing complex tasks more manageable and achievable. Mood has been a crucial piece of the puzzle for brain enhancement, because issues like anxiety, uneasiness, and depression can easily set in and rob the happiness in every day. Motivation is just as important as it can make you go through the day with a spring in your step.

Energizing without nasty stimulants.
Nootropics have the amazing ability to enhance brain function. However, not all of them do it clean; some include stimulants that leave you feeling jittery and in fact depleted by the end of the day because of the temporary surge in energy. The best nootropic supplement offers sustained energy boost from natural herbal extracts, amino acids, and nutrients.

Offers deep, restful sleep.
Believe it or not, optimum brain enhancement also means giving your brain the rest it deserves and your body tissues the repair they need. High-quality nootropics help you sleep when you’re stressed about school or work; strengthens brain functions at daytime such as balance, memory, and focus; promotes longevity and better skin appearance; and most of all aids in sleep for mood, emotional intelligence, and even weight maintenance. A good nootropic does this without hormones or habit-forming components.

Brings awesome results as part of a healthy lifestyle.
The best nootropic provides maximum outcomes when paired with smart lifestyle choices and strategies. When paired with exercise, which is one of the quickest ways to get the blood flowing to the brain, can perform even better to help in stimulation. Regular exercise, for one, changes the brain to enhance memory and critical thinking.

When combined with something like omega-3 fatty acids, which is likely in a top-rated brain enhancement pill, daily exercise helps ensure that you’re feeding your brain what it needs for excellent functioning. A nootropic stack that also offers the right combination of brain enhancers fit for your needs can make you feel better, stronger, and with increased focus on what matters in your life.

Is natural!
There are generally two types of nootropics: synthetic and natural. We are all for freedom to choose your supplements, yet it’s important to make a distinction between the two kinds. Synthetic nootropics are man-made, designed to boost cognitive function through chemical components. They do improve mental function, yet a number of claims have been made about how they come with side effects.

In addition, the natural world offers a wealth of natural nootropics. This time, the main ingredients are plants and herbs that offer a range of brain function boosters as well as stress-relieving compounds – known as adaptogens – that support greater focus and relaxation. Natural nootropics are deemed much safer than synthetic ones particularly in their purest version. High-quality nootropic herbs are also standardized or that boast trademarks or labels such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).

CONCLUSION
In summary, the best focus pills and cognitive enhancers are not really hard to come by – you just need to look at the right places. There’s been increased interest in brain productivity and wellness, but take note that not all pills and compounds are safe and effective. You need to focus your attention on healthy, safe options in the market, whether to improve your mental performance, become resilient against stress, or concentrate with your full power on school or at work.

Tried and Tested Techniques to Improve Memory for Studying

Ah, online learning. Kids may be doing their lessons over Zoom or online classes these days, but they need the same memory and brain power to perform at their best. The question, however, is this: can you really improve your memory naturally? If yes, HOW?

Is It Possible to Improve Your Memory?
It has happened to the best of us: forgetting where you left your keys, getting paranoid over the possibility of keeping the door unlocked, or getting blanked out over information on important school tests.

Come to think of it, memories are an integral part of who we are. They form our internal biographies, which according to Harvard Health are the stories we tell ourselves about what we have done or the lives we have lived. Memories clue us in on our connections, relationships, aspirations, motivations, and direction in life. They are important in our essence as a human being.

Thus, age-related memory loss can be a way to lose a part of ourselves. This makes declining thinking and memory skills a major fear among many people as they age. In perfectly healthy individuals, there are ways to get more out of their memory, whether for high exam grades or outstanding performance at work.

The good news is it’s possible to improve your memory. There’s a wealth of techniques to do this, so keep posted.

Memory Enhancement for Studying

Enhance your concentration. Boost your memory by boosting your concentration. For younger, school-age individuals, focus and concentration can be quite a challenge because of the many stimuli around, especially when you’re trying to complete tasks. Improve concentration by doing brain or cognitive training, eating a diet rich in healthy fats and wholesome food, sleeping right, and getting regular exercise.
No to cramming, yes to structure and getting organized. According to research, information is organized in memory in related clusters. You can use this to your advantage by structuring your study materials, where you group similar concepts together. It also helps to create an outline of notes and readings to group related concepts together. It also pays to avoid cramming – students who study regularly are more likely to remember the material better than those who go on study marathon sessions.
Use acronyms, mnemonics, and image-name associations. Form patterns and words with the information your need to remember. For instance, associate the first letter of each item with a word or phrase, or your favorite food or hobbies. Use positive imagery or humor to make it more effective. You may also recall names better by associating them in a unique manner. Having a hard time remembering the names of presidents? Link a facial feature with their name.
Rehearsal is key. In recalling information, you have to encode the subject of your study into long-term memory. One effective way to do this is via elaborative rehearsal. What this means is you, for instance, read the definition of a key term, study that definition, and read a more detailed description of what the term means. Repeat this process a couple of times and notice your information recall getting better.
Say it out loud! Studies show that reading something out loud can significantly enhance your memory of the material. Education experts have also realized that having students teach new ideas and concepts to others can enhance understanding and recall. This approach works so well by getting a study partner and teaching them new things.

Learning Is Not Just About Memorizing…
Improving memory and focus for studying, while important, is only part of the picture. You need to build a good internal environment to be able to learn well. This means building healthy habits to build a better self, such as getting enough sleep every day to rest your brain, allow your tissues to rebuild and rejuvenate, and create conditions that are conducive to memorization, better understanding, and increased focus.

The jury might still be out when it comes to the best brain supplements for kids, but helping school children with a high-quality brain pill can support healthy brain function and sharpen their minds for their tasks ahead.

Interestingly, brain supplements known as nootropics may also address the distractions and constant mental stimulation that can leave the brightest and most brilliant child unmotivated, bored, or uninterested in learning new things. Children face so many things in today’s world, including mood swings and the pressures of fitting in with other students, so they need all the support they can get in memory improvement as well as optimal brain enhancement.

It’s fairly easy to explore nootropics these days for better mood, focus, concentration, and motivation to study. However, make sure to take a long, hard look at the quality of the supplement as well as its safety value.

Keep posted for more brain and memory enhancement tips and advice – building a better you, after all, means building a healthier and sounder brain.

5 Science-Backed Tips to Enhance Concentration

Focus. It’s one thing in today’s world that you may find extremely difficult to do, whether you’re working on a school project or preparing for a big presentation at work.

Concentration particularly refers to the mental effort you put into whatever you’re doing or learning at the moment. While often confused with attention span, the latter actually refers to the length of time you use to concentrate on something.

Don’t worry, though, because science has your back. Here are five simple yet radically effective ways to concentrate better – and science backs these tips.

Perform brain training. Training the brain isn’t just for esports professionals, chess players, or mind athletes that are known for their genius. It can also have a huge impact on your concentration levels. For instance, you may play certain types of games, including chess, jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, and memory games.
Take a break. This might sound counterproductive, but there’s actually great value in taking a break from the different distractions that affect your ability to concentrate. Lucky are those who have a high working memory capacity, as they can better ignore distractions and carry on with their tasks. For most of us, taking a few minutes of break might be the key.
Sleep better. Sleep deprivation is one of the nastiest disruptors of concentration, along with other cognitive functions such as memory and attention. Excess sleepiness and tiredness can slow down your reflexes and mess with your ability to do critical tasks that need focus, including driving and operating equipment and machinery.
Eat concentration-enhancing foods. Avocados help enhance cognitive measures like memory, while walnuts may improve performance on tests for cognitive function. Chocolates are a heaven-sent for concentration, too, particularly their flavanols that offer neuroprotective benefits.
Try supplementation. Brain-enhancing dietary supplements promise not just to amp up your memory and learning, but also to enhance your focus and concentration to get stuff done. Flavonoids, omega-3s, and many natural extracts have been lauded for the role they play here. Be sure to check with your healthcare provider, though, if you have any existing health conditions or allergies.

The Link Between Nootropics and Creativity

The benefits of brain enhancement supplements – natural nootropics, as they’re also known as – are mainly improved memory, focus, concentration, and elevated mood and energy.

But the targeted benefits don’t end there.

Creativity, a complex state that involves different areas of the brain, is thought to be help driven by nootropic supplementation. This becomes an important benefit, as creativity doesn’t always come easy even for artists, writers, designers, and those continually engaged in the creative process.

Let’s have a closer look at the link between nootropics and creativity, and how you can tap into creative thinking as a nootropic user.

Creativity and the Cognitive Process

Creativity transforms common ideals, thoughts, and perspectives into new ones, producing new products, services, and solutions. It’s not just art that it creates, but also innovation that can change the world or make it a better place for people.

Creativity, however, isn’t really isolated to a single part of the brain. It actually involves a wealth of neural connections from nearly every part of the brain.

What this means is the best nootropics for creative thinking is one that enhances multiple brain pathways!

Playing a significant role in the creative process is memory, as creativity involves assimilating old and new ideas anyway. If you cannot remember anything, then how can you combine ideas together to create new ones?

While the creative process has not been exactly isolated in the brain (thus it remains a trial and error process with very few consistencies), there have been recent studies showing processes that underlie creativity.

Bottom-up processing, for instance, is when there’s encoding and storage of external stimuli in our memories sans any preconceived knowledge to process it. Here, our immediate perception of new stimuli affects our cognitive awareness of it.

This form of processing is used to assess details about what we aren’t aware of, with the goal of understanding new stimuli to produce a response decision. And what else is this response decision but a new creative idea?

So When Do Nootropics Come In?

Many different brain chemicals affect creativity. Those like acetylcholine, dopamine, as well as serotonin have been well-known to support memory and learning. In addition, they can tackle the stress hormone cortisol, which in turn may relieve stress and enhance focus. Focus fuels creativity and helps kickstart the process one way or another.

Dopamine has a particularly noteworthy role in creativity. Based on a study, this neurotransmitter may affect functions in the brain that are linked to creativity.

Nootropics or “smart drugs” that play a role in the regulation of dopamine may then be worth exploring in your journey to becoming more creative.

It’s only worth emphasizing that there are factors that can also hinder creativity. One of them is stress. When you’re undergoing intense stress, cortisol production can be a barrier to the retrieval of memories that are necessary for producing original ideas. It is important to keep stress under control in your pursuit of creative expression.

Creativity is not just for a select few individuals. The “genius” and “special” don’t have a monopoly of it. With the right cognitive support (and, of course, mindset), you can be creative in various areas of your life and sustain it. One key: optimum brain enhancement and support.

5 Everyday Energy Boosters Without the Crash

Getting extra energy doesn’t always entail chugging down that caffeine shot! There are perfectly natural ways and workarounds for you to increase your energy levels to take on the day ahead. Here are five simple tips to consider for that energy boost you desire.

Power nap. Never underestimate the power of a good daytime nap. You don’t have to fight the temptation of it at all, as recent studies vouch for the benefits of doing as little as 10 minutes of nap when you need it. According to research, the optimal amount of sleep is 10 to 20 minutes, helping you get through the day without affecting your night sleep or delaying it.
Take a cold shower if you can. Did you have that research has suggested the wonders of a three-minute-long cold shower? This method can actually be enough to counteract the awful effects of chronic fatigue and help provide that renewed sense of energy.
Improve your posture. Sit up straight! Slouching over the computer during work hours could lead to fatigue earlier in the day. Set your shoulders back, your lower back slightly arched, and your eyes ready to face the challenges ahead. What’s more, a good posture scores you points for self-confidence.
Consume complex carbs. What you fuel your body with affects your energy and mood levels. For starters, eat regularly to keep your cognitive function going. You might want to favor whole grains as food for your brain. Low-carb dieters, after all, have been found in studies to have lower mood and more forgetfulness compared to carb consumers.
Caffeine up if you have to – but in moderation. One cup of coffee is usually enough to get you going. Overdoing it can put you on crash mode, so watch how many you’re drinking. Chocolate is also a proven pick-me-up, with flavonoids in cocoa shown to be helpful in improving cognitive skills and mood.

Keep posted for more energy, mood, and brain performance enhancers on this site, and how you can get the most out of them in a safe and sustainable way.

Yes, You Can Train Your Brain to Strengthen Your Immunity

Recent findings and anecdotal evidence show that it is possible to influence the autonomic nervous system (ANS) – the system that controls all of your internal organs and regulates bodily functions like digestion and blood flow – through concentration.

Wim Hof, who calls himself “Iceman,” claims that he can influence his ANS mainly via concentrating and meditating. He calls it the “Wim Hof Method,” a focused meditative practice that involves practicing intense concentration, cold water therapy, as well as different breathing methods.

There might be a solid foundation for this, as your brain uses ANS to link up with your immune system. This offers proof of one of the Iceman’s accomplishments, namely suppression of his immune response after a dose of endotoxin. This bacteria can lead to flu-like symptoms and high inflammation in most individuals.

After looking at his inflammatory markers after the bacterial exposure, researchers found them to be low while his immune response to be 50 percent lower than other healthy subjects. This barely signalled the presence of infection.

So does this confirm that you can actually “train” your brain to strengthen your immune system?

Your Immune System Is a ‘Brain’

Your immune system is your body’s defense system against foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses. It is so well-designed that it can tell whether one is a pathogenic bug or your own body’s healthy tissue and cells.

Your immune system has been dubbed the “floating brain,” simply because it can communicate with your brain via chemical messaging. For instance, if you have a weakened immunity, probably due to stress or pathogens, your body won’t work optimally.

Now, where does mindfulness come in?

There’s mounting evidence that mindfulness meditation, an age-old wellness practice, directly affects your immunity.

It has been found in studies to reduce inflammation markers, increase the number of helper cells called CD-4 cells to annihilate infections, and increase the activity of telomerase, which helps in stabilizing chromosomes and preventing deterioration leading to premature aging and disease.

A separate study on HIV-positive males who meditated daily for 30 to 45 minutes showed that mindfulness helped slow down the drop in CD-4 cell count, which links back to healthy immune system function.

Why It Pays to Be ‘Mindful’ and Meditate!

It remains unclear what the exact connection between mindfulness and the immune system is, but it is likely a convergence of many different things. But one consideration to make is the relationship between stress reduction and increased emotional regulation.

Science has shown time and again that what we think and feel affects our immune system through the brain’s chemical messages. Stress can therefore adversely affect your immune system, making you susceptible to disease.

While there is a whole discipline and range of benefits behind mindfulness, the practice has been tied with reduced stress, reduced worrisome thinking, and increased ability to deal well with difficult emotions.

But you don’t need another decade’s worth of science to start doing mindfulness meditation to boost your body’s defense, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. Meditate in the morning or at different times of the day to clear your head, help push down your distress or worries, or simply get the lasting benefits of this wellness therapy. The outcomes might surprise you, including how much brain enhancement it can also do for you.

5 Natural Ways to Boost Your Immune System in a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed lives, livelihood, and a general feeling of well-being among people. At this challenging time, it’s very important to maintain a strong immune system to stay safe, healthy, and in a good state of mind.

Here are five perfectly natural and doable ways to power up your immunity during the current pandemic.

Get enough ‘sunshine vitamin.’ Vitamin D might be your holy grail at this time with its immune-modulating potential as shown by studies. It’s mainly obtained from the sun, but unfortunately over three-fourths of American adults have low vitamin D levels to support and protect their immune system. Optimize your level by spending about 20 minutes under the sun every day or taking a high-quality vitamin D supplement. Of course, make sure to follow social distancing protocols when outdoors.
Manage your stress and emotions. It’s so easy to be overwhelmed by things during a pandemic. Careful, though, because stress can easily impair your immune system function. So make a conscious effort to take control of your stress levels and your emotional health. Meditation, for instance, can be an effective stress relief method done right in the comfort of your home.
Nurture your gut health. You may not realize this, but much of your immunity system is located in your gut! Your gut lining protects it from foreign matter such as a virus. When that lining becomes excessively porous, foreign invaders can get through and enter the digestive lining and your bloodstream. A meaningful step ahead is eating high-quality fermented foods and a probiotic while you’re at it.
Get enough restful sleep. Inadequate sleep can mess with the expression of more than 700 genes in your body, particularly those involved in immune response. Sleep deprivation is a risky affair during the pandemic, so try to get eight hours of sleep a night. To achieve this, make sure you’re comfortable with the temperature in your bedroom, it’s dark enough, and you have a calming vitamin or mineral helping you out.
Empower your body and mind with nutrients. Brain-enhancing supplements also offer immune support, strengthening your defense against viruses and bacteria. Antioxidants, for example, fight free radicals in your body and help keep you in tiptop shape, whether in mind or body. Just make sure you’re taking a high-quality, safe supplement so as not to create new problems other than exposure to the coronavirus.

Surviving a pandemic is no small feat, but with enough empowering information you can get your mind and body ready for whatever lies ahead. Keep posted for nootropic news and updates that keep you brain-healthy!