How to boost your brainpower

Science has shown that our brain is capable of rewiring itself in surprising ways. This capability accounts not only for the restoration of lost abilities after brain lesions but also for the learning of new skills.

Based on what science has discovered so far, we can suggest a list of ten brain commandments:

1. Exercise: physical exercise has been shown to promote neural cell regeneration and even, in some parts of the brain, renewal!

2. Live in a stimulus-rich environment: read new books, listen to new music, travel, look for new experiences. Even simple stimuli, like feeling the ground irregularities under your bare feet when you walk will help your brain increase its number of synapses.

3. Do not smoke: smoking deprives your brain of oxygen and poisons it with hundreds of toxic substances!

4. Do not use sedatives or sleeping pills: your brain needs to have full control of its own biochemistry; stimulants, sedatives, and sleeping pills will impair normal brain physiology.

5. Eat healthily: avoid too much sugar and fat, which may predispose to cerebrovascular disease and stroke.

6. Avoid and/or treat stress with non-pharmacological means: keep your routine organized, do not overwork, try relaxation techniques, religious practices, whatever works best for you.

7. Avoid too much reliance on brainless technologies: nowadays we use GPS and Waze for orientation, store all telephone numbers in our smartphones, etc. As smartphones get smarter, our brains grow dumber... Try memorizing at least a few telephone numbers and other numeric data, learn new driving routes without relying all the time on Waze instructions...

8. Exercise your brain with one of the many online platforms available, play Scrabble, and the like. But be careful with crosswords: these often use the same words over and over again, and may become a brainless exercise for regular users.

9. Keep on learning new skills. Science has shown that people who study the most tend not to develop Alzheimer's or to develop it at a later age. Learn a new language, learn how to play the guitar, golf, etc...

10. If you have any medical condition, keep it under control: high blood pressure and diabetes, for example, will wreak havoc in your brain if not adequately treated!

I hope these tips will be useful to you! If you liked them, inspire me to write more on this subject...