How does the brain work?
Cycling, talking, laughing, giving your opinion, writing something down, doing the laundry. These are activities that we hardly think about, but our entire brain works together to make these movements and activities possible. Quite an essential part of our body, our brain! For a long time we thought that each area in our brain was responsible for something else, but we now know that different areas in our brain also work together and transmit information to each other at lightning speed via long connections. In each area there are groups of cells that also constantly exchange information with each other. In total, we have no less than 86 billion brain cells that send electrical and chemical signals to each other, divided over two hemispheres of the brain. The cooperation between the brain and the body is a high-level team effort. After all, the brain stimulates and facilitates cognitive and executive functions and these must constantly be so well coordinated that the interaction between all parts of the body runs smoothly.
Protection of the brain
Because the brain plays such an important role, it is well protected by the body in various ways. First of all, the hard skull provides a good protective layer on the outside. Inside the skull, the brain is surrounded by three meninges and this is surrounded by a thin layer of cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid serves as a shock absorber or cushion to protect the brain from shocks and impacts from outside. The brain is also well protected from the inside, including against dangerous substances and organisms that may be present in the blood. The blood-brain barrier plays a crucial role in this protection. It is literally a border between the blood and the brain, which, like a kind of gatekeeper, selectively allows only the necessary substances to pass through.
Stimulate your brain with exercise
There are many simple and fun ways to stimulate your brain or promote brain functions. For example, sports not only have a positive effect on the body, but also on the brain! It promotes blood flow and oxygen supply to the brain and the production of serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline. Certain games also strengthen your cognitive skills, such as crossword puzzles, optical puzzles or strategy games. It will also come as no surprise that meditation is good for your gray matter. The exercise of thinking about nothing during meditation is a brain training in itself. Furthermore, drawing, writing and painting are activities that stimulate the creative parts of the brain and are therefore associated with a better mood, memory and thinking ability.
Brain and nutrition
Just like certain activities, nutrition also has a major impact on the health of your brain. We are increasingly understanding how the brain and nutrition influence each other. For example, we now know that getting enough vitamins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids is important for the communication between nerve cells in your brain. For example, choose fatty foods more often, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and regularly fry in olive oil instead of butter. Olive oil contains many good unsaturated fats and is rich in vitamin E, which has an antioxidant effect in the body. Your brain also functions best with a stable, constant supply of glucose, so it is good to leave fast sugars alone and choose whole grain products more often instead of white grain products.
