Professional Advice

March is National Nutrition Month

By:   Rebecca Corey,  Steve Duffy, Julie Hambleton



In the U.S. today, it has become common knowledge that proper nutrition is important for the health of the body. If you’ve gone to the doctor lately, you’ve probably heard them say, “eat more fruits,” “eat less processed foods,” and “eat more ‘healthy’ fats.” And some of us probably never imagined that there were such things as ‘healthy fats.’  If you have a problem with your cholesterol, then you probably know all about healthy fats. But it’s not just the body that needs good nutrition, but also less noticeable aspects of our health, such as memory.  Memory is affected by nutrition just like the rest of the body.

For our continued and improved health, we need to ensure several steps are taken. One is that the body has enough of the right nutrients to maintain the smooth functioning of the different parts of the complex system, that is the human body. The second most important step is ensuring the body is sufficiently hydrated. The third is exercising, which does not mean intense workout, but at minimum, regular light workout is recommended. Finally, the fourth is ensuring proper rest, which means 7 to 9 hours of sleep every day. These four are also very important in boosting memory. Like the rest of the body, the brain also needs some care, and it should be taken seriously.  

Proper nutrition, according to accredited scientists, doctors, and published articles, not only keeps the body functioning, but also prevents chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even memory diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer. In other words, as far as everyone is concerned, nutrition is your best friend.  

There are plenty of foods recommended by doctors and scientists to help balance the nutrients your body needs to function properly. The best way to ensure enough nutrients is to eat plenty of fruit (i.e. blueberries and oranges), vegetables (broccoli, carrots, etc.) fish (i.e. salmon, which has a good quantity of healthy fats), and overall ensuring a balanced and moderate quantity of food. Memory is much the same, but in addition caffeine, pumpkin seeds, nuts, and turmeric are recommended. 

But nutrition is not the only thing your body and brain needs. As stated earlier, plenty of sleep, hydration, and just 15 minutes of exercise every day would improve overall health, such as increased energy, reduced inflammation, etc. In addition, the way to ensure a strong memory requires a few more steps, such as exercising the brain with brain-boosting games, meditation, learning a new language, hobbies, coffee, and believe it or not, dancing is highly recommended. There is something about dancing that challenges the brain to coordinate, follow a rhythm, inspire creativity, have spatial awareness, and use memory.  

It is never too late to introduce healthy habits into your daily lives. Increased awareness of nutrition intake, hydration, sleep, and exercise will go a long way towards a healthier and therefore a happier life. We now know that nutrition is important, and we don’t have to wait for something to go wrong to start taking better care of ourselves.