Making the right choices in life including how you end the year, how long your health-span will be all depends on that mass perched in your skull and enjoying a kingly ride daily as you go about your duties. Without a healthy brain we will not be able to achieve what the Almighty has “prescribed for us”

What will make your brain fall in love with you?

1. Get a lot of sleep
   1. Practice sleep hygiene even if you do not have sleep challenges and it starts with going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time. 7 – 9 hours of sleep is ideal for most adults. I am working hard on that.
   2. Writing out your challenges and fears may help your brain to relax and hence improve sleep. The brain of course is “smart” enough to know that once written it’s safe and can be revisited.
   3. Get that 5-10minutes of ME TIME and relax your brain, meditate and help reduce anxiety, depression, fatigue and confusion.

Sleep is so crucial because the body gets an opportunity to re-set and heal.

1. Play
   1. Make time to play it could be table games such as chess, cross-word puzzles, oware, cards
   2. Learn new skills to challenge your brain; play a musical instrument
   3. Learn to juggle tennis balls (three at a time) even if you get it wrong all the time. Keep the brain active
2. Laugh
   1. It improves blood flow to the brain and with it comes many other blessings. Get a good dose of laughter each day.
3. Learn new things
   1. This is the only time I will advise you not to “stay in your lane”, learn to cook new foods, visit new places, make new friends with different backgrounds and ENSURE you read like your life depends on it (because it does). Reading opens you up to many things including learning about places you may never be able to visit physically.
4. Tell stories
   1. It may not be a good idea to live on past glory but when you talk about the past you stimulate your memory bank.
5. Eat a healthy diet and exercise
   1. We just can’t hide from these two. Green leafy vegetables, omega-3 laden foods such as oily fish, antioxidant powerhouses such as dark chocolate, pure (bitter) cocoa, healthy fats and protein sources such as seeds and nuts will all help to keep your brain young and active
   2. Lace your shoes and put in moderate intensity exercise most days of the week and you will be doing your brain a great service.

Together let us work tirelessly on our brains and we will enjoy life much better and be able to do more of the things we love. That starts NOW not on January 1^st .

AS ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Source:

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials/Mobissel/St Andrews Clinic

dressel@healthessentialsgh.com

www.healthessentialsgh.com

*Dr. Kojo Essel is a medical doctor, holds an MBA and is ISSA certified in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise.

Thought for the week – “Join me on Saturday 21^st December 2019 from 4pm to 7pm at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel as I launch my first book; Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth. This is an ideal Christmas gift that will impact positively on lives.”

References:

• Radias Health/Safety
• AssociatedBRC.com