How to Think Logically (Part 3)

Method Three of Three:
Changing Your Lifestyle

 

1

Eat brain food. The food you consume can have a profound affect on your brain power. Strive for a healthy diet, rich in brain food. A Mediterranean diet can increase your brainpower. This is a diet comprised of mainly fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, healthy fats, and fish. Healthy fats include monounsaturated fats and are found in foods like fish, avocados, olive oil, and canola oil. Transitioning into a more Mediterranean-based dietary plan can help you increase your overall brain power.^[16]

• Spinach is a powerful brain food. Eating three or more servings of spinach or other leafy greens like kale each day slows mental decline and increases overall brain function.^[17]


• Simple sugars, like table sugars and brown sugars, as well as syrupy sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup, can have a detrimental effect on the brain. Saturated and trans fats, the kinds of found in red meat and dairy, have a negative effect on your mental level as well as overall health. Enriched, bleached, or refined flour, the flour found in white breads, white rices, and white pastas, also has a poor affect on the brain.^[18]

2

Improve your sleep schedule. Getting a solid 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night can increase brain power and promote logical thinking. To improve your sleep schedule, have a set bedtime and wake time that you do not deviate from, even on weekends. Stay away from electronic screens close to bedtime. Do not eat heavy meals late at night and work on engaging in a relaxing activity, like reading, in the hour before bed.^[19]

3

Breathe. Breathing increases brain power by increasing oxygen flow in the brain. Practice deep breathing exercises in the morning and before bed. Practice yoga, meditation, Pilates and other activities that focus on healthy breathing patterns.^[20]

4

Exercise frequently. Physical exercise has a profound effect on cognitive abilities. In addition to being great for the body, a regular exercise routine can boost your mind's capacity for logic.

• Make exercise a priority. Many people push exercise to the peripheral of their lives, not making the time necessary to go to the gym or go for a run. If you make a schedule for yourself, and stick to it, exercise will eventually feel as vital a part of your routine as brushing your teeth in the morning or showering.^[21]


• Aerobics seem to have a particularly strong effect on cognitive abilities. Running, jogging, biking, and engaging in workout routines that get the heart pumping 4 or 5 times a week can increase your brainpower.^[22]

5

Spend time in nature. It’s important that you make time to be outdoors in nature on a regular basis. Spending time outside will help you clear your thoughts and ground yourself. Aim to spend at least a couple hours every week in nature. You can go for a walk or hike, fish or hunt, explore the mountains or forest, swim in lakes or the ocean, or simply sit underneath a tree.

6

Take breaks. People tend to see downtime as an indulgence. However, this is not the case. Taking the occasional break is vital for your brain's ability to process information. Give your brain the occasional mental rest. Have a relaxing ritual you engage in each day. Designate one day a week as your "day off" and take the day to spend time by yourself engaging in leisurely activities you enjoy.^[23]