TOP 5 WAYS TO GET SMARTER.

It is a common saying that “examination is not a true test of intelligence” but some people still believe that intelligence can be measured by IQ-test scores and grade point averages. Others see it as common sense and the ability to outwit the other person. Regardless of how you judge intelligence, it always centers on the human brain.

You can improve your intelligence or, in other words, become smarter by increasing your brain power. And there are five special but simple ways to do this.

     1. Take Care of your body.

Physical exercise helps to improve the health of both the body and the brain because it increases the blood flow through your body (including the brain) thereby increasing the oxygen and glucose levels in your brain. Also, the coordination it takes to perform exercises gives the brain a workout especially if you are trying something new.

Eating the right food is important. Foods like fish oil, eggs, vegetable and herbal tea nourish the body as well as the brain.

     2. Exercise your Brain.

The brain, like many other parts of the body, requires regular exercise in order to maintain strength and vitality. There are various brain exercises you can to perform to strengthen your brain. They include games like cross puzzles, scrabble, soduko and other word– and number–based brain teasers; and academic exercises like reading and solving mathematical problems. If you prefer methods that don’t necessarily require academic skills, you can try brushing your teeth with the opposite hand or walking a different way to work.

     3. Have some sleep.

During sleep, your brain does a little night-time filing and the information from the previous day is catalogued and put in the proper mental folders. This enables you to recall this information easily in future.

     4. Meditate.

No matter what your style may be, meditation generally involves quiet and focused breathing in which the practitioner is able to achieve a state of mental calm. Basically, this state of mental calm is believed to be an enlightened state of consciousness. A study has shown that regular meditation can increase the size of parts of the cerebral cortex and it is believed that memory, attention span and focus are enhanced through meditation.

     5. Ingest Bacteria.

This is ridiculous, isn't it? But some scientists believe that a common, harmless soil bacterium can increase human brain power. However, you don’t have to eat dirt to ingest these bacteria. There are certain things you can do in which you’ll be exposed to the bacteria, for instance: gardening and merely walking past a garbage dump.

Source: Bryant, Charles W Bryant.  "Top 5 Ways to Get Smarter" 21 December 2010.  HowStuffWorks.com. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/5-ways-get-smarter.htm> 19 October 2013.