Nabeela Vadi – Cii Radio | 03 Rabi uth Thani 1437/14 January 2016

The brain is a magnificent creation of Allah, SubhanAllah! And how easily, do we often take it for granted? The brain performs functions that by the grace of Allah, enable THE ENTIRE BODY to function. The brain is a mysteriously beautiful creation, which is constantly working- even when we are asleep. Every person requires a heartbeat to live, but moreso you need your brain to enable optimum functioning of that heart. How blessed are we, that not a single day do we have to worry about all the functions needed to be performed by the brain for that day.

Therefore, I cannot overstress the importance of a healthy brain. Signs of a healthy brain, include a healthy memory.

A healthy memory can be defined as; “the mental capacity or faculty of retaining and reviving facts, events, impressions, etc., or of recalling or recognizing previous experiences.” Expanded, a healthy memory is one that never lets you down. You can remember all things, well. You speak well. And you are able to depend on your brain to help you with all sorts of work during any given day. That, is a good memory.

So how can you help yourself with improving your memory? A healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle are major influences.

Memory Strengthening

We will first explore ways in which to strengthen your memory. The following are techniques that will enable you to improve your memory;

Test your ability to recall. Make a list — of grocery items, things to do, or anything else that comes to mind — and memorize it. An hour or so later, see how many items you can recall. Make items on the list as challenging as possible for the greatest mental stimulation.

Read the Quraan and listen attentively to the words.The Quraan has an astounding ability to unlock parts of the brain. Listening attentively to the words and focusing on the words that you are reading will stimulate memory, optimum cognitive function and ease of the mind.

Do math calculations in your head. Figure out problems without the aid of pencil, paper, or computer; you can make this more difficult— and athletic — by walking at the same time.

Take a cooking class. Learn how to cook a new cuisine. Cooking uses a number of senses: smell, touch, sight, and taste, which all involve different parts of the brain.

Learn the Arabic language. The listening and hearing involved stimulates the brain. What’s more, a rich vocabulary has been linked to a reduced risk for cognitive decline.

Create word pictures. Visualize the spelling of a word in your head, then try and think of any other words that begin (or end) with the same two letters.

Get ample amounts of sleep. The sunnah practice is to go to bed early and rise early. Make sure that you are getting a healthy amount of sleep.

Challenge your taste buds. When eating, try to identify individual ingredients in your meal, including subtle herbs and spices.

Refine your hand-eye abilities. Take up a new hobby that involves fine-motor skills, such as knitting, drawing, painting, assembling a puzzle, etc.

Learn a new sport. Start doing an athletic exercise that utilizes both mind and body, such as archery, golf, or tennis.

Mind Stimulation

How do you know that the task you are undertaking is mentally stimulating for you? Many people find different tasks to have different levels of stimulation. Where some may find a task difficult others may find to be entry level. According to Help.Org there are four key elements of a good brain-boosting activity;

1. It teaches you something new.

2. It’s challenging.

3. It’s a skill you can build on.

4. It’s rewarding.

That’s not all, a healthy brain is dependent on a healthy diet for optimum functioning.

Brain Nutrition

A healthy brain requires energy to function. Glucose is the sugar that feeds the neurons in the brain and body. This glucose can be obtained from carbohydrate-rich foods and vegetables. However, this glucose is very specific – eating sugar candy all day will not assist those neurons, except deprive them.

These memory boosting foods include, (but are not limited to);

Avocado

Coconut Oil

Beans and Legumes

Blueberries

Broccoli

Chia Seeds

Dark Chocolate .

Nuts

Red Cabbage

Rosemary .

Spinach

Sunflower Seeds

Tomatoes

Whole Grains

Duaa for Improved Memory

In conjunction with memory exercising and a good diet, the following Quranic invocation must be read for strengthening the memory.

For strengthening of memory, some Ulama prescribe the recital of “YA QAWIYO (O All Powerful Allah)” daily after every Fardh salaah

May Allah improve our memories and allow us to use it for His work in sha Allah. Aameen