Keep your Brain Healthy and Young

Young and Healthy Brain

Neuroscientists talk about the different ways you can keep your brain young and healthy such as getting enough sleep, doing regular exercises, and having an active social life.  You should strive to maintain a healthy brain because it helps in delaying neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s. 

Do these things to keep your brain young and healthy:

• Exercise regularly
• Get the right amount of sleep
• Have good friendships
• Have new Experiences
• Eat Healthy
• Keep Good Blood Pressure
• Watch your blood sugar
• Good cholesterol
• Avoid tobacco
• Watch your alcohol intake
• Take care of your emotions
• Protect your head

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Ways to keep your brain young and healthy

Exercise Regularly

Exercise can improve brain function, making it easier to focus during the day.  Getting regular exercise increases blood flow to the brain and a strong heart helps pump blood to the brain to keep it performing optimally.

A good workout stimulates the part of the brain associated with memory and can make the brain more resilient against deterioration as we get older. People who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s and exercise may also delay cognitive decline as people age.

The CDC recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise.  This can include walking, hiking, or playing a good game of pickle ball. 

Get The Right Amount of Sleep

You should get six to eight hours of sleep every night.  Catching some good sleep is one of the best things you can do for your brain health.

The NIH says that sleep helps remove toxic buildup of proteins known as amyloid plaques that commonly accumulate in the brains of people with Alzheimers’s.  Sleep helps the brain form memories, reinforce new concepts and ideas plus process new information.  

Brain plasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt to new situations and experiences.  This is helped by getting a good night’s sleep.  Therefore, as you age, the more your brain can adapt to new challenges, the more you can improve and preserve your cognitive function.

Have Good Friendships

It’s important to stay connected with people because loneliness can harm a person’s mental health and emotional wellbeing.  Spending time with other people is good for your emotional life.  People with strong social networks tend to live longer and can also lower the risk of anxiety and depression. 

Have New Experiences and Mental Stimulation

Keep your mind sharp, strengthen your brain, and improve brain plasticity by exposing yourself to new people, places, and challenges.  Try new hobbies, visit new places, or just play with challenging games and puzzles.  Keep using your brain in new ways to help your brain plasticity as you age.

Brainy activities stimulate new connections between nerve cells and helps the brain generate new cells.  Playing challenging mental games helps develop neurological “plasticity” and builds up a functional reserve that provides a hedge against future cell loss.  Try reading more, word puzzles, math problems or take new courses and learn new things.  You should also engage in hobbies such as painting, drawing, and other creative pursuits. 

Eat Healthy

Practice eating a good natural balanced diet.  Green vegetables, nuts, and fruits provide many benefits.  People that eat a Mediterranean style diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, unsaturated oils (olive oil) and plant sources of proteins are less likely to develop cognitive impairment and dementia.

Avoid processed food since it has been linked to cognitive decline and an increased risk of dementia.  Stay away from processed foods such as french fries and packaged foods since they increase the risk of bad health conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. 

Some people look for natural energy boosters. Vitamins are good for improved function of your mitochondria, the “powerhouse of the cell”. The mitochondria then act as a metabolism booster.  Age, genetic disease, and toxins can debilitate your mitochondria. 

Metabolic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity are much less likely when your metabolic function is efficient and strong.

People at risk for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s may also gain the most from using natural energy supplements.

Keep Good Blood Pressure

It is known that high blood pressure in midlife increases the risk of cognitive decline in old age.  Thus, keep your pressure as low as possible. Stay lean, exercise regularly, limit your alcohol to two drinks a day, and reduce stress.

Watch Your Blood Sugar

Diabetes is a risk factor for dementia. You should help to prevent diabetes by exercising regularly, eating right, and staying lean. But if your blood sugar stays high, you may need medication to have good control of your blood sugar.

Keep Good Cholesterol

An increased the risk of dementia is associated with high levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.  You should diet properly, exercise regularly, watch your weight, and avoid tobacco to help improve your cholesterol levels. But if you need more help, see your doctor for suggestions and possibly medication.

Avoid Tobacco

Don’t even think about smoking a cigarette, chewing tobacco, or puffing on a cigar.  You should avoid all forms of tobacco. 

Watch Your Alcohol Intake

Don’t dring too much alcohol.  Excessive drinking is a major risk factor for dementia. If you choose to drink, limit yourself to two drinks a day.

Take Care of Your Emotions

People who are sleep-deprived, anxious, depressed, or exhausted tend to score poorly on cognitive function tests. These poor scores don’t necessarily predict an increased risk of cognitive decline in old age, but good mental health is important for your soul. 

Protect Your Head

Make sure you don’t get into situations where you receive blows to your head.  Moderate to severe head injuries, even without diagnosed concussions, increase the risk of cognitive impairment.

Disclaimer: 

We provide informative content to our readers.  
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.