Our brains age along with the rest of our body. While the march of time is inevitable, there are some things you can do to stave off significant cognitive decline and reduce your risk of dementia or other memory related issues.
Here are a few simple things you can do to help keep your brain in tip-top shape as you age:
Stay active – Some light strength training and cardio a few times a week go a long way to boost your brain power.
Get enough sleep – You know how miserable it feels when you just don’t get a good night’s sleep? The issues compound the less quality sleep you get throughout your life. Here are some tips for great sleep.
Don’t smoke or quit if you do – This one seems like a no-brainer (ha) but smoking literally destroys your grey matter by eating at your cerebral cortex. Yikes!
Stay social – Having a good social network of even just a few close friends and acquaintances is great for your brain. Being lonely has been shown to affect the levels of dopamine in your brain, which can cause cerebral degeneration.
Limit alcohol – One drink a day seems to be okay for most people who aren’t already struggling with alcohol use disorder. Beyond that, the risks of permanent brain damage and memory loss grow exponentially.
·Eat a diet rich in fiber and omega-3 fatty acids like the Mediterranean diet or the Blue Zone diet – Not only do people in these areas tend to live longer, but their brains also tend to stay sharper for as long as they live. Cutting out most processed foods is a great place to start.
Never stop learning new things — Pick up an instrument. Start learning a new language. Revisit things you’ve learned in the past that you want to stay sharp on. Repetition is key to staying on top of skills and knowledge.
It can be frustrating to think about losing memory or brain function due to aging, but the great news is that dementia and memory loss isn’t entirely inevitable. Even changing just a few habits or adopting some new ones can help you avoid long-term cognitive issues. Which ones will you try?
Revan Health provides welcoming, respectful family medicine for all from infants to geriatrics. We understand the pain and frustration that comes with not feeling heard by your family care provider. We believe access to respectful care is key to improving medicine adherence and overall life satisfaction for our patients. Like us on Facebook or visit us at revanhealth.com.