You may be wondering the magic that holds the key to keeping the brain active and healthy as you grow, mall walking? Solving puzzles? Pick-ball tournaments?
Truthfully, there is no single miracle elixir that can stop memory problems as you age, or alter the way your brain changes.
But, fortunately, science has proven that the combination of certain healthy habits and social factors can help maintain your brain’s functionality over time.
How to Prevent Memory Loss
Once upon a time, experts believed that the development of the brain was peaked in adolescence, and after that, it goes down the hill. They also believed that if a person damaged their brain cells as a result of an injury or substance abuse, nothing could be done about it.
But, thanks to neuroscience discoveries, we are now aware that even when the brain cells are damaged, new and healthy cells can grow and also create new neural connections. Same with our muscles, the brain can rebuild itself through exercise and continuous activities.
This is exciting news for those who are interested in living long and healthy. It means that with constant social activities and mental focus, you can keep your brain from developing any problems. Even those who have dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other mental-related illnesses can benefit greatly from this healthy lifestyle.
You can think of your brain as a reservoir that gathers up rain, so it can put it to use in due time. The process begins before birth when the brain starts to develop, gathering “reserves” to use later. This process doesn’t stop, it progresses as you grow, and your brain reacts to your environment and life experiences.
How to Maintain Your Brain’s Health
These tips would help you keep your brain healthy and active, even as you age.
If You Smoke, Quit
Tobacco can cause severe damage to your internal organs, and your brain is not excluded. Quitting your smoking habits now would improve your chances of having better brain functionality in the future, regardless of how long you have been smoking.
Avoid High-Sugar Diet
Having high blood sugar can increase your risk of developing dementia, even without having diabetes. So, it’s best to stay clear from overly sweetened foods like candy and sodas.
Avoid Certain Kinds Of Drugs
You should speak in detail to your doctor about every medication you take, both prescribed and non-prescribed. To keep your brain’s health in check, you
need to be certain that you are not causing any dangerous interaction between medications, or you are not over-medicated.
Exercise Regularly
Exercising daily has proven to reduce the risk of developing dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Even working out for as little as 20-30 minutes daily can cause a positive effect on your brain health.
Take Care Of Your Heart
For your brain to be healthy, you need to take proper care of yourself. You need a strong cardiovascular system to stay healthy, so it’s wise to follow your doctor’s prescription if you have high cholesterol, diabetes, atrial filtration, or high blood pressure.
Moderate or No-Alcohol
As you age, the effect of alcohol on your body begins to increase. Experts have advised a limit of two glasses of drink per day for men. Doing this would help keep your brain alert and even improve your overall health.
Minimize Stress
When you are under stress, the brain releases hormones that have a
stronger effect if you are older. And it can be quite challenging for your brain to recover from an emotional upset, thereby working your brain more than required. So, you should learn to adapt slowly to changes and learn to have control over your anxiety and emotions. Learning how to handle tension and pressure would go a long way into relaxing your brain and keeping it healthy.
Sleep Well
The amount of sleep you have would determine how rested, and energetic you are going to wake up the next day. If you are not getting adequate hours of sleep, you tend to think slower during the day, and this would increase your risk of developing dementia. Sleeping for eight to nine hours in the night should be a must, and that way, you can be certain that you are properly rested.
But be careful about taking sleepy medications that would make you develop
cognitive problems. Talk to your doctor about “sleep hygiene.” – discussing habits that you can implement to help you sleep better at night without any difficulty.
