Located at the top of your body, your brain controls everything, from your sensations and emotions to your movements and every process that regulates your body.
Just like those of the other parts of your body, the health and function of your brain tend to decline as you age.
Thankfully, there are many things that you can do to keep your brain healthy and functioning throughout your life. Let’s talk about some tips that everyone who is proactive about their brain’s health can follow.
Tip #1 Challenge Your Brain Often
We can’t stress this enough– if your brain rests, it rusts. Research on mice and humans has also established the idea that brain activities stimulate the connection of the new nerve cells as well as may also regenerate new brain cells.
Furthermore, brain activities provide a hedge against future cell loss.
So, to build up your brain and keep it healthy, participate in mentally stimulating activities. Do reading, take courses, solve math problems and puzzles, and experiment with things that require mental effort and dexterity.
Tip#2 Stay Physically Active
It’s a research-supported idea that using your muscles helps your mind.
Staying physically active and exercising can increase the number of blood vessels that supply the brain region responsible for thoughts.
Furthermore, getting physically active also spurs the development of new connections between the brain cells, making the brain more efficient, plastic, and adaptive.
Not to mention that staying active also maintains your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol in the optimum range to protect your heart and brain.
Tip #3 Incorporate Brain-Friendly Diet
When you think about brain-friendly food, fatty fish tops the list as it is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which make up half of your brain fat.
Other foods that you should incorporate into your diet for optimal brain health are fruits, vegetables, nuts, unsaturated oils like olive oil, and plant protein sources. Such foods are included in the Mediterranean-style diet and can prevent the development of cognitive impairment and dementia.
Tip #4 Get Quality Sleep
Sleep is one of the best ways to reset your brain, let it heal, and restore your mental health. This is because, during sleep, your brain does cleaning – it clears out the toxins called beta-amyloids that can lead to brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Not just sleep but quality sleep is important, mainly because disturbed sleep impacts your cognitive functions and can increase the level of harmful tau-proteins that are key markers of Alzheimer’s.
Tip #5 Be Social
In the digital era, instead of spending time with friends and making new social connections, our favorite hobbies are watching Netflix and scrolling Facebook and Instagram, which hamper our brain’s ability to formulate new connections and contribute to brain atrophy.
Countless studies have shown that making and maintaining new and healthy relationships not only wards off depression and anxiety but also provides intellectual stimulation and strengthens the health of your brain.
Neurosurgeon in Aurora, CO
If you have trouble recalling things and making decisions or have a brain problem interfering with your ability, seek treatment from our highly trained and compassionate neurosurgeons at Front Range Spine and Neurosurgery.
Our surgeons are well aware of each connection of the brain and how certain illnesses and injuries can impact your brain connection. So, they thoroughly evaluate your brain as well as spine problems and make a tailor-made treatment plan for you.
If you would like to make an appointment with one of our outstanding and compassionate neurosurgeons, call (303) 790-1800 or use our easy-to-use online form.
