Variety is not just the spice of life. It’s also a necessary ingredient for a healthy brain. Routine may be comforting and familiar. In fact it is a “no-brainer” to keep doing the same old, same old. If you want to stay sharp, you’ve got it to shake it up. Take yourself outside your comfort zone. Don’t give up all those cozy habits you love. But make a point to keep it challenging. Give those brain cells a workout. The fact is that blood flow and nerve connections in the brain start slowing sometime in your 20s. Your best defense is to keep learning new things, which causes those nerve cells to form new connections.
Change Your Reading Material - Switch from novels to history; try new authors. Tackle a new subject or learn about a different country or culture.
Hand it Over - Do basic daily tasks with your other hand. If you are a leftie, use your right hand. If you’re right-handed, try being a southpaw for part of a day. Brush your teeth, open a door, eat cereal with your non-dominant hand. Switch your watch to the other wrist to help remind you.
Learn Friends and Family Phone Numbers - Instead of speed dialing or punching up a number in your cell, memorize a new phone number every day.
Embrace Change - You don’t have to move out of state or abandon your profession. Little shifts in your routine will do the trick. Try new ways to get to work and back. Exercise in the morning instead of after work. Have soup for breakfast, or dessert first at night. Sit in a different chair when you get home. Do laundry at a different time.
Learn Something New - Learning a new skill or subject uses memory, helps you make new associations and can even make you learn new movements.
Turn Lists into Brain Builders - Make lists each day that will jog your memory - books you have read, best friends from high school, favorite restaurants, all the shoes in your closet. Create to do lists and shopping lists, then try to accomplish the task without looking at your list. Challenge yourself to remember what you wrote down.
Source: Is it your need.com Information Portal / Self Improvement Tips
“You are what you eat” applies to brain health, too. Docs who specialize in aging and dementia research have identified some particular nutrition stars when it comes to keeping the gray matter in tip top shape.
| Food Type | What They Do |
Crucifers |
Shown to slow / stop age-related declines in thinking and memory. |
Leafy Greens |
Provide folate (Vitamin B9) which appears to be key in preventing strokes which account for around 25% of dementia cases. Helps the body break down homocysteine, an amino acid that is toxic to nerve cells. |
| Blueberries | Deliver more antioxidant power than about 50 other fresh fruits and vegetables. Fight inflammation |
Source: AARP Magazine online April 2009
| Food Type | What They Do |
Healthy Fats |
Fight inflammation Protect arteries |
Alcohol & Juice Wine, liquor (moderate consumption); fruit and vegetable juices |
Alcohol is shown to boost blood flow and reduce the risk of tiny strokes. Moderate drinkers (one half to one drink/day - women; two drinks/day - men) perform better on cognitive tests, show less decline in cognitive function over time than nondrinkers. Recent research shows older adults who drank at least three glasses of juice a week had a 75 percent lower risk of Alzheimer's disease than those who drank juice less than once a week. |
The WELLBEING™ is published monthly by HRMS. Information in The WELLBEING™ is intended as general health information and should not replace medical advice or professional care. Please direct questions or comments to The WELLBEING™, 1847 West Jefferson Avenue, Naperville, Illinois 60540.