Steps to a healthier brain

Practicing skills leads to better performance, whereas unused parts of the brain stop working. Also ongoing mental stimulation provides some protection against mental decline. Challenge the brain by trying things you don’t already do, such as studying a new language. This creates new pathways that alternate routes when neurones die off in middle and old age. Just remember if you have a brain injury to take on tasks that are realistic.

If you have trouble with judgment you may need to discuss it with others first.

So how can you exercise and challenge your brain to reap the benefits? Exercising the brain is doing anything that makes you think. Some possibilities include:

• Avoid using calculators
• Swap TV for mind games or a bookPlay games that involve memory (bridge) or thinking ahead (chess)
• Take up a new hobby.

Nourish your brain with a healthy diet

Like any high-performance machine, the brain needs top quality fuel – a well-balanced, low cholesterol, low saturated (animal-fat) diet. Timing is significant as studies have demonstrated the importance of a good breakfast. Not all fats are bad for you in the right quantities. Unsaturated fat and protein are especially important for developing brains.

Fish, a rich source of both, is sometimes called  brain food. Your body converts long strings of amino acids in the protein you eat to individual amino acids that your brain converts to the specific proteins it needs. Your brain needs vitamins and minerals that only come from a balanced diet. In particular research suggests anti-oxidant vitamins E and C protect the brain.

Avoid excess food. Reducing calories can help  slow age-related brain changes. If you must smoke, or drink caffeine and alcohol, do so in moderation. Glucose is the fuel needed to keep the cells alive and functioning. When your concentration wanes in the late morning or afternoon, eating a snack containing healthier forms of sugar, such as fruit, can solve the problem.

As a general rule, good nutrition for the body  is good nutrition for the brain. 

Enjoy physical activity 

Exercise daily if possible by setting exercise priorities and sticking to them. Regular exercise reduces depression and reduces cardiovascular risk factors – even a simple walk lets you think freely. Some heavy exercises may produce euphoria, but even 12 minute bouts of exercise (to 5% maximum heart rate) release serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline that can act like antidepressant medications. Exercise in the evening after a stressful day.

Take exercise opportunities like using stairs instead of elevators. Make “safety first” a priority Brain trauma is the silent epidemic. The major causes of adult head trauma are motor vehicle accidents, on-the-job accidents, falls, assaults and sports injuries. Take commonsense safety precautions including wearing seat belts and sports safety helmets when needed.

Remember that if you have an existing brain injury you are much more susceptible to acquiring another one.

Manage anxiety, stress & depression

Anxiety increases heart rate and blood pressure, which can lead to stroke. Acute stress such as the “flight or fight reaction” is normal and short-lived. There is increasing evidence that stress actually damages the brain. The hormones linked to stress can actually kill nerve cells in animals and are thought to do the same in humans.

The steps you take to reduce stress are likely to preserve nerve cells and help maintain mental abilities which are crucial if you already have a brain injury.

One of the toughest stresses is depression. It affects memory, slows brain metabolism, and can lead to some degree of brain damage. Some strategies for coping are:

• Meditation
• Relaxing by actively tensing then relaxing individual muscle groups
• Channelling internal stress into external action through exercise
• Let go of things outside your control
• Ensure a balance of work and recreation
• Let go of things outside your control
• Take time out for yourself
• Visit your general practitioner.

Relax and sleep well

During deep sleep, the brain repairs itself and boosts the immune system. During rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the brain consolidates information learned during the previous day. Poor sleep leads to fatigue and immune suppression, along with memory, concentration and mood disorders. Learning is hard when you aren’t sleeping well.

What can you do if you can’t get to sleep?

The most common causes are not being able to shut off the anxieties and worries of the day, and preparing for tomorrow’s problems. Useful strategies include:

• Don’t take one last look at email messages
• No phone calls or activities after 9 pm
• Don’t go to bed until you feel sleepy
• Don’t have caffeine after noon.

Blood pressure, diabetes & cholesterol

If you have diabetes and high cholesterol, you have four times the risk of stroke. If you have diabetes, you have twice the risk of stroke. Experiencing many mini strokes can lead to dementia in later life.

Avoid alcohol & other drugs if possible

Alcohol and other drugs affect the central nervous system, impair the ability to think clearly, control emotions and monitor behaviour. These abilities are often impaired by a brain injury and therefore when people use drugs and alcohol they are likely to experience even greater problems with alertness, memory, problem solving and controlling their behaviour and emotions.

Many thanks to Brain Foundation for their kind permission to condense an article from Brainwaves, Newsletter of the Brain Foundation. You can visit their website at: www.brainaustralia.org to read the complete article and a wide range of other information.

Article Via Synapse Bridge Magazine Volume 19