How To Keep Your Brain Young

Just as we strive to keep our bodies healthy and vibrant, it’s equally important to prioritize the well-being of our brains. As we age, cognitive decline becomes a concern for many, but the good news is that there are effective strategies to keep your brain young, agile, and sharp.

You have more control over your brain health than you may have ever thought possible. Healthy choices, known to be effective for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, are also good for brain health and for reducing the risk of cognitive decline.

By adopting certain habits and lifestyle changes, you can promote brain health, enhance cognitive function, and maintain a youthful mind.

Let’s explore five proven ways to keep your brain at its youthful best. Simple actions you can take to sharpen your brain will keep your memory and thinking in top shape now and in the years to come.

Habits that improve brain wellness

1. Boost your brain power with the right food

• Have beans and other legumes, coconut oil, green, leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, lettuce, and arugula, nuts, either raw or dry roasted, olive oil, cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli, cabbage, garden cress, bok choy, Brussel sprouts, mustard plant etc, whole grains, and white or red wine in moderation.
• Avoid fried foods, white rice, white flour, pastries and desserts and red meat.
• Drink enough water. Symptoms of dehydration include fogginess, dizziness, and lack of concentration.

2. Walk daily

• All exercise is good for your brain, but researchers at New Mexico
• Highlands University, say, walking has significant benefits for your brain.
• The 2017 study, published in the journal ‘Experimental Biology’, observes that “the foot’s impact during walking sends pressure waves through the arteries that significantly modify and can increase the supply of blood to the brain.”

3. Go easy on alcohol

• Drinking too much alcohol slows your reactions, impairs your
• judgment, and can even cause blackouts and memory lapses.
• In the long-term, alcoholabuse can cause permanent brain damage. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism USA, reports that long-term drinking can actually shrink your brain!

4. Combat cortisol

• Chronic stress elevates cortisol levels, which is one of the main
• causes of brain cell death.
• Higher levels of cortisol correlate with shrinkage of the brain’s hippocampus, which is associated with long-term memory.

5. Quit smoking

• Research shows that smokers have a thinner cerebral cortex, the area of the brain responsible for thinking, memory, perception, and language. If you quit smoking, some of the damage can be reversed.
• Smoking also constricts blood flow to your brain and makes your blood more prone to clotting, increasing your risk of stroke.

6. Stop multitasking

• Research from the Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Center, USA, shows that multitasking has big drawbacks.
• When we multitask, our brain is rapidly switching between tasks. This constant switching taxes our brain, tiring it out, and making it less efficient.
• This affects our ability to focus our attention, it makes us more distractible and prone to errors.

7. Speed up metabolism

• According to a 2014 study by McGill University and University of Zurich researchers, published in the journal ‘Nature Communications’, metabolism in brain cells affects how information is signaled.
• Brain glucose metabolism also affects brain function, particularly memory. Research shows that maintaining stable glucose concentrations in your brain is healthier for your brain, and that levels that are too high or low have a negative effect on brain function.

8. Be socially active

• Don’t remain isolated. Have at least a few people in your life you can talk to, have laugh with, and turn to when life gets tough.
• Research associates social activities and social contact with better thinking and memory function and reduced risk for cognitive decline.

9. Avoid chemicals and preservatives

• A 2018 study, published in the journal ‘Indian Journal of Clinical Biochemistry’, shows a connection between pesticides and neurological changes in adults.
• Avoid food with pesticides as much as possible and wash fruits and vegetables under running water.

10. Take probiotics and prebiotics

• The gut is called the ‘second brain’ because it produces many of the same neurotransmitters as the brain does. In fact, it is estimated that 90% of serotonin is made in the digestive tract.
• A 2019 report from the Harvard Health Publishing has found that probiotics may help boost mood and cognitive function and lower stress and anxiety.

Brain exercises to keep it young

Along with the right diet, regular exercise, and sufficient sleep, your brain needs mental stimulation.

Just as training helps you maintain overall physical fitness, brain exercises can help you take charge of your overall mental fitness. They help you maintain a continuing level of mental fitness, strength, and flexibility as you age.

Here are some brain exercises to keep your brain youthful:

• Use your non-dominant hand to do your daily chores, like brushing your teeth or eating with a spoon.
• Without looking, choose clothes with matching or contrasting textures. Using the fingers to make fine distinctions between textures needs the use of the brain areas involved in touch.
• Meditate or simply focus on your breathing. Even a few minutes of this daily can freshen your brain ‘reboot’.
• Find ways of changing your routine, like taking different routes to your destination. Routine behaviours are carried out using minimum brain energy and provide very little brain exercise. The power of the cortex to form new associations is largely unused. Even small changes make your brain work more.
• Switch perspective. So, if you’re usually the driver, switch and ride in the backseat. Your perspective on the drive will be very different.
• Practice tongue twisters or learn a new language.
• Play card or board games and practice crossword puzzles.
• Read aloud with your partner and alternate the roles of reader and listener. A 2011 study published in the journal ‘Psychology and Neuroscience’ showed three distinct brain regions activated when the same word was read, spoken, or heard. So, listening to words activated two distinct areas in the left and right hemispheres of the cortex, while speaking words activated the motor cortex on both sides of the brain as well as another part of the brain called the cerebellum. Just looking at words activated only one area of the cortex in the left hemisphere.

Foods to nourish your brain

Making sure your brain is getting all the nutrients it needs can optimise your focus, memory, and even intelligence, both now and into old age.  

Here are some great foods for boosting your cognitive function:

1. Pumpkin seeds

These nutritious seeds are one of our best natural sources of zinc, which is vital for cognitive function – our ability to think, learn and reason. Try roasted pumpkin seeds sprinkled over a salad or into a soup to add flavour and crunch as well as a boost for your brain.

2. Seaweed

A staple food in Japan, seaweed is well known for its content of health-boosting minerals, particularly iodine. Like magnesium, iodine plays an important role in the health of our nervous system and brain and, like zinc, supports cognitive function.

3. Dark chocolate

Cacao, the raw, pure version of cocoa, is high in flavonols. These plant substances are thought to have a powerful antioxidant effect, including for the brain, and have even been researched for their potential to protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

4. Blueberries and strawberries

The brain is highly susceptible to oxidative damage. Blueberries and strawberries have been shown to have a strong antioxidant capacity. This is thought to be primarily due to blueberries’ content of polyphenols, which may help to protect against oxidative stress and inflammation that can contribute to brain deterioration.

5. Omega-3s

Omega-3 fatty acids provide many benefits, including improving learning and memory and helping to fight against such mental disorders as depression and mood disorders.

Do supplements really improve brain function?

Different lifestyles and age groups need different amounts and types of nutrients. It’s impossible to get all of the nutrients your mind and body need with less than perfect diet, lifestyle, stress, and more.

A good supplement regimen can ensure that you have a great nutritional foundation in keeping your brain young. There’s a range of supplements available, ranging from those that speed up the mind to those that give a gentle boost to your mood. Understanding what you are trying to accomplish with these supplements will determine which you choose.

Here are a few common brain-booster ingredients and brain health supplements:

1. Resveratrol supplements

• Resveratrol is an antioxidant commonly found in the skin of purple and red fruits like grapes, raspberries and blueberries. It’s also found in red wine, chocolate and peanuts.
• According to a 2015 study published in the journal ‘Scientific Reports’, taking resveratrol supplements could prevent the deterioration of the hippocampus, an important part of the brain associated with memory.

2. Creatine supplements

• According to 2011 research that appears in the ‘british Journal of Nutrition’, creatine supplements can improve memory and thinking skills in people who don’t eat meat.

3. Acetyl-L-carnitine supplements

• Several studies, including those published in the journals ‘International Journal of Clinical Pharmacological Research’, ‘Annals of New York Academy of Sciences’ and The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews’ have found that Acetyl-L-carnitine supplements might be a useful for slowing the decline in brain function due to age.
• They may also be useful for improving brain function in people with mild dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Other than these, herbs like Brahmi, Gotu Kola, Ashwagandha and Ginkgo Biloba, as also mushrooms like Lion's Mane, Reishi and Chaga mushroom are known to be effective for brain health.

The supplements are available in the form of capsules, pills, tablets, gummies, liquids and powders.

Lifestyle changes in how to keep your brain young

1. Have a clean, green diet

• This includes whole foods like veggies and fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy foods, and fish, and skimps on red meat, harmful fats, sweets, and sugary drinks.
• A healthy diet also helps shed the extra pounds that impact your brain health. Obesity impacts brain volume, executive function skills, cognitive development and can lead to a higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

2. Get moving

• Cardiovascular exercise helps reduce blood pressure by making arteries more pliable, so blood can flow through them more freely.
• It also gets your heart pumping, which boosts the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your brain.
• Regular exercise also elevates mood. It lowers blood pressure that reduces your risk of a stroke.

3. Get a good night’s sleep

• When measuring sleepiness, scientists found that people with sleep deprivation had lower alertness and concentration.
• They also found it is more difficult to concentrate and pay attention, making it easier for you get confused and not remember things as they happened.

4. Meditate to de-stress

• A 2010 study from The University of North Carolina has found that meditating for as little as 20 minutes a day, over just four days, can be enough to improve cognitive skills.

Conclusion

With our life spans getting healthier, the issue of preserving our mental capabilities throughout is a top concern. Research shows that stimulation keeps your brain engaged and can be one of the best ways in how to keep your brain young.

A youthful brain is within your reach if you're willing to make conscious efforts to prioritize its health. Whether it is eating to boost brain wellness, exercising daily, getting good-quality sleep, stressing less, and trying out brain exercises, you can not only retain your cognitive abilities, but also improve them, no matter your age.

Remember, it’s never too late to start implementing these habits and incorporating them into your lifestyle. Embrace these practices, enjoy the journey, and experience the joy of a youthful, resilient, and brilliant mind. Your brain will thank you for it as you continue to navigate life with clarity, creativity, and an ageless intellect.