Shake Up Your Brain!
The uplifting news is that while the brain will wear and tear with age, it can get more vital if you continue to engage it. Yes, that is some of the advice Dr. Sanja Gupta, Chief Medical Correspondent at CNN, recommends in his new book, “Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age.”
Shaking up your brain means getting it out of its comfort zone, which will recruit new neural pathways that connect different parts of your brain that you aren’t usually using. In simple terms, of the millions of pathways in the brain, you’re only good at using 100,000 of them. By learning new things all the time, you’re creating new ancillary roads and trails in the brain. These new pathways build resilience against disease later on.
Making lifestyle changes before cognitive decline occurs can also lower the likelihood of developing cognitive dysfunction. You learned from the article HERE that the MIND diet promotes brain health. Adding more vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish, and olive oil is critical for your vascular system, and the brain will benefit as much as your heart.
Read HERE about twelve ‘dirty dozen’ myths about the aging brain. Then, get that brain exercising!