Brain Building

HOW TO KEEP YOUR MIND YOUNG

BY MIMI GREENWOOD KNIGHT

I ran into my elementary school bus driver the other day. She seemed ancient when I was a kid. Yet, as we chatted, she asked after each of my siblings by name. Y’all, I’m one of 12 kids. This sweet lady remembered each one of us and an estimate of how old we’d be now. What should I be doing now to have a brain like that at her age?

STAY MENTALLY STIMULATED

When was the last time you took up a new hobby or delved into a new area of study? Research shows that brainy activities stimulate new connections between nerve cells and may even help the brain generate new cells. This neuroplasticity is a result of mental stimulation. So, work on word puzzles. Assemble jigsaws. Tackle math problems. Draw and paint. Garden. Learn to knit. Teach yourself to juggle. These and other activities are fun ways to wake up new areas of your brain.

EXERCISE

Using your muscles helps your mind. It’s believed that exercise does this by increasing the number of tiny blood vessels that bring oxygen-rich blood to the region of the brain responsible for thought. Additionally, exercise spurs the development of new nerve cells and increases the connections between brain synapses, resulting in brains that are more efficient and adaptive. Exercise also lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels, helps balance blood sugar, and reduces mental stress, all things that can help your brain — and your heart.

EAT RIGHT

Eating high-quality foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress (free radicals). A diet high in vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, seafood, and lean protein and low in processed foods and refined sugars is believed to ward off mental decline, dementia, and even depression.

MAINTAIN HEALTHY BLOOD PRESSURE, BLOOD SUGAR, AND CHOLESTEROL

Eating this brain-healthy diet will also help maintain healthy blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, which in turn decreases your chance of decline. Commit to staying lean, exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep, limiting alcohol consumption, reducing stress, and eating right in middle age to head off dementia and Alzheimer’s in old age.

SAY “NO” TO TOBACCO

In case you needed one more reason not to smoke, here it is. Tobacco, in all its forms, has been linked to mental decline. If you smoke, stop. If you don’t, don’t start.

LIMIT ALCOHOL

Chronic alcohol consumption has been shown to have a profound impact on the brain’s complex structures and to increase the risk factors for dementia. If you drink, limit yourself to one to two drinks per day.

MAINTAIN SOCIAL TIES

Research increasingly shows that strong social ties are crucial for brain health. Socializing can stimulate attention and memory and help to strengthen neural networks. If you don’t currently have much of a social life, consider starting a bunko or bridge group in your neighborhood. Join a small group at church. Take a night class. Join a gym. Use an app like Meetup to find interesting local group activities or hobbies. Or look up old friends and reconnect.