I recently read an interesting article about 7 ways to keep your brain young. I’d like to summarize them for you here.
1. Surf
Did you know that surfing was good for your brain? No, not the kind you do in the ocean, but the Internet variety.
UCLA scientists tell us that searching the Net engages decision making and complex reasoning parts of our brain. Their studies found that Internet searching uses neural circuitry that’s not activated during reading – but only in people with prior Internet experience. It was shown that those who repeatedly do Internet searches use 3x more brain power than those who are using the Internet for the first time, so, it is important to spend time every day – or at least a few times a week regardless of the depth or seriousness of the topic.
2. Drink Sparingly
A lot of health related blogs and newsletters are touting the benefits of drinking red wine these days, but studies caution that alcohol consumption must be kept to no more than one drink a day in order to be effective for brain stimulation. There have been studies that show that too much alcohol actually decreases brain volumn. Women are more susceptible to this than men.
3. Exercise
We know that exercise is good for the cardiovascular system and to keep our bones healthy, but now we are being shown that regular workouts actually reverse the aging of the brain. Aerobic exercise has been shown to actually help sharpen thought. When the setting used to exercise is tree-lined and peace filled, memory tests even show greater improvement.
4. Eat Blueberries
New research continues to show that blueberries may help sharpen your thought processes. Oxidative stress can be counteracted by eating blueberries and researchers continue to show that blueberries contain chemicals that can ultimately improve both learning and memory. (I just ate some while writing this article – I’ll let you know!)
5. Play Sudoku
A mom, at the age of 91, remains mentally sharp and studies have also proved that older men and women who spend time doing brainteasers or games like Sudoku or the Crossword puzzle, significantly sharpen their mental abilities.
6. Meditate
A new study from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston discovered that meditation not only reduces stress, but actually increase brain cortex growth which controls memory, language and sensory processing. It seems as though quieting the mind actually helps to improve mental acuity.
Just fifteen minutes a day can make a significant difference.
7. Dental Hygiene
This one surprised me most – brushing and flossing have actually been linked to cognitive health, according to a team of British psychiatrists and dentists. The subject studied were from 20 to 59 and the findings show that gingivitis and periodontal disease were associated with worse cognitive function throughout adult life – not just in later years.
