Natural Tips for Brain Health
By the age of 60, there is a 50 percent chance you will be struggling with impaired cognitive function in some form. For some, the warning signs begin well before 60. But wait, there's hope. Cognitive decline isn't inevitable. In fact, you have a lot more power than you might think when it comes to protecting your brain health and function.
Here’s your guide to the most common forms of cognitive decline and what you can do to protect your brain’s health throughout your lifespan.
I forgot. . . Do you find yourself uttering these two little words more than you write your own name? Your brain works much like a computer, storing information you may want or need to recall later. However, as time marches forward, the space begins to reach capacity, making it difficult to keep all the files neatly in place for easy access. So, your brain begins to prioritize information, deciding which memories stay and which ones go in order to make room for new memories.
I don’t remember . . . You know that you put your keys down when you walked in the door, but where are they now? This lack of recall is generally called absentmindedness. It is actually not the result of lost memories, but an issue of focus. Since you probably weren’t consciously paying attention to wear you put down your keys, the brain never registered that the act ever took place. If your brain didn’t know it happened, you can’t recall the information.
What’s that place called again . . . Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation and can’t recall the names, dates or other relevant facts of the story, only to have it come to you moments, or worse, hours after the conversation is over? Scientists call this blocking or impaired processing speed. The information is there, in your brain, but it has been incorrectly filed, making immediate recall difficult.
Each of these issues are related to parts of your brain that play a role in what’s call your working memory. It is a fragile system. And, researchers say that with the leaps being made in technology, i.e., constant distractions from smartphones, the working memory of many young people is also fraying.
What can you do to protect your brain and working memory naturally?
Researchers are currently experimenting with various protocols to help older adults restore memory, according to the DANA Foundation. The experiments are as simple as putting older adults through a series of working memory tasks, testing the notion “practice makes perfect” even when it comes to restoring memory.
Though the best games for improving your brain health and function are still in the testing phases, you can conduct your own experiment, making “brain games,” such as crosswords, math puzzles and memory quizzes part of your daily routine. While you may not which ones will be ranked “best,” you do know that the exercises will benefit your brain.
Mental exercise isn’t the only type of exercise that’s good for your brain. Studies over the last decade have concluded numerous times over that physical exercise is as vital to long-term cognitive health and function as those hours logged on “brain games” or in a classroom. Make time to for physical movement to boost both your brain and body power.
One thing researchers do know is that proper nutrition promotes brain health. A diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables, exposes you to much-needed phytochemicals that are ripe with antioxidant properties to protect the cells of your brain. And you already know that omega-3 rich fish is the ultimate brain food. Even certain herbs, like gingko biloba, brahmi, toothed club moss—herbs you can’t find just anywhere—support brain health. Getting that daily dose of fruits, vegetables, fish and exotic herbs in your diet can be challenging, which is why it can be helpful to include nutritional supplements in your daily regimen.
Renowned neurologist, Dr. Russell Blaylock has one reminder for patients, “To see effective results from any lifestyle change or supplement regimen, you have to be consistent and you have to give it time. Making a change for a day, a week or a month won’t get you the results you seek. Dedicate at least 12 weeks—of consistent effort—to your cause, then assess efficacy and adjust as needed.”
