Just like our body, our brain changes as we age. As we get older, it can become harder to remember the name of a restaurant or where we put our keys. Learning something new may take more time.
According to The Huffington Post, it is largely in our hands to keep our brain healthy and prevent premature aging. Moreover, this starts with our daily habits. Avoiding certain behaviors in particular can have a positive impact on our cognitive health.
Experts were asked about “harmless” habits that we do every day without realizing it, but that can prematurely age our brains. Here are 6 mistakes you should stop as soon as possible:
Table of Contents
Situations such as working remotely, having a new baby, or retiring can cause us to move away from social environments.
Director of the Memory and Healthy Aging Program at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Dr. “It is very common to gradually lose our social circle as life progresses. We need to have a social network that can support us, even if we do not know when we will need it,” said Zaldy Tan.
So how does social interaction affect our brain? Dr. According to Tan, “Every time we meet a new person, new connections are established between the neurons in our brain.” Additionally, a strong social environment improves our mood, which is known to be an important risk factor for depression.
Dr., a member of the American Academy of Neurology and Director of the Memory and Cognition Program at Geisinger Health Center. Although Glen Finney says face-to-face communication is most helpful, he noted that online chats can also be helpful:
“Some people live physically isolated or do not have family and friends nearby. For these people, online communities can become a lifeline.”
2. You always do the same things
Although it is important to keep our brains active, it is not enough to just repeat what we know. Dr. Finney emphasized that the brain needs to step out of its comfort zone:
“Saying, ‘I’m not a kid anymore, I don’t need to learn anything new’ sabotages your brain health and can lead to premature aging.”
Learning something new, like meeting someone new, creates connections between neurons and helps keep the brain young.
“You must constantly expand your mental horizons. If you’ve never played a musical instrument, learn one. If you don’t know a foreign language, learn a new language,” Finney said.
3. You ignore chronic stress
Stress is a part of life, and our bodies can usually handle short-term stressful situations. The problem starts at the point where stress becomes chronic and we don’t deal with it.
Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California (UCSF) and author of the book “The Stress Prescription”. Elissa Epel said, “In modern life, we can remain in a moderate level of stress throughout the day without realizing it. It is possible for us to carry unconscious stress even if it is not actually a stressful event.”
Epel said we should recognize this stress and take time to relax during the day. For example, it may be helpful to focus on the breath or create brief moments of awareness.
He also stated that situations that cause short-term stress on the body (such as cold showers, saunas, high-tempo exercise) provide long-term relief:
“When we can create moments of deep rest during the day, we give our neurons the opportunity to regenerate. This slows down brain aging.”
4. You consume too much ready-made food and packaged meals.
Dr. “As we lead a busy life, it is very easy to choose microwaveable meals or fast food. However, in the long run, this habit is not good for our brain,” said Tan.
Prepared and processed foods are often high in saturated fat and added sugar. Research shows that consuming such foods for many years may increase the risk of dementia.
Dr. “Such foods can cause premature aging of the brain and pave the way for diseases that harm brain health. For example, uncontrolled diabetes has been associated with brain shrinkage,” Finney said.
Of course, it’s not wrong to eat fast food once in a while. However, it is beneficial to choose foods rich in Omega-3 such as green leafy vegetables, fish, olive oil and nuts whenever possible. Omega-3s are known to support memory, learning and cerebral blood flow.
5. You don’t get quality sleep
You may be careful to sleep 7-9 hours every night, but if your sleep quality is low, you may wake up tired in the morning. Sleep quality as well as duration is critical for brain health.
Dr. “During sleep, memories during the day are classified and organized so that we can easily access them when necessary. Additionally, the beta-amyloid protein, which damages the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, is also cleared during sleep,” said Tan.
These processes are interrupted when sleep duration is short or frequently interrupted. Over time, this can lead to difficulty concentrating and memory problems. In the long term, it may accelerate brain aging.
To improve sleep quality, Tan offers the following suggestions:
- Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day.
- Reduce alcohol and liquid consumption before bed.
- Avoid sleeping pills and watching phone or TV in bed.
6. You do not include physical activity in your life
Dr. “Physical exercise — especially cardiovascular exercise, but also muscle-strengthening movements — is critical to keeping the brain young. These types of activities increase growth hormones, which support brain health,” Finney said.
Dr. Tan said that making exercise a lifestyle is more sustainable:
“Activities such as gardening or going for a walk may be more beneficial in the long run than going to the gym for an hour a week.”
Regular physical activity reduces stress and increases blood flow to the brain. This strengthens overall brain health.
Our brain health is largely in our hands
The worst thing we can do for our brains is to accept that things will “naturally” get worse as we get older. Dr. Finney lastly said:
“Just because you are getting older does not mean that everything will get worse. Take care of your brain and body. If you do this, you can age in a much healthier way than you think.”
Source: Newspaper Oxygen
