How to Keep the Brain Healthy as You Age?

Our brains and bodies will shift as we age. For example, you may need help remembering things, or chores take longer. Of course, these changes are natural, but the good news is that you can learn how to keep the brain healthy as you age, help slow any memory deterioration, and reduce your chance of acquiring Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of cognitive decline.

Although important areas of the brain diminish as we age, brain scans of some 75-year-olds mimic those in their 20s or 30s. A new study suggests that some routines help keep the brain healthy as you age. “Contrary to popular belief, cognitive impairment is not unavoidable as you age, and adopting healthy lifestyle practices can greatly minimize your chances for dementia later in life.

This essay will tell you how to keep your mind sharp as you age and 10 ways to keep your brain healthy.

10 Ways to Keep the Brain Healthy as You Age

To keep sharp and build a better brain at any age, you need to change your lifestyle and routines. We will look at 10 different methods “how to keep the brain healthy and active?”

Control Your Cholesterol and Blood Pressure

You must mind your cholesterol and blood pressure to keep your brain healthy and active. High blood pressure and high cholesterol raise your risk of developing heart disease and stroke, all of which are linked to the development of certain kinds of forgetfulness or severe memory problems.

Having good cardiovascular health, including having healthy cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar, and keeping a healthy weight, is connected with higher cognitive performance.

Your doctor can tell you if your levels are within a healthy range and what you can do to enhance or sustain your cardiovascular health.

No Smoking or Drinking Excessive Amounts of Alcohol

To keep the mind sharp as you age, you must refrain from drinking excessively because smoking and excessive drinking raise your risk of dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association recommends that you quit smoking and drink in moderation if you smoke.

On days when alcohol is consumed, the diet guidelines define moderate consumption as fewer than two drinks per day for males and less than one drink per day for women. A “drink” is considered to be 12 oz. of beer, 8 oz. of malt liquor, 5 oz. of wine, or 1.5 oz. of distilled spirits or liquor.

Alcohol use beyond seven units per week is connected with increased brain iron associated with lower cognitive performance, emphasizing the necessity of controlling your alcohol intake. Seven units of alcohol are about equivalent to four bottles of beer or three ordinary glasses of wine.

Exercise Regularly

While the precise advantages of exercising on cognitive health are still being studied, there is significant evidence that physical activity is good for cognitive health. Doing exercise a part of your daily routine can help:

• Reduce stress and improve mood
• Boost blood flow to the brain
• Improve your memory
• Reduce brain inflammation.
• Give your creative thinking a boost.

To achieve a full-body workout, combine it with aerobic activity, weight training, and yoga. You might also start by walking the dog or dancing to your favorite music to get into the habit of being active.

Eat Healthy Food

Certain foods and avoiding others have been found to help you keep sharp, keep your brain healthy, decrease brain aging by 7.5 years, and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

• Lower your consumption of high-calorie foods and processed sugar, and replace them with the following items:
• Vegetables, particularly leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and collards, are high in folate, vitamin E, carotenoids, and flavonoids.
• Cold-water fish with omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and tuna.
• Blueberries and strawberries contain antioxidants, which protect cells from free radicals.
• Use extra-virgin olive oil.
• Nuts such as pistachios, macadamias, and almonds

Socialize

In elderly individuals, social isolation raises the risk of dementia by 50%. The connection is clear. You don’t need a large group of buddies; just a few close buddies would suffice. Instead of making as many friends as possible, concentrate on developing social circles that meet your specific requirements, such as spending more time in your neighborhood, working at a community center, or adopting a pet.

Hearing loss, a typical aging issue, can make socializing difficult. It may be simpler to disengage socially than to cope with humiliation about hearing loss and attempt to rectify it. However, correcting hearing loss is critical for brain health because every 10-decibel loss of hearing reduces cognitive performance. In addition, loneliness causes cortisol levels to rise, which may impair the brain over time.

Quit Bad Habits

Smoking and alcohol abuse are hazardous behaviors. Almost everything done in excess may be harmful in the long run. To be healthy, you must learn how to balance your lifestyle choices. While certain options, such as stopping smoking, may seem clear since there are no health advantages, the hazards include mental impairment, increased chance of dementia, brain volume reduction, and an increased risk of stroke. Other overindulgences, such as excessive risk-taking and excessive sugar consumption, are other behaviors that should be addressed. So take the challenge and quit smoking today for your long-term health.

Take the initiative! Making sensible lifestyle choices like being cognitively and physically active, having a well-balanced diet, and sleeping enough can help us live longer and healthier lives. There is still hope to keep the brain healthy as you age; all we need to do is give it a chance.

Stay Sexually Active

Sexual intimacy, whatever you define it, can be rewarding and help to keep the brain healthy as you age. Sexual activity may promote the release of particular brain chemicals that improve cognitive performance. Consistent sexual activity may be symptomatic of someone who is physically, psychologically, and socially active.

Play Brain Games

Performing brain or memory activities, as well as general games, can help maintain brain health. Although these games will not reverse the effects of aging on the brain, they may help you keep the brain healthy as you age. Furthermore, playing games with friends and family may be part of an active social life, with its own cognitive advantages.

Brain training games, or computerized cognitive training games intended to exercise memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills, can be entertaining and beneficial. However, research on their function in lowering dementia risk has shown inconsistent findings.

Stimulate Your Brain

Having intellectually demanding work and engaging in other activities that challenge your brain may help create a cognitive reserve or the ability to operate effectively despite brain disorders or other problems.

Learning fresh skills is another way to keep your mind engaged. In addition, those connected to adopting new technology may be able to minimize or postpone aging-related cognitive impairments.

Pursue a purpose

Having a life goal is connected with a 30% reduction in Alzheimer’s, regardless of other elements of well-being. It’s protective because it relates to meaningful engagement in life. Socializing is one approach to keeping the mind active. Still, engagement may take many forms, such as writing diaries, caregiving for those in need, working until you’re 80, getting into fitness, or practicing an engaging hobby. It is personal. What is meaningful to one person may be insignificant to another.

Pursuing your “life’s mission” may appear to be a privilege reserved for a select few. On the other hand, fostering a sense of purpose benefits brain health independent of income, status, or degree. Several activities might heighten one’s sense of it. So, “Do what you enjoy.”

Memory Cognitive Exercises in Las Vegas

People who lose cognitive abilities may struggle with fundamental tasks like dressing, washing, and grooming. On the other hand, family members may not have sufficient time, skills, or experience to care for these persons. Our caregivers at Health & Care Professional Network assist your loved ones in keeping the brain healthy as you age by developing independence while enjoying as much social time as possible. Our in-home caregivers will provide services like:

• Companion services
• Mind-Memory cognitive exercises
• Personal care services
• Light housekeeping services

If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring home health care services in Las Vegas, contact us to get helpful information.