WHAT
BETTER WAY TO CELEBRATE ANOTHER TRIP AROUND THE SUN THAN WITH SOME HEALTHY NEW
YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FOR THE COMING YEAR 2013...
HOPE YOU ARE FEELING IN THE PINK AND SET TO INVENT YOURSELF ALL OVER AGAIN...... A LITTLE OLDER, A LITTLE WISER BUT STILL YOUNG AT HEART!
Credit: dreamstime.
Credit: Steve Knight (stevekrh19)
Credit: dreamstime.
Mental prowess
We
expect the prowess of our joints and lungs to slowly decline as we age,
but the thought of our minds doing the same is intolerable. Here are
some top prevention tips worth their weight in wits, plus a few to
forget.
Do something!
Scientists are starting to think that regular aerobic exercise
may be the single most important thing you can do for the long-term
health of your brain. While the heart and lungs respond loudly to a
sprint on the treadmill, the brain is quietly getting fitter with each
step, too. For mental fitness, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical
activity every other day.
Eat, eat, eat
Too much or too little energy throws a kink in the brain’s delicate machinery. A low glycemic diet
— high fiber, with moderate amounts of fat and protein — is broken down
more slowly in the body than high glycemic foods, such as sweets and
white starches. A steady pace of digestion in the gut gives a more
reliable flow of energy to the brain, likely optimizing the organ’s
long-term health and performance.
Watch that diet
While
overindulging can make the brain sluggish and lead to long-term
detriments to your brain, too few calories can also impair brain
function. Extreme dieting can cause some diehards to feel stretches of calm
— a feeling that may underlie the addiction of anorexia — but many
studies have also linked dieting with distraction, confusion and memory
impairment.
Take care of your body
Largely preventable diseases
— such as Type II diabetes, obesity and hypertension — all affect your
brain, too. System-wide health concerns have been linked to an increased
risk of cognitive decline and memory impairments. Keeping your
circulatory system in working order, by, say, avoiding cigarettes and
saturated fat, lessens the onslaught of age-related damage to the brain.
Get your beauty rest
When we rest and dream,
memories are sifted through, some discarded, others consolidated and
saved. When we don't sleep, a recent study found, proteins build up on
synapses, possibly making it hard to think and learn new things.
Furthermore, chronically sleeping poorly (in contrast to not enough) is
linked to cognitive decline in old age, although the relationship may
not be causal.
Credit: Dreamstime
Enjoy your coffee
Growing
evidence suggests a caffeine habit may protect the brain. According to
large longitudinal studies, two to four perk-me-ups a day may stave off
normal cognitive decline and decrease the incidence of Alzheimer's by 30
to 60 percent. It is unclear whether the benefits come from caffeine or
the antioxidants found in coffee and tea, but that latte may improve cognition this afternoon and several decades from now.
Eat fish
Some theories credit the introduction of fish into the human diet with the evolution of our tremendous cognitive prowess.
Essential fatty acids, such as Omega 3s, are critical to brain function
and are proving beneficial for treating such brain-sapping ailments as
depression. Studies on the efficacy of Omega 3 supplements, however,
have had mixed results, so get doses from food sources, such as flax
seeds, fatty fish and grass-fed animals.
Credit: Dreamstime
Chill out
Stress takes a toll on the brain
by washing harmful chemicals over the hippocampus and other brain areas
involved in memory. Some scientists suspect that living a balanced
lifestyle and pursuing relaxing activities such as yoga, socializing and
crafting may delay memory impairment by reducing stress.
Skip the supplements
Supplements have been getting a bad rap
recently, with even the familiar multivitamin now looking like a waste
of money — or worse. Brain pills, such as ginkgo and melatonin, likely
belong in the trash as well. Despite their "natural" origins, they are
not free of potential side effects, such as high blood pressure,
digestion trouble, fertility problems and depression. And among healthy
individuals, ginkgo offers no brain benefits beyond that of a placebo.
(In some cases, the placebo worked better.)
Credit: Jane M Sawyer / MorgueFile
Credit: Jane M Sawyer / MorgueFile
Tease your brain
Whether crossword puzzles, sudokus and other brain teasers actually keep your brain in shape, has not been well-established. However, lack of education is
a strong predictor of cognitive decline. The more you've tried to
learn, the better you'll be at mental sit-ups in old age. The key may be
tackling something new; the challenge of the unknown is likely more
beneficial than putting together the same jigsaw puzzle over and over
again.
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