10 Steps to Protect Your Brain

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SifuPhil

R.I.P. With Us In Spirit Only
Location
Pennsylvania, USA
Although there are daily advances in the quest to lengthen our lives - along with a lot of snake oil - sometimes it seems all too much to understand. It's as if Gray's Anatomy (the book, not the show) exploded and covered you in a million bits of data.

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It might be easier for some of us to simply remember these 10 points to ensure that our brains remain happy and healthy long into our advanced years ...



  1. Exercise the Body - exercising the body has a rock-solid connection to a healthier brain. It not only improves tone and strength, reduces the chance of osteoporosis and strengthens your heart, it also provides better oxygen and blood circulation and uptake by the brain.
  2. Exercise the Brain - not just crossword puzzles, either. Try using your left hand if you're right-handed, take a new route to the store, mix it up and keep things fresh.
  3. Play Video Games - yes, the same video games that we yell at our grand-kids for playing can help us improve our eye-hand coordination and reflexes.
  4. Laugh a Lot - none of us get out of this alive, so why not laugh? As my teacher always told me, "If you're not laughing you're probably on your way to crying". Laughter releases endorphins that benefit the body and increases the flow of oxygen to the brain.
  5. Try New Things - put yourself in new situations and get out of your rut! New places, people and things force your brain to remain active.
  6. Folic Acid - found in many green veggies and beans, folic acid has a great track-record for improving cognitive functions.
  7. Antioxidants - not just the latest buzzword for TV spokespeople, antioxidants can be found in small red beans, blueberries, red kidney beans, pinto beans and cranberries. Also high in content are artichokes, blackberries, prunes, raspberries, strawberries, and apples.
  8. Supplements and Vitamins - E, C and B12 are the major players in keeping your brain supple
  9. Diet - there are a growing number of people discovering the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, consisting of a diet that has a high intake of vegetables, legumes, fruits, cereals; high intake of unsaturated fatty acids (mostly olive oil), but a low intake of saturated fatty acids; a moderately high intake of fish; a low to moderate intake of dairy products (mostly cheese or yogurt); a low intake of meat and poultry; and a regular but moderate intake of alcohol, primarily wine and with meals.
  10. Enjoy Life! - do what you love, socialize, keep in touch with friends and family. LIVE, don't just exist.
 

Everything except #3, #8 and #9 I've been doing for years.

I do eat a healthy diet consisting of a large variety of natural foods and avoiding man made "foods" .
 

rkunsaw said:
Everything except #3, #8 and #9 I've been doing for years.
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No video games?!? Oh, what a wasted life! ;)

I do eat a healthy diet consisting of a large variety of natural foods and avoiding man made "foods" .
Click to expand...

Yeah, the Med Diet is interesting for me in that when I was growing up all of my Italian relatives - the first ones off the boat - were following that kind of diet, and they were the ones that lived to be 100. Certainly they ranked high on the olive oil and alcohol charts. :D
 
I personally think that playing a musical instrument covers several of these areas. If you do not play something now, you can learn! Just pick something easy to start with like the penny whistle or the ukulele. Find some other folks to play with so you'll get the social aspects of music along with the mental challenge of learning a new "language" and the forced connection of brain, eyes, ears and fingers.
 
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