How to Improve Your Brain’s Health By Paul Nussbaum, Ph.D., ABPPV
About the Author Doctor Nussbaum serves as the National Director of Brain Health for Emeritus Senior Living. He is a board-certified clinical psychologist specializing in neuropsychology. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology and American Academy of Clinical Psychology. Having earned Phi Beta Kappa and his Doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Arizona in 1991, Dr. Nussbaum completed his internship and Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, where he serves as an adjunct Professor in Neurological Surgery. He is the Founder and President of Brain Health Center, Inc. that integrates critical aspects of wellness with clinical approaches to provide a holistic approach to overall wellness and brain health. The Center serves to both educate and apply Dr. Nussbaum’s approach to wellness across the lifespan relying on his Brain Health LifestyleŽ. The Center works with individuals and companies, organizations, and schools across the world. Doctor Nussbaum has 25 years experience in the care of older persons suffering dementia, head injury, and related neuropsychiatric disorders. An expert in neuroanatomy and human behavior, Dr. Nussbaum has published many peer reviewed articles, books, and chapters within the scientific community. He also serves on the editorial boards for several scientific and clinical journals. Dr. Nussbaum is an international leader in the area of brain health lifestyle. His books on brain health including his 2010 Save Your
Brain (named top five in brain fitness by AARP) is an easy to read and informative guide to increasing the health of your brain. Doctor Nussbaum educates the general public on the basics of the human brain and how to keep the brain healthy over the entire lifespan. He has presented his views on brain health at the United Nations, National Press Club, and CSPAN. His keynote presentations are both informative and fun and he is often interviewed by the local and national press/media. Dr. Nussbaum serves as Chief Scientific Officer for many diverse companies and health consultant to others. His work bridges neuroscience to the general public.
The Pillars of Brain Health There are five major pillars that need to be engaged in order to create a healthy brain. These are: • • • • •
Mental Stimulation Nutrition Physical Activity Socialization Spirituality
We will explore these five pillars in this booklet. Each pillar, on its own, has shown to slow the progress of dementia and/or stave off its effects. When all five pillars are engaged, the more healthy your brain becomes. People with healthy brains are at much less risk of showing the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Mental Stimulation Staying mentally active is a major key in maintaining brain health. Those who continue learning new things throughout life and challenging their brains are less likely to develop dementia. It’s as simple as that. When it comes to your brain, you either “use it or lose it.” Here are a few ways you can exercise your brain cells and keep your mind sharp.
Learn something new
Learning involves structural, chemical, and functional changes in your brain that can boost your brain health. Research shows that continuing education is a major factor contributing to brain longevity and health by helping lay down a rich network of neural associations, which helps delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. So study a foreign language, learn to play a musical instrument, or read the newspaper or a good book. The greater the novelty and challenge, the larger the deposit in your brain reserves.
Practice memorization
Start with something short, progressing to something a little more involved, such as all of the presidents of the United States, in chronological order. Create rhymes and patterns to strengthen your memory connections.
Enjoy strategy games and puzzles
Brain teasers and strategy games provide a great mental workout and build your capacity to form and retain cognitive associations. Do a crossword puzzle, play board games or cards, or work word and number games, such as Scrabble or Sudoku.
Start a hobby
Manual skills that require an element of hand-eye coordination and a certain amount of mental calculation – such as knitting, painting, wood carving, and sculpting – are great ways to stimulate your brain. Having a hobby means having a challenged brain. The more hobbies you have, the more robust your brain’s neural networks. It can also give you a whole new reason for getting out of bed in the morning.
Follow the road less traveled
The best environment for your brain is the complex and new. Take a trip to somewhere you’ve never been before. Leaving familiar surroundings exposes you to different stimuli and engages your brain in fresh and often challenging ways. For ideas closer to home, take a new route to the grocery store, eat with your non-dominant hand, or rearrange your furniture. Varying your habits regularly helps create new brain pathways.
Nutrition Although your brain is only two percent of your body mass, it uses 20 to 30 percent of the body’s energy. It uses 25 percent of the blood from every heartbeat. Your brain needs massive amounts of energy in comparison with the other organs in your body. Because it is in such a constant state of need, it requires the proper nutrition to keep it functioning at its peak. Here are some of the most important nutrients your brain needs every day.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
gone,” new studies show that the brain does, in fact, make new cells. Scientists are beginning to discover that the loss of mental agility has less to do with how many brain cells you have and more with the ability of the cells to communicate with each other. By making cell membranes more fluid, omega-3 fatty acids improve communication between the brain cells. Additionally, DHA, one form of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, makes up a large portion of the gray matter of the brain. Here are some foods with particularly high levels of omega-3s. • Fish, particularly wild salmon, herring and sardines (avoid fish that contain high levels of mercury, including mackerel, tuna, swordfish, shark, tilefish, orange roughy, bluefish and grouper) • Flax seeds and flaxseed oil • Walnuts
Antioxidants
Antioxidants, simply stated, are molecules that stop other molecules from oxidizing. If you’ve ever seen a car or a tin car eroded by rust, you’ve seen the effects of oxidation. When it comes to brain health, antioxidants have been shown to be powerful tools in helping both prevent and reverse the loss of mental function. Foods high in antioxidants include: • Blueberries and other berries • Small, red beans and other beans • Green and white tea • Red wine and dark chocolate • Supplements such as grapeseed extract, astaxanthin, and resveratrol
Water
Given that your brain is about 80 percent water, you need lots of it to maintain optimum brain health – you should drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. Even slight dehydration can raise stress hormones, which can damage your brain over time. Plain water is best – coffee, soda, and alcohol all have side effects that are either bad for the brain of inhibit water’s benefit. Herbal teas are fine and green tea is good for brain function as it contains chemicals that enhance mental relaxation and alertness.
Physical Activity Most people are aware that exercise improves physical health. It strengthens muscles (including the heart), burns calories, and lowers blood pressure, among other benefits. But exercise has also been shown to improve brain health. According to the Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation, physical exercise reduces your risk of developing the disease by 50 percent. It accomplishes this amazing feat in a number of important ways.
Increases blood flow to the brain
A steady, healthy flow of blood to the brain is important for two reasons. First, the blood brings oxygen and other nutrients to the brain, which is essential for the brain to function. Second, the blood washes away waste that has been linked to dementia.
Reverses the negative effects of stress
Physical activity releases hormones that soothe the brain and provide a nourishing environment for the growth of brain cells. Researchers have also discovered that people under stress who exercise regularly had fewer signs of aging brain cells.
Improves learning
Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals, which help make new brain cells. This makes it easier to learn. More complicated activities, like playing tennis or taking a dance class, provide the biggest brain boost because the addition of coordination challenges your brain even more.
Lifts depression
Exercise appears to stimulate the growth of neurons in certain brain regions, acting as a natural mood elevator. One study found that three sessions of yoga per week boosted participants’ levels of the brain chemical GABA, resulting in a better mood and decreased anxiety.
Fends off memory loss
Studies have shown that elderly adults who engaged in even a small amount of exercise – short walks, gardening, cleaning – scored better on mental tests that those who didn’t exercise at all. Those who were the most active scored the best and showed the least amount of mental decline.
Socialization As human beings, we have an innate desire to interact with other people. More than just the desire to make our lives more interesting, numerous studies have concluded that socializing with others actually improves our health.
Increases blood flow to the brain
A steady, healthy flow of blood to the brain is important for two reasons. First, the blood brings oxygen and other nutrients to the brain, which is essential for the brain to function. Second, the blood
The importance of connection
The need for socialization begins at birth. Babies who are regularly touched and get lots of attention from a caregiver gain weight faster, develop stronger immune systems, crawl and walk sooner, sleep more soundly and cry less than babies deprived of close physical contact. As we age, connecting with others broadens our life experience, helps us feel less alone in the world, and enriches our ability to succeed and be happy. All of this enhances our health. Not surprisingly, research has shown that happier people get sick less often and recover faster when they do get sick.
The impact on the brain
But what about our minds? Can socialization help us think better and preserve our brain health as we age? Numerous studies have concluded that it can. A recent study1 focused on the effects of socialization on the brain health of older Americans. It showed that individuals in their 50s and 60s who engaged in a lot of social activity also had the slowest rate of memory decline. In fact, compared to those who were the least socially active, study subjects who had the highest social integration scores had less than half the rate of memory loss. The conclusion was that becoming socially engaged makes you mentally engaged, which enhances brain health.
Make socializing a priority
The benefits of human connection are numerous. Not only does human interaction make life more enjoyable, it actually enhances the quality of both your physical and mental well-being. Because the benefits are so bountiful, it’s important to make socializing a priority. This can often be a challenge for people who are retired, who face health challenges, or someone who suddenly finds themselves alone after the loss of a loved one. Here are some tips to make it easier. • If you can’t get out due to health restrictions, invite people to come and visit. Sometimes people need to be “invited” because they don’t want to drop by unannounced. • Prioritize having a social life no matter where you live or how you feel. You don’t have to have numerous social events on the calendar. Any time that you are with other people is a social event. • Be a planner. Every day, plan some activity that will allow you to talk to other people. If you’re able to leave the house, go to a shopping mall and chat with people who work in the store. Shopping is a good way to strike up a conversation. • Try new ways of meeting people. Join a book club, a card group, church choir, or volunteer at a local hospital or shelter. Anything you can think of that gets you out of the house and enjoying the world around you is a benefit to healthy aging.
1
The American Journal of Public Health, July 2008
Spirituality The topic of spirituality makes some people nervous. When we speak of spirituality, we’re talking about connecting with whatever brings you peace and comfort. For some, this is religion. For others, this can be as simple as slowing down, being reflective, and finding time to simply be still.
The mind/body/spirit connection
The medical community used to scoff at the idea that a person’s spirituality could influence medical outcomes. However, recent studies have made many physicians take a second look. Research shows that things such as positive beliefs, comfort and strength gained from religion, and meditation and prayer can contribute to healing and a sense of well-being. In a recent survey, 95% of American physicians said that spirituality is important to the wellbeing of their patients. Other findings include: • Daily prayer or meditation enhances the immune system. • Attending a formal place of worship relates to a longer and
happier life. • Religious involvement is associated with less physical disability and less depression.
Brain health
Because everything in our bodies is connected, an increase in overall health leads to a healthier brain. So adding spirituality – whatever that looks like to you – into your daily life is a good thing. If we look at the positive aspect of simply slowing down, we discover that animal brains stop developing when exposed to too much stimulation. By slowing down, we give our brain a rest, allowing it to recharge, so it is able to receive new input. Research also indicates slowing down can reduce stress, which may then have positive effects on both the heart and the brain.
Learning to be still
Many people find it challenging to be still. We’ve been trained to multitask and get things done. Slowing down goes against everything we’ve been taught. It’s no wonder simply being still is a challenge to so many. The easiest way to become still is to focus on your breathing. Become conscious of each inhale and exhale. Start to breathe in more deeply. Get to the point where the length of the inhale and exhale are approximately the same. As you pay attention to your breathing, you may find that your belly is not moving. Correct this by softening, relaxing, and stretching the abdominal wall. As your breath becomes balanced, your mind becomes balanced. As your deep breath becomes a way of being, you’ll discover your mind will shut off, giving it – and your body – a chance to relax and rejuvenate. For more ideas on how to improve your brain’s health, please visit www.emeritus.com.