BETTER YOUR BRAIN HEALTH

ounces of water first thing pays brain dividends. Remember, your brain has shrunk during sleep to remove waste, and has gone without fluids for eight hours. Rehydrating your brain and helping move those waste products out of your system is a simple but vital morning routine.

Movement

We mainly think of brain health in terms of ways to improve cognitive function, but this central command center is integral to every function in the body. We often forget that the brain is an organ in the body that is highly affected and influenced by its surroundings. Looking at the brain through the lens of supporting the organ offers a multifaceted approach to optimizing the health of this incredible network system.

Sleep

Perhaps one of the most critical factors in the health of our brains is our sleep. The reason quality sleep is so vital is that it is the only time the brain repairs itself, clears toxins, gets rid of metabolic waste and builds new neural connections. The brain actually shrinks during sleep so that the glymphatic system (think lymphatic system for the brain) washes away waste and toxins as well as redistributes key nutrients to the brain. Good glymphatic flow should be a high priority for brain health. Quality sleep and a good circadian rhythm directly improve glymphatic flow. Poor circadian rhythm is linked to mood swings, poor vision, weight gain, slower learning, IBS, migraines, impaired memory, increased inflammation and brain fog, just to name a few.

Light

A key way to improve your sleep and circadian rhythm is to use the most powerful circadian modulator: light. Viewing early morning sun outdoors for 10 minutes (20 minutes for cloudy days) starts to improve your sleep-wake cycle for the day, increasing melatonin production for later while lowering cortisol levels.

Morning sun sets you up for a better night’s sleep and a more wakeful day. You don’t need to look directly into the sun (it should never be painful). Sunglasses nullify the benefits of sun exposure to the eyes. Similarly, getting late-day sun improves melatonin release and helps improve your circadian cycle and signaling. This also means to avoid bright lights at night and especially avoid any bright light exposure if you wake up during your sleep. By bombarding ourselves with artificial light from screens in the evening, we disrupt the natural cueing for our sleep-wake cycles along with a cascade of biological processes vital to good health.

Hydration

Your most important first cup of the day for good brain health is water. Pausing on the coffee for just a few moments to get 16–20

Daily exercise has continued to show it surpasses any pharmaceutical intervention for brain health on the market, and it is free. Don’t limit your idea of exercise to a class or a gym, it is about movement and novelty, every day and throughout your day. With some easy shifts and tweaks, your movement can be brain power. One tweak is to simply pick up your walking pace. Studies are showing walking speed has a strong correlation to increased longevity. Challenging yourself to walk more briskly so you are still able to talk but not be able to hold long conversations is a good gauge. Taking the brisk walk outside makes it a double win with the benefit of sunlight exposure.

Adding balance exercises and novelty to your movement is also an essential and often missing piece. Think playful and fun. Heel to toe walking, single leg balance, adding a ball toss or eye movement while doing balance work are all ways to challenge yourself and stimulate the brain while providing needed stress breaks in your day. Think of them as movement snacks. Playing a game, learning a new skill or simply finding different and unique ways to move throughout the day is an invaluable piece in enhancing your brain’s plasticity.