Neuroscience: 5 Ways to Optimize Brain Health in 2024

When making your New Year’s resolution, consider optimizing your brain health. According to Forbes Health, the top New Year’s resolution for 2023 was to improve mental health, and the top goal for 2024 was to improve physical health.

Other popular goals for 2024 include losing weight and improving your diet. A resolution to improve your brain health should top the list of all New Year’s resolutions as it will include improving your physical and mental health.. Additionally, optimizing brain health makes it easier to achieve other general goals, such as making more money, getting a new job, and improving relationships.

Brain problems can affect people at any age, so it’s never too early to develop good habits that optimize brain health.

Social connections

Spending time with family and friends is a great way to keep your brain healthy. Chief Surgeon Vivek Murthy said loneliness is at the heart of a growing mental health crisis.

The Surgeon General’s report on the healing effects of social connections and community notes that a lack of social connections is as unhealthy as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Additionally, poor social relationships can increase the risk of stroke by 32% and increase the risk of dementia by 50% in older adults. Research has also shown that lonely people are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.

Toxic relationships can also negatively impact your brain health, so the new year may be a good time to put an end to those relationships.

One study found that the following factors put people at risk of social isolation: female gender, lower levels of education, divorce, poor self-rated health, depression, lack of social support, inadequate cognitive function, and underlying disorders. While everyone needs to work on their social connections, people who fall into the above categories should be vigilant in improving them.

Children are not immune to the effects of social isolation. The Surgeon General’s report also found that children who lack social connections are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety. They are also more likely to attempt suicide. An increasingly alarming issue is screen time, which can contribute to social isolation at a young age.

Parents should offer their children alternatives to screen time, such as encouraging nature walks, board games, outdoor play, and other activities that encourage creativity.. Encouraging these good habits can have a lasting impact on a child’s developing brain.

Exercise and physical activity

Practicing physical activity does wonders for keeping your brain healthy. Activities that increase your heart rate improve blood circulation. Research has shown that students who regularly engage in physical activity, including organized sports, perform better academically than their peers who do not engage in regular physical activity.

In addition, children and adults who engage in regular physical activity are less likely to suffer from mood and anxiety problems and are more likely to get a good night’s sleep.. Playing sports also boosts a child’s confidence, which can lead to success later in life. An additional benefit of physical activity is that greater physical activity is associated with a lower likelihood of developing cognitive problems such as Alzheimer’s dementia later in life.

During office visits, I like to test what the human body is capable of. Depending on your physical condition, we can design exercises that are right for you. For some people this may be a daily walk, for others it may be exercise while sitting or in bed. For those who can live a more active lifestyle, more rigorous exercise programs may be worth considering. In some cases, I recommend a physical therapist or personal trainer.

Sleep

Good sleep is very important for optimizing brain function. Sleep has many benefits, but I will mention just a few.. Research has shown that memory consolidation occurs during deeper stages of sleep and that sleep removes toxins from the brain, including those associated with Alzheimer’s dementia. Sleep increases cognitive abilities and improves the ability to multitask; Good sleep will also allow you to be more creative. Sleep disturbances are associated with depression and other mental disorders.

The amount of sleep you need varies depending on your age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises students to get plenty of sleep to help them stay focused and improve their academic performance. In addition, the study Harvard found that sleep deficiency in adults is associated with dementia.

Healthy diet

We all need to be aware of what we put into our bodies.. Depending on pre-existing conditions, there are many diets that can be taken into consideration. Neurologists often recommend the Mediterranean diet because a large body of research has shown that it helps prevent dementia and slows the process in those diagnosed with dementia.

I typically analyze the patient’s current diet to see what foods they need and analyze what foods may be common in their culture. We can then look at what they could eliminate or add to their diet to improve their brain health.

I often find that patients’ diets are already relatively healthy and contain many key elements for brain health. Many patients will benefit from a formal consultation with a nutritionist and nutritionist, who will spend much more time reviewing the nuances of diet with them.

Visit a doctor or other health care professional

It is important to remember that websites and other automated technologies are not the best sources of information about your health.. It’s best to get personalized advice tailored to your situation, so build a relationship with a healthcare professional.

I have seen many patients who have suffered a stroke or other catastrophic neurological disease and have family members say that the person was “perfectly healthy.” Then when I ask them to connect me with their doctor, they tell me that the last time the person saw a doctor was 10, 20, or even more years ago. Not going to the doctor does not mean being healthy.

Despite taking all of the above measures to optimize your brain health, it is still possible that you have underlying medical conditions that are working against your brain. Diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can silently cause progressive damage to the brain and blood vessels.

Therefore, it is important to visit your doctor regularly to check for these conditions and help you manage them. It’s also important to visit your dentist regularly, as poor oral health is also linked to dementia and stroke.

Tobacco, alcohol and illicit substances such as cocaine can also cause long-term brain damage. Your doctor can help you quit smoking, and if illicit substance use is a problem, you can attend programs to quit smoking. Current guidelines recommend limiting alcohol consumption.

As we prepare to celebrate another new year, there is no better time than now to resolve to optimize your brain health. More than 6.2 million Americans over 65 have dementia; Each year in the United States, more than 795,000 people have a stroke, and many more live with depression and anxiety. By acting now, you can minimize your risk of developing these and other diseases in the years to come.

*According to information from Forbes USA