Try These Lifestyle Tips to Boost Your Brain Health

Everyday Habits for Improved Brain Health

Have you noticed that the older you get, the more you forget names, misplace your keys and just can’t seem to remember to take the meat out of the freezer?

While memory changes are a normal part of the aging process, there’s a lot you can do at home to keep your brain health up to scratch.

Monitor What You Eat

How you fuel your body has a huge impact on your brain health. The MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet, which combines the principles of the Mediterranean and DASH diets, is designed to support brain health and combat aging-related memory loss.

The MIND diet emphasizes brain-healthy foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, healthy fats and lean proteins. MIND-friendly foods you can incorporate into your lifestyle include:

• Leafy green vegetables (e.g., spinach and kale)
• Berries
• Nuts
• Olive oil
• Fish (especially fatty fish like salmon, sardines and anchovies)
• Beans

In addition to the above foods, those following the MIND diet should avoid ultra-processed foods, especially those high in sodium, refined sugar and saturated fat, all of which can have a negative effect on brain health.

Keep Your Body Moving

Our brains like it when we move our bodies. Adults who engage in moderate exercise at least 150 minutes per week can experience brain health benefits like better problem-solving, stronger retention and improved memory.

But how you move matters. While cardio and resistance training can each boost your brain health, the best workout routines incorporate both. That’s because they engage different parts of the brain. So, if you want to keep your brain in tip-top shape, make sure you schedule some days where you’re getting your heart rate up and others where you’re working your muscles.

Try Something New

Variety is the spice of life. It’s also great for brain health. Your brain creates (and reinforces) new pathways whenever you try something new, helping to counteract memory changes as you age.

Be creative (that’s the point!), but consider:

• Learning a new skill (e.g., playing an instrument, gardening or learning a new language)
• Attending a class (e.g., an art or baking class)
• Picking up a new hobby (e.g., puzzling, woodworking or starting a collection)

It doesn’t matter what you choose, so long as it’s sufficiently challenging, complex and requires practice to get right. This will keep your brain engaged enough to keep your memory and cognition sharp.

Use Memory Aides

At the end of the day, there’s only so much we can do to ward off age-related memory decline. One way or the other, our memories will start to dull and some days we’re going to find it harder to recall the things that are important to us.

To help you out when your memory slips, try using the following:

• Create a to-do list: Writing down the day’s tasks can help you remember what your priorities are and keep you on track.
• Set reminders: Whether post-its stuck to your mirror or digital notes in your smartphone, a friendly reminder may be all you need to jog your memory.
• Keep a routine: Exercising, eating meals and taking medications at the same time every day can make it easier to remember what you should be doing when you have a mix up.

Memory aides are like cheat codes when you notice your recall isn’t as sharp as it used to be. Adding a few to your daily life can help you be ready when the inevitable lapse happens.