Your brain is sometimes called the “control center” of your body. Beyond helping you to think and remember clearly, your brain helps to regulate the rest of your body, like your breathing, temperature, hunger, and hormones. It’s essential to keep your brain as healthy as possible for as long as possible to stave off chronic—often uncurable—diseases like Alzheimer’s, and science shows us how to do this.
Six fundamental pillars influence your brain’s health
● Exercise
● Stress reduction
● Sleep and relaxation
● Socialization
● Medications and supplements
● Food and nutrition
In this article, we’ll go through each one of these pillars of brain health before diving deeper into specific and actionable strategies surrounding food and nutrition.
Exercise for brain health
Exercise is incredibly beneficial for physical and mental fitness, to de-stress, improving sleep, as well as keep your heart, lungs, and muscles healthy. Moreover, physically active is a fundamental pillar of brain health. There are several types of exercise, and all are beneficial.
Aerobic exercise, also known as “cardio” or “endurance” exercise, helps to get your heart rate up and your muscles warm. Examples of aerobic exercises include biking, swimming, running, and climbing stairs. This type of exercise benefits your brain because it helps to preserve existing brain cells and also promotes the growth of new ones.
Another type of exercise is strength or “resistance” training such as pushing or pulling weights or other heavy objects (like groceries). This is known to help build and maintain strong bones. Strength training also helps your brain by enhancing your concentration and decision-making skills.
Stress reduction for brain health
We all experience stress. Stress is how the body and brain react to a threat or demand (or “stressor”). These reactions are often called “fight or flight.” They include increased heart rate and breathing and a heightened sense of focus. The brain initiates all of these physiological reactions when it detects a threat.
Once the threat is gone, the stress response relaxes, and your body and brain can regain their normal (“low/no stress”) balance. However, sometimes that stress lingers on for days, weeks, and months (or longer) and becomes long-term or “chronic” stress. It’s this chronic stress that can negatively impact your brain. Chronic stress can effectively shrink the part of your brain responsible for memory and learning (your “prefrontal cortex”) and can increase the part of your brain that is receptive to stress (your “amygdala”).
While stress cannot be eliminated, you can learn effective techniques to manage it better and preserve your brain health. One very practical—but often complicated—strategy is to “just say no” to things you don’t have to do. Turning down unnecessary opportunities to take on more responsibility may help reduce the amount of stress you feel.
Another strategy to reduce stress is to focus on the specific problem at hand in the present moment. This can help you see the current situation more clearly and make better decisions, to avoid turning it into an unmanageably significant issue or perceiving the situation to be more difficult than it has to be.
Finally, calming the mind through meditation or guided imagery can help reduce stress by refocusing your attention on something positive and soothing.
Sleep for brain health
Sleeping 7-9 hours each night helps your mood and ability to manage stress. Sleep also allows you to plan better and run your busy life and ensure you have the energy to do what you need to maintain and improve your well-being (including the five other pillars of brain health).
One of the most important things you can do to get enough sleep is to foster a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at about the same time every day—including weekends and when traveling—you “train” your body and brain to get on a healthy sleep schedule.
Another strategy to help you get more sleep is to create a relaxing bedtime routine. That routine can start an hour (or more) before you need to sleep and can include things like dimming lights, putting your screens away (no more TV, internet, or smartphones), listening to soothing music or reading a book, or having a warm relaxing bath.
Whatever helps you get your sleep is also going to help your brain.
Socialization
Staying connected to a network of people you care about can help reduce stress, improve mood, and help you feel more supported. Your social network can include your spouse and/or partner, immediate and extended family members, friends, or others in your community.
You can socialize informally or spontaneously (like walking or chatting with a neighbor) or join organized activities like hobby groups, sports teams, or volunteering opportunities. The brain benefits of socializing even extend beyond people to pets. Studies show that pets can help you feel calm, improve your health, and enhance your social life, which can benefit your brain.
Medications and supplements
You may be advised to take medications or supplements depending on your health situation. These can be important in reducing your risks of severe conditions and slowing down the progression of diseases. Some medical conditions linked to deteriorating brain health include high blood pressure, diabetes, and excess weight. These can increase your risks of cognitive decline (reduced memory and ability to think) and developing dementia.
If your medical professional recommends medications or supplements, take them as directed and go for routine monitoring or testing as required.
Food and nutrition for brain health
Several foods and nutrients promote a healthy brain by slowing cognitive decline and reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. University researchers developed the MIND diet to emphasize foods rich in antioxidants and critical brain nutrients such as vitamins and other plant-based phytochemicals.
Let’s go through a few of the essential foods and nutrients to boost your brain health.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are a group of essential fats that promote heart and brain health. Some of the best sources of omega-3s are fatty fish such as salmon, herring, and sardines. The MIND diet recommends at least one serving of fish each week. If you don’t love fish, omega-3s are found in nuts and seeds such as flax, chia, walnuts, and soy.
More plants
Plants contain more than vitamins and minerals; they’re also a source of fiber and antioxidant phytochemicals. Eating more plants helps more than only your brain. It’s also associated with better heart health and weight maintenance.
Some of the top plants for brain health are deeply-colored fruits and vegetables like berries, leafy greens, and broccoli. The MIND diet recommends vegetables daily, at least six servings of greens each week, and at least two servings of berries each week.
Spices and Chocolate
Spices and dark chocolate contain antioxidants called flavonoids. These compounds can help improve blood flow to the brain and reduce inflammation. These can be found in high amounts in turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, and dark and unsweetened chocolate.
Coffee and teas
Did you know that coffee can help improve your memory and prevent dementia? Up to three cups of black coffee per day is recommended. When it comes to teas, black and green teas contain antioxidants for brain health.
Moderate consumption of red wine
Resveratrol is a compound found in red wine and the skin of red grapes. It is also an antioxidant and is thought to reduce cell damage and protect against the formation of plaques in the brain. Too much alcohol is not good for your brain either, so it’s important not to overdo it. Try to stick with no more than one glass of red wine per day if you’re a woman and no more than two glasses per day if you’re a man. You can also consume resveratrol from drinking red grape juice, which has the added benefit of being alcohol-free.
Whole grains
Whole grains like oats and quinoa are rich in brain-healthy B vitamins and fiber, making them an important part of the MIND diet. B vitamins are essential so the brain can create energy, repair DNA, maintain the proper structure of neurons (nerve/brain cells), and create essential neurochemicals for optimal function. B vitamins also act as antioxidants to reduce the harmful effects of free radicals that can damage brain cells (or any cells).
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is also known as the “sunshine” vitamin because your skin makes it when exposed to the sun. Low vitamin D levels are associated with increased risks for brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s. You can increase your vitamin D levels by going in the sun for 5-15 minutes three times a week. You may need slightly more time if you have darker skin or live in a more northern latitude. Try not to get too much sun without sunscreen as it can increase your risk for skin cancer. Vitamin D supplements are also widely available. Talk to your medical professional to find the right one for you.
Limit red meat
Consuming too many foods high in saturated fats is linked with an increased risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. The MIND diet recommends no more than four servings of red meat per week. Try limiting your red meat, butter, and dairy whenever you can, and consider substituting with beans, lentils, and soy.
Final Thoughts
There are many things you can do to bolster your brain health. They include several healthy habits such as exercising, reducing stress, getting enough sleep, socializing with others (or with pets), and following recommendations for medications and supplements. When it comes to food and nutrition for brain health, try to get enough omega-3s, more plants, spices and chocolate, coffee and tea, vitamin D, and a bit of red wine. Limit the amount of red meat you consume.
If you’re interested in learning more about how you can implement these six essential brain health strategies into your life, consult a certified health coach who can help.
References
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