How to keep your brain healthy for years to come
Miscellaneous / / April 02, 2023
During sleep going on a number of processes that directly affect brain health are reflected in mood, energy levels and cognitive abilities.
When you sleep, the brain processes the experience and sends the important events of the day into long-term memory. In addition, there datathat sleep helps this body get rid of metabolic products.
Chronic sleep deprivation or poor quality of rest Maybe disrupt the brain, negatively affect cognitive abilities, behavior and emotions. Moreover, both the complete lack of sleep or a very small amount of it, as well as prolonged sleep, are harmful. lack of sleep little by little.
There is no exact amount of sleep that would be suitable for everyone. But most adults enough 7-8.5 hours to fully recover and maintain a good level of brain function.
There is no nutrition that will turn you into a genius, but some foods have a beneficial effect on the brain and prevent cognitive decline with age.
But from fatty meat and products with trans fats - margarine, fast food, purchased sweets and pastries - it is better to refuse. Such food
reinforces inflammation in the body, increases the risk of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases.Physical activity improvesmemory and attention, protects against depression and promotes a sense of well-being.
Muscle contraction during exercise increases protein production (BDNF, FGF21), which stimulate and support the development of nerve cells hippocampus and the hypothalamus. Especially effective for this strength and high-intensity training.
Physical activity also has a beneficial effect on mood. Exercise can increase the concentration of dopamine - the main mediator of the reward system, which brings a feeling of pleasure.
A intense workout raise beta-endorphin levels. These natural opioids are produced in the body to reduce pain and provide a sense of satisfaction after hard work.
However, training that is too complex and voluminous can reduce cognitive function and even decrease volume of gray matter. But we are talking about really harsh tests like running 4,500 kilometers. And even then, the changes are reversible.
Unless you're a professional athlete who spends most of your life training, don't worry, the more you exercise, the better for your brain.
Strive to fulfill instructions WHO: 150-300 minutes of light activity or 75-150 minutes of more intense activity per week. The first option includes, for example, walking and housework; to the second - running, group fitness classes and other cardio. WHO also recommends at least two strength training sessions per week with the pumping of the main muscle groups.
When you master a new task for yourself, increases activity in areas of the cerebral cortex responsible for cognitive control.
To provoke the expansion of the network of neural connections, you must either choose another unfamiliar business, or raise bar for the old one. And so that it was really difficult for you and you had to constantly concentrate on the task.
As an activity for developing the brain and maintaining its health, it is good fit drawing or sculpting, learning a foreign language, playing a musical instrument, compiling an autobiography, or expressive writing.
Choose any fairly difficult and unfamiliar activity that you can practice regularly. For example, learning to snowboard is a great idea, but if the nearest ski slope is half a day away, there will be little benefit from such a hobby. But learning Chinese or playing the guitar can be practiced really often, even at lunchtime.
Stress is reaction your brain and body to any challenge, whether it's a challenging work task, a first date, a major life change, or a health hazard.
In such circumstances, the body goes into “survival mode”: the autonomic nervous system is activated, the level of hormones rises, which prepare the body for a fight or flight. When everything is over, the brain returns to a calm state. But if the shocks are too severe and last for a long time, it can negatively affect cognition and memory.
chronic stress raises cortisol levels, damage and kill nerve cells and even reduces brain mass. Besides, getting worse the work of the cortex, and the amygdala, on the contrary, becomes too active, which increases anxiety.
To combat stress, use the following recommendations:
- Monitor yourself to notice problems in time. Difficulties with sleep, use of psychostimulants, constant irritation and despondency, low energy levels - all this can serve as signs of chronic stress.
- Get regular exercise. Get in the habit of walking for 30 minutes a day, or better yet, take up yoga, start running, or buy a gym membership.
- Try relaxation programs like meditation and breathing exercises. They switch the autonomic nervous system to the parasympathetic - "calm" - department and perfectly neutralize stress.
- Learn to delay tasks so you don't overwhelm yourself.
- Do not neglect communication and talk about stress, ask friends and family for help.
- If you are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, see a psychiatrist who will prescribe antidepressants and help you choose psychotherapy.