While it’s tempting to focus on physical appearance, like weight and muscle tone, we shouldn’t neglect our brain health.
Dr. Randy Damico, who heads the Brain and Spine Metastases Program at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, mentioned that “the brain is part of our bodies,” and maintaining overall health is crucial for brain health. He emphasized the importance of not just keeping the brain strong but also replenishing it.
Research has highlighted various practices that significantly contribute to brain health, memory, and alertness. Damico also shared some of his daily habits for brain care.
1. Exercise
According to Damico, exercise plays a pivotal role in cardiovascular health, metabolism, mood, sleep, and cognitive function—these areas are closely interconnected.
If you’re unsure how gym workouts impact your brain, it’s interesting to note that there’s research indicating strong lower body muscles can actually correlate with better cognitive health as we age. This is because gray matter tends to shrink with age, leading to potential memory issues. However, maintaining lower body strength can help increase gray matter volume over time.
D’Amico recommends incorporating resistance training or using your body weight and suggests activities like walking, cycling, or using an elliptical for overall health. Plus, these activities can lift your mood.
He further explained, “The brain has blood vessels filled with blood pumped by the heart. Everything you do, especially exercise, promotes cardiovascular health, enhancing brain function through improved blood flow and oxygen delivery.”
2. Diet
“Diet goes hand in hand with exercise,” according to Damico. He believes that good nutrition fuels the brain, making a real difference for cognitive health. He cautions against processed foods, which can lead to metabolic issues that negatively impact cognition.
Excess sugar, in particular, can speed up brain aging, and long-term diabetes could lead to brain atrophy. Damico suggests being mindful of sugar intake instead of eliminating it entirely.
A Mediterranean diet, rich in proteins, plants, healthy fats, and fiber, is a great alternative. Fiber is crucial for gut health, which can influence brain function. He mentioned the importance of the gut-brain axis in this context.
Though he doesn’t advocate for any miracle foods, he believes in maintaining metabolic and vascular health to help protect the brain’s functions.
3. Sleep
Sleep is essential for memory consolidation, learning, and emotional well-being. It creates the right environment for the brain to thrive. All the cognitive efforts made during the day require adequate sleep to solidify those memories.
He explained that “when you sleep, your body has a way of strengthening synapses and connections,” which is how we retain information.
Moreover, sleep helps clear out waste products accumulated during the day. Disruptions in sleep can significantly hinder these processes, so it’s crucial to prioritize good sleep hygiene.
4. Stress management
Chronic stress can affect everything from diet to sleep patterns, leading to various health issues, including those affecting brain function. Damico believes that managing stress isn’t about eliminating it, which is impossible, but rather about establishing daily habits that help regulate your nervous system.
For Damico, activities like exercise, deep breathing, and taking quiet moments make a difference in managing stress.
He mentioned that stimulating the vagus nerve, which connects the brain to the heart and other organs, plays a key role in achieving a calm state. Simple practices like deep breaths, sighs, and focused breathing can enhance vagal tone, helping with stress recovery.
5. Use it or lose it: Challenge yourself
It’s essential to think of the brain as a dynamic organ requiring engagement to function at its best. If you don’t push your brain to think differently or tackle new challenges, those neural connections can weaken.
Learning new things, engaging socially, reading, and exercising your brain can all help maintain cognitive resilience. Activities like crossword puzzles or anything that makes you think critically can be beneficial.
D’Amico pointed out that there’s a saying in neuroscience: “Things that fire together get wired together.” So, to keep your brain connections strong, consistently challenging and stimulating them is key. And, of course, don’t forget to get a good night’s sleep afterward.
