Boost your brain with these changes
Frontline Poor old brains – we think with them, but not much about them. That’s unless you’re an award-winning neuroscientist like Dr Barbara J Sahakian and Dr Christelle Langley, who’ve spent decades investigating what makes a healthy brain and how it affects our lives. Now, they’ve written Brain Boost: Healthy Habits for a Happier Life*, a book full of practical tips on cultivating your grey matter.
Out of line How can you tell if your brain is out of whack? Generally, ‘people are quite sensitive to when they’re not performing well’, says Sahakian. She cites the woolly-headed feeling of jet lag as an example of when we can tell our brain is not running at 100 per cent. Look out for problems with your cognitive performance (such as poor memory), your mood and ability to control emotions.
Boost those little grey cells with the right exercise, sleep and diet
Recline You might assume your brain simply switches off when you go to sleep, but it’s busy reorganising and recharging itself while removing toxic byproducts and boosting your immune system. Sleep is key for memory consolidation, when our experiences are transferred to long-term memory. Which means aiming for seven to eight hours a night from middle age onwards. ‘Try to relax before bed; don’t read a book about somebody getting murdered or scroll through the news. And get your phone out of the bedroom,’ says Sahakian. Exercise also boosts sleep, which brings us to…
Headline If you’ve previously dismissed gym buffs as brainless, think again. Exercise increases brain plasticity, defined as its ability to change (for example, when we learn something new), which is important for cognition, mental health and wellbeing. Studies show that a combination of cardiovascular exercise (running, cycling, swimming) and strength training is beneficial – so balance out your weights session with a jog and your brain will be buzzing.
Incline Adopt the downward dog position immediately, because – as you may have read approximately 8,000 times – yoga is good for you. ‘Studies have shown that yoga is beneficial for both brain structure and function,’ says Langley.
Waistline Feed your brain well and it will thrive accordingly. How far you want to go with this depends on your goal. The Mind diet, for example, was specifically developed for people with neurodegenerative disorders, and there is ‘strong evidence’ it can delay cognitive impairment. However, it’s fairly prescriptive, with rules such as eat wholegrains at least three times a day, six-plus servings of leafy green vegetables a week and cheese allowed only once weekly (for more information go to healthline.com/nutrition/mind-diet). ‘A lot of people get fed up with it after a while,’ says Langley.
Baseline Struggling with the Mind diet? Lower your expectations and adopt the Mediterranean version instead: fresh fruit and veg, healthy fats (like olive oil), seeds and oily fish, wholegrains and a little red wine. This will reduce inflammation, which features in illnesses from multiple sclerosis to depression.
Pipeline Nurturing your gut microbiome is good news for your brain – listen to the Zoe podcast for tips. Imbalances in the gut have been linked to conditions such as anxiety, depression and neurodegenerative diseases, so cultivate yours with a varied, colourful diet.
Finish line Want to keep your brain ticking? Never retire! Or if you do, ensure hobbies or voluntary work fill the gap. ‘If you enjoy your work, you should keep doing it for as long as you can,’ says Sahakian. ‘Socially and intellectually, it keeps your brain stimulated.’ Whatever you do, don’t sit at home watching television all day. Make an effort to mingle. ‘One study showed that you have a 26 per cent increased risk of dementia if you’re socially isolated,’ says Langley. Try meetup.com to find events with like-minded folk.
*Cambridge University Press, £14.99. To order a copy for £12.74 until 9 February, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.
