44 THE QUEENS COURIER • WELLNESS • DECEMBER 21, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
wellness
Brain drained? These habits can help maintain a healthy brain
Everyone has those days. You’re operating
in a fog, or perhaps you spaced out
on a family member’s name in the middle
of dinner, or maybe you just fi nd it hard
to concentrate on work or hobbies. When
these unwanted situations begin to come
up more oft en, you may start to worry.
Aging has long been associated with a
slow mental decline.
Th e good news is there are simple
things you can do to clear the cobwebs
and regain your focus. Dr. Mike Dow, a
psychotherapist and best-selling author,
says we oft en don’t realize the brain is
just like the heart, our muscles, our lungs
and bones - it needs maintenance, and
healthy habits to help keep it working at
its very best.
“People understand pretty well that if
they eat healthy, quit smoking and start
exercising, they can improve their cardiovascular
health,” Dow says. “But they don’t
always connect the dots of living a healthy
lifestyle to improving cognitive health.”
To help you reach your optimal brain
health, Dow off ers these everyday tips.
Give yourself a daily challenge
If you catch yourself in a rut or locked
in your routine, it may be time to fi nd
ways to stretch your mind muscles
with a new and challenging activity.
Researchers have discovered that healthy
brains need certain levels of reserves,
and challenging them is one way to build
those reserves.
“Th ink of your brain like a bank
account,” Dow says. “Every time you
learn something new, or play a challenging
game or read a book, it’s like depositing
a dollar into that account. Th e more
cash deposits you make, the more you
have to spare.”
Feed your brain
Like other parts of the body, the brain
needs food and nutrients, and the right
food can go a long way to support brain
health. An antioxidant-rich diet including
things like unsweetened tea, berries
and turmeric can protect the brain from
damage that comes from aging and oxidative
stress.
Dow also recommends taking a supplement
like Natrol Cognium. It contains
a unique silk protein that’s been shown
in human clinical studies to protect the
brain from oxidative stress. Th e studies
also show that it improves memory and
concentration by increasing blood fl ow
and nutrition to the brain. If you’re interested
in learning more about the benefi ts
of Natrol Cognium, visit natrol.com/benefi
ts/brain-health/.
Tend to your relationships
As life and circumstances bring inevitable
changes, the number of people
we count as friends and loved ones can
change over the years. It takes eff ort, but
Dow says it’s important to try to maintain
our relationships and be open to creating
new ones, because they can have a profound
eff ect on brain health.
“Relationships tend to buff er us from
the stress of daily life, which is good
because over time, excess stress can cause
infl ammation,” Dow says. “At the same
time, good, healthy relationships give our
lives meaning.”
To meet new people, try simple things
like inviting a neighbor over for dessert,
joining a book club or volunteering
for a nonprofi t or cause that’s important
to you.
Get enough sleep
We oft en short ourselves on sleep when
life gets busy, but it’s important to make
it a priority, Dow says.
“Th ink of nighttime sleep as a washand
rinse cycle that clears away the ‘bad
stuff ’ that builds up during the day,” Dow
says. “Brain fog and dementia-causing
plaques are washed away by cerebrospinal
fl uid, and this process is more eff ective
when you’re sleeping.”
Dow recommends practicing healthy
sleep habits, such as striving for eight
hours each night, being consistent with
your bedtime routine and using melatonin
instead of prescription and overthe
counter sleep aids to help you drift
off .
Courtesy BPT