Staying Sharp, And Focused In Your Golden Years

Use Your Brain

Use it or lose it, especially as we age. Stretching your brain keeps your mind sharp. People who are more active in mentally challenging activities are more likely to stay sharp. Try these:

• Read a book.
• Go to a lecture.
• Listen to the radio.
• Play a game.
• Visit a museum.
• Learn a second language.

Mix Things Up

Remember trying to talk backward as a child? Researchers at Duke University created exercises they call “neurobics,“ which challenge your brain to think in new ways. Since your five senses are key to learning, use them to exercise your mind. If you’re right-handed, try using your left hand. Drive to work by another route. Close your eyes and see if you can recognize food by taste.

Work Out to Stay Sharp

Exercise, especially the kind that gets your heart rate up like walking or swimming, has mental pluses, too. Although experts aren’t sure why, physical activity might increase the blood supply to the brain and improve links between brain cells. Staying active can help memory, imagination, and even your ability to plan tasks.

A Healthy Diet Builds Brainpower

Do your brain a favor and choose foods that are good for your heart and waistline. Being obese in middle age makes you twice as likely to have dementia later on. High cholesterol and high blood pressure raise your chances, too. Try these easy tips:

• Bake or grill foods instead of frying.
• Cook with “good” fats like oils from nuts, seeds, and olives instead of cream, butter, and fats from meat.
• Eat colorful fruits and veggies.
• Eat fish.

Watch What You Drink

You know that too many drinks can affect your judgment, speech, movement, and memory. But did you know alcohol can have long-term effects? Too much drinking over a long period of time can shrink the frontal lobes of your brain. And that damage can last forever, even if you quit drinking. A healthy amount is considered one drink a day for women and two for men.

Video Games Train Your Brain

Grab that joystick. Several studies found that playing video games stimulates the parts of the brain that control movement, memory, planning, and fine motor skills. Some experts say gaming only makes you better at gaming. The verdict may still be out, but why let kids have all the fun?

Music Helps Your Brain

Playing an instrument early in life pays off in clearer thinking when you’re older. Musical experience boosts mental functions that have nothing to do with music, such as memory and the ability to plan. It also helps with greater hand coordination. Plus, it’s fun — and it’s never too late to start.

Make Friends for Your Mind

Be a people person! Talking with others actually sharpens your brain, whether at work, at home, or out in your community. Studies show social activities improve your mind. So volunteer, sign up for a class, or call a friend!

Stay Calm

Too much stress can hurt your gray matter, which contains cells that store and process information. Here are some ways to chill:

• Take deep breaths.
• Find something that makes you laugh.
• Listen to music.
• Try yoga or meditation.
• Find someone to talk to.

Sleep and the Brain

Get enough sleep before and after you learn something new. You need sleep on both ends. When you start out tired, it’s hard to focus on things. And when you sleep afterward, your brain files away from the new info so you can recall it later. A long night’s rest is best for memory and your mood. Adults need 7-8 hours of sleep every night.

Memory Helpers

Everybody spaces out now and then. As you get older, you may not remember things as easily as you used to. That’s a normal part of aging. Some helpful hints:

• Write things down.
• Use the calendar and reminder functions on your phone, even for simple things (Call Dad!).
• Focus on one task at a time.
• Learn new things one step at a time.

Bad Habits That Can Hurt Your Brain

You Miss Out on Sleep

You do a few things you know you shouldn’t — we all do. But some of those bad habits can take a toll on your brain. For example, lack of sleep may be a cause of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. It’s best to have regular sleeping hours. If you have trouble with sleep, avoid alcohol, caffeine, and electronics in the evening, and start a soothing bedtime ritual.

You Have Too Much Alone Time

Humans are wired for social contact. It’s not about how many Facebook friends you have — what matters is a real sense of connection. People who have that with even just a few close friends are happier and more productive. They’re also less likely to suffer from brain decline and Alzheimer’s. If you feel alone, call some friends or start something new — salsa dancing, tennis, playing cards — that involves other people.

You Eat Too Much Junk Food

Parts of the brain linked to learning, memory, and mental health are smaller in people who have lots of hamburgers, fries, potato chips, and soft drinks in their diet. Berries, whole grains, nuts, and green leafy vegetables, on the other hand, preserve brain function and slow mental decline. So next time you start to reach for a bag of chips, grab a handful of nuts instead.

You Blast Your Headphones

With your earbuds at full volume, you can permanently damage your hearing in only 30 minutes. But it’s not just your ears: Hearing loss in older adults is linked to brain problems, such as Alzheimer’s and loss of brain tissue. This may be because your brain has to work so hard to understand what’s being said around you that it can’t store what you’ve heard into memory. So turn it down — no louder than 60% of your device’s maximum volume — and try not to listen for more than a couple of hours at a time.

You Don’t Move Enough

The longer you go without regular exercise, the more likely you are to have dementia. You’re also more likely to get diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure — all of which may be linked to Alzheimer’s. You don’t have to start running marathons — a half-hour in the garden or a brisk walk around the neighborhood will work. The important thing is to do it at least 3 days a week.

You Still Smoke

It can shrink your brain — and that’s not a good thing. It makes your memory worse and makes you twice as likely to get dementia, including Alzheimer’s. It also causes heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure.

You Overeat

If you eat too much food — even the right kind of food — your brain may not be able to build a strong network of connections that help you think and remember. Overeat for too long and you may get dangerously overweight, which can cause heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure — all linked to brain problems and Alzheimer’s.

You Stay in the Dark Too Much

If you don’t get enough natural light, you may get depressed, and that can slow your brain. Research also shows that sunlight helps keep your brain working well.

My Thanks To WebMD For The Info.