When setting New Year's resolutions, consider optimizing your brain health. According to Forbes Health, the top New Year's resolution for 2023 is to improve mental health, while the top resolution for 2024 is to improve physical health. Other popular 2024 resolutions include losing weight and improving your diet. A resolution to improve brain health should be everyone's top priority this New Year, as it will affect physical and mental health. In addition, optimizing brain health helps achieve other common goals, such as earning more money, finding a new job, and improving relationships. Anyone can develop brain problems at any age, so it's never too early to adopt good habits to optimize brain health.
Social connection
Spending time with family and friends is the best way to keep your brain healthy. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says loneliness is a growing mental health crisis. The Surgeon General's advice on the healing effects of social connection and community reports that a lack of social connection is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. In addition, poor social relationships can increase the risk of stroke by 32% and the risk of dementia by 50% in older people. Research also shows that lonely people are more likely to experience depression and anxiety. Toxic relationships can also take a toll on your brain health, so the New Year can be a good time to end them.
The study found that the following factors put people at risk for social isolation: female sex, low educational attainment, divorce, poor health, depression, lack of social support, poor cognitive function and underlying disorders. While everyone needs to improve their social relationships, those who fall into the above categories should be more careful about improving those relationships.
Children are not immune to the effects of social isolation. The Surgeon General's report also found that children who lack social interactions are more likely to develop depression and anxiety. Furthermore, they are more likely to attempt suicide. There is growing concern that screen time at a young age can lead to social isolation. Parents should provide their children with alternatives to screen time, such as outdoor walks, board games, outdoor games, and other activities that encourage creativity. Developing these good habits can have long-term effects on a child's brain development.
Exercise and physical activity
Being physically active will have great benefits for keeping your brain healthy. Activities that increase the heart rate help improve blood circulation. Research shows that students who participate in regular physical activity, including organized sports, perform better academically than peers who do not participate in regular physical activity. In addition, children and adults who engage in regular physical activity are less likely to have mood and anxiety problems and are more likely to sleep well at night. Exercise also increases children's self-confidence, which can lead to success later on. An additional benefit of physical activity is that increased physical activity is associated with a lower likelihood of developing cognitive problems such as Alzheimer's dementia.
During an office visit, you want to discuss what the human body is capable of. Based on their physical condition, we can provide them with appropriate exercises. For some people it may be a daily walk, for others it may be exercise in a chair or in bed. A more rigorous exercise program may be considered for those who can be more active. In some cases, I will recommend a physical therapist or personal trainer.
sleep
A good night's sleep is very important for optimal brain function. Sleep has many benefits, but I will discuss a few here. Research shows that memory consolidation occurs during deep sleep and that sleep removes toxins from the brain, including those associated with Alzheimer's dementia. Sleep improves cognition and increases a person's ability to multitask. Good sleep makes people more creative. Disturbed sleep is linked to depression and other mental health conditions.
The amount of sleep varies depending on your age. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that students get a good night's sleep to help them stay focused, improve concentration, and improve academic performance. In addition, a Harvard study found that sleep deprivation is associated with dementia in adults.
healthy food
We all need to pay attention to what we put in our bodies. Depending on the pre-existing conditions, there are many diets to consider. Neurologists often recommend the Mediterranean diet because most research shows that it has helped prevent dementia and slow the process in those diagnosed with dementia. I usually review the patient's current diet to understand what foods are important to them and what foods may be common in their culture. We can then review what they can take or add to their diet to improve their brain health.
I often find that patients' diets are already relatively healthy and contain many important nutrients that support their brain health. Many patients will benefit from a formal consultation with a nutritionist and dietitian who will spend more time with them reviewing the nuances of the diet.
See a doctor or other medical provider
It is important to remember that websites and other automated technologies are not the best sources of information about your health. It's best to get individualized advice specific to your situation, so you should establish a relationship with a medical provider. I have seen many patients come in with a stroke or other serious neurological condition and the family will say the person was “perfectly healthy”. Then when I asked them to see a doctor, they said the last time the person saw a health care provider was 10, 20 or more years ago. Not going to the doctor doesn't mean you're healthy.
Even after taking all the steps above to optimize your brain health, you may have an underlying health condition that is harming your brain. Conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can silently cause additional damage to the brain and blood vessels. Therefore, it is very important to see a health care provider regularly to check if you have the condition and to help manage the condition. In addition, it is important to consult a dentist, as poor oral health is also linked to dementia and stroke.
Illegal substances such as cigarettes, alcohol and cocaine can also cause long-term damage to your brain. Your health care provider can help you quit smoking, and if drug use is a problem, there are programs that can help you quit. Current guidelines recommend limiting alcohol consumption.
As we prepare to ring in the New Year, there's no better time to make a resolution to optimize your brain health. More than 6.2 million Americans age 65 and older are living with dementia; More than 795,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke each year, and even more live with depression and anxiety. By taking action, you can reduce your risk of developing these and other diseases in the years to come.
Tidak ada komentar untuk "Neurologist Offers 5 Ways To Optimize Brain Health In The New Year"
Posting Komentar