Friday, March 29, 2024

Are You Doing Enough for Your Brain? Here’s How to Keep It Healthy Before It’s Too Late

There are so many of our body’s organs that we think about on the regular – heart health is ingrained in us, we make sure to look after our eyes with sunnies and liver health, ahem, can be rather top of mind in certain months of the year. But when was the last time you stopped to think about your brain – or rather, when did you brain last think to check in on itself?

March is Brain Awareness Month, and Capsule, along with the Neurological Foundation, will be bringing you a selection of stories about your noggin and how you can actively work to help prevent any premature powering down.

No matter how old you are, you should be thinking of ways to keep your brain active and engaged. While inevitable ageing does impact your brain’s ability to fire on all cylinders, there is an element of ‘use it or lose it’, much like fitness (and ain’t that the truth!)

A sedentary lifestyle, a lack of physical or mental activity, or general poor eating habits all contribute to brain health – but these are the ones we can control.

The fact of the matter is that people of any age can be affected by a neurological condition, there are more than 700 of them and they affect one in five Kiwis! – but by doing these six things, you’re giving yourself the best shot possible at keeping that brain of yours in tip top shape – even in the midst of these crazy times.

Your body needs exercise – and so does your brain

We all know the benefits of exercise for the body, but just as you put a Les Mills workout on or pull out the yoga mat, you need to be doing some heavy lifting for the brain too.Thankfully you don’t actually have to break a sweat for this kind of health (sign me up)!

Keeping the brain active seems to increase its vitality, and may build its reserve capacity to make new brain cells and connections (I’m speaking for myself when I say that I would welcome some new brain cells after my twenties – just me? Cool, cool).

It’s stuff like crossword puzzles, sudoku (if you’re numbers inclined), word searches, crafts or simply reading a book. There are apps such as Elevate that present brain training as a game, or simply open the newspaper (yes they still exist) or buy a puzzle book from the book store.

Crosswords – a great way to spend a Sunday morning, plus you’re giving your brain a workout. Win win!

If you’re good at things like knitting, cross-stitching, crocheting or quilting, or you’re interested in giving it a go, good news – they’ve also been shown to delay memory loss.

And seeing as we’re talking about the brain, the Neurological Foundation has this SUPER cute crocheting pattern of a brain. Maybe it’s for more advanced crocheter’s but making a brain while keeping your brain healthy… I mean, it’s Inception stuff.

Sorry, you still have to actually exercise too

I know, I’m sorry for that false sense of hope, but keeping active really does help the brain stay young. Physical exercise has a protective effect on the brain, and it’s mental processes may even help prevent dementia.

You’ve got to be increasing your heart rate and oxygen intake to get the benefits, as they increase the level of brain-protective chemicals, as well as helping to reduce stress.

It’s the old ’30 minutes a day, you’ve got to push play’ thing – but if you’re a bit stuck for inspiration or you’re in isolation, try some gardening, walking, dancing or stretches.

Or click here for our best at-home workout tips that even we (read: not the most active of folk) can do.

If you want to get active and support a good cause, why not sign up for the Neurological Foundation’s Fifty for 50 Challenge in May?

Connections are key – even in a pandemic

It’s incredible the effect of social connection has on the brain. Friendships and social circles are absolutely clutch when it comes to good brain health. The events of 2020 (and this year) don’t always make it easy to stay plugged into the happenings of your friends and family, but there are always ways, even if you can’t actually see your loved ones in person.

A simple phone call is worth its weight in gold, and the now-usual Facetimes, Zooms and Skypes are easy to sort. If you want to watch a movie with someone at the same time, Netflix’s Teleparty synchs your audio and visual with a second party, so you can watch at the exact same time.

Pick up the phone and have a chat with someone – it’ll do you and your brain a world of good

If we’re back in the real world, connections such as hobby groups, sports teams, clubs and friendship groups are vital. Bonus points for combining a meet up with a friend with a walk to a café where you’ll tackle the crossword puzzle together!

Kai is key – but the good stuff is clutch

This is where the brain health message is often hammered home the most – a fair few of us know that things such as oily fish and leafy greens are good for the brain, but there are a few other foods that are key too.

Omega-3 fatty acids are perhaps the most well-known thing the brain needs. About 60% of your brain is fat, and around half of that is the omega-3 kind, so it makes sense to feed it what it knows. That’s where the likes of salmon come in but a new-ish player to the brain food game is curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric. It’s a great antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, which has been found to help benefit memory, and research is currently ongoing into its effect in helping new brain cells grow.

Nature’s newest superfood? Give turmeric a go for its brain-boosting properties

Also, dark chocolate (thank God), coffee, eggs, broccoli, blueberries and nuts all have great brain-boosting properties.

Sleep – blessed sleep

Finally, something that’s easy to accomplish if in lockdown! We all know the importance of sleep so we don’t bite our boss’ head off – but for the brain, it’s vital. It’s how the brain charges, and allows the body to rest and heal. The seven to nine hours guideline is key here – this is especially important as sleep plays a vital role in consolidating and storing our memories.

Stress, er, doesn’t help

I know I KNOW, it’s hard to be thinking about mitigating stress right now, but for so many reasons we should be trying our best to keep on top of it. Stress is harsh on the entire body, but when it comes to the brain, it can impair memory, reduce our immunity (that’s the LAST thing we need) and lead to anxiety and depression.

If you’re feeling as though things are getting on top of you, first things first, take a big breath – in and out. Unplug for a little bit and go for a walk, read a book, step outside or put some chill music on. Make a cup of tea, light a candle and try your best to recentre yourself – sometimes a little bit of perspective and a 20 minute break can make the world of good for you and your brain.

i mean caption not needed – no one likes stress. But a little bit can actually help your brain’s resilience

But that is not to say ALL stress is bad, so don’t stress about being stressed… stay with me here. A little bit of stress does help the brain become resilient and in the long run helps us deal with stress better. It’s when the stress becomes too much for us or in constant supply that it affects our brain poorly.

So, with all this in mind, how will you be making changes to your everyday life to ensure you’re protecting that noodle of yours? You don’t have to do all of these things at once, but being mindful of how your treat your body, may it be what you eat, the exercise you get or the stress you put it under, does affect more than just your overall health. It has a huge impact on the one organ we need the most – our brain! And you know what they say, brainy is beautiful.

March is Brain Awareness Month, and the Neurological Foundation is marking the occasion with events around the country and daily facts on social media. You can learn all about them by visiting here.

This year also marks the Neurological Foundation’s 50th anniversary. Over the last 50 years they have funded more than $50 million in research and education to give hope for a better future to the one in five Kiwis affected by a neurological condition. This has only been possible through donations from everyday people like you.

You can make a difference to someone’s future today by donating to the advancement of neurological research.

A lot has changed in the last 50 years, but one thing remains, the need to know more about the human brain. It is only through research that we can accomplish this, and we need your help. So why not consider showing your support by donating at brains.org.nz.

THE ONE THING… ‘I Wish I Knew Before Giving Birth’. 27 Mums Share Their Thoughts!

There's a lot written and shared about giving birth - but there's also a lot of information we don't share, sometimes not even with...

The Wellness Advocate Teaching Us How To Heal From Burnout With Te Ao Māori

Wellness advocate Maia Gardiner is using her platform Wellbeing with Maia to share how using a Te Ao Maori lens, and the hauora health...

‘The Simple Pleasure of Sailing’ – What Motivates and Moves Kiwi Black Foils Strategist Liv Mackay

It's one of the most exciting sports to make a home in Aotearoa, and now it's back in its second year on Kiwi shores!...

What To Expect From A Miscarriage: A Capsule Reader’s Story & The NZ Charity Aiming To Get Information to Those Who Need It

One in four pregnancies will end in miscarriage, but the information on what to expect from a miscarriage can often be hard to find....