Turn Up Your Brainpower
82 GUIDE TO WELLNESS CR.ORG
healthy fats such as nuts, and low in
high-fat proteins and processed foods,
appear to have benefits for the brain.
For instance, a University of CaliforniaSan Francisco study published last year
in the Journal of the American Geriatrics
Society linked the Mediterranean diet—
which focuses on fruits; vegetables;
healthy fats, such as olive oil and fish;
legumes; and whole grains—to a 35 per-
cent lower risk of cognitive impairment
in older adults. The study also found sim-
ilar results with the MIND diet (a combi-
nation of the Mediterranean diet and the
DASH diet, which is often recommended
for those with high blood pressure).
And a study published in 2015 in thejournal Alzheimer’s & Dementia found
that those who followed the plan most rig-
orously saw significantly slower cognitive
decline than those who were less diligent.
“It makes sense that any diet thatalso helps to lower your blood pressure
and cholesterol would help your brain,
too,” Small says. “The healthy fats also
reduce brain inflammation, while the
antioxidants in many of the foods help
protect brain cells from wear and tear.”
Be Mindful
Several studies have found that regularly
practicing mindfulness techniques such
as meditation and yoga helps reduce
risk of dementia. One study published
in 2016 in the Journal of Alzheimer’s
Disease found that people 55 and older
who took a 1-hour weekly meditative
yoga class and meditated at home for
12 minutes a day for three months had
significant improvements in verbal
memory (remembering word lists) and
visual-spatial memory (such as the ability
to find and remember locations).
These practices “help reduce stress,which is toxic to the brain,” Wis-
niewski says. But they may also help
enhance production of brain-derived
neurotrophic factor—a protein that helps
with the growth and maintenance of
brain neurons.
Your brain can benefit from daily
meditation, even if you do it for just 5 or
10 minutes, Small says. (Look for work-
shops at community centers or university
medical centers to learn how to medi-
tate.) If you can’t—or you find that you
don’t have the patience to meditate—then
doing something relaxing each day,
even sitting in a park, can help, too.Check Your Meds
Older adults take an average of 14
different medications a year, according
to the National Academy of Sciences.
But some meds, such as older anti-
histamines, anti-anxiety drugs, and
narcotics, may impair memory. So
review the medications you’re taking—
over-the-counter and prescription,
along with dietary supplements—with
your primary care physician each year.Know When to Seek Help
It’s normal to occasionally be forgetful,
especially if you’re under stress, Small
says. And as you age, you may find that it
takes longer to learn new information,
that you don’t recall recent events as
well as you once did, and that you may
forget where you put commonly used
items such as car keys and eyeglasses.
See your doctor if you (or others)
notice that you’re doing one or more of
the following: asking the same questions
repeatedly; forgetting common words,
such as “bed” and “car,” when speaking;
mixing up words (saying “radio” instead
of “TV,” for instance); taking longer and
longer to complete familiar tasks, such
as following a recipe; putting items in
inappropriate places (such as car keys in
the refrigerator); getting lost while driv-
ing to familiar places; and experiencing
mood changes that occur for no reason.