[9] Horizons: Brain Health

Dementia Horizons | Workshop 9 | Brain Health

Video Module 9 Transcript

Welcome. In this session, we're going to focus on the brain. Yes, that includes your brain and the brains of those around you. Notwithstanding a severe and possibly terminal stage of brain failure, the brain can almost always be learning and emotionally engaged, even when it seems that that's not possible. Over the last few decades, research has now consistently shown that our brains can grow new neurons. When presented with new information, we can add to our cognitive reserve throughout our lives.

What is cognitive reserve, you ask? Very simply put, it's the totality of everything you've learned and experienced from birth. Think of cognitive reserve as a dictionary. You can have a thicker dictionary as you age, giving you lots to draw from, to have conversations and be creative, or you can have a thinner dictionary as you enter later years, which may limit the concepts and ideas you can lean on for your day-to-day cognition.

Steps to Better Brain Health

Let's try to build a better brain by filling our dictionary with more words, ideas, and experiences. This can start at the youngest age and continue to the eldest. It's a chance to encourage the young people in your life to commit to a great education, even if that's not always in the classroom.

The other aspect of great brain health is neuroplasticity. In its most basic conceptualization, neuroplasticity leverages cognitive reserve and builds added knowledge or neural connections by using already existing knowledge. It is the ability to do what you've always done, but in a new and novel way. Here is a great example. If able, write your name with a pen or pencil, with whichever is your non-dominant hand. Make it simple. Write your name three times in a row to practice and try to make your writing more legible. As you progress, you might feel very accomplished afterward. I certainly did.

Another trick to try is folding your arms. Yes, let's do that now. Fold your arms across your chest if you can. How does that feel? Comfortable? Okay. Now, reverse your folded arms and fold them the opposite way. How does that feel? Awkward at first? Sure, but over time, if you do that more frequently, you'll start to build new muscle memory, like a golfer might try. They swing the club a bit differently for different shots. Folding your arms teaches your brain that you can adapt to change. In a nutshell, these are the two elements of better brain health you can use today, right now: cognitive reserve and neuroplasticity.

Well, we are about a quarter of the way through and we have much more to share. We need to dive deeper into what makes the brain tick and how what you do can positively affect your overall brain health. Our brain is like a machine that continuously processes information, stores memories, and regulates our body's functions. To function at its best, it requires care and maintenance. This program explores simple yet effective strategies for maintaining and improving brain health, ensuring that our most vital organ remains in good condition.

Our first strategy is to stay active. Regular physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, delivering oxygen and essential nutrients, whether going for a walk, working in the garden, swimming, doing yoga, using simple stretch bands, lifting hand weights, or participating in relatively safe sports like table tennis. Staying active helps promote brain health and cognitive function. This is a true statement: what's good for the heart is good for the brain.

Feed your brain like the rest of your body. The brain needs proper nutrition to thrive. A balanced eating plan, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats provides the nutrients necessary for brain health. Omega-3 fatty acids, healthy fats that may reduce your odds of cardiovascular disease by lowering your cholesterol, are found in among other things, olive oil, fish, nuts and seeds. If you haven't already, you may want to consider implementing elements of the famous Mediterranean diet, or possibly the brain and heart-healthy version called the MIND Diet. Both can be found online.

One important area to note while we're on the subject of nutrition is that diabetes has been closely linked with neurocognitive diseases. The science is still expanding on the subject. The current thinking is around how diabetes affects the vascular system in the brain and may drive other processes that trigger or accelerate pathologies that could result in the expression of Dementia. Please do all you can to reduce the assaults on your brain and eliminate diabetes related risk factors. Trim back highly processed and chemically laden foods and beverages in your diet. Even those with fake sweeteners are reported to mimic similar destructive forces as real sugar. Try local natural honey in limited amounts as a more healthful alternative for added sweetness. Also focus on whole grain food sources and refrain to the degree possible from processed white flour foods and other gluten-rich foods and beverages.

Okay, there you have it. That's a lot to think about. Well, we are about halfway through this program and so much great information on brain care has been shared with you, but now I want to suggest you put me on pause. Take a 10 minute break, let your brain process what you've heard so far. Then come back and start up again. There's so much more to know, so I look forward to catching up with you again after the break.

Oh, goody, you are back. Thank you for returning. Now let's get restarted and turn our attention to hydration. It's pretty simple overall. Our bodies are made up of 60% water. Indeed, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, so drink water and other non-sugary beverages throughout the morning and afternoon. Not doing so can impair cognitive performance as the day wears on, and since I know you want to be in tiptop shape at all times, thirst is an easy one to solve.

Exercise your mind. Keeping your brain stimulated through mental activities is crucial for maintaining cognitive function. Engage in activities that challenge your brain, such as puzzles, crosswords, reading or learning a new skill or language. Continuous mental stimulation helps strengthen neural connections and can even reduce the risk of cognitive decline as we age. Another way to express exercising your mind, is to stay curious.

Get adequate sleep quality. Sleep is essential for brain health and overall well-being. During sleep, the brain consolidates memories, processes the day's information, and eliminates toxins. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night to allow your brain the rest it needs to function optimally. Establishing a regular sleep schedule and creating a relaxing bedtime routine can help improve sleep quality and manage stress.

Chronic stress can harm the brain and impair memory and cognitive function. Practice stress reduction techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or spending time in nature. Do what they call forest bathing. Yes, it's a real thing. Look it up. Engaging in activities that promote relaxation and mindfulness can help mitigate the negative impact of stress on the brain.

Stay socially connected. Social interaction is vital for brain health. Engaging in meaningful conversations, spending time with friends and family, and participating in social activities helps stimulate the brain and ward off feelings of loneliness and isolation. Maintaining strong social connections is associated with better cognitive function and a reduced risk of cognitive decline.

Protect your head. This is often overlooked, but it's a biggie as they say, because if you think about it, yes, think after all, it's where all the brain activity takes place. Protecting it from assault, injury and infection is job number one. Head trauma can have lasting effects on brain health, so it's essential to take precautions to prevent incidents. Wear helmets when biking or participating in sports. Buckle up in the car and take steps to prevent falls, especially as you age. Moreover, concussions caused by a severe blow to the head, once or multiple times where you might even black out or go unconscious, can have deleterious effects on your short and long-term brain health. You see those who play contact sports, people involved in motor vehicle accidents, cyclists, construction workers, military personnel, and even someone who slips and falls in their home and hits their head on a hard surface, can experience a concussion. Don't play around with a head injury or concussion. Take it seriously. Get medical help and follow their advice for recovery. As Sergeant Phil Esterhaus used to say on the hit TV series "Hill Street Blues": "Be careful out there."

Okay, next. Here's something you might not have heard before. Your ears should be protected to help protect your thinking abilities. After all, they are part of your head. In fact, your ears are like direct sensory collectors for your brain. You see, large-scale studies have found possible links between hearing loss and the development of cognitive impairments. The facts behind those findings are still being understood, but suffice it to say that two things we can imagine are happening. One, if you have trouble hearing, you might not register what someone has said, so it looks to the outside world as memory loss. And two, we're not hearing clearly. The brain has to work extra hard to pick out intelligible sounds against the backdrop of surrounding noise. That may take precious cognitive processing power away from one critical brain function or another, and redirect it to less beneficial noise-cancellation efforts. The whole of the experience may cause cognitive stress on your thinking abilities. The bottom line is protect your hearing and consider hearing aids. They may greatly help improve your brain health.

Not dissimilar to hearing loss, difficulties with your vision and sense of smell may be linked to the development of cognitive deficits. The takeaways: get your eyes checked regularly and keep up with corrective glasses or contact lens prescriptions if you need them. Plus, use appropriate strength and higher quality reading glasses. Regularly schedule your screenings for cataracts or glaucoma.

Likewise, pay attention to one of our more primitive fight or flight senses, your nose and sense of smell. Protect it and don't suffer from endless stuffiness or post-nasal drip. Keep your nose as clean as possible.

Along the same lines as taking care of the sense organs already mentioned, your tongue, teeth and gums are also located in your head and provide direct pathways to your brain. They may play a vital role in fermenting infections linked to neuroinflammation in the brain. That condition is similar to the redness and inflammation that occurs when you cut or bruise your hand, for example. So what do you do? Brush and floss your teeth and gums regularly. Consider using a tongue scraper to remove any nasty bits and at the same time, improve your breath. Visit your dentist for regular checkups. Get ahead of any tooth decay, and as an added benefit, have them check for potential signs of mouth cancers.

Also, please quit smoking if you do smoke. Apart from the impact on your vascular health, anything you smoke comes into direct contact with your mouth and nose, and most importantly, your lungs. The health of your lungs significantly affects the health of your brain. Why, your lungs take the air you breathe, separate out oxygen, and put that life force into your bloodstream. This oxygen-rich blood then acts as a necessary ingredient for your body, including your brain. After all, your brain begins to fail about four minutes after the loss of oxygen, not to mention the similar effects on oxygen flow to your brain that conditions such as COPD and sleep apnea can have.

Lastly, try to limit alcohol and avoid drugs. Excessive alcohol consumption can damage brain cells and impair cognitive function. Limit alcohol intake to moderate levels or avoid it altogether to protect your brain health. Similarly, please avoid the use of recreational drugs as they can have detrimental effects on brain function and overall well-being.

In conclusion, by incorporating simple lifestyle changes, you can nurture your brain and ensure that it continues to serve you as best as possible throughout your life. So take care of your brain. It's the only one you'll ever have. You learned, not only about the steps you can take to build a better brain, but you also heard the secrets most people are unaware of: cognitive reserve and neuroplasticity.

Well, you are a jolly lot, and being with you has been an absolute pleasure. Thanks so much for joining.