HFC’s 5 Brain Health Habits

Richard Isaacson, M.D.: Alzheimer’s prevention

9 Ways We Can Reduce Dementia Worldwide 35%

Aspen Brain Institute: Promoting Brain Health and Preventing Brain Disease for Life

National Institute on Aging Take Control of Your Brain’s Destiny

The 5 Brain Health Habits

Sleep

Nutrition

Emotional Well-Being

Physical Exercise

Cognitive Fitness

Sleep

Sleep allows our bodies and minds to heal and organize themselves in preparation for another day. Think of sleep as the night crew that cleans an office building, so the work of the next day is unimpeded by yesterday’s paperwork, those muddy footprints the mailman tracked in, or the leftovers Kevin always forgets in the break room. A clean office is a productive office, and a rested brain is a productive - and healthy - brain.

Remember, when it comes to sleep, quality is just as important as quantity!

Here are some tips for a great night’s sleep and a well-rested brain:

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Get 7-9 hours of a sleep a day.

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Keep your bedroom cool and dark.

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Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time.

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Get morning sun.

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Try brown noise to relax and block out outside noise.

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Track your sleep.

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Avoid bright and blue light before bed. And if you wake up in the middle of the night, don’t check your phone!

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Avoid heavy meals and exercise 1-2 hours before bed.

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Avoid sleeping pills and other over-the-counter sleep remedies unless instructed by your doctor.

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Avoid alcohol in excess and caffeine late in the day.

Resources

Sleep with Seth Rogen - Fall asleep, that is. Let Seth guide you through a bedtime meditation.

Why Sleep Is Important for Brain Health via the American Brain Foundation

Sleep Is Your Superpower via sleep scientist, Matt Walker

National Sleep Foundation

How Sleep Helps Prevent Chronic Disease via Peter Attia, MD

Nutrition

We know we need to eat well. But did you know that, of all our organs, our brains are most easily damaged by poor diet?

Enter the MIND diet.

MIND stands for “Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.” DASH stands for “dietary approaches to stop hypertension.” This is less important and far more complicated than the diet itself.

To put it simply, the MIND diet is a blend of two diets proven to support brain health.

Berries

five ½-cup servings weekly

Blueberries are the best. Wild blueberries are even better.

Olive oil

two single-tablespoon servings daily

EVOO should replace butter, margarine, and vegetable oil.

🚨Myth-Buster: coconut oil, while often marketed as a brain-healthy oil or even as a tool to slow Alzheimer’s, is not either, according to science.

Three things to look for when shopping for good EVOO:

It comes from California or one single place (no blends)
It’s in a dark bottle or tin
It has a harvest date on the label

Leafy greens

seven cups weekly

The darker the better, think: kale, spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, bok choy, etc.

Nuts

snack on these most days

Allergic to nuts? Seeds are a good alternative. Flax, pumpkin, and sunflower, to name a few.

Beans

½ cup every other day

Beans beans they’re good for your heart… and that means they’re good for your brain!

Whole grains

Include these daily

For example: oats, quinoa, dark rices

Fish

at least once a week

On the flip side: have fewer than four servings of red meat and meat products (like sausage) weekly.

Poultry

at least twice weekly

Dark cocoa powder

Have fewer than five sweets weekly

and stick to dark chocolate when you do!

Here’s a day’s worth of brain healthy recipes from HFC’s Chief Executive Foodie, Dr. Annie Fenn of Brain Health Kitchen:

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Mocktail

Resources

This is Your Brain on Food with Dr. Uma Naidoo via MEDspiraition

Do’s and Don’ts of the MIND diet

Top Nutrients for a Better Brain with Dr. Drew Ramsey via Dhru Purohit

Get Your Brain Food Score from Dr. Drew Ramsey

The Brain Health Kitchen Shopping List via Dr. Annie Fenn

Emotional Well-Being

Okay, we know this, but it warrants a reminder: stress is bad for us! A short daily practice of mind-body therapy can help us build dementia-resistant brains.

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Meditate

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Get outside in nature

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Be social

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Declutter your space

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Talk about your feelings with people who will listen without judgment

Resources

Science Explains How Meditation Impacts Brain Health & Function via Wellness Evolved

Brain Health and Mental Well-Being: Recommendations on Feeling Good and Functioning Well via the Global Council on Brain Health, a collaborative from AARP

Try Kirtan Kriya, the 12-Minute Meditation Exercise Clinically Proven to Improve Cognition and Memory via The Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation

Eight Relaxation Tips for Your Mental Well-Being via mind.org

DISCOVER

DISCOVER

Emotional Wellness Toolkit via The National Institutes on Health (también en español)

Physical Exercise

We knowwwww. Exercise can be daunting. There’s the lifting of heavy things, the putting them down… but trust us, it’s worth it. Exercise is GREAT for your brain!

The key to creating and sticking to an exercise plan is finding what works for YOU. It’s all about:

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Moving your body

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Raising your heart rate

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Sticking to it

The list of things improved by exercise is LONG. Here are just a few:

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Mood

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Long-term memory

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Sleep

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Stress and anxiety

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Growth of new brain cells

There’s a lot of science behind what kind of exercise to do for max brain health benefits. Every individual is different and your healthcare provider can help you determine what’s best for you. Here are two types of exercise to consider:

HIIT
‍AKA High Intensity Interval Training aka exercising in short, intense periods with rest in between.
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Research shows that HIIT has a positive effect on the brain’s neuroplasticity.

Walking
‍Yup… if HIIT sounds overwhelming, start by simply walking.
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A recent study found that older adults who took 9,800 steps each day were 50% less likely to develop dementia as a result. Those who took 3,800 steps daily saw a 25% reduction in risk.

And, speed matters! The faster you walk, the bigger the benefits. So, add a short speed walk (7-10 minutes) to your day to boost your brain health!

In general, shoot for 120 minutes of exercise that gets your heart pumping each week.

Resources

Exercise to Reduce the Risk of Alzheimer's Disease via Richard Isaacson, M.D. & Peter Attia, M.D.

Physical Activity and Brain Health via the National Library of Medicine

The Brain-Changing Benefits of Exercise via Dr. Wendy Suzuki

The 3 Best Types of Exercise for Boosting Brain Function via The Genius Life

Cognitive Fitness

It’s like exercise, but for your brain.

One of the best ways to work out your brain is by teaching it new things. Active learning improves memory, creativity, mood, and self-esteem. Incorporating learning into your daily routine, such as reading, taking courses, or trying new hobbies, keeps your brain active and engaged.

Keeping your mind active is one of the most impactful ways to delay the onset of cognitive decline.

🚨Myth-buster! We hate to break this to you but… crossword puzzles are not the best exercise for your brain. They are great for improving vocabulary, but they are too passive and repetitive to stimulate your brain the way you would if you were learning something new. Remember neuroplasticity? Crossword puzzles may help maintain existing neural connections, but they are not likely to create new ones. To promote neuroplasticity, it's important to engage in activities that challenge the brain in new and different ways.

Examples of CogFit exercises: (any activity that challenges and stimulates the brain)

Learning a new language
Playing a musical instrument
Engaging in social activities
Learning a new skill (such as cooking, woodworking, or painting)

Resources

Alzheimer's, Memory, and How to Keep our Brains Healthy as We Age via NPR

Train Your Brain via Harvard Medical School

9 Tactics to Build a Stronger Mind with Lisa Genova via BigThink