EXERCISE YOUR GREY MATTER

Ageing. It should be a process we revere as we transition into the smartest years of our lives based on the culmination of all of the amazing experience and learning we have accrued. And yet “ageing” has instead been given the rubber stamp as something “bad”, a slow, reluctant march to forgetfulness or, worse still, dementia. This is not the way it has to be.

Each day going forward for the rest of your life, you have the opportunity to build on that neuroplasticity (the good brain juju). Below are the neuropsych secrets on how to make sure you maximise this.

THE ULTIMATE KEY TO AGEING SMART: GOOD COGNITIVE RESERVE

Just like your eyes get wrinkly and your skin gets sunspots, your brain ages, too. Keeping sharp versus showing signs of ageing depends on your amount of cognitive reserve. This is like a buffer – think of dementia like a pacman that eats his way down this buffer until it’s all gone and you start showing symptoms like poor memory. The bigger your buffer, the longer you will go without showing signs of cognitive ageing.

HOW TO GET SMARTER WITH AGE

Research tells us that some of the best ways to achieve good cognitive reserve include:

1.

Never stop learning. It doesn’t have to be as extreme as university classes; “always learning” simply means taking in new information. Learn a new game, a skill like dancing or painting, take French class, or watch a documentary. The more “hands on” and active the learning is, the better.

2.

Stay social. Often as we age, we don’t go out as much and become homebodies. These represent missed opportunities for your brain to practise neuroplasticity. Social interactions are unpredictable (you never know exactly what will happen and what will be said/done). By continuing to stay socially connected, you are keeping a robust and healthy cognitive reserve.

3.

The Mediterranean Diet. Blue zones (like Japan, Greece and Costa Rica) have been found to have less rates of dementia than the rest of the world.

Researchers think this may be because of some of the common things they eat in those areas, such as lots of “good” fats from fish and plants. This called “the Mediterranean diet”. Your neurons are lined by FAT – it’s called the myelin sheath. You need good fats in your diet to keep these linings healthy.

This diet is also very moderate in alcohol consumption. Alcohol is “neurotoxic” for your brain … so none is best or, if you must, one to two drinks twice a week. Soz, guys.

4.

Exercise. This is one of the mechanisms through which we obtain Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor (BDNT), which is the building blocks for all the neurotransmitters your brain needs to actually function.

You also get BDNT from the foods you eat. So move and feed your body in a healthy manner and your mind will reflect that.

FINAL MESSAGE

Remember, it is never too late to start. Even people already in their sixties and older can see the benefit of doing the above. So start today, because tomorrow will thank you. Neuropsychologist Hannah Korrel is the author of How to Break Up with Friends and has spent more than a decade becoming an expert in why the brain makes us do the things we do. A fierce mental health advocate, Dr Korrel brings neurology and psychology together to explain common life dilemmas, minus the BS. Find her on Instagram @nobullpsych.