The power of keeping cognitive reserve
Q: I keep hearing that it is important to cultivate cognitive reserve — but I do not understand what that means. Can you explain why it matters? — Kathy Y., Queens, New York
A: You know the phrase, thinking on your feet? Cognitive reserve is something you can tap into when you need your brain’s neurological messages to skirt areas where neurons are not firing optimally and send information along different pathways so you can still think quickly and sharply. This ability of the brain to build detours around damaged pathways was discovered when the Nun Study (of 678 nuns) performed autopsies on its participants. They revealed that folks with brain changes that were thought to cause cognition problems never showed any signs of mental decline while alive if they engaged in activities that required complex verbal skills early in life.
So how do you build cognitive reserves? You can help develop and maintain cognitive reserve by managing your stress responses, building a posse, having a purpose, and enjoying play; eating a healthy plant-based diet, exercising regularly, getting seven to eight hours of sleep nightly, and participating in brain-stimulating activities.
Q: I am making sure I get 150 minutes of physical activity a week — and sometimes more — by walking at lunchtime and after dinner when I can, playing sports on the weekends (pickleball and swimming) and using light hand weights for upper body conditioning while I am watching TV. But now that I’m 50, it doesn’t feel like quite enough. What else can I do? — Bob G., Kansas City, Kansas A: A newly released 30year study of more than 116,000 folks reveals that if you do two times more than the recommended
150 minutes of physical activity, including two strength-building sessions weekly, you’ll slash your risk of dying during the next three decades by 26 percent to 31 percent.
Another very powerful step to take is to eliminate added sugars and syrups from your diet. A sugar-rich diet may shorten your lifespan because of sugar’s ability to cause a build-up of a natural waste product, uric acid. It also increases cardiovascular risks and leads to blood sugar spikes. Randomized controlled trials show that controlling blood sugar at all ages substantially reduces all-cause mortality, strokes, heart attacks, kidney dysfunction, cognitive dysfunction and immobility.