Editor’s Note: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, is a practicing neurosurgeon and author of a new book. “12 Weeks to a Sharper You: A Guided Program”.
CNN
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At least once a year, we see a glowing headline about a promising new drug that could help people with Alzheimer’s disease. And at least once a year, we hear stories of failed clinical trials and broken promises of a panacea on the horizon. I wrote a book on how to keep your brain sharp that was published two years ago. Our understanding of how to store memories hasn’t changed much since then, and the lessons are as relevant as ever. Even dementia prevention and treatment are largely determined by lifestyle and the choices we make every day. You are not necessarily destined for the fate you think is confined to your genes. Style choices have a significant impact on the aging process and disease risk.
In fact, what you eat, how much you move, who you interact with, what challenges you face, what gives you a sense of purpose, how well you sleep, what you do to reduce stress. Our daily experiences include much more, such as whether we do. To your brain health and overall health more than you could ever imagine. Let alone cures, dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases, we may never have a drug that everyone can avoid. You’ll have access to the same toolkit that has been proven to help with the program that I outlined in my book and informed the interactive workbook I’m launching this week – “12 Weeks to a Sharper You: A Guided Program” – It has all the practical tools you need to implement in your life today. They help keep the brain from declining, reduce anxiety, sleep better, improve energy, think more clearly, make better decisions, be more resilient to everyday stress, and more. can also help you lose weight and boost your immunity. We aim to move into a new year full of hope and great anticipation. We all know that change is a challenge and that it takes effort to change long-established habits. But it doesn’t have to be tortuous. It’s actually not that hard to do. Here are six things that will help you in 2023, the keys to the realm of mental sharpness.
Skip the crash diet and follow the SHARP protocol. Reduce sugar and salt. Hydrate smart. Add omega-3 fatty acids from food sources. Reduce portion. Plan ahead. The SHARP protocol is the easiest way to minimize the amount of processed, brain-busting junk that generally gravitates towards healthier foods. The average American consumes nearly 20 teaspoons of sugar each day, most of which is a highly processed form of fructose derived from high fructose corn syrup. My guess is that much of this sugar intake comes in the form of liquids such as sodas, energy drinks, juices, and flavored teas. will be A smart way to hydrate.
Exercise is the only scientifically proven way to improve brain health and function, and may even delay memory loss.The only superfood for the brain. It doesn’t have to be formal or require equipment. Walk more, climb stairs, every hour he gets up for two minutes of light activity. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, inactive adults are nearly twice as likely to experience cognitive decline as active adults. In 2022, a large international study tracking the health of more than 500,000 people found that doing simple household chores like cooking, cleaning and washing the dishes increased her risk of dementia by a staggering 21%. shown to decrease. This made household chores her second biggest conservation activity after more obvious things like riding a bike. This same study showed that regular exercise reduced the risk of dementia by 35%, and then seeing friends and family reduced the risk of dementia by 15%. Again, simple things have big payoffs.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your stress level, with 10 being the most extreme? Stress is thought to be a silent trigger of neurodegeneration that occurs years before symptoms appear. Many well-designed studies routinely show that chronic stress can impair the ability to learn and adapt to new situations, and subtly impair cognition. More specifically, stress destroys cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory storage and retrieval. So reducing stress not only protects the cells that are vital for memory, but it can also help improve focus, focus and productivity. please. Take breaks during the day and engage in peaceful, meditative, and stress-reducing activities. It can be as simple as taking a walk in nature, journaling, spending time with your pet, or daydreaming. Download the app today that gives you a guided tour of deep breathing exercises you can practice every day. I have a reliable meditation routine that calms me down within 90 seconds. I just close my eyes, pay close attention to my breathing, and imagine my worries in a clear bubble floating weightlessly in front of me.
Find what works for you and make it part of your daily routine.
Are you restorative sleep? Contrary to popular belief, sleep is not a state of nervous indolence. This is a crucial stage in which the body replenishes itself in a variety of ways that ultimately affect all systems, from the brain to the heart to the immune system to all the internal workings of metabolism. You can think of it as your brain’s rinse cycle to clear out junk that could be causing you and illness. And start with your bedtime routine. Stop looking at screens (including your phone) an hour before bed to prepare for a good night’s sleep. When he increased his bedtime prep time from 30 minutes to 1 hour, it made a big difference in his energy and productivity the next day.
Are you learning something new every day that stimulates your cognition? Even after accounting for other factors, people who retire at age 65 are about 15% more likely to develop dementia than those who retire at age 60. As low as research shows, it is very important to continue to have an intellectual disability. Retire late or not at all. Choose a different route to a familiar destination. Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand. Skip the lonely games and crossword puzzles and start a new hobby involving other people. Which leads me to the final key…
We are social creatures who need social connections to thrive, especially when it comes to brain health. Invite your neighbors to dinner. Go for a walk with your friends and talk about your problems. Cherish that relationship. The strength of our connections with others can predict both our physical and brain health as we move through life. They are the secret sauce of a long and sharp life.
As of 2022, scientists have documented a total of about 75 genes associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease, but having these genes is not a one-way ticket to decline. How these genes are expressed and how they behave can be highly dependent on our daily habits. Remember that diseases like Alzheimer’s disease are multifactorial with different pathological features. Personalized to a person’s biochemistry, from basic parameters such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure and blood sugar balance, to oral health and gut microbiota, remnants of past infections and even how they were infected. It has been. You can see and hear a lot. That’s why keeping numbers down helps. For example, don’t let your cholesterol and blood pressure run wild. Sight and hearing are the same. In recent years, hearing and visual impairments have been added to the list of modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline.
Your DNA provides the core language of your body, but how it behaves tells the story. In the future, interventional therapies involving a combination of lifestyle habits and drugs may help end these stories successfully. Track your risk, assess your physiology (and memory) in real time, and make personalized recommendations. Until we all have that technology at our fingertips, his six keys above are a great start and provide a strong foundation.
The ultimate goal is to build a cognitive reserve that scientists call “brain resilience.” Increased cognitive reserve supports cognitive function and reduces the risk of neurodegenerative problems. It’s like having a backup set of networks in your brain if one of them fails or, worse, it goes down and doesn’t work. In many aspects of life, the more backup plans you have, the better your chances of success, right? The same goes for the hard and soft wiring of our brains. And perhaps the most important key to building that reserve is to do so over years and decades before the risk of decline increases with age.
Always remember this: Cognitive decline is not always inevitable. has been shown to be useful for Think of health as a “top down” project. Focus on your brain and everything else will follow. Happy new year!
