4 Ways to Keep Your Brain Healthy: Think Heart, Eat Happy

Yesterday I gave a talk at the Lake Chapala Society about "4 Ways to Keep Your Brain Healthy." As a former psychologist, I have a passion for sharing what neuroscientists are discovering about the brain.

The four areas you need to pay attention to for your brain are mental challenges, cardio exercise, healthy diet, and happiness. I call this the "Think-Heart-Eat-Happy" brain program.

The most important thing to do for your brain, at any age, is to get regular physical exercise that raises your heart rate to around 60-70% of maximum. This will elevate levels of BDNF: Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor, a protein that is crucial for the growth of neurons and their communication networks. It's called "Miracle Gro" for the brain, it's that important.

Studies show that excercising as little as 3 times a week for an hour over a six month time frame will increase brain volume. You'll learn better and faster. So get out there and get your BDNF levels up!

But you can't ignore the 3 other areas of brain health: a healthy Mediterranean diet, mental challenges, and being happy. Lower your levels of stress and anxiety. Increase your levels of happiness.

Harvard Business Publishing has a series of blogs on their site with good information about all sorts of things. Here's a recent post on 7 Ways to be Happier at Work by Jeff Stibel, Harvard Business Publishing Conversation Starter blog.

1. Smile
2. Stop worrying
3. Take a break
4. Do things differently
5. Stop managing and start leading
6. Delegate
7. Have fun

I'm all for that. Gotta go play tennis right now, catch ya later!

Comments

[Chip Scholz]

Patsi, I enjoy your writings very much, but I have to challenge you on the 7 ways to be happier. It is a daunting challenge for someone that works by themselves...

I can smile, that is the easy one.

How do you stop worrying? If you are always wondering where your next paycheck is coming from, when you are supporting a family and the news is all bad...how do you do it?

How can you take a break when all you do is think about your business, because if you don't get the next piece of business in, things will collapse?

I guess what I am saying is that all of the above sound great...but how do you do it?

[Jenny Pilley]

This is a really enlightening post Patsi and more people should be writing these. I think that what you say is correct to a certain extent and I feel my mind works better when I'm happy.

However, I have to agree with Chip in asking how exactly can you do this on a day to day basis? I think there it can be healthy to get anxious once in a while and get the heart racing. As long as it isn't interfering with sleep and eating healthily, can a burst of anxiety do you some good?

[Patsi Krakoff]

The scientists have shown that a little stress for the system definitely is good. It strengthens the heart, the brain and all systems. That's how exercise actually works - you stress the muscles and they respond by building more tissue and becoming more efficient. The problem is that too much stress on the system is extremely deleterious. Things start breaking down, the brain doesn't work well with anxiety, and it's harder to function.

Getting the balance right is key. Chip deals with this as an independent professional running a business and supporting a family - huge responsibilities, in a rough economy. And you can't just say "Don't worry, be happy..." True, there are things you can do - like meditation- that bring the stress levels down. And a strong belief system helps ride out the storm. Reading things like "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff - and it's all small stuff" have some seriously valid and effective advice. It's a challenge that each person must rise to meet on our paths...

[Chip Scholz]

You are the best, Patsi...

Thanks!

[Jenny Pilley]

This is great thanks Patsi. I'll definitely be trying some of these techniques. Thanks for your advice.