A Fit and Healthy BRAIN La Protect yourself from stress 5 smart choices that help keep dementia at bay wp — One simple Discover how exercise to make easy tt is to... headaches history Ke ep y our 9 tips to improve brain sharp Ty ' and active | | ICONTENTS A health io y for life Your brain peaks — throughout fe Keep your brain healthy and sharp Prevent brain diseases 10brain myths 12 18 24 Strong brain every day Turn your habits on their head 34 Happiness under themagnifying glass 40 10 tips to help you worry less 4 Nightly sleep flushes the brain clean 46 Healthy hobbies 52 Enjoy nature 54 Use your weaker hand 60 Meditate without even tying 82 Advice aboutstress 68 When your brain wants more, more, moe 72 Train and boost your brain Get your brain in gear 80 Find your inner genius 88 Get rd ofheadaches 90 Haw to boost your memory 38 Yoga - your path to inner strength 100 Train hard & refresh your mind 104 World's bestbrain training los Brain-shake 10 Food to feed your brain Eat your brain into shape 4 Use caffeine wisely ta getasticky brain 120 Superfood: Asparagus 126 Eatyourself happy 128 Superfood Green tea 134 Brain food - eat to protect against stress 136 8ttasty mood boosters 142 Superfood Kale 44eae A HEALTHY Pi FOR LIFEPI Ve aN The brain is the most important organ you have, and there's a lot you can do to make it strong and healthy for your whole life. Your brain peaks — throughout life Think your brain is at its sharpest when you're young, and it's all downhill from there? Think again! The truth is, you'll be mentally on top of your game in different ways throughout your entire life. Find out how the organ that makes you you develops and what mental peaks you can climb along the way.Ceri) ‘everyday activity pent ura Perens Je exercise our legs, stomachs, arms and backs, but how many of us can honestly say we put the same effort into our brain? And that's bizarre, because while lots of people would love toned arms or a six-pack, the brain is the one organ that makes you you. What would you >be without it? Imagine two patients in a hospital ward. ‘ne is brain-dead there's no cerebral activity, even though the rest of the body is functioning normally. ‘The other is wide awake, but paralysed from the neck down, How do you see them? Chances are, you think of the brain-dead person as ‘just’ a body, while the paralysed patient remains 100 percent human. Unlike our muscles, we don't tend to think of the brain as something that can ~ and should —be kept fit It’s just there, and we have to make do with itas it is, accepting that mentally its a steady decline fram. ‘our twenties until we pop our clogs. But nothing epuld be further from the truth, Of course, we carry genetic baggage from our parents, and there are skills we've picked up over the years and others we haven't, But if there's one key discovery neuroscientists have made in recent years, it's that the brain changes throughout life, That means you have to take care of it, because its adaptability makes it vulnerable. But it also means you ‘can get more out of your brain than you think. 100 trillion connections Ahuman brain weighs between 1.2 and 1.4 kilograms, ‘and our thought processes come from just under 100 Whatever your age, your brain is constantly improving in otiecert ale During your ate teens, Here You ‘yur brain's abilty to use ‘see where and several mental resources when your brai simultaneously peaks. This peaks during ae et ee al In your early 20s, you are at your best at remembering ‘your lifetime. fon ce head bythe) working memory, which you use when car keys than catch ‘you've read a recipe and are cooking, them when your and long-term memory, where you partner throws them recall old holiday memories and French to you? Whichever {grammar learned at school. Many brain ers researchers believe our memories are getting worse, pally because we are bothering you, there turning more often to digital aids. This is something you can ‘weakens our ability to recall things, do about it. Here's because remembering is askil that y aan Se bs ead eed aoe Serres eee ora Seen How to improve it ‘You can train your memory by shopping without alist or leaving itn your pocket for as long as possible. You can also try drawing a map Cf a place you've been recently. Mark everything you ‘can remember and check how well you've done on Google Street View afterwards. If you watch TV shows, practise your rhame recall by remembering as many as you can between episodes.zone and could always give a task their full attention, Finally, the average life expectancy ‘was just 35-50 years, o cognitive skills rarely reached a point of decline, We are therefore in uncharted territory today, because our biological baggage hhas never before needed to keep ‘working efficiently for so many years The brain copes with a lot ‘Your brain is under pressure from all fronts these days, plus it undergoes ‘natural maturation and ageing process during the course of your life. This maturation makes it more Did you know sleep deprivation one of the worst things to do to your brain? efficient at tasks you spend a lot of time on, Conversely, if brain cells belong to areas that are rarely used, ‘maturation switches them off and breaks connections between them. ‘Ageing means that over the course of our lives, we slowly lose brain cells in areas that were otherwise active, while at the same time connections are broken. So, not only does the brain have to stay sharp for its many daily challenges, but it also faces a slow decline in performance with age. But the mental ups and downs sound more serious than they are, After all, we are constantly improving at new skills, even if over the years ‘we lose some of our cognitive ability. And if you can slow down the age-related niggles, you can boost your brain to perform at its best every day. You can do this by both adopting a range of healthy habits and challenging your brain with small tasks and focus points on a daily basis. (On these pages, we share a range of tips to help you keep your brain sharp. © Planning What you use it for Panning isn’t just about deciding where you want to go.on your next ‘summer holiday, it's also about the practicalities of doing so. I's the mental activity of visualising the series of steps ‘needed to achieve a dasired goal. The ‘process involves, among other things, reviewing ‘what information you need to gather to achieve the best result. How to improve it A prioritised to-do lists a simple and effective way to plan if you have alot on your plate. Break each major task into smaller chunks so you can be more specific about what it will take to complete each item on the list. yt 1 2. 3. © Awareness What you use it for Attention allows you to ‘choose what to focus on ‘and what to ignore. For example, you only briefly look atthe blue van flashing by on the right, but koep a sharp eye on the ‘yelist swerving out in the middle of the junction. Concentration is an aspect of attention and helps you keep out distractions and {focus on a single task for longer. Both are under pressure in modern society, where countiess things vie for our time. How to improve it It your attention is generally under pressure, it's important to take the load off. Otherwise, the result can be stress. Research shows that a visit to the countryside -or even ‘a parkin the city ~is an effective way to recharge your batteries. Ifthe problem is that you easily lose focus during a task break it up into smaller chunks, Setan alarm for 10- 116 minutes when you concentrate fully then take a break. Slowly increase the period until you can last 45 minutes. In ‘general, multitasking is bad for your attention, so always stick to doing one thing ata time,Exercise is one of ‘the best things you ‘can do to keep your & ‘ brain healthy — and Its never too late 2 __ tostart. bot rear) CeCe’ eer 7 ees Reaction : ee oy Dee eer ens retry ene What you use it for Ourabilty to react works Con several levels. We share basic reactions with almost all organisms ~ for example, Cee ecco when we acton nerve pis siare impulses, such as pain, The oe ‘speed at which we respond : ey depends largely on the : Sere ens ‘speed of signals in our nerve bs Sear ta ‘connections. This is why < Se et) reaction time is the cognitive é S Crs kil that age is hardest on, ae Ce ee How to improve it ‘Your reaction time can be trained with certain computer ‘games, for example. What's more, studies suggest that it is also boosted by running, although researchers can't explain wy. And play table tennis every now and then, as itreally tests your reactions.PI Ne a TNL Prevent brain liseases None of us wants to fall ill as we get older, but the majority of us are probably most afraid of disorders that affect the brain. They change your personality, and the thought of not being able to recognise your loved ones frightens most people. The good news is that you can do a lot to reduce your risk.‘ou're feeling dizzy and there's a throbbing pain behind your eyes. Two paracetamol tablets and 30 minutes later, its no better and you can see strange zigzag lines in your field of vision. “I hope it's not serious," you think, remembering all the horrific stories you've heard about brain tumours and strokes, Fortunately, i's very rare for even a really bad headache to be a symptom. of anything serious, But that fear we {eel is evidence that many of us are more scared of diseases of the brain than anywhere else in the body. And ‘with good reason. That 1.3 kg of water and fat, with billions of brain cells, is ‘what makes you you. That's why we ‘worry so much about brain disease, because we know — and may even have experienced first-hand ~ that damage to the brain changes people's personalities. And who are you if you're ne longer you? ‘The brain can be affected by lots of disorders ~for example Parkinson's disease, which causes a lack of zest for life, epilepsy, which causes seizures, and concussion, which seems innocuous at first but can lead to serious damage. In this atticle, er, we've chosen to focus on ’s, dementia and stroke, ‘You can prevent dementia by challenging your brain = for example, by solving crosswords oF reading difficult articles. Did you know 17% will suffer a stroke in their lifetime? because they are some of the brain diseases that affect the widest range of people most often. Prevention starts today ‘The brain is one of the body's most ‘vulnerable organs and one of the least understood. That's why itcan bo difficult for doctors to make an ‘accurate diagnosis and give treatment that works. However, scientists know lot about the risk factors for various brain disorders. For example, cycling without a helmet is a risk factor for head injury. However, the risk factors themselves don't have to be the direct cause of the disease. For example, you ‘can avoid a head injury even if you don't wear @ helmet, and conversely you can be unlucky enough to get one even if you protect your head. However, avoiding the tisk factors for brain disorders remains our very hest chance of avoiding being affected, So, we're not just delving into the diseases and why they happen - ‘we're also highlighting all the things you can do to avoid them, ‘The vast majority of victims of dementia and stroke are over 65 ~ typically even older. But it's earlier in life that you can really do something to prevent them, It's your lifestyle and the choices you make in your thittes, forties and fifties that go a long way to determining whether you're healthy up top in your old age. sr edAN changes your personality All dementias © Are Alzheimer's and dementia the same? ‘The terms Alzheimer’s and dementia are often Used interchangeably, and even therapists can find it hard to tel them apart. But Alzheimer’s and dementia are not the same. Dementia is an Umbrella term for an unnaturally rapid decline in ‘cognitive function. Alzheimer's, on the other hand, is a specific disease where doctors know exactly what changes are happening in ‘the brain, although they stil disagree about the cause, So, dementia can be caused by Alzheimer's, but there are other causes, such as Parkinson's. In other words, ‘dementia is not a specific disease, but a diagnosis based on cognitive dectine. Alzheimer’s other ba ~ What causes the diseases? “The cause of Alzheimer’s remains unclear, but researchers are looking at a handful Of risk factors ~ including type 2 diabetes as well as high blood pressure and being ‘overweight in midlife. Smoking and not ‘enough physical activity don't help your © How many are affected? Doctors estimate that as many as 944,000 people in the UK 676,000 in England alone ~ may be sutfering from some form cof dementia, However, lots of people have itwithout realising In January 2023, for ‘example, only 432,000 people in England had a registered dementia diagnosis. Of ‘those, 418,000 were over 65, and around ‘two-thirds were women, The higher average lfe expectancy of women is part of the explanation, but what accounts for the rest ofthe difference between the two sexes is a mystery to researchers. prospects either. Many ofthe same isk factors are at play in general dementia, There {sno convincing evidence that Alzheimer's is hereditary ~only inthe rare cases where the disease affects people under 69 are genetic. {actors lkoly to be at play. Dementia is also not hereditary unless, for example, there is family history of Huntington's disease, Percentage prevalence of dementia 45 40] © Women slo B Percent 5 10 60-64” 65-69 "70-74 Age 7519” 80-84 ~~ What should | look out for? ‘The early symptoms of both Alzheimer's and dementia are impaired short-term memory and, signs of depression. If you find that your mood dropping and your ‘memory is getting worse, ‘ask your doctor for advice. Prompt treatment can partially halt the disease, Particularly in older people, symptoms are often ‘mistaken for the common signs of old age. But tis, bby no means natural for your mood to deteriorate and your brain to suddenly ‘weaken rapidly just because you're getting colder. In fac, i disease ‘were not at play, every ‘elderly person would have ‘normal cognitive functions. 85-69." 90+What happens in the brain? ‘Typically, the symptoms Cf both Alzheimer's and ‘dementia occur because the disorders kil brain cells. This reduces the number of ‘connections between brain calls and so the brain shrinks, In Alzheimer's, protoins build Uupin and between brain cells. The leading hypothesis since the 1980s has therefore been that proteins were the tundertying causa. Today, researchers are working on the theory that the proteins ‘are just a symptom — possibly Cf an underlying inflammation ‘caused by bacteria, Healthy brain Sovoro Alzheimer’s A brain with Alzhoimor's ‘gradually shrinks and, becomes more like the ‘one in the bottom image. Exercise regularly or oop an active lifestyle, and you'll reduce ‘your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. How do | prevent it? Healthy eating habits, good blood pressure, not smoking and, above all plenty of physical activity - either ‘through an active daily routine oF regular exercise - are what you need. For general dementia, there is also {good evidence that what researchers recommendation emerged to prevent calla high level of cognitive activity Alzheimer’s: good oral hygiene. It reduces the risk. In other words, sounds strange, but researchers continually challenge your brain, for proved that the oral bacteria that cause example by learning a new language, periodontal disease probably play a solving problems or exploring new _big role. So, get out your toothbrush physical pursuits, such as mountain —and that dental floss you keep in the: biking or origami. In 2018, another back ofthe bathroom cabinet.ite) (3 PERC Cree ia @ What is . a stroke? @ How does the disease develop? ‘Strokes are caused by two different types of damage to the flow of blood inthe bran. The symptoms ofthe we ae very sir, but they need to be ‘weated aifferentiy. That’s why i's important for doctors to find out what has happened before starting treatment. ‘Your brain is packed with a finely branched network of blood ‘vessels that deliver oxygen and nourishment to your brain cells isan essential system, and fit breaks down, the consequences breaks dw theconseaieNO | dette lowe rn amare bond srocovae tfoquyhpoesin ed gh ny cago vesdbuotiiowtene citar fund papal oro tmp Ts es ta! ters erence be die in the hours that a blood clot. The brs (of brain cells die, The result can be permanent loss ofthe ability 10 read of speak, for example. follow from alack of oxygen and nourishment cals inthe area oftheblood clot, @ How do | detect a stroke? ‘The symptoms ofa stroke appear seconds afte the bleeding or clotting, On the stoke sppears as problems on one side ofthe ody only, suchas paralysis in one side of the face or loss of 85% 15% control ofa leg or arm. You may ofstokes of stokes ‘also experience speech disorders fre caused by arecaused cor dizziness. Bioodelots. _bybleoding 100,000 aie © What can | do to reduce the damage? ‘The damage from a stroke gets worse the longer it asts, The ‘This means that one in six of us will suffer one or more single most important thing you can do, therefore, is call an strokes in our lifatime. Two-thirds of those affected ‘ambulance as soon as the symptoms appear. I medication is are over 65. Women are slightly less likely o suffer a