Many of the things you do to stay in shape physically can help you keep your brain in shape.
The human brain is an amazing thing. It controls thought, emotion, memory, motion, and every system that keeps us alive. It allows us to speak to each other. In short, it’s nature’s supercomputer.
There’s a reason why our brains are protected in our hard skulls. Anything that damages or injures the brain has the potential to affect aspects of our everyday life.
Your brain, just like your body, changes as you age. It’s a normal function of getting older. You can work out and make smart lifestyle choices to maintain good physical health. There are also things you can do to help slow decline in memory, cognitive function, or lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other dementias.
Many of the things you do to stay in shape physically can help you keep your brain in shape.
Among them:
- Exercise regularly. Multiple studies show that people who stay active are less likely to experience a decline in mental function and have a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
- Get plenty of sleep. 7-8 hours of sleep a night gives your brain time to sort out your day and file away memories.
- Eat well. Some doctors recommend a diet with plenty of plant-based foods, whole grains, fish and healthy fat, and less red meat and salt (good brain foods).
- Stay mentally active. Just like you go to a gym or walk regularly to keep your muscles in shape, your brain needs stimulation to stay sharp. Do puzzles, read, or play cards, (play brain games) anything that keeps your brain working.
- Remain socially active. It helps ward off depression and stress, which can both contribute to memory loss.
By taking care of your brain, just like you do your body, you also reduce the risk of a stroke, which is both a neurological and a cardiovascular disease. In a stroke, the blood supply to the brain is disrupted, causing neurological abnormalities.
Despite our best intentions, sometimes it’s difficult to get to the gym or go for a run to maintain our health. Similarly, we can’t always do those things that help our brains.
When the brain is damaged, either through disease or trauma, it’s critical that you get the highest level of care possible as soon as possible.
That’s why Saint Alphonsus is in the process of building the first Neuro/Surgical/Trauma (NeST) Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Idaho. Teaming up with the region’s highest level Trauma Center, the NeST will feature the only board-certified, fellowship-trained neuro critical care doctors in the state.
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center is certified as a Level 1 Stroke Center by the Idaho Time Sensitive Emergency statewide council (TSE), indicating the highest level of stroke care in the state. A Level 1 TSE Designation denotes a center which offers a full spectrum of neuroendovascular care.
Combining our ability to provide the highest level of stroke care with the capabilities of our Neuro and Surgical Trauma ICU will ensure that if you suffer a stroke, traumatic brain injury or neurological disease, you can get the best care possible close to home.
