We often talk about keeping your body healthy through diet and exercise for physical health, but bad choices made consistently can also be bad for your brain—in terms of both physical and mental aspects.
Brooklyn Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing is detailing the four worst habits for your brain and how you can avoid them.
- Drinking Sugary Beverages
Not only are sugary drinks bad for your overall health, they can be bad for your brain specifically as well. Soda, sugary coffee drinks, and even fruit juice can cause a blood-sugar spike and potentially trigger chronic inflammation in the brain. That can lead to memory problems and lower total brain volume.
- Not Getting a Consistently Good Amount of Sleep
Not only is getting seven to nine hours of sleep per night vital, you need to be getting that amount regularly—and if you go to bed and wake up around the same time each day, that’s even better. Not allowing your brain to rest and recuperate can damage nerve cells and lead to accelerated memory and other cognitive issues over time.
- Higher Cumulative Use of Certain Medications
Studies have found that tricyclic antidepressants, some overactive bladder medications, and some over-the-counter antihistamines can lead to an increased risk of dementia due to a brain chemical that’s associated with learning and memory being blocked from doing its function. If you take any of these types of medications, as your doctor.
- You Have a Negative Mindset
Holding grudges, always focusing on the negative, and being constantly resentful of others has been found to cause a decrease in memory and cognition skills in those 55 and older. Some of these thoughts are human nature, but the key is to be able to have a more positive mindset. You can accomplish this by writing down five things you are grateful for and focusing your energies on those and also engage in meditation or deep-breathing exercises when you’re having negative thoughts.
To learn more about Brooklyn Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://brooklyn-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org.
