10 healthy habits for your brain

### How to keep your brain healthyH2: How to keep your brain healthy While we can’t control everything about how our brain changes and ages, research suggests that there are things we can do to help protect our cognitive abilities across the decades. Some people become what researchers call ‘cognitive super-agers’, keeping their sharp memory and thinking skills well into later life. This is likely to be a combination of genetics, environment and lifestyle choices. While it’s not possible to prevent every type of neurological condition, these healthy habits can lower your risk, help you stay well for longer, and support managing an existing diagnosis. H3: 1. Train your brain While we should be cautious of big claims about so-called "brain games", there is growing evidence that keeping the mind active plays an important role in healthy brain ageing. No single app or activity is proven to prevent cognitive decline, but there are plenty of ways to achieve cognitive enhancement by regularly challenging your brain. Mentally stimulating activities, such as reading, learning something new, solving puzzles or having engaging conversations, help the brain stay flexible and resilient. The key is to choose diverse, mentally stimulating activities that continue to engage your brain over time. For example: • Pick up a new hobby or skill – whether it’s golfing, painting or learning a new language, give your brain the challenge of learning something new • Break out of the routine – for example, travelling or visiting new places, like going to concerts, cinemas or museums • Keep challenging yourself – whether it’s your daily crossword or reading material, keep your brain active by trying something more difficult • Be consistent – it’s easy to get comfortable doing what we know, but the key for brain training is to keep things new, exciting and challenging This kind of cognitive stimulation may help build what's known as cognitive reserve. This is the brain’s ability to adapt and find new ways to work around damage. Over time, it may help protect against age-related cognitive decline, helping you stay sharp. H3: 2. Be physically active Keeping physically active is one of the most effective ways to support brain health. Regular exercise encourages the brain to form new connections, which is a process known as neuroplasticity. Exercise also boosts levels of a natural protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), supporting the growth and survival of brain cells, especially as we age. WHO recommends at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, including for older adults. This means any activity that raises your heart rate and gets you breathing faster, like brisk walking, swimming, or dancing. Any increase in physical activity is a good thing. However, some research suggests that high-intensity workouts like HIIT have added benefits for brain health, with improved cognitive function potentially lasting for years. H3: 3. Have a healthy, balanced diet A balanced, nutritious diet can support brain function in many ways. The Mediterranean diet often gets attention for its brain-boosting potential, but the key thing is to eat a variety of whole, nutrient-rich foods you enjoy. For example, a recent study found that the green Mediterranean diet may help to slow brain shrinkage. This diet adds so-called superfoods to fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and olive oil, and keeps animal products to a minimum. Following this eating plan for 18 months showed brain health benefits, thought to be due to improved blood sugar control. In theory, you can achieve similar benefits from most healthy, balanced diets. These include: • The MIND diet – focuses on plant-based foods like leafy greens and berries and limited amounts of animal products and saturated fats • A general balanced diet – moderate amounts of fruits, vegetables, and animal products, and low in starches and processed foods • A high fibre diet – healthy sources of fibre include nuts, legumes, whole-grains and fruits and vegetables There’s no magic ingredient for brain health, which is why it’s less clear whether quick fixes like specific supplements or vitamins can make a meaningful long-term difference to cognitive health. For most people, a healthy and balanced diet provides the nutritional support the brain needs. But if you’re looking to build on this, some research supports taking a daily multi-vitamin to protect against age-related cognitive decline. H3: 4. Improve your health vitals When it comes to healthy brain ageing, three key vitals stand out: blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. Each plays a role in maintaining blood flow to the brain, reducing inflammation, and lowering the risk of conditions like stroke, dementia, and cognitive decline. Other important factors like inflammation, sleep quality, and heart rate variability also contribute to brain health. These are increasingly being monitored as part of a more complete picture of cognitive wellbeing. At Affidea neuraCare, we offer wearable technology solutions that help track many of these indicators in real time. This gives patients and clinicians the tools to take proactive steps toward protecting brain health, both as a preventative measure and as part of symptom and condition management. H3: 5. Manage health conditions Certain physical health conditions, like high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes, can take a toll on your brain. They’re also closely linked to the risk of developing dementia. The good news is that many of the conditions can be managed effectively, especially when caught early. Regular check-ups with your GP or health professional help you stay on top of your overall health and take early action against common age-related conditions. In turn, this can help to protect your brain now and in the future. H3: 6. Go smoke-free and limit alcohol What’s harmful to the body is often harmful to the brain. It’s no surprise that both smoking and heavy drinking have been linked to a higher risk of dementia and cognitive decline. That’s why WHO recommends quitting smoking and reducing heavy alcohol use to protect brain health. It’s not yet fully clear whether these substances directly cause dementia, or whether they affect other systems, like heart and blood vessel health, that in turn raise the risk. But the link is strong enough that cutting back on alcohol and quitting smoking are steps worth taking. H3: 7. Prioritise getting good sleep Sleep plays an active and essential role in maintaining brain function throughout life. During REM and deep sleep, the brain consolidates memories, removes unnecessary neuronal connections and strengthens important ones, all of which facilitate neuroplasticity, adaptation, and learning. Beyond supporting cognition, sleep acts as the brain’s natural cleaning cycle. including beta-amyloid, a toxic protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Consistently getting about seven to eight hours of sleep is associated with better cognitive health over time. Disrupted sleep doesn’t just lead to fatigue. It can be an early warning sign or contributing factor in neurological conditions. We work closely with patients experiencing sleep difficulties, whether it’s insomnia, sleep apnoea, or REM sleep behaviour disorder, to assess how these issues may be affecting brain health. H3: 8. Protect your head Moderate to severe head injuries increase the risk of long-term cognitive impairment. While any visible signs of trauma may heal, the internal impact of a head injury can be subtle and progressive, affecting memory, attention, mood, and decision-making over time. These types of injuries can occur across many industries, from construction and manufacturing to transportation and warehouse shifts, alongside everyday activities such as biking, recreational sports, or even home repairs. Take care to protect your head with appropriate equipment, such as helmets or hard hats, and be mindful of the risk of falls or head trauma. These active steps can help you to preserve cognitive function during working life and beyond. H3: 9. Manage stress and mental wellbeing Stress, mental wellbeing, and brain health are all closely linked. The relationship is complex, where chronic stress and emotional challenges can both impact the risk of brain conditions. Similarly, deteriorating brain health can trigger or exacerbate existing mental health symptoms. For example, chronic stress impacts brain function due to increased cortisol, a stress hormone that can damage neurons and stop the brain from forming new connections. And lowered mental wellbeing often makes it harder to engage in healthy habits, leading to poorer diet, sleep and exercise, which in turn impact your brain health. Taking steps to manage stress and emotions is not a sign of weakness – it’s a vital part of looking after your overall health. Programs like mindfulness and exercise medicine can all contribute to greater mental well-being. Some people benefit from further support, such as therapy or medication, to help manage mental health conditions. H3: 10. Stay socially connected Researchers are exploring how the so-called ‘loneliness epidemic’ may affect brain health. In many modern societies, older adults are more likely to live alone, be disconnected, or feel less valued by the world around them. Staying socially connected is a basic human need, and it plays a meaningful role in protecting brain health, linked to better memory, sharper thinking, and improved well-being. Whether it’s with friends, family, animals, or even online communities, meaningful interactions help support brain function and a sense of belonging.