The health-related question I get the most from my older friends and relatives "what do I have to do to prevent cognitive decline?" The answer is never what they want to hear, because it's not what they have to do, but what they need to stop doing. There's no herb, or magic superfood that will counter the ill effects of a lifestyle that is detrimental to your brain and nervous system.
If you're determined to do whatever it takes to care for your precious "thinking machine", please tend to the following:
đ„ Balanced Agni
In Ayurveda, majja dhatu, or nervous system is the 6th out of 7 systems to be formed, successively, meaning, before the nourishment that comes from the food we eat reaches our majja dhatu, it had to provide for 5 other dhatus* before it. Therefore, our agni, or power of digestion and metabolism, need to be strong enough so the nourishment can be broken down and traverse such long path.
*Rasa (lymph), rakta (blook), mamsa (muscle), meda (fat), asthi (bone), majja (nervous system) and finally sukhra (reproductive system).
đ« Eat good fats
Our brains are made of 70% fat, of which 25% is saturated fat. Weâve been socially constructed to avoid fat at all cost by a culture that is driven by aesthetics and consumption rather than health and balance. What happens is weâre depriving our brain and nervous system of its main nutrient, leading to increase neurodegenerative disorders and mental health issues.
With the exception of certain conditions, like high cholesterol, morbid obesity for example, a healthy person should not be afraid of consuming a generous amount of good fat found in avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, fish, ghee. Just to name a few.
đŹ Cut sugar
The World Health Organization recommends 25g of sugar daily. On top of not adding sugar to your beverages and foods, be sure to read the labels of the packaged food you consume, you'd be surprised how much sugar is hiddenâsometimes in plain sightâ in ultra processed foods. The best rout is not to consume ultra processed foods at all, but if you must, do it wisely.
The damaging effects of sugar in the brain is such that some scholars are looking into categorizing it into Type III diabetes. Read Article
đ€ Prioritize sleep
This is the time when our brains restore, reset, clean, solidifies memories and it's the most important habit to prioritize to maintain good mental health.
đ» Moderate alcohol
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, and it does create a certain relaxation and promotes sleep (although it's poor quality sleep), but in the long run it is extremely detrimental to our nervous system. I dedicated a whole post about alcohol, click below if you wish to learn further.
đđœ Strength training exercise
"Strong legs, strong mind" my mentor used to say. And it is true, the more toned our muscles are, the healthier our minds become. "Emerging research suggests that the amount of grey matter in the brain later in life is directly related to the strength of your legs" Read article
đVitamins and minerals
Good levels of Vitamin D, omega 3, magnesium, B12, are important to maintain good brain function, so if you're not getting them through diet and lifestyle, considere hiring a professional to help you with supplementation.
đ§đœ Meditation
The scientific evidence on the benefits of meditation for brain health is overwhelming. There are dozens of meditation types, choose one that works for you! Remember that meditation is not something you can or can't do, is something you learn to do, so be patient!
đ± Avoid âMultitaskingâ
Specialists claim that a minuscule percentage of people who claim that they are effective at multitasking actually are able to multitask. Most of us are just quickly task switching, behavior which leads to competition in our attention, creating fragmented thoughts, and in turn, degrading our cognition, focus, and memory.
đ§đ»âđ€âđ§đŸ Get social
Whether is 2 or 10 people, socializing, building a community and a support system is a building block of our emotional and cognitive health, especially when it's done in person and away from electronic devices.
đż Bacopa Monnieri
Of course I would not leave you without a herbal recommendation. Bacopa has very few contraindications and is beneficial for all 3 doshas.
To a balanced life!
Namaste,
Grazie Prokopetz, Doctor of Ayurveda
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