LIFESTYLE TIPS – NOURISHING YOUR BRAIN

By Anna Magee, Universal Publishing Service 

When keeping fit, don't neglect what may ageing faster than your face or body: the brain. 

 Most of us have an agenda for personal anti-ageing: Yoga to prevent middle-age spread; fruit-acid creams to stave off wrinkles; fruit and vegetables to halt onset of nasty disease. But according to professor Ryuta Kawashima, a leading neuroscientist, we may be neglecting the of the body that's susceptible to ageing - the brain.

 Kawashima has created "Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain", program that attaches to Nintendo game consoles and uses simple word and number tests to assess your brain age. It creates personalised activities that you can do on the console with the aim of getting your brain back to its ideal age: 20. After 20, it's all downhill for our grey matter.

 The rate at which your brain ages relates to the way neurons (or nerve cells) speak to each other, says James Joseph, director of neuroscience at the USDA Human Nutrition Centre On Ageing at Tufts University, Boston. "Old neurons, like some old married couples, don't talk to each other as much anymore," he says. These glitches in the brain's signalling pathways can lead to a loss of balance, coordination, memory and spatial awareness.

 The good news is that brain ageing can be slowed down and even reversed, with lifestyle changes and "brain training". Here are 10 ways to keep your mind functioning at its peak throughout your life.

 1. Read aloud

Professor Kawashima found that reading aloud "lights up the brain like a switchboard", and that, combined with easy calculations, could help prevent the symptoms of dementia and even alleviate them in sufferers. Just a minute a day will benefit your brain, but the tougher the passage (the Nintendo Brain Training game features excerpts from George Eliot's "Middlemarch" and Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights"), the better. Keep it clear and fast for best results. To a lesser extent, silent reading boosts brain function, too.

 

 2. Get word-savvy

One US study found that playing board games was associated with a reduced risk of dementia. Scrabble is particularly useful. In fact, building vocabulary is one of the best things you can do for your brain, says Marilyn vos Savant (the woman with the world's highest IQ - 230!) in "Brain Power: The 12-Week Mental Training Programme". "Every day look up a new word in the dictionary," she suggests. "Say it out loud, then try to use it in a sentence – either in your mind or in conversation.' Or sign up to an online 'word of the day' – yourdictionary.com is great. Professor James Joseph says a crossword a day works a treat, too.

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 3. Drink purple grape juice (and red wine!)

We love scientific discoveries that prove something that tastes nice is good for you. One of Joseph's recent studies has proven that "polyphenals" can slow down brain ageing. These super-antioxidants are especially abundant in purple grape juice and yes, red wine.

 4. Eat to stay sharp

• Blueberries This tasty fruit contains anthocyanins, pigments that make the fruit purple, that work on the brain, increasing the way nerve cells "talk" to each other and enhancing memory. They're also found in cranberries, cherries, plums, redcurrants and strawberries.

• Turmeric A substance called curcumin in turmeric can prevent memory loss, according to a study at the University of California.

• Soy Milk Plant estrogens, or phytoestrogens, in soy boost learning and memory in women.

• Avocado These contain omega 3-6-9 fatty acids and vitamin E, essential to the health of the myelin sheath, the brain's fatty coating. Walnuts and fish are packed with it too, as well as coldwater cod, perch, tuna and salmon.

 5. Routine swap

You hit the gym for aerobics, but you should also be exercising your brain daily with "Neurobics", says Lawrence C Katz, professor of neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center and co-author of Keep Your Brain Alive (Workman, £5.99, from amazon.co.uk). The exercises are easy, and mostly involve changing your routine to engage your brain more deeply from day to day. Try brushing your teeth or using the computer mouse with the opposite hand to the one you usually use, having a shower with your eyes closed or simply taking a different route to work once a week.

 6. Check Your Memory

One of the first signs that your brain needs a boost is a decline in memory. Tick whichever applies:

 ◊  My memory is deteriorating.

◊  I find it hard to concentrate and often get confused.

◊  I sometimes meet someone I know quite well but can't remember their name.

◊  I can remember things from the past but often forget what I did yesterday.

◊  I frequently forget which day of the week it is.

◊  I often go looking for something then forget what I'm looking for.

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◊  Sometimes I have to read passages three or four times to take in their meaning.

◊  I find it hard to add numbers up without writing them down.

◊  I often experience mental tiredness.

◊  I can't concentrate for longer than an hour at a time.

◊  I often misplace my keys.

◊  I frequently forget points I'm trying to make.

◊  I often repeat myself.

◊  It takes me longer to pick up concepts than it used to.

 Below 5 You don't have a major problem, but our tips may sharpen you up even more.

 5-10 Your memory needs a boost and your brain could be older than you think.

 More than 10 You are experiencing significant memory decline, but after just one week of our brain-boosting plan you could feel more alert.

7. Use it or lose it

Professor Kawashima studied the blood circulation and stimulation in the brain's prefrontal cortex, and found the brain worked hardest during reading aloud and solving simple math calculations. But anything that puts the brain in a passive state – like watching TV – is probably helping to turn it to mush.

 8. Watch the H-factor

"Homocysteine is an amino acid that should be present in the body in low quantities. But when you're badly nourished and stresses out, homocysteine can accumulate in your blood," says nutritionist Patrick Holford. "That, along with low vitamin B12 and folic-acid levels could lead to age-related memory loss in later life." Check your homocysteine levels with a simple home blood-testing kit. If they're high, eat less fatty meat, more fish and vegetable protein, lots of greens, a clove of garlic a day, little or no salt, tea or coffee, and little alcohol. Stopping smoking will help, as will taking a multivitamin containing at least 20mg of vitamin B6, 200mcg of folic acid and 10 mcg of B12.

 9. Walk, walk, walk

Not only does it increase blood circulation, oxygen and glucose to the brain, but walking just 20 minutes a day can decrease your risk of memory loss and stroke and improve learning ability, concentration and abstract reasoning. Try: "The GI Walking Diet by Joanna Hall" (Harper Collins, £12.99).

 10. Take gingko

Trials have shown that gingko biloba may help to prevent to Alzheimer's-related illness. Patrick Holford recommends gingko with 24 per cent flavonoid concentration, and he advises taking 20mg to 100mg up to three times a day (don't take it if you're on blood-thinning drugs like warfarin or aspirin). Try Neurozan, which contains DHA, an omega-3 fat that lowers the risk of Alzheimer's.

Adapted from "10 Ways to Get Smarter" by Anna Magee/Universal Publishing Service  (Crossword photo: Getty Images; Red wine photo:quinn.aya/flickr)

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MUFFIN

Ingredients 325 ml 1 1/3 cup All-purpose flour 75 ml 1/3 cup Granulated sugar 15 ml 1 tbsp Baking powder 2 ml 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon 1 ml 1/4 tsp Ground nutmeg 1 ml 1/4 tsp Salt 375 ml 1 1/2 cup Cereals Special K*cereal 1 - Egg 75 ml 1/3 cup Skim milk 50 ml 1/4 cup Vegetable oil 250 ml 1 cup Mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)

Directions 1. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in crushed cereal.2. In small bowl, beat egg slightly; stir in milk, oil and bananas. Add to dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Portion batter evenly into lightly greased or paper lined muffin-pan cups.3. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch.

In keeping with good allergy practices, we remind you to be aware of allergens and to check labels on any packaged goods used. This recipe has been tested using Kellogg's* products. Results with other products may vary.

MILK SHAKE

Ingredients 250 ml 1 cupCereals Special K* cereal 1 Container of peach yogurt (175 ml/ 3/4 cup) 125 ml 1/2 cup 2% milk 1 Small ripe banana, in chunks 3 Small ice cubes

Directions 1. In container of electric blender, combine all ingredients.2. Cover and blend at high speed until smooth and frosty, about 1 minute. Serve with a straw.

In keeping with good allergy practices, we remind you to be aware of allergens and to check labels on any packaged goods used. This recipe has been tested using Kellogg's* products. Results with other products may vary.

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