Learn to meditate
When researchers tested the brains of 50-year-old meditators, they discovered the meditators’ minds were about 7 1/2 years younger on average compared to people who didn’t practise meditation, according to a study published in the journal NeuroImage. Even better: Every year past the age of 50 that people meditated shaved an additional one month and 22 days off the age of their brain. The researchers theorise that the mental energy required to meditate induces neural nerve cell production and the formation of synapses.
Here are 8 mini-meditations that can get you started right away.
Add more fish to the menu
The omega-3 fatty acid called DHA seems to help keep your brain functioning normally and efficiently. “The thing is, your body can’t produce it on its own, so you must consume it,” says Andrews. “And fish like salmon, herring, mackerel, tuna, and sardines are brimming with DHA.” That helps explain why research has found that eating just one serving of fish a week can improve thinking skills – something that even holds true for people at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Ward off type 2 diabetes
People with prediabetes and diabetes tend to have worse long-term memory and more trouble problem-solving compared to those with normal blood sugar, according to a large-scale study published in Diabetologia. However, researchers note that when patients and their doctors take steps to delay and control diabetes, their brains tend to do better.