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2/16/2021 | By Seniors Guide Staff

Ask any baby boomer or senior about their greatest wish for aging, and nearly all will rank quality of life and aging in place as top picks. 

But achieving such goals starts with a healthy brain. 

Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical correspondent, has suggestions about maintaining brain health. The author of “Keep Sharp: Build A Better Brain At Any Age,” Gupta chatted with National Public Radio’s Terry Gross of “Fresh Air.” 

During the interview, he provides insight into maintaining brain health and talks about his research and the pandemic’s effect on our brains. He also dispels some myths about the aging brain. 

There’s a perception that as people age, they lose the ability to learn new things, create new habits, and new behavior patterns. 

According to Gupta, yes, the brain ages and changes, but it can get sharper as we age. “It is sort of the use it or lose it phenomenon, when it comes to the brain if you think of the brain like a muscle, which, I think, is a fair metaphor,” he says. 

It’s good, for example, for our brains to find new patterns and routines, continue learning, experiencing new things, and modifying daily habits to shake things up. As Gupta puts it, “…mix it up a little bit, shock the brain, shock the body a little bit” and get out of your comfort zone. 

Exercise, a heart-healthy diet, and sleep also are critical to brain health, and he calls the latter a “‘ rinse’ cycle.”

Listen to the 41-minute interview at: https://n.pr/3bEpcbL 

Seniors Guide Staff

Seniors Guide has been addressing traditional topics and upcoming trends in the senior living industry since 1999. We strive to educate seniors and their loved ones in an approachable manner, and aim to provide them with the right information to make the best decisions possible.

Seniors Guide Staff