ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Sleep and exercise among six 'pillars' to improving your brain health: expert

Share

The Women's Brain Health Initiative says there are six ways people can reduce the chance of developing cognitive decline and brain disorders.

Lynn Posluns, CEO of the Toronto-based research organization, said these six "pillars" are easy to incorporate into daily life.

"The research is also showing that there are six lifestyle choices that cumulatively give you the best chance of prolonging your cognitive vitality as you age," Posluns told CTV's Your Morning on Wednesday.

The first pillar is good sleep -- ideally seven to eight hours a night, she said. Research has shown that a chronic lack of sleep can be linked to dementia later in life.

"A good night's sleep allows the consolidation of memories and also gets rid of the toxins in the brain that if they build up cause difficulty in terms of the neurons connecting.â€

Nutrition plays an important role in brain health, Posluns said, noting that research shows fruits, vegetables, olive oil and nuts are good for cognitive function.

Reducing stress, which can "prematurely age" a brain, is also an important part, Posluns said.

"You have to figure out what is the best way of managing your stress," she said. "For some it might be deep breathing exercises, going for a walk in nature, it could be mindfulness meditation, or getting a pet."

Exercise and learning new tasks can improve brain health by stimulating cognitive function. For example, "if you're right-handed, brush your teeth with your left hand," Posluns said.

The last pillar, Posluns said, is for .

Click the video at the top of this article to see simple hand motions that can increase brain health.

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.

Local Spotlight

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.

A daytrip to the backcountry turned into a frightening experience for a Vancouver couple this weekend.