Better Brain, Better You

We know the importance of a healthy heart for our physical health and well-being. But brain health is just as crucial for us to live a healthy life and look after our longevity. But what do we actually mean by brain health? And how can we look after this amazing machine between our ears? I unpack what it means to have a healthy brain and share the six pillars of brain health for every stage of life. Incorporating these habits, behaviours and activities into your lifestyle gives you the best chance of healthy and happy life and reduces your risk of developing brain damage and disease later in life. Podcast:ologyonlinecourses.com/podcast Follow us:instagram.com/ologyonline; twitter.com/ologyonline; facebook.com/ologyonline   

We often think that getting old leads to mental and memory decline. But what if you could control how you age? Protect your brain and build more cognitive capacity. According to the latest neuroscience, highlighted in Daniel Levitin’s book, “Successful Ageing”, our personality determines how well we age. Three personality traits that can help you to age well are: conscientiousness, curiosity and being grateful. I unpack how adopting these traits can protect your brain from damage and help you to live a healthy life.

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It’s that time of year, where we start thinking about the changes we can make to improve our life in the New year. Many people focus their New Year’s resolutions on their bodies, such as healthy eating, exercise, or weight loss. But there’s one part of the body that’s important, but often overlooked - the brain. Boosting your brain health can improve its function and lower your risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. It can also improve your mental well-being because of the inextricable link between your brain health and mental health. So if you want to start working on your brain in 2021, I’ve  got 10 brain healthy resolutions to try in the New Year.

Many of us are in the heart-breaking position of not being able to see loved ones over the Christmas period. This is a difficult thing to accept as an adult. But it’s an even greater challenge for our children who will struggle to hold in mind the logic and reason behind this being a necessary course of action to keep us all safe. Instead, they may be overcome by the emotions and loss this brings. If you’re a parent of a child and, on top of everything else, are now faced with the task of supporting them through this covid Christmas, clinical psychologist, Dr Zoe Webb, shares 10 tips to ease this challenge over the festive period.

Improving your wellbeing can feel like a monumental task. We pressure ourselves to make big lifestyle changes. But these big expectations are often not achievable, and this can lead to less motivation to make the changes we need. An alternative approach to behavioural change is to think small - make tiny changes to your life that become habits. Advocated by B.J. Fogg in his book, ‘Tiny Habits’, and Arianna Huffington at ‘Thrive Global’, this new approach to behavioural change is gaining a lot of traction. So what are “micro-habits” and how can you use them to boost your well-being?

Your belly may not be an obvious place to look for help with your mental health. But the makeup of your gut microbiome - the bacteria, fungi and other microbes lodging in your digestive system - can affect your mental state. Because of the rise of processed food, most of us have fewer types of gut microbes than our grandparents and great grandparents. And this is one of the reasons there is so much depression and anxiety in the world. You can improve stress, reduce anxiety and mitigate the effects of other mental health problems by tweaking the balance of bacteria in your belly - either by eating a diverse diet or ingesting appropriate amounts of “psychobiotics”.

How does the life of a girl and women sculpt their brain? And how does their brain influence the experiences of a female across their lifespan? We talk to neuroscientist, Dr Sarah McKay, about what happens inside the brains of women as they cycle through the phases of life. She busts some myths about the effects of female biology and hormones and shares crucial insights about the different ways in which pregnancy, puberty, pre-menstrual syndrome and peri-menopause influence the female brain. Sarah’s wonderful  book, “Demystifying The Female Brain”, is a must read for anyone with an interest the health of their brain.

Why do teenagers spend so much time on screens and social media? What is driving their seemingly addictive behaviour? And what can parents do to help their children? I discuss the psychological hooks embedded in games and social media that draw teenagers in and keep them playing and engaging online. A teenager’s disconnected brain makes them particularly susceptible to these stealthy psychological techniques and vulnerable to gaming and social media addiction. I finish with digital hygiene tips for parents to help manage their child’s relationship with screens and social media.

Exercising and eating the right foods both have positive effects on your brain and mental health. But If you can only introduce one of these lifestyle changes, which is better for your brain and mental health: regular exercise or a healthy diet? Both exercise and nutrition protect your brain from mental decline and dementia. And both are natural antidepressants and anxiety treatments that elevate your mood and control worry. Exercise is marginally more beneficial, but you can be safe in the knowledge that incorporating either one or both into your life will have a positive impact on your brain and mental health.

Why do teenagers suddenly and unexpectedly become irrational, uncommunicative and emotional? Your child is changing, trying to figure themselves out.Their brain and bodies are undergoing extensive reorganisation. Inexplicable habits - unprompted emotional outbursts, risky irrational behaviour, addiction to social media, inability to get up in the morning - are not their fault. In large part, they are due to their undeveloped and disconnected brain, which is neither an adult nor a child brain. I discuss the huge changes that happen to teenage brains during adolescence and how these explain many of their habits and behaviours.