WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE POSITIVE ABOUT THE BRAIN AND MIND
The brain and the mind are of great importance for a good life to continue. Increasingly people who run healthcare are concerned less about length of life, important though that is particularly because there is still a huge gap between the length of life in the wealthiest part of society and that in the more deprived sections of society, but they are much more interested now in what is called healthy life expectancy and disorders of the brain and/or the mind, because the mind can become disordered and even a healthy brain are of vital importance in enjoying good health.
Perhaps the most important step to take is to be positive, not only positive about ageing from the physical sense but positive about ageing of the brain and the mind namely
It is therefore vitally important to protect the brain and also to continue to nurture and develop your mind in the way you nurture and develop your garden
The brain and the mind are of great importance for a good life to continue. Increasingly people who run healthcare are concerned less about length of life, important though that is particularly because there is still a huge gap between the length of life in the wealthiest part of society and that in the more deprived sections of society, but they are much more interested now in what is called healthy life expectancy and disorders of the brain and/or the mind, because the mind can become disordered and even a healthy brain are of vital importance in enjoying good health.
Perhaps the most important step to take is to be positive, not only positive about ageing from the physical sense but positive about ageing of the brain and the mind namely
- We now know that the brain can form new connections throughout life. Every doctor who graduated before 2000 was taught the doctrine laid down by professor Cajal of Madrid that the brain, unlike every other tissue simply declined from about the age of twenty on. We now know that this is wrong and that the brain can form new connections throughout life - neuroplasticity -and can even form new nerve cells - neurogenesis - provided it is stimulated and challenged
- We know that people can learn and adapt at any age, they can become fitter in brain and body
- We know that although some decision making that requires rapid response decays with age people who are more experienced often make better decisions. A fascinating study of ageing sportsmen and sportswomen has shown that people in their late thirties playing a sport even as aggressive and dangerous as American football report that the advantage they have as opposed to younger players, and of themselves when they were younger is that the game seems to move more slowly, they can anticipate where the ball is going and where tacklers are coming from. Experience Oscar Wilde said is the name we give to our mistakes and there is no doubt that more experienced people make better important decisions. Younger people are better at making quick decisions but most of the decisions in life do not need quick fire they need consideration, reflection and good decision making.
- We now know the risk of dementia can be reduced by about a third
It is therefore vitally important to protect the brain and also to continue to nurture and develop your mind in the way you nurture and develop your garden
