"Premier Gordon Campbell (centre) marked Brain Awareness Week by taking a walk with Nicole Bertrand (left), volunteer president of the Alzheimer Society of B.C., and Dr. Art Hister (right), family physician, author, and media doctor."

It's never too early to start thinking about the health of your brain! What's good for your heart is good for your head, and taking steps now to protect your brain can have long-term benefits.

Research shows there are three areas to consider when you plan to maintain and improve the health of your brain: your mind, your body, and your spirit.

But why is brain health important? Actively keeping your brain in good shape will help you stay mentally sharp as you age. Although it is still not possible to talk about absolute prevention, research increasingly confirms that taking these steps now may reduce your risk of developing dementia in the future.

• Learn more about risk factors

Think about it: mental fitness feels good when you are doing the activity, and again when you see the results.

There are many healthy activities that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine. The sooner you start the better; dementia is not just an old person's disease, and defensive action needs to start early in life.

• Click here for printable materials.

MAKING A PLAN - MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

The information offered here will guide you, and help you prioritize your health goals.

In reading this information, you may find you're already doing some things, but that there are areas where you can make improvements. Remember - you need to take action in all three areas, so take time to explore them!

• Bronze
• Silver
• Gold

Choose the level at which to challenge yourself, and print off the Healthy Brain worksheet to remind you of the goals you set.

• Click here to print the Healthy Brain worksheet

You don't need to aim for the Gold level to make improvements - starting at any level will be good for your brain. Instead, be realistic with your goals; it is better to do some things that you can stick to, than to set unrealistic targets. Revisit your goals from time to time, and check where you can make more positive changes!

A very motivational study conducted at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) - reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry (June 2006) - revealed that simple lifestyle changes applied for only 14 days helped some people show increased brain efficiency. So get started today!

• News release: "UCLA Study Finds that Simple Lifestyle Changes May Improve Cognitive Function and Brain Efficiency"

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Healthy Brain materials formatted for printing:
  • Introduction & risk factors
  • Mind
  • Body
  • Spirit
  • The Healthy Brain worksheet
• Media information about the Heads Up for Healthier Brains campaign.
• Okinawan's live longer and in a more healthy state than anywhere else in the world. Read more about The Okinawa Project...