In this section  Risk factors: Introduction  Diet and lifestyle  Social interaction  Stress and emotional wellness  Mental agility and capacity  Smoking, toxins, and alcohol consumption  Head Trauma  Print the Healthy Brain worksheet  Back to main Healthy Brain page

"Use it or lose it", as the old saying goes. Keeping your brain active by learning new things and keeping variety in your daily activities will help build-up your mental reserves. It also helps create strength and capacity that will make the brain more resilient to future chemical or physical changes.

Fact 1. Building new connections between brain cells (neural pathways) at any age is key. You can do this by learning new skills, or by doing the same things in new ways. Put simply, the more connections you gain, the more you can afford to lose later on without noticeable symptoms. (Dr. Michael Valenzuela, University of New South Wales 2006)

Fact 2. Variety is necessary because when an activity becomes routine, the positive effects experienced by the brain diminish. (Michael Nerzenich - University of California, San Francisco 2006)

Fact 3. Older brains can learn new tricks and are adept at grasping the 'Big Picture'. (Dr Stephen Kiraly - The Healthy Brain Program)

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