This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of American Heart Association / American Stroke Association. All opinions are 100% mine.
Brain health is serious business. Our brains are the central processing units of our bodies. Our brains control everything that happens in our bodies. Everything. From unconscious breathing to the brain power that it takes us to solve problems, do puzzles, and just recognize one another, brain health is important to making sure all of it keeps happening.
Brain Health for Better Health
My brain is fairly healthy, but there are days when my stress and workload give me what I like to call "mommy brain." "Mommy brain" is what you get when you combine several tight deadlines, a blog plugin that just went totally berserk, and a daughter who's just about to go into the armed forces. It's a brain that is under so much stress and dealing with so many distractions that it just sort of says, "Nope. No thinking today."
When I get "Mommy Brain", I become forgetful. I can't find where I parked. I lose track of email - which are right in front of me in my inbox, by the way. In general, my brain just starts to function at a below par level. When that happens, I am so thankful for my brain health. I can't even begin to imagine every day being like "Mommy Brain" days. But for some people, that's the reality. That's why it's so important to keep our brains healthy.
Brain Health Brought to You by the American Heart Association
Look. We all have regrets. I do. In fact, I can hardly stand to look at any picture of myself from the 80's. That decade was one big fashion mistake. Of course, most of us would probably say that. LOL. What I don't want to regret is neglecting my brain health. Did you know that 80% of heart disease and adult strokes may be preventable? It's true. Not only that, but simple lifestyle changes for healthy living that I make today can help prevent other brain problems like dementia and memory loss, as well. That's why I look to the American Heart Association for help on how to make sure my brain stays as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
Normal blood flow to the brain and the brain's oxygenation can be negatively impacted by high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, heart disease, and stroke - all of which can be prevented or mitigated with healthy lifestyle choices. In fact, these changes may not only help keep our brains healthy by keeping blood flow and oxygenation at optimal levels, it may also directly impact brain health by stimulating our brains.
Some of the most basic and easiest things in the world may drastically impact our overall health as well as brain health for the better. The American Heart Association calls them Life's Simple 7, and they help promote brain and overall health.
- Manage Blood Pressure and Control Cholesterol
- Be Physically and Socially Active
- Maintain a Healthy Diet and Sleep Well
- Limit Alcohol
- Controlling Weight
- Stop Smoking
Life's Simple 7 for Better Brain Health
I actually already do most of what's listed on the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7. That's good, because I want to keep my brain doing its brainy stuff for as long as possible, and I DO NOT want a stroke to either kill me or leave me as a burden to my daughter, even though she wouldn't look at it that way.
It's my responsibility to embrace my own health - body and mind. To that end, I will be drinking less and getting more sleep. Those are the two big ones I need to work on. I'm not an alcoholic by any means, but one less cocktail wouldn't be a bad thing for my brain health. That's how I figure it, anyway. From this point on, I'm going to pay special attention to my Brain Health. Will you?
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