Our Medicare Supplement Insurance plans are offered to Medicare beneficiaries 65 and older. Medigap plans can give our customers peace of mind, but sometimes the woes of old age can still be troublesome.
Oftentimes, increasing age comes hand in hand with decreasing memory. What if someone told you that there were just 7 easy steps to keeping a healthy brain and a healthy life? Well, we here at MedicareMall can tell you just that.
7 ways to keep your brain healthy and young:
1. Stay active
Studies have shown that higher exercise levels can reduce dementia risk by 30 to 40 percent compared with low activity levels, and physically active people tend to maintain better cognition and memory than active people.
2. Teach yourself something new
Learning spurs the growth of new brain cells. “When you challenge the brain, you increase the number of brain cells and the number of connections between those cells,” says Keith L. Black, M.D., chair of neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
3. Relax
Overwhelming stress can have many negative effects on your mind and body. Therefore, it’s very important to find a form of meditation that works for you. Whether it be knitting, sewing, yoga, listening to music, or dancing, find your escape.
4. Try a Greek diet
A heart-friendly Mediterranean diet — fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts and beans — was shown to reduce Alzheimer’s risk by 34 to 48 percent in studies conducted by Columbia University. In addition, data from several large studies suggest that older people who eat the most fruits and vegetables, especially the leafy-green variety, may experience a slower rate of cognitive decline and a lower risk for dementia than meat lovers.
5. Find your purpose
Figuring out your purpose in life will not only give you a mission to accomplish, but it will help your brain stay sharp and ready. Consequently, participants in a study held at the Rush University Medical Center who approached life with clear intentions and goals were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease over the following seven years.
6. Get social
“Social relationships stimulate the neurochemistry of the brain to help it stay healthy,” says Pepperdine University psychology professor Louis Cozolino, PhD. Additionally, a 15-year study of older people from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute shows that having multiple social networks helps lower dementia risks.
7. Know and control your risks
It’s very important to stay on top of your doctor visits because chronic health conditions like diabetes, obesity and hypertension are often associated with dementia. For example, diabetes roughly doubles the risk for Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Therefore, that means following your doctor’s orders regarding diet and exercise and taking prescribed medications is a must.
Keeping your brain healthy and young is a very vital part to living a long and prosperous life. And making sure you have the best coverage for your needs is where we, here at MedicareMall, play our part. We offer a wide selection of Medicare supplement plans that could give you the health care coverage perfect for your needs. Please contact us so we can tell you about the best Medigap plans available just for you.
How To Keep Your Brain Young © 2012 MedicareMall.com