I do these 3 things every day to keep my brain sharp, says neurologist: I ‘practice what I preach'

Everybody worries about cognitive decline as they age. Some changes are natural and to be expected, but more severe cases can lead to dementia, a chronic condition that affects memory, language, reasoning abilities and even the ability to perform certain daily activities.

While not all forms of dementia are entirely preventable, research has shown that certain modifications to your lifestyle and diet can reduce your risk or delay the onset.

As a neurologist, I encourage all my patients to make adjustments and incorporate habits in their daily lives for better brain health. Depending on the person, that might mean reducing alcohol intake, quitting smoking, walking daily or reducing processed food intake. 

I try to practice what I preach, too. Here are three things I do every day to keep my brain sharp and reduce my risk of developing dementia:

1. I start my day with a brain-healthy breakfast

As someone who suffers from migraines, I try to keep my days very regimented to avoid flare-ups, though it's not always possible when I'm on call. 

I aim to drink plenty of water, get good quality sleep, and eat three meals per day. I try to set a healthy "tone" in the morning with a nutritious breakfast that often includes multigrain and high-fiber bread, Greek yogurt, nuts and berries.

The fiber in multigrain bread and the probiotics in yogurt support a healthy gut microbiome, which is critical in optimizing brain health. The gut and the brain have close connections. For example, the gut produces a significant amount of serotonin and dopamine in our body, which affect our mood and emotions. A healthy gut microbiome also decreases inflammation, which may in turn lower the risk of neurodegenerative disease.

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Berries and nuts are packed with essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that support memory and cognition. Higher intake of flavonoids, found in nuts and berries, have been associated with slower cognitive decline in older patients. In addition, nuts are a good source of fiber and can slow down digestion, make someone feel fuller for longer and slow down the rise in blood sugar. Eating nuts may decrease the risk of diabetes, which is associated with higher risk of cognitive decline. 

When I have time to eat at home with my family, I often incorporate eggs during breakfast to provide a good source of protein. Some studies have linked egg consumption with a lower risk of dementia. 

2. I dance like no one's watching

As a hip-hop dancer and choreographer — who once upon a time worked as a professional backup dancer — I'm a huge advocate for dancing. 

It's an excellent aerobic exercise for your heart and brain that requires coordination, rhythm, spatial awareness and creativity. Learning choreography also requires mental engagement and memory. It stimulates multiple parts of your brain and strengthens neural connections with the rest of the body. 

In one study that looked at multiple cognitive and physical activities (including swimming, bicycling and climbing stairs), dancing was the only physical activity associated with a lower risk of dementia.

Although I'm no longer a professional dancer, I still dance with my wife and kids at home and try to freestyle and choreograph to new songs to make it more fun.

Many people may avoid dancing because they think they're uncoordinated or don't have a sense of rhythm. But you don't have to get on stage. Just find your groove alone or with a few people you feel comfortable with.

The good news is that if it's newer to you, dancing will probably challenge your brain and body even more than those who already boogie routinely. And the more your brain is challenged, the better it is at combating cognitive decline.

3. I work on my foreign language skills

Learning to speak another language benefits your attention and working memory, and can change the structures in your brain. It can increase gray matter in different brain regions, build new neural pathways and enhance existing neural connections.

Research shows that the ability to speak two languages fluently is associated with a higher cognitive reserve. The more robust your cognitive reserve, the less susceptible you are to cognitive decline when the brain is disturbed or changes structurally over time. This might be one of the reasons why bilingual individuals show a delay of four to five years of dementia symptom onset compared to monolingual individuals.

I currently use Duolingo daily to practice my fourth and fifth languages — French and Spanish. I find the app's approach engaging because it gamifies the process to make it more fun. The important thing is to find the language learning tool that suits you best, which will motivate you to practice consistently.

Baibing Chen is a double-boarded certified neurologist and epileptologist practicing at the University of Michigan. Find him on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

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