Consider promoting brain health when selecting gifts
AGING MATTERS
As the holidays roll around, we hunt for the perfect gifts to exchange with our loved ones.
This year, consider giving a gift that promotes brain health.
From the time we are born, our brain undergoes growth, development and change. The things that help a child’s brain develop — learning, exploring, making mistakes, having fun, eating right, playing, exercising and being with people — are the same things that contribute to positive brain health throughout adulthood and later life.
When giving gifts this year, use the principles of the Alzheimer’s Association’s “10 Ways to Love Your Brain” in your gift-giving decisions. Consider some of the following:
• Hit the books. Formal education reduces the risk of cognitive decline in later life. Consider giving a gift of a class at the library, a community center, a MOOC (massive open online classroom), or join the monthly Brown Bag Lunchtime Brain Health series offered by UH Extension and the Alzheimer’s Association. In December, the class is noon-1 p.m. Dec. 14 in the Community Services Building on the UH-Maui College Campus. Beginning in January, this series goes back to its regular meeting time of the fourth Thursday of each month, noon-1 p.m., in the Community Services Building. Contact Heather Greenwood-Junkermeier for information and registration at 244-3242, ext. 226 or heather8@hawaii.edu.
• Follow your heart. The risk factors we commonly associate with heart health — hypertension, diabetes, extra weight — are also associated with risk factors for cognitive health. Consider giving a gift that encourages heart health — perhaps a monthly heart-health dinner party with friends and family. American Heart Association’s new “Life’s Simple 7” highlights seven steps for reducing heart disease risk as well as protecting your cognitive health. Visit bit.ly/2hAegT5 for more information.
• Fuel up right. A balanced diet, with an emphasis on vegetables and fruit, may help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. What about a gift basket of fruits and veggies rather than chocolates and cookies? Visit www.choosemyplate.gov for more information about a balanced, healthy diet.
• Break a sweat. Regular physical activity that increases your heart rate and the flow of blood to the brain has been shown to be protective. Give a friend the gift of a walking buddy a few times a week. It is a gift in which both the giver and receiver benefit. The National Institute on Aging offers a free guide to exercise and physical activity that covers all aspects of a good exercise plan — endurance, strength, balance and flexibility. To order a free copy of this manual, go to bit.ly/2iV4DuT. To download and print a copy, go to bit.ly/2AHQ2KC.
• Stump yourself. Challenging your mind is both fun and beneficial for the brain. Invite friends over to play games of strategy or join already established Scrabble, Mahjong or bridge groups. Games are not the only ways to challenge your brain. Encourage a loved one to learn a new hobby or revisit one from years ago. The National Institute on Aging offers incredible resources on activities that challenge the brain. Visit their Brain Health site at bit.ly/2z1YZlv.
• Buddy up! Staying engaged socially has been shown to be supportive of brain health. This includes volunteering, maintaining activity in social groups and sharing in activities with friends and family.
• Heads up! Brain injuries from accidents and falls increase the risk of cognitive decline. Seat belts and bicycle helmets are simple ways to protect against head injuries. Another option is to make the home more fall-proof. Find a good fall-prevention checklist online and take a walk through the home, making a list of fall risks. Some minor home repairs that make the home safer may be an excellent holiday gift.
Find an online home fall prevention checklist from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at bit.ly/2rXszVd.
Here’s to a holiday full of healthy brain activities for you and your loved ones!
* Heather Greenwood Junkermeier is with the University of Hawaii at Manoa Cooperative Extension, Maui Intergenerational and Aging Programs. “Aging Matters” covers topics of interest to the aging Maui community and appears on the third Sunday of each month.