Changing your brushing method can prevent ‘brain aging’

You can slow down brain aging with just small changes in your daily habits. Let's explore methods for brain rejuvenation.

 

◇ Controlling Weight

 

To prevent brain aging, one must prevent obesity through weight management. This is because obesity is one of the leading factors that cause aging. When fat accumulates in the body beyond a certain amount, cells produce large quantities of oxidative stress and inflammatory substances, which are the main culprits of aging. This affects or damages cellular genes, weakening the immune system and causing various diseases such as cancer, as well as inducing aging.

 

◇ Brushing your teeth with both hands

 

Brushing your teeth with both hands alternately has a brain-stimulating effect. Simply brush with your dominant hand, then repeat the process once more with the opposite hand. The hands are densely packed with nerves that exchange various signals with the brain. Therefore, performing a precise task like brushing with both hands alternately activates motor and sensory nerves.

◇ Playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with Toes

 

Toe Rock-Paper-Scissors is an exercise that helps strengthen the brain evenly. Raising only the big toe and curling the other toes represents the Scissors motion, curling all toes as much as possible represents the Rock motion, and spreading all toes wide represents the Paper motion. Repeating each motion 20 times not only develops toe muscles but also improves blood circulation, increasing blood flow to the brain and benefiting brain health.

 

◇ Dancing

 

Dancing is also an effective way to prevent brain aging. Dancing stimulates the senses and actively engages the brain in the process of memorizing movements and paying attention to small details. It improves memory integration, learning ability, and spatial perception, and activates the hippocampus, which is responsible for movement and balance. There is also research from the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute on Aging in Japan showing that people who dance regularly have a 73% lower risk of developing disabilities in daily living activities later on compared to those who do not.

 

◇ Make sure to eat whole grains and vegetables

 

To improve brain function, it is best to consume a diet consisting of a balanced mix of nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats using unrefined ingredients whenever possible. Eating foods close to their raw state encourages you to chew thoroughly, which activates brain function. This is because chewing food for a long time increases blood flow to the brain, promoting smooth blood circulation.

 

The more actively you chew, the more parotin, an anti-aging hormone, is secreted from the parotid gland; this prevents brain aging and increases blood vessel elasticity. It is recommended to eat green and yellow vegetables such as spinach and kale accompanied by a piece of fish, a boiled egg, and tofu. Green leafy vegetables are rich in nutrients beneficial for brain strengthening, such as beta-carotene, vitamins, and folic acid.

 

The choline component in eggs is effective in improving memory and preventing cognitive decline. Fish rich in omega-3, such as mackerel and salmon, enhance the brain's cognitive function.