MEMORY & BRAIN HEALTH QUIZ RESULTS
High-Octane Brain Role Model!
Congratulations! Based on your responses, your brain health is already strong! You are likely to lower your future risk of Alzheimer’s and related memory problems by continuing to strengthen your High-Octane Brain!
Your responses suggest that you have an excellent understanding of the primary behaviors and habits associated with excellent brain health, and more importantly, that you ACT on this knowledge. You are likely a source of inspiration to others who – whether you know it or not - may look to you as a role model as they build their own brain health.
How can you continue building your High-Octane Brain? Check out my Amazon bestselling book, High-Octane Brain: 5 Science-Based Steps to Sharpen Your Memory and Reduce Your Risk of Alzheimer’s, to customize your brain health program with personalized goals, and a High-Octane Brain Tracker to record your progress.
In the meantime, here are some of the most important steps you can take toward better brain health:
Exercise to Grow New Brain Cells!
Aerobic/cardiovascular exercise (in which heart rate is elevated) has been shown to increase the levels of a growth hormone that grows new brain cells in two highly important regions of the brain:
The “hippocampus”, or main processing area for memory (using your ears as a landmark, the hippocampus is located about 1.5 inches toward the center of your head)
The frontal lobes, which serve as the “CEO” or decision-making area of your brain.
At least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 4-5 days per week has been shown to be beneficial, though exercising even a couple of times per week can provide brain-boosting benefits!
Add Brain-Boosting Foods To Your Diet
Add foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids (salmon, flax, walnuts), dark green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, collard greens), blueberries or strawberries, and whole grains (bread, oatmeal, brown rice).
Minimize highly processed foods (pastries, deep fried foods) and high sugar foods, which have been linked with shrinkage of brain tissue.
Please make sure to discuss this recommendation with your healthcare provider before making any changes.
Be Inspired!
Role models are powerful motivators! Check out the life of Olga Kotolenko, who has inspired many to develop brain health through physical fitness. She is a 23-time world record holder in track and field, and did not start exercising until age 70! Brain scans and memory testing done when she was 93 years old showed that her memory was much stronger than others her age, and a part of her brain involved in memory (the hippocampus) was actually larger.
Get Clear On Your Motivation!
Although you are already a High Octane Brain Role Model, even role models need to regularly tap into motivational touchstones to stay the course in the midst of schedule demands and stressors. The motivation to develop a High Octane Brain is different for everybody, but common motivations for brain health include a desire to enhance productivity and creativity, and to lengthen engagement in family relationships.
Spend 2 minutes every morning visualizing yourself with enhanced brain health. How do you look and feel?
Take another 2 minutes listing the specific brain-healthy habits you plan to engage in that day. Imagine how each of those behaviors is directly linked to achieving that vision of yourself.
Next Step!
Pick one of the recommendations above to implement into your daily routine this next week. Take one minute at the beginning of each day to jot down a specific action you will take to meet your goal (e.g. “I will walk 30 minutes today”). At the end of the day, take one minute to jot down whether you completed the activity, AND whether you are glad you did so. At the end of the week, congratulate yourself on your progress.
You don’t need to make changes every day to benefit from these suggestions. Even if you engage in one positive habit a bit more than usual each week, you are making valuable progress toward a healthier brain!
Share Your Feedback!
I’d love to hear from you as you continue building your High Octane Brain!
Please let me know which of the recommendations you are using, and how they are working for you! Select below to reach me directly and let me know about your experience.
More To Come!
As a neuropsychologist, I am passionate about helping you reach your brain health goals, and using the latest research to get you there.
Please look for my upcoming science-backed programs to help you continue to build your High-Octane Brain!
* Please note that quiz results are not a substitute for a medical or neuropsychological evaluation of memory concerns. Please make sure to discuss all recommendations with your healthcare provider before implementing them.