Heard of COGNITIVE RESERVE?

Heard of COGNITIVE RESERVE?

Heard of COGNITIVE RESERVE? Nope, not until I stumbled across that piece from Harvard Medical wherein their researchers described individuals with no apparent symptoms of dementia WHO nonetheless were found at autopsy to have brain changes consistent with Alzheimer's disease BUT their question is WHY they did NOT show symptoms of the disease while they were alive because they had a large COGNITIVE RESERVE to offset the damage to their brain💴💷💵

As I am NOT even a novice in the medical field, in layman's terms, COGNITIVE RESERVE is defined as our brain's ability to improvise and find alternative ways of getting a job done.  So, this puts emphasis in the ability of our brain to be AGILE to solve problems and cope with challenges.  So how is COGNITIVE RESERVE developed?  As per Harvard Medical, it is developed by a lifetime of EDUCATION + CURIOSITY📗📘📙

Harvard Medical highlights that our brain health involves lifestyle changes based on these cornerstones:

• EAT PLANT-BASED DIET
• EXERCISE REGULARLY
• GET ENOUGH SLEEP
• MANAGE YOUR STRESS
• NURTURE SOCIAL CONTACTS
• CONSTANTLY CHALLENGE YOUR BRAIN

Mayo Clinic, one of the biggest U.S. medical providers highlights that in addition to protecting our heart and staying physically fit, there's another factor that may play an important role in preserving our BRAIN health and that involves the concept of COGNITIVE RESERVE💎💎💎

Mayo Clinic researches found that ordinary yet intellectually stimulating activities such as using a computer, playing games, reading books and engaging in crafts, were associated with a 30 to 50 percent decrease in the chances of developing mild COGNITIVE impairment as we age❗❗❗

As with physical exercise, the Mayo Clinic study showed that some activities seem to provide more of a COGNITIVE workout than others.  Example, they found that reading newspapers had LESS EFFECT than reading books.  And watching less TV was more favorable for COGNITIVE health than watching more TV.  This should serve as an inspiration for us to sit down with a good book rather than watching more TV.  Other studies have mentioned taking courses, learning new languages, travelling, to name a few.  So, our takeaway today is that COGNITIVE RESERVE is very much in our hands✅✅✅