 TORONTO — As people begin to age, making healthy food choices is not only good for the body but also the mind, says a top research expert on nutrition and brain function.
More than 500 people recently listened to Carol Greenwood, assistant director and senior scientist with Baycrest’s Kunin-Lunenfield Applied Research Unit, talk about aging and how to maintain the brain’s “plasticity.”
Her lecture was the fourth in Baycrest’s Aging, Innovation and the Mind speaker series, with Charmaine Gooden, contributing editor of Zoomer Magazine, as guest host.
The key to retaining brain plasticity, Greenwood said – the ability of the brain to continually adapt to its environment – is through looking after yourself physically and emotionally.
“What we don’t realize is that we can retain that plasticity as we age… Whether you’re looking at exercise, or better quality diets, or being socially engaged, all of these converge on being able to sustain the brain plasticity,” she said.
Avoiding obesity is crucial to avoid diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease. What many may not be aware of is that not taking care of our bodies can also mean an increased risk of developing dementia, Greenwood said.
Making the decision to switch to a healthy lifestyle is one that can and should be made regardless of age, she said. Choosing to take control of your life in this way will immediately make you feel better because you are deciding to do something positive for yourself. This mood change also helps improve your memory.
“Mood is linked very strongly to cognition, so that people that are experiencing depression perform poorer from a memory/cognitive perspective,” said Greenwood.
From the studies that have been done on adults, she added, the first measurable results of changing one’s nutrition and exercise plan come within the first six to eight weeks.
Until the last 20 years or so, it was assumed that after reaching a certain age, there was only a downward spiral to look forward to, she said. Previous to this, most research was focused on nutrition for babies and children, because this time period was thought to be the most important in terms of building brain power.
“We’re now learning that we don’t have to enter into the downward spiral. That we can look at maintaining that machine we’ve built so well,” Greenwood said, calling this shift in thinking “revolutionary.”
Greenwood’s tips for enjoying a healthier lifestyle include eating more fruits and vegetables and more polyunsaturated fats, found in olive oil, soybean oil and canola oil; and taking multi-vitamins and drinking tea, which is rich in antioxidants that prevent “rusting” on the inside. She is quick to add, however, that she believes people should enjoy what they’re eating and not turn food into medicine.
“If we don’t allow ourselves to eat for pleasure, then we start to become disconnected,” she said. “We all know the foods we should be avoiding. On the other hand, I don’t believe in abstinence, because I think if you’re telling yourself you can never again in your life have that piece of cheesecake, or that hamburger, that you’re going to crave it.”
Another important aspect of changing your lifestyle is staying engaged. This can be done by spending time with friends and family and choosing activities that are enjoyable to you.
“The social piece of it is equally as important to the brain plasticity,” she said.
For more information on the Aging, Innovation and the Mind speaker series, and to see videos from all events, visit www.baycrest.org.
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