You may be wondering what brain health has to do with being resilient, or perhaps the relationship between the two is pretty obvious to you. I didn’t make the connection until I’d read the book Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age by CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent and neurosurgeon, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and realized that my husband, Joe, had made many of the changes Dr. Gupta recommends in his book while he was fighting cancer. (Read Our Story)
Before I made this connection, I was already interested in improving my own brain health. I bought Dr. Gupta’s book because of an embarrassing incident at work. I was co-presenting with a colleague from a partner organization to a group of about 60 people. During the presentation my co-presenter referenced an upcoming event. I didn’t know what she was referring to and had a blank look on my face. She announced to the group that I should know all the details since my shop was putting on the event! Later, I figured out what she was talking about. Had I been thinking clearly at the time, I might have made the connection when she made the comment in front of all those people, as opposed to later. So, I bought the book.
Concussions and Brain Health
Additionally, shortly after finishing the book, I suffered a concussion. (Read My Final Straw Moment) As I was healing from the concussion, I kept thinking about the risk self-assessment for brain decline included in the book. One question asked if you’ve had a traumatic brain injury, head trauma, or a concussion. Suffice it to say, protecting my brain health, and healing from the concussion and post-concussion syndrome, became my priority. I absolutely needed to tend to my life.
Prescription for Brain Health
The book is filled with great information. For those who want details on how the brain works and how it’s impacted by dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, which is the book’s main purpose, start at the beginning of the book. However, the second half of the book is where Dr. Gupta shares his “prescription” on improving brain health. Here are the five areas on “how not to lose your mind” (paraphrased by me):
- Move – Do more cardiovascular and strength training exercises.
- Discover – Learn new things, new ways of doing things. Discover your purpose.
- Relax – Sleep more. Prioritize your sleep and rest!
- Nourish – There’s so much to say on the topic of diet, and Dr. Gupta says it well. However, my takeaway from this section is to eat more of a Mediterranean diet.
- Connect – Do not isolate yourself. Make a point of connecting with others.
As I read this book, it occurred to me that Joe had made significant changes in all these areas. I firmly believe these changes increased his body’s ability to fight the disease that was attacking it and led to the path to healing. It was an “ah-ha” moment for me when I recognized this.
Concerning movement, Joe began working out every morning before work and on weekends too. He learned how to use the weight machines at the YMCA. He began swimming, something he already enjoyed doing, but learned how to adapt his stroke to stay balanced in the water and not over strengthen his remaining leg. Additionally, we believe the increase in cardiovascular exercise helped the immunotherapy drug better circulate through his body and complemented his cancer treatment.
Joe has a strong sense of purpose. He said from the beginning and throughout this journey that fighting cancer (for his life) to be here for his family is his top priority. He couldn’t give up. He set his goal on living for his family.
Then there’s sleep. It was astonishing to me, at first, how much Joe slept. Of course it shouldn’t have. He worked out daily, doing either cardiovascular or strength training, and on some days, he did both. His body was also working overtime to fight the cancer. He was tired! I still remain impressed at Joe’s sleep routines.
Joe changed his eating to accommodate his meds and exercise schedules. He moved toward smaller meals. He eliminated sugar. Even now he continues to eat this way, although he does enjoy a treat at the holidays and on birthdays. Again, I was impressed with his resolve and discipline to continue to adhere to this way of eating.
In addition to family and friends, Joe continues to connect with others through his work and has good relationships with his colleagues. Also, he’s made new friends through the YMCA. He and others in the 6:00 AM club chat and catch up daily. It’s brought new relationships and many fun and exciting friendships and activities into our lives.
Sleep to Heal Your Brain
Once I saw this connection, I was ready to take action for myself to improve my own brain health. I decided to begin my efforts on improving my sleep since I felt exhausted so much of the time and wanted to improve my mental clarity. And because, as Dr. Gupta says, “sleep is medicine.” His book is filled with suggestions on how to improve your sleep. Here are his “Top Ten Secrets to Slumber”.
- Stick to a schedule, avoid long naps
- Don’t be a night owl
- Wake up to early morning light
- Get moving
- Watch what you eat and drink (Avoid caffeine after 2 pm and eating and drinking 3 hours before bed.)
- Mind your medicines (Are they interfering with your sleep?)
- Cool, quiet, and dark (Keep your bedroom…)
- Eliminate electronics
- Establish bedtime rituals
- Know the warning signs (of sleep disorders)
To improve my sleep, I chose to stop eating/drinking three hours before bed and to go to bed an hour earlier than I had been. I will say that making these changes were challenging for me and frankly, I still blow it at times. Joe and I are now on different eating schedules. He eats smaller meals, so eating a bit later allows him to get through the night without getting hungry. I followed suit initially and adapted to his schedule so we could eat dinner together. I quickly realized this eating schedule did not work for me. Eating later didn’t give me the three-hour window I needed before bed. This was made more challenging since I also shifted my bed time to an hour earlier. Also, to help me get to bed earlier, I set alarms and bed time reminders on my phone. However, I often shut them off and ignore them. Clearly, I’m still learning what works best for me.
In general though, I have made the shift in my mind that I will go to bed early and get up early. That shift in thinking moved me to be intentional about getter more and better quality sleep and keeps it in the forefront of my mind when I’m tempted to scroll on my phone a littler longer or binge one more show. And that intentionality has grown stronger over time as I continue to practice these new habits.
And then there’s the concussion. As you can imagine, my sleep changed drastically immediately after it happened. Now 18 months post concussion, my energy still depletes rather quickly and I nap most days. To not interfere with my sleep, most days I nap before 2 pm and limit it to no longer than 30 minutes. Of course, if I do fall asleep and sleep longer, I am gentle with myself and assume my body needs the rest. (Read my blog on Self-Compassion)
Dr. Gupta wrote this book to help you “keep sharp at any age”, to protect yourself from brain decline and covers brain diseases (e.g. Alzheimer’s). I believe the changes Joe made in his behavior were a big help in his recovery and in improving both his cognitive and physical resilience as well. (Read my blog on Resilience)
Everyone’s journey is different. If you’re embarking on your own journey to improve your brain health, I wish you the best.
Tend to yourself,Christine
