Lifestyle medicine is an evidence-based practice of helping people adopt and sustain healthy behaviors; applying these six pillars of lifestyle medicine is not easy and the results take time, but they can drastically improve someone’s health:
- Move: Moderate exercise improves respiratory fitness, cardiac function, and mental health; it also improves balance, which reduces the risks of falls. At least 30 minutes of physical activity every day, because better blood and oxygen flow to the brain helps with healing, symptom management, and preventing dementia.
- Eat Right: Food is medicine and good nutrition is essential for immunity, cognitive function, and successful aging. The more vegetables and nuts, and the less meat you eat daily, the healthier you’ll be.
- Manage Your Stress: Stress can lead to anxiety, depression, and immune dysfunction. Pay attention to your level of stress and use anything from apps to breathing exercises, to calming music, to meditation to manage it.
- Avoid Risky Behavior: Don’t drink and use wheeled transportation! Wear a helmet when you use wheeled transportation. The use of tobacco and excessive alcohol consumption have been shown to increase the risk of chronic diseases and death. People with brain injury are at a higher risk of substance use disorders and overdoses because of impulse control and memory issues.
- Be Social: The human brain is a social brain, and emotions like love and happiness depend upon social and physical contact with others. Animal research shows social isolation causes injury to the brain and the lack of social support is associated with cognitive and emotional issues in survivors and caregivers.
- Get Some Sleep: Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood, and health; it’s as important for good health as diet and exercise. The brain has a drainage system that removes toxins during sleep, and not getting enough quality sleep raises the risk of many diseases and disorders, like heart disease, stroke, and dementia. You need 7-8 hours of uninterrupted and refreshing sleep every night; “catching up’ on the weekend doesn’t really work.
You only get one brain, so take good care of it.
If a loved one has sustained a serious brain injury, it’s important your legal team knows the injury, knows the right professionals to see, and knows how to best seek justice; the experienced personal injury lawyers with Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci can help you. Call us.
