Rona Barrett: How to help our brain so it doesn’t let us down

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Raise your hand (mentally, of course) if you can relate to:

“Oh my gosh, I’ve finally discovered what’s wrong with my brain: On the left side, there is nothing right, and on the right side, there is nothing left!”

The man who’s having a Senior PGA Moment: “Bob, I forget. Why am I walking down a fairway?” Bob says, “You’re playing golf.” He says, “Right.”

“My brain is like the Bermuda Triangle. Information goes in and then it’s never found again.”

I can certainly relate and many of my friends and loved ones can two — I mean too!

Of course, these are just some of the plethora (I think that’s the word I want) of what I call, “darn my aging brain” jokes. I found these just searching “Aging Brain Jokes” on the Internet.

Do you remember the old days when our TV had to be thumped on the side to get the picture clear? Don’t you feel like doing that to your head so your brain gets clear? I certainly do. But let’s not, shall we? At least not in public, anyway.

OK, I’m kidding. But I do subscribe to the idea that ‘tis better to laugh than to cry about our brains not working as well as they used to (as frustrating as it is at times). Crying won’t make them work any better. And laughing just might. And even if it doesn’t, it could help to put our aging brains into perspective.

Actually, according to an article at www.health.harvard.edu, we should thank our aging brain.

That’s right. Our aging brains are actually working better: better judgment, better at making rational decisions, and we’re better able to screen out negativity than our juniors.

The article cites the following abilities that improve with age: inductive reasoning, verbal abilities, spatial reasoning, basic math, accentuating the positive and attaining contentment.

Who would have thought?

But from what I’ve learned lately, our abilities can improve with age, but we can’t expect them to do it all alone. We have to help.

One way is to be mindful of the medications we’re taking, because some of them can make our aging brains function worse. This includes prescription medications and over-the-counter medications. So says an article by Leslie Kernisan at https:///betterhealthwhileaging.net. She also says, “Forget about those over-the-counter products that promise better memory” because there is no evidence they actually work.

What does work is exercise, eating a Mediterranean diet including fish (not fish oil), taking Vitamin E and B vitamins — and drinking water.

“All the cells in the body, including our brain cells, depend on this water to carry out essential functions. Therefore, if water levels are too low, our brain cells cannot function properly, leading to cognitive problems.”

Adults should drink about eight cups of water a day. If we find it hard to drink a lot of water, we can also drink water infused with fruit, sparkling unsweetened flavored water, low-fat milk, or decaffeinated herbal tea.

Lettuce, celery, zucchini, watermelon, and cantaloupe are all great ways to get more water into our bodies as well.

Bottom line: we all need better habits if we want to stop thumping our heads saying, “Reboot, brain, reboot!” So, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for another glass of water.

Until next time ... keep thinking the good thoughts.

© 2021 Rona Barrett
Rona Barrett's Gray Mattersalso appears in the Santa Maria Times, The Lompoc Record and Santa Ynez Valley News.