This is another 4 part series of the Rock Your Retirement show. Today’s guest host, Janet Rich Pittman is ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­an expert on memory. So if you want to find a way to slow your brain's aging process, then you're going to love this episode. In the first of these four series, we will be discussing how thinking changes with aging. This came from the article on “How the Aging Brain Affects Thinking” of the National Institute of Aging.

Brain aging is inevitable to some extent, but not uniform; it affects everyone, or every brain, differently. Slowing down brain aging or stopping it altogether would be the ultimate elixir to achieve eternal youth. From remembering to planning, organizing and decision making, the brain is in control. As people age, though, cognitive changes typically occur; fortunately, they can be positive as well as negative.

Normal Brain Aging

As you age, there are a couple of things that are kind of normal or common: Increase difficulty in finding words and recalling names, more problems with multitasking, and paying attention as sharply as you once did. So it's difficult to hone in and concentrate.

Older individuals often become anxious about memory slips due to the link between impaired memory and Alzheimer's disease. However, Alzheimer's and other dementias are not a part of the normal aging process.

Common Changes with Aging

• Difficulty learning something new.
• Multitasking.
• Recalling names and things.
• Remembering Appointments

On the plus side, people can typically continue to learn new things, including but not limited to vocabulary and other language skills, and to create new memories. Growing amounts of evidence are showing that people can, overall, continue to adapt to new tasks and challenges as they age.

The Three Main Brain Cells

• Synapse – connect neurons to each other for conscious and subconscious communication.
• Glial cells – Are our maids of the brain, their our police, our traffic cops. They take care of business. They give us direction, focus, and they redirect and direct. When certain regions of our brain are not communicating. Our thought can't go forward because we got some weak cells in the front.
• Neurons – Is the basic working unit of the brain, a specialized cell designed to transmit information to other nerve cells, muscle, or gland cells. Neurons are cells within the nervous system that transmit information to other nerve cells, muscle, or gland cells.

Certain Parts of the Brain Shrink

With the changes in aging our brains shrink because we're not feeding it correctly. This is because we just don't use our muscles enough. The older we get we don't use it enough, we don't have that challenge that that helps us combat brain degeneration. The thing is that we should produce that strong, healthy brain cells so that we could fight that degeneration.

The changes that go into your brain is inflammation. Inflammation causes all kinds of problems not just with your brain but the rest of your body too. Over the years when we eat bad, don't get any exercise, and when we are not really using our brains to learn new things.

Protecting Your Cognitive Health

We don't really remember names because we don't actually put it in the file cabinet of our brain cells. Because we weren't really listening. We were thinking about what was going on in the room. And we didn't have an emotional attachment to that name and we didn't force ourselves to remember it.

People with more education seem to have more cognitive reserve than others. Dementia is different than normal aging. Education is a preventive measure for dementia.

How Brain Cells Work

There are 3 important processes that the brain does:

Communication between neurons – You can increase this by learning something new.

Metabolism of the brain – To help with this we should all exercise

Repair, Remodelling, and regeneration – What could help this is getting to sleep.

When people challenge themselves in new experiences and competencies and shares how learning new things it makes you feel good about yourself, especially when accomplishing things other people think you can’t do.

You can prevent thinking changes with aging from happening when you get older. You can stop it by just eating clean, exercise and sleeping well.

About Our Co-Host

Our guest host is ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­an expert on memory. She was on the show before, and you can hear more about her credentials on episode 146. Janet Rich Pittman is on a mission to help people fight the effects of aging by powering up their brains. As a Licensed Dementia Administrator and Certified Dementia Practitioner, she has seen firsthand what dementia can do to its victims and their families—and her years of research have taught her that it’s possible to prevent dementia, even REVERSE IT and reclaim your brain.

You can also check her on https://janetrichpittman.com

Mentioned in this Episode:

Dr. David Snowden, Nun Study:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2734290/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12965975

Aging with Grace: What the Nun Study Teaches Us About Leading Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives

synapse–correct pronunciation:  syn ap  se (sin app s [s like in snake])

This post about retirement and retirement lifestyle first appeared on http://RockYourRetirement.com

Rocking Retirement Gal

Kathe Kline has been working with retirees for over 25 years. She discovered that retirement is not just about money and insurance, but is also about: Social & Family; Adventure & Travel; Volunteer & Philanthropy; Spirit & Soul, Sexual issues, and Sandwich Generation issues or helping your Family members as they age

This site will host the podcast interviews that we will do with people who are Rocking their own Retirement, or who provide services to you so that you can Rock Your Retirement!

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