It’s no secret that our everyday habits can make a significant impact on certain aspects of our health, especially our brain health.
It’s pretty wild to think that certain habits may seem like no big deal, but that actually can leave a mark on our brains and even increase our risk for certain diseases like Alzheimer’s. Before you get freaked out and worried about your daily actions, it’s essential to listen to what health experts have to say. Luckily, Dr. Clint Steele made a TikTok video about three “common” habits you should stop doing, as they can be “damaging your brain” and “increasing your risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s.”
“You most likely don’t even realize it,” says Dr. Steele. Read more about the three habits below.
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1. Not Drinking Enough Water
How many times have you said to someone, "I didn't drink enough water today" or "I need to drink more water?" As it turns out, your lack of hydration can not only make you feel tired, irritated, or thirsty, but it can also be harmful to your brain and cause "cognitive decline."
"You need to be drinking at least 60 ounces of water every single day," says Dr. Steele, who explains that the amount of water you drink "goes up" based on your body weight, whether or not you live in a hot climate, and how much you exercise.
If you struggle to drink enough water throughout the week, try infusing it with fruit like lemon slices to mix up the flavor while adding a few more benefits, like added vitamin C.
2. Having Too Many Negative Thoughts
While it's sometimes hard not to have negative thoughts in this day and age, you really should start to be more conscious of when you're filling your head with negativity, as Dr. Steele and other experts have stated that if you do it too often, you can be hurting your brain.
"Whether they're fears, or worries, feelings of guilt, thoughts of shame; any of those things stress out your brain," explains Dr. Steele. "That causes degeneration to the cortex of the brain, leading to end-stage neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, dementia, Parkinson's, etc."
If you find that you're often dealing with negative thoughts, then consider talking to a mental health counselor or therapist and doing some meditation exercises to clear them as best you can.
3. Not Breathing Properly
Breathwork and getting in good breaths throughout the day can be more effective towards staying in good health than you may think. Sometimes, many of us rush through our busy, more hectic days without taking some good, deep breaths, and according to Dr. Steele, that's not good for our brain health.
"There's a way to breathe that is regenerative to your brain, and there's a way to breathe that's degenerative to your brain," he says. "Breathing with your traps and your shoulders tells your brain you're in 'survival mode,' and the cortex of your brain goes offline, and it starts to degenerate."
"However, when you can breathe with your diaphragm regularly throughout the day, specifically four seconds in and six seconds out, this engages the cortex of your brain, brings it back up, and helps it to regenerate," he adds.
As you get your work done or move throughout your day, no matter how busy it is, try to breathe from your diaphragm and take some nice, relaxing, deep breaths whenever possible.
