Certain activities can be good – and some bad – for our grey matter, so see which you should carry on doing... or ditch.
有些活動(dòng)可以使我們的大腦更加敏銳，而有些則會(huì)使大腦變得更加遲鈍。下面讓我們來(lái)看看哪些生活習(xí)慣該保持，哪些該丟棄吧！

SITTING STILL: DRAIN
坐著保持不動(dòng)：讓大腦變得更遲鈍

“When we sit for long periods (more than three hours), our inactivity leads to reduced blood flow to the brain and less oxygenation and nutrient supply,” says Dr Jenny Brockis, author of Future Brain: The 12 Keys to Create Your High-Performance Brain.
《未來(lái)大腦：十二大方法打造高效大腦》的作者杰尼?布羅基斯博士稱(chēng)：“坐著不動(dòng)超過(guò)三小時(shí)，就會(huì)導(dǎo)致流向大腦的血液減少，從而使所需的氧氣和營(yíng)養(yǎng)供應(yīng)匱乏。”

“This leads to reduced brain activity in the part of the brain we use for heavy-duty thinking, planning, ?organising and decision-making.”
“這會(huì)導(dǎo)致高壓下思考、謀劃、組織和決策的大腦區(qū)域的活動(dòng)量下降?！?/p>

ACTION: Take brain breaks by getting up to stretch and move around every 30 minutes. The new FitBit Alta monitors your movements and prompts you to move.
建議：每半小時(shí)起身伸展身體，四處走動(dòng)，讓大腦得以休息調(diào)整。可以使用Fitbit Alta 智能手環(huán)監(jiān)測(cè)督促自己的行動(dòng)。

STAYING CURIOUS: BOOSTER
保持好奇心：讓大腦變得更敏銳

Learning new skills leads to better neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to form new connections between existing neurons, explains Dr Brockis.
布羅基斯博士對(duì)此做出了解釋?zhuān)瑢W(xué)習(xí)新技能可增強(qiáng)神經(jīng)可塑性——指大腦在現(xiàn)有神經(jīng)元之間形成新連接的一種能力。

“It used to be thought we only had a short period of relative plasticity in early childhood.”
“人們過(guò)去認(rèn)為我們只在幼兒早期的一小段時(shí)間里才有相對(duì)可塑性?！?/p>

"But although our brain’s plasticity does decline with age, we don’t lose it.”
“然而，盡管隨著年齡的增長(zhǎng)，我們的可塑性有所下降，但它沒(méi)有完全消失?！?/p>

ACTION : Why not take up a musical instrument or an evening class?
建議：為什么不去學(xué)習(xí)一種樂(lè)器或去夜校上課呢？

FAST FOOD: DRAIN
快餐：讓大腦變得更遲鈍

“The quickest way to stuff up our brains is to stuff our bodies with fast food,” says Dr Brockis.
布羅斯基說(shuō)，“用快餐填滿(mǎn)肚子是讓我們大腦堵塞的最快方法。”

“Too much sugar, trans fat and salt leads to greater inflammation and brain shrinkage.”
“快餐里包含太多的糖分、反式脂肪和鹽，這會(huì)導(dǎo)致大腦炎癥和大腦萎縮?！?/p>

ACTION: Eat fresh and unprocessed foods as much as you can.
建議：盡可能多吃新鮮和未經(jīng)加工的食品。

GOOD QUALITY SLEEP: BOOSTER
高質(zhì)量睡眠：讓大腦變得更敏銳

“Studies have shown being deprived of sleep for 24 hours decreases memory and concentration,” says Dr Michael Wasserman of the American Geriatric Society. “But regular, restful sleep improves memory.”
美國(guó)老年協(xié)會(huì)的邁克爾?沃瑟曼博士說(shuō)，“研究表明24個(gè)小時(shí)不睡覺(jué)會(huì)降低人的記憶力和集中力，但有規(guī)律的安穩(wěn)睡眠能提高記憶力。”

Scientists think that while asleep, we shift recent experiences over to more efficient storage regions in the brain where they become long-term memories.
科學(xué)家認(rèn)為在睡眠中，我們會(huì)將最近的經(jīng)歷轉(zhuǎn)移到大腦有效存儲(chǔ)區(qū)，從而變?yōu)殚L(zhǎng)期記憶。

It’s how we learn and remember facts and skills.
我們正是通過(guò)此種方式學(xué)習(xí)和記憶知識(shí)與技能。

ACTION : Try and get to bed before midnight and aim for 7-8 hours kip.
建議：爭(zhēng)取在半夜12點(diǎn)前上床睡覺(jué)，保證每天7-8個(gè)小時(shí)睡眠時(shí)間。

BEING OVERWEIGHT: DRAIN
超重：讓大腦變得更遲鈍

“Minding your mind includes minding your weight,” says Dr Brockis. “Obesity shrinks the brain and is also a risk factor for cognitive decline.” Studies have shown having more fat tissue leads to a greater release of cytokines, messenger proteins that contribute to greater brain atrophy (decline) in areas linked with executive function, learning and memory.”
布羅基斯說(shuō)，“想讓大腦變得更聰明還要懂得控制自己的體重。過(guò)度肥胖會(huì)造成腦萎縮，還極有可能導(dǎo)致認(rèn)知能力下降。”研究表明，脂肪組織越多，釋放出細(xì)胞因子和蛋白質(zhì)信使也越多，而這兩種物質(zhì)會(huì)導(dǎo)致與執(zhí)行功能、學(xué)習(xí)和記憶能力相關(guān)的大腦區(qū)域腦萎縮。

ACTION: See your GP about losing some weight if you are obese.
建議：如果你過(guò)度肥胖，要在醫(yī)生的指導(dǎo)下減肥。

CROSSWORDS BY THE CLOCK: BOOSTER
計(jì)時(shí)填字游戲：讓大腦變得更敏銳

You’ve probably read how doing puzzles can help keep your brain young.
你或許已經(jīng)閱讀過(guò)如何通過(guò)益智游戲來(lái)保持大腦活力。高速運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)。

But if you want to stoke up synapses, get out the stopwatch.
但如果你想建立更多的神經(jīng)突觸，拿出你的秒表開(kāi)始計(jì)時(shí)。

“Studies have found timed tests train your brain to work quickly,” says Dr Wasserman.
沃瑟曼醫(yī)生說(shuō)：“研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，計(jì)時(shí)測(cè)試能加速大腦運(yùn)轉(zhuǎn)?！?/p>

ACTION : “Try timing -yourself when you solve a crossword or Sudoku,” he adds. “You’ll get faster and even eliminate that tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon (where you can describe a word but can’t remember it).”
建議：“試著在做填字和數(shù)獨(dú)游戲的時(shí)候給自己計(jì)時(shí)?！彼a(bǔ)充道?！澳銜?huì)思考得更快，還可能徹底告別欲言難吐的情況，就是你可以描述這個(gè)詞，但就是不記得確切說(shuō)法?！?/p>

DRINKING ALCOHOL REGULARLY: DRAIN
時(shí)常飲酒：讓大腦變得更遲鈍

Regular drinking lowers the levels of serotonin in your brain and can lead to depression, says Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and medical adviser to alcohol -education charity Drinkaware.
Drinkaware協(xié)會(huì)（一家傳播酒精知識(shí)的慈善機(jī)構(gòu)）的醫(yī)學(xué)顧問(wèn)、家庭醫(yī)生薩拉?賈維斯認(rèn)為，經(jīng)常飲酒會(huì)降低大腦的血清素含量，易導(dǎo)致抑郁。

“Drinking heavily over a long period of time can also have long-term effects on memory,” she adds. “Even on days when you don’t drink, recalling what you did yesterday, or where you have been earlier that day, is difficult.”
她補(bǔ)充說(shuō)：“長(zhǎng)時(shí)間飲酒過(guò)量也會(huì)對(duì)記憶力產(chǎn)生長(zhǎng)期影響，即使白天不喝酒時(shí)，也很難記起昨天干了什么，或幾個(gè)小時(shí)前去過(guò)哪兒?！?/p>

ACTION: Many medical experts recommend taking regular days off from drinking to ensure you don’t become addicted. However, it’s important not to assume that taking a break means it’s OK to drink to excess the rest of the time.
建議：許多醫(yī)學(xué)專(zhuān)家建議定期禁酒，以免上癮。不過(guò)需要注意的是，定期禁酒并不意味著可以在其他時(shí)候無(wú)節(jié)制地喝酒。

AEOBIC EXERCISE: BOOSTER
有氧運(yùn)動(dòng)：讓大腦變得更敏銳

Besides increasing blood flow, exercise leads to an increase in the BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) our brain secretes, says Dr Brockis. BDNF has been dubbed Miracle-Gro for brains as it helps grow and strengthen them, allowing us to learn and remember information better.
布洛克斯醫(yī)生稱(chēng)，運(yùn)動(dòng)除了可以提高血流量外，還能提高大腦分泌物中腦源性神經(jīng)營(yíng)養(yǎng)因子（BDNF）的含量。BDNF素有大腦“美樂(lè)棵”之稱(chēng)，它能強(qiáng)健大腦，提高我們的學(xué)習(xí)和記憶能力。

ACTION: The best exercise for brains? “Anything that gets your heart rate up and makes you puff a bit,” says Dr Brockis. “A 30-minute plus session of aerobic exercise is ideal. Whether it’s walking, swimming, running, cycling, table tennis, kayaking, rugby or golf, the trick is to schedule it on a regular basis, start slow and gradually increase the number of sessions each week, and their duration.”
建議：想知道益于大腦的最佳運(yùn)動(dòng)？布洛克斯醫(yī)生表示：“任何能夠讓你心跳和呼吸加速的運(yùn)動(dòng)都可以。最理想的是進(jìn)行一組30分鐘的有氧運(yùn)動(dòng)。慢步、游泳、跑步、騎車(chē)，劃皮艇，或是打乒乓球、橄欖球、高爾夫，這些都可以，關(guān)鍵是要有規(guī)律，開(kāi)始先慢慢來(lái)，之后逐漸增加每周的運(yùn)動(dòng)次數(shù)和時(shí)長(zhǎng)。”

EATING SUGAR: DRAIN
吃糖：讓大腦變得更遲鈍

It’s tempting to reach for a can of cola or a bar of choc when your body and brain is flagging, but excess sugar is associated with obesity and Type 2 diabetes, both risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia, says Dr Brockis.
布洛克斯醫(yī)生稱(chēng)，當(dāng)身體和大腦感到疲憊時(shí)，人們常常想來(lái)聽(tīng)可樂(lè)，或吃塊巧克力，但是過(guò)多攝入糖分容易誘發(fā)肥胖癥和II型糖尿病，這兩者都易導(dǎo)致認(rèn)知能力下降和癡呆。

“Plus, animal studies have shown that adolescents who drink sugar-sweetened drinks daily show increased inflammation of the hippocampus, the area of the brain associated with learning and memory, leading to an impaired ability to remember,” she says.
“此外，動(dòng)物研究報(bào)告表明，每天都喝含糖飲料的青少年，海馬體的發(fā)炎概率會(huì)上升，進(jìn)而導(dǎo)致記憶力受損。海馬體是大腦中負(fù)責(zé)學(xué)習(xí)和記憶的區(qū)域?！?/p>

ACTION: Boost your glucose levels (and cognitive stamina) with the carbohydrates found in fruit and vegetables instead, says Dr Brockis. “Eating a small banana will do the trick, as will snacking on blueberries, shown to boost memory and concentration for up to five hours.”
建議：布洛克斯醫(yī)生建議說(shuō)，可以通過(guò)攝入水果和蔬菜中的碳水化合物提高體內(nèi)的葡萄糖含量（和認(rèn)知能力）?！把芯勘砻鳎缢{(lán)莓可以增強(qiáng)記憶，讓人的注意力集中長(zhǎng)達(dá)5小時(shí)，香蕉也有這樣的效果?！?/p>

英文來(lái)源：鏡報(bào)
翻譯：張金瑤、秦悅（中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)愛(ài)新聞iNews譯者）
審校&編輯：丹妮