Brain Health

What is brain health?

There isn’t just one way to define brain health. According to an article on the Mayo Clinic Connect website, brain health includes our thinking, movement, senses, emotions, and behavior. These aspects all play a role in how we act, think, feel, and connect with others. (Rethemeier, 2025).

What Can I do to Keep My Brain Healthy?

Lifestyle and genetics are crucial factors in brain health. We can’t do anything about our genetics, but our lifestyle choices are up to us. Simple changes can make a difference.

The Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH)

To learn more about brain health click the links below:

BrainWise – BrainWise Media

8 brain health tips for a healthier you – Mayo Clinic

17 Best Neuroscience Podcasts of 2025 – Genius Lab Gear

Eating healthily is one of the best things we can do to improve our overall wellbeing. The Mediterranean–DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet is an eating style based on research, to provide well rounded nutrition to the brain. MIND has been shown to support thinking, memory and long-term brain health.

Click on the link below to go to the official website. As always, discuss any diet changes with your healthcare provider. The Official Mind Diet | Enhance Brain Health Today

Access to fresh food can be challenging. Please click on the link below to view nutrition services available for older adults in New Mexico

Nutrition – New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department – ALTSD

Understanding the brain is the first step to keeping it healthy. This amazing organ is the most complicated one in our body and controls everything we do, from thinking and remembering to feeling emotions and moving our muscles. On average, the brain weighs about 3 pounds and is made up of 60% fat and 40% water, along with some salt, carbohydrates, and proteins. It also contains blood vessels and nerves. Together with the spinal cord, the brain forms our central nervous system, which helps regulate all our bodily functions

Brain Anatomy and How the Brain Works | Johns Hopkins Medicine

Podcasts

Brain Beat is a podcast on brain psychology, health and science from NAN. Below is a list of episodes with website link after listing.

Brainwise Media

Menopause and the Brain: What Every Woman Should Know 00:35:40
Understanding Disorders of Brain Development 00:20:05
Tips and Challenges for Dementia Caregivers 00:17:39
Doctor as Patient 00:17:17
Cognitive Reserve and Brain Maintenance 00:21:18
Treating Chronic Pain 00:20:41
Pump Up Your Brain with Exercise 00:23:05
Learning Disabilities 00:24:56
Reducing Risk of Brain Degeneration 00:30:02
Mindfulness 00:43:00
Recovery After Brain Injury 00:37:57
Caregiving and Lewy Body Dementia 00:58:02
Cannabis and the Brain 00:42:06
A Masterclass in Brain Development with Dr. Pete Stavinoha 00:37:41
A Masterclass in Neuroethics with Dr. Nada Gligorov 00:48:42
The Latest in Concussion Research with Dr. Munro Cullum 00:37:28
Updating The Seven Sins of Memory with Dr. Daniel Schacter 00:53:50
Successful Aging and Brain Health with Dr. John Randolph 23:53

Want to know more about our brains? Click on the article below for a listing of other podcasts on a variety of brain topics.

17 Best Neuroscience Podcasts of 2025 – Genius Lab Gear

Memory Screenings

Detecting brain health problems early can help people get the care they need sooner. Screenings are not meant to diagnose issues; instead, they are a helpful first step to see if a full medical check-up is necessary. It’s important to talk to your doctor if you have any worries about your brain health. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America offers free and private memory screenings to assist with this. Additionally, the University of New Mexico Center for Memory and Aging is a top research center focused on understanding brain conditions that affect thinking and behavior, especially in older adults.