看看你的生活习惯是健脑还是伤脑

 　　Certain activities can be good – and some bad – for our grey matter, so see which you should carry on doing... or ditch.

　　有些活动可以使我们的大脑更加敏锐，而有些则会使大脑变得更加迟钝。下面让我们来看看哪些生活习惯该保持，哪些该丢弃吧！

　　SITTING STILL: DRAIN

　　坐着保持不动：让大脑变得更迟钝

　　“When we sit for long periods (more than three hours), our inactivity leads to reduced blood flow to the brain and less oxygenation and nutrient¹ supply,” says Dr Jenny Brockis, author of Future Brain: The 12 Keys to Create Your High-Performance Brain.

　　《未来大脑：十二大方法打造高效大脑》的作者杰尼?布罗基斯博士称：“坐着不动超过三小时，就会导致流向大脑的血液减少，从而使所需的氧气和营养供应匮乏。”

　　“This leads to reduced brain activity in the part of the brain we use for heavy-duty thinking, planning, ?organising and decision-making.”

　　“这会导致高压下思考、谋划、组织和决策的大脑区域的活动量下降。”

　　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.

　　建议：每半小时起身伸展身体，四处走动，让大脑得以休息调整。可以使用Fitbit Alta 智能手环监测督促自己的行动。

　　STAYING CURIOUS: BOOSTER

　　保持好奇心：让大脑变得更敏锐

　　Learning new skills leads to better neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to form new connections between existing neurons, explains Dr Brockis.

　　布罗基斯博士对此做出了解释，学习新技能可增强神经可塑性——指大脑在现有神经元之间形成新连接的一种能力。

　　“It used to be thought we only had a short period of relative plasticity in early childhood.”

　　“人们过去认为我们只在幼儿早期的一小段时间里才有相对可塑性。”

　　"But although our brain’s plasticity does decline with age, we don’t lose it.”

　　“然而，尽管随着年龄的增长，我们的可塑性有所下降，但它没有完全消失。”

　　ACTION : Why not take up a musical instrument or an evening class?

　　建议：为什么不去学习一种乐器或去夜校上课呢？

　　FAST FOOD: DRAIN

　　快餐：让大脑变得更迟钝

　　“The quickest way to stuff up our brains is to stuff our bodies with fast food,” says Dr Brockis.

　　布罗斯基说，“用快餐填满肚子是让我们大脑堵塞的最快方法。”

　　“Too much sugar, trans fat and salt leads to greater inflammation and brain shrinkage.”

　　“快餐里包含太多的糖分、反式脂肪和盐，这会导致大脑炎症和大脑萎缩。”

　　ACTION: Eat fresh and uNPRocessed foods as much as you can.

　　建议：尽可能多吃新鲜和未经加工的食品。

　　GOOD QUALITY SLEEP: BOOSTER

　　高质量睡眠：让大脑变得更敏锐

　　“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.”

　　美国老年协会的迈克尔?沃瑟曼博士说，“研究表明24个小时不睡觉会降低人的记忆力和集中力，但有规律的安稳睡眠能提高记忆力。”

　　Scientists think that while asleep, we shift recent experiences over to more efficient storage regions in the brain where they become long-term memories.

　　科学家认为在睡眠中，我们会将最近的经历转移到大脑有效存储区，从而变为长期记忆。

　　It’s how we learn and remember facts and skills.

　　我们正是通过此种方式学习和记忆知识与技能。

　　ACTION : Try and get to bed before midnight and aim for 7-8 hours kip.

　　建议：争取在半夜12点前上床睡觉，保证每天7-8个小时睡眠时间。

　　BEING OVERWEIGHT: DRAIN

　　超重：让大脑变得更迟钝

　　“Minding your mind includes minding your weight,” says Dr Brockis. “Obesity² shrinks the brain and is also a risk factor for cognitive³ decline.” Studies have shown having more fat tissue leads to a greater release of cytokines, messenger proteins that contribute to greater brain atrophy⁴ (decline) in areas linked with executive function, learning and memory.”

　　布罗基斯说，“想让大脑变得更聪明还要懂得控制自己的体重。过度肥胖会造成脑萎缩，还极有可能导致认知能力下降。”研究表明，脂肪组织越多，释放出细胞因子和蛋白质信使也越多，而这两种物质会导致与执行功能、学习和记忆能力相关的大脑区域脑萎缩。

　　ACTION: See your GP about losing some weight if you are obese⁵.

　　建议：如果你过度肥胖，要在医生的指导下减肥。

　　CROSSWORDS⁷ BY THE CLOCK: BOOSTER

　　计时填字游戏：让大脑变得更敏锐

　　You’ve probably read how doing puzzles can help keep your brain young.

　　你或许已经阅读过如何通过益智游戏来保持大脑活力。高速运转。

　　But if you want to stoke up synapses⁸, get out the stopwatch.

　　但如果你想建立更多的神经突触，拿出你的秒表开始计时。

　　“Studies have found timed tests train your brain to work quickly,” says Dr Wasserman.

　　沃瑟曼医生说：“研究发现，计时测试能加速大脑运转。”

　　ACTION : “Try timing⁹ ?yourself when you solve a crossword⁶ 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).”

　　建议：“试着在做填字和数独游戏的时候给自己计时。”他补充道。“你会思考得更快，还可能彻底告别欲言难吐的情况，就是你可以描述这个词，但就是不记得确切说法。”

　　DRINKING ALCOHOL REGULARLY: DRAIN

　　时常饮酒：让大脑变得更迟钝

　　Regular drinking lowers the levels of serotonin in your brain and can lead to depression, says Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and medical adviser¹⁰ to alcohol -education charity Drinkaware.

　　Drinkaware协会（一家传播酒精知识的慈善机构）的医学顾问、家庭医生萨拉?贾维斯认为，经常饮酒会降低大脑的血清素含量，易导致抑郁。

　　“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.”

　　她补充说：“长时间饮酒过量也会对记忆力产生长期影响，即使白天不喝酒时，也很难记起昨天干了什么，或几个小时前去过哪儿。”

　　ACTION: Many medical experts recommend taking regular days off from drinking to ensure you don’t become addicted¹¹. However, it’s important not to assume that taking a break means it’s OK to drink to excess the rest of the time.

　　建议：许多医学专家建议定期禁酒，以免上瘾。不过需要注意的是，定期禁酒并不意味着可以在其他时候无节制地喝酒。

　　AEOBIC EXERCISE: BOOSTER

　　有氧运动：让大脑变得更敏锐

　　Besides increasing blood flow, exercise leads to an increase in the BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) our brain secretes¹², says Dr Brockis. BDNF has been dubbed¹³ Miracle-Gro for brains as it helps grow and strengthen them, allowing us to learn and remember information better.

　　布洛克斯医生称，运动除了可以提高血流量外，还能提高大脑分泌物中脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）的含量。BDNF素有大脑“美乐棵”之称，它能强健大脑，提高我们的学习和记忆能力。

　　ACTION: The best exercise for brains? “Anything that gets your heart rate up and makes you puff¹⁴ a bit,” says Dr Brockis. “A 30-minute plus session of aerobic¹⁵ 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.”

　　建议：想知道益于大脑的最佳运动？布洛克斯医生表示：“任何能够让你心跳和呼吸加速的运动都可以。最理想的是进行一组30分钟的有氧运动。慢步、游泳、跑步、骑车，划皮艇，或是打乒乓球、橄榄球、高尔夫，这些都可以，关键是要有规律，开始先慢慢来，之后逐渐增加每周的运动次数和时长。”

　　EATING SUGAR: DRAIN

　　吃糖：让大脑变得更迟钝

　　It’s tempting¹⁶ 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 diabetes¹⁷, both risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia, says Dr Brockis.

　　布洛克斯医生称，当身体和大脑感到疲惫时，人们常常想来听可乐，或吃块巧克力，但是过多摄入糖分容易诱发肥胖症和II型糖尿病，这两者都易导致认知能力下降和痴呆。

　　“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 impaired¹⁸ ability to remember,” she says.

　　“此外，动物研究报告表明，每天都喝含糖饮料的青少年，海马体的发炎概率会上升，进而导致记忆力受损。海马体是大脑中负责学习和记忆的区域。”

　　ACTION: Boost your glucose¹⁹ levels (and cognitive stamina) with the carbohydrates²⁰ 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.”

　　建议：布洛克斯医生建议说，可以通过摄入水果和蔬菜中的碳水化合物提高体内的葡萄糖含量（和认知能力）。“研究表明，正如蓝莓可以增强记忆，让人的注意力集中长达5小时，香蕉也有这样的效果。”

1 nutrient   

adj.营养的，滋养的；n.营养物，营养品

参考例句：

• Magnesium is the nutrient element in plant growth.镁是植物生长的营养要素。
• The roots transmit moisture and nutrient to the trunk and branches.根将水分和养料输送到干和枝。

2 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

3 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

4 atrophy   

n./v.萎缩，虚脱，衰退

参考例句：

• Patients exercised their atrophied limbs in the swimming pool.病人们在泳池里锻炼萎缩的四肢。
• Many hoped he would renew the country's atrophied political system.很多人都期望他能使该国萎靡的政治体系振作起来。

5 obese   

adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的

参考例句：

• The old man is really obese,it can't be healthy.那位老人确实过于肥胖了，不能算是健康。
• Being obese and lazy is dangerous to health.又胖又懒危害健康。

6 crossword   

n.纵横字谜，纵横填字游戏

参考例句：

• He shows a great interest in crossword puzzles.他对填字游戏表现出很大兴趣。
• Don't chuck yesterday's paper out.I still haven't done the crossword.别扔了昨天的报纸，我还没做字谜游戏呢。

7 crosswords   

纵横填字谜( crossword的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Doing crosswords gives the mind some exercise. 做纵横字谜游戏能锻炼脑筋。
• He spends all his time on crosswords and other trifles. 他把所有的时间都用在做纵横填字游戏和其他无聊的活动上。

8 synapses   

n.（神经元的）突触( synapse的名词复数 )；染色体结合( synapsis的名词复数 )；联会；突触；（神经元的）触处

参考例句：

• Nerve cells communicate with one another at the synapses, where their membranes almost touch. 神经细胞在突触部位彼此沟通，在这里它们的膜几乎接触到一起了。 来自辞典例句
• Glutamatergic synapses are common excitatory chemical connections in mammalian central nervous system. 谷氨酸性突触是哺乳动物神经系统的主要兴奋性突触。 来自互联网

9 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

10 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

11 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

12 secretes   

v.（尤指动物或植物器官）分泌( secrete的第三人称单数 )；隐匿，隐藏

参考例句：

• The pineal gland secretes melanin during times of relaxation and visualization. 松果体在放松时分泌黑色素是明白无误的。 来自互联网
• For example, the archegonium (female organ) of the moss Funaria secretes sucrose. 例如藓类颈卵器（雌性器官）分泌蔗糖。 来自互联网

13 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 puff   

n.一口(气)；一阵(风)；v.喷气，喘气

参考例句：

• He took a puff at his cigarette.他吸了一口香烟。
• They tried their best to puff the book they published.他们尽力吹捧他们出版的书。

15 aerobic   

adj.需氧的，增氧健身法的，有氧的

参考例句：

• Aerobic exercise helps to build up stamina.有氧健身操有助于增强耐力。
• Aerobic dance is conductive to the health.有氧舞蹈有助于健康。

16 tempting   

a.诱人的, 吸引人的

参考例句：

• It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
• It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。

17 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

18 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

19 glucose   

n.葡萄糖

参考例句：

• I gave him an extra dose of glucose to pep him up.我给他多注射了一剂葡萄糖以增强他的活力。
• The doctor injected glucose into his patient's veins.医生将葡萄糖注入病人的静脉。

20 carbohydrates   

n.碳水化合物，糖类( carbohydrate的名词复数 )；淀粉质或糖类食物

参考例句：

• The plant uses the carbohydrates to make cellulose. 植物用碳水化合物制造纤维素。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All carbohydrates originate from plants. 所有的碳水化合物均来自植物。 来自辞典例句