作者：保罗·努斯鲍姆（Paul Nussbaum）
Wantto enjoy lifelong brain health? The following behaviors are pulled fromexisting research on aging from the biological, psychological, social,and gerontological sciences.
想要享有终生的大脑健康？以下行为摘自从生物学、心理学、社会学和老年学上对老年化的现有研究。
1. Engage Yourself in the Complex and Novel
1. 做复杂而新奇的事
Learningnew information and skills across your entire lifespan helps to keepyour brain strong even in the later years of life. Activities that havethe highest value for brain health are those that are novel and complexto each particular person. What is easy for one person may bechallenging for another, so the things that challenge you the most havethe most value for your brain.
终生学习新知识和技能有助于保持大脑强健，即使是在晚年。对大脑健康有最高价值的活动是那些对每一个特定的人是新奇而复杂的事。对某一个人简单的可能对另一个人具有挑战性，所以最挑战你的事对你的大脑最有价值。
Itis the novel and complex that will challenge the brain, stimulatelearning, and promote synaptic density, decreasing the likelihood thatneurodegenerative disease will manifest. With practice of an activity orskill, your synaptic density increases, and what was once novel andcomplex can easily become rote and passive. Therefore, continuallylearning new things will ensure your brain is always expanding andstaying sharp!
是新奇而复杂的事将挑战大脑、激励学习、增进突触密度、减少神经退行性疾病出现的可能性。随着对一项活动或技能的练习，你的突触密度增大，曾经是新奇而复杂的东西可以很容易变得机械而死板。因此，不断地学习新事物将确保你的大脑始终在发展并保持敏锐！
Mental Stimulation Exercise:
脑力激励训练：
This activity is designed to help you understand what is personally novel and complex for you, versus what is rote and passive.
这个活动旨在帮助你了解对你个人来说什么是新奇而复杂的，与什么是机械而死板的相对比。
•Take out a sheet of paper, and divide the paper in half.
·拿出一张纸，把它划分为两半。
•Inthe left column, list five activities that you enjoy and have fun with,and do most frequently. This list represents activities that are roteand passive. Your mind is already comfortable with these activities,which lessens the benefit it has on your brain.
·在左面一栏，列出五项你喜欢并且玩得高兴的、经常做的活动。这个列表代表机械而死板的活动。你的头脑已经对这些活动感到舒适了，这减少了它对你大脑的益处。
•Inthe right column, list five activities that you find complicated, anddon't engage in frequently. This list represents activities your brainhas not yet formed strong neural connections with, they are the complexand novel. These activities will likely benefit the development of newconnections in your brain.
·在右面一栏，列出五项你觉得复杂并且不常参与的活动。这一列表代表你的大脑还未与之形成牢固的神经联系的活动，它们是复杂而新奇的。这些活动将有希望对你大脑中新联系的发展有益。
2. Exercise Regularly
2. 经常锻炼
Exercisehas the positive effect of enhancing successful aging. Exerciseperformed on a routine basis may not only reduce the risk ofneurodegenerative disease, but also may help to slow the course of anexisting disease, such as Alzheimer's.
锻炼有增强成功老龄化的积极作用。日常锻炼不仅可以减少患神经退行性疾病的风险，还可以帮助减缓现有疾病的进程，比如阿尔茨海默氏症。
Exercisecan improve our energy levels, sense of well-being, sleep, and brainhealth. Engaging in regular exercise also reduces the risk of depressionand anxiety. Identifying why we do not exercise permits us tosystematically break down our barriers, and to slowly change ourbehaviors towards a healthy lifestyle.
锻炼可以提高我们的精力水平、幸福感、睡眠和大脑健康。从事定期锻炼还减少抑郁和焦虑的风险。弄清楚我们为什么不锻炼使我们可以朝着一个健康的生活方式系统地打破我们的障碍并慢慢地改变我们的行为。
3. Socialize and Have Fun!
3. 参加社交活动，好好玩！
Friendsprovide opportunities to enable the sharing of experiences, newlearning, challenges, emotions, trust, and understanding. Friendshipalso provides the necessary motivation towards activity and involvement.Engaging in new pursuits with friends often helps develop new liferoles, which provide us with an opportunity to feel appreciated, enjoylife, laugh, and have fun. Parent-teacher organizations, church, sportsteams, and other groups and organizations are great places to developrelationships with other people.
朋友提供机会使我们能够共享经验、新知识、挑战、情感、信任和理解。友谊还提供参加活动和参与的必要动机。和朋友一起参加新的活动常常有助于发展新的生活角色，这给我们提供了一个机会来感恩、享受生活、笑，以及玩得开心。家长-老师组织、教堂、运动队、及其他团体和组织是与他人发展友好关系的绝佳场所。
4. Be Health Conscious
4. 有健康意识
Itis important for us to take control of our health and understand thatwe are in charge of managing of our bodies. Physicians work for us, andwhen it comes to our bodies we are the boss. Once we establish our ownrole in the management of our health, the importance of a close andtrusting relationship with our physician becomes apparent.
掌控我们的健康并且明白我们全权管理自己的身体对我们来说是重要的。医生为我们工作，但说到我们的身体，我们才是老板。一旦我们在管理自己的健康上确定了自己的角色，和医生之间亲密而信任的关系的重要性就变得显而易见了。
Opencommunication can help the physician make sound decisions regarding ourhealth. A team approach can help establish a united front againstillness, and more importantly, promote our health. To keep yourself atyour healthiest, maintain regular physical examinations, and follow yourphysician's advice.
开诚布公的交流可以帮助医生对我们的健康做出有效合理的决定。团队方法可以建立抵抗疾病的联合战线，而且更重要的是，增进我们的健康。要使自己处于最健康的状态，坚持定期进行身体检查，并遵循医生的建议。
5. Slow Down and Appreciate the Silence
5. 慢下来，体味静默
Oursociety is evolving at an increasing rate, leaving us with little timeto relax and process our environment. Our brains require time to processinformation more deeply, in order to gain more benefit from our dailyexperiences. The implications of a fast-paced lifestyle are chronicstress and other negative effects on our health and well being. Reducingdemands we place on ourselves is an important step towards stressreduction, and a more fulfilling life.
我们的社会正在以越来越快的速度发展着，使得我们没有多少时间放松并处理我们的环境。为了从我们的日常经历中获得更多益处，我们的大脑需要时间更深刻地处理信息。快节奏的生活方式的可能结果是长期的压力及其他对我们的健康和幸福的负面影响。减少我们对自己的要求是通向减压及更充实的生活的重要一步。
Anew field of study referred to as neurotheology has been advancing thestudy of the neurophysiological correlation between prayer andsubjective experience. Multiple studies have shown a relationshipbetween spirituality and the immune system. As we continually learn moreabout the potential of positive thoughts influencing health, people arebeginning to integrate these practices more frequently into their dailylives, and experiencing life-changing results.
一个被称为神经神学的新的研究领域正在推进有关在祈祷和个人经验之间的神经生理相关性的研究。多项研究已表明在精神性和免疫系统之间的关系。随着我们不断地了解更多的关于积极思想影响健康的潜力，人们开始更频繁地将这些实践结合到他们的日常生活中，并体验改变生活的成果。
6. Do Not Retire from Life
6. 不要从生活中退休
Maintaininga strong sense of purpose in life is an important contributor tolongevity. Making a conscious decision to stay actively involved in yourdaily routine is beneficial to your lifelong health and well being.Positive attitude has been shown to play a significant role in success,as well as your ability to recover from illness.
在生活中维持一种强烈的目的感对长寿是一种重要的促进。有意识地决定坚持积极地投入日常事务中对你的终生健康和幸福是有益的。积极的态度已证明不仅在从疾病中复原的能力上而且也在成功中发挥着重要作用。
Itis important to develop multiple skills and interests over yourlifespan, as we have the ability to learn and develop new talentscontinually over time. It is our responsibility to nurture differentroles and develop personal meaning and life purpose. Work can also be anecessary activity to help us find more meaning in our lives. Matchingour passions in life with an occupation is powerful, and can promote ourtalents and potential in significant ways.
在你一生中发展多种技能和兴趣是重要的，因为随着时间的过去我们有不断学习并发展新才能的能力。培养不同的角色、发展个人意义和生活目标是我们的责任。工作也可以是帮我们找到人生中更多意义的一项必要活动。将我们生命中的激情和一个职业相搭配是威力强大的，并可以大大地提升我们的才能和潜力。
7. Reduce and Eliminate Smoking, Drinking and other Drugs
7. 减少并戒除吸烟、喝酒和其他毒品
Moodaltering substances, such as drugs and cigarettes, can decrease ourfunctioning, lower our motivation, and impair our cognitive processes.They alter our emotions, which impairs our thinking by reducing focus,attention, memory, and our ability to execute plans.
情绪改变物质，比如毒品和香烟，可以减少我们的机能、降低我们的动机并损害我们的认知过程。它们改变我们的情绪，通过减少集中点、注意力、记忆力和我们执行计划的能力来损害我们的思想。
Smokingis one of the leading causes of over a dozen cancers, including lung,oral, stomach, and liver cancer. Not to mention it stains our fingers,teeth and hair, and leaves us with foul-smelling breath!
吸烟是十二多种癌症的首要原因之一，包括肺癌、口腔癌、胃癌和肝癌。更不要说它染污我们的手指、牙齿和头发，并使我们呼出难闻的气味！
8. Set Financial Goals
8. 设立财务目标
Awell developed plan for financial security is a great way to stimulateyour Executive Functions (responsible for complex activity likeorganization, scheduling, impulse control, and more). Keeping track ofyour expenses, and being aware of where your money is going, helps youfeel more in control of your financial situation. No matter whatexpenses you have, set aside 5% a month for yourself—you will thankyourself later!
为财务安全制定一个成熟的计划是刺激你执行功能（负责诸如组织、日程安排、冲动控制及更多复杂行为）的一个很好的方法。记录你的开支、明白你的钱去了哪里有助于你更好地控制自己的财务状况。无论你的开支有多少，每月为自己留出5%——你以后会感谢自己的！
9. Adopt a Nutrient-Rich Diet
9. 采用富有营养的饮食
Over-consumptionof high calorie food is a major issue for modern society. Understandingwhy we eat and what we eat is one of the most critical influences onour health and longevity. Brain-health-promoting-food includes Omega-3fatty acids found in foods such as fish, flax seed, and nuts. Foods withnaturally occurring Vitamin E and Vitamin C have an antioxidant effect.Folate may also help to reduce the risk of some neurodegenerativeillnesses and developmental disorders.
过度食用高卡路里食品是现代社会的一个重大问题。明白我们为什么吃以及吃什么是对我们的健康长寿最重要的影响因素之一。促进大脑健康的食品包括在诸如鱼、亚麻籽和坚果等食物中发现的ω-3脂肪酸。含有天然生成的维生素E和维生素C的食物有抗氧化作用。叶酸也可以帮助减少患上一些神经退行性疾病和发展障碍的风险。
10. Maintain Strong Connections
10. 维持亲密的人际关系
Ourability to communicate and interact with others is critical tomaintaining strong connections. Isolation has been shown to reduce ouroverall health. Research demonstrates the importance of a social networkin reducing the risk of dementia. Our ability to continually developrelations and sustain them across our lifespan represents significanthealth-promoting behaviors, such as stress reduction, new learning, andemotional expression.
与他人沟通和互动的能力对维持亲密的人际关系至关重要。孤立已被证明会减少我们的整体健康。研究证实了社交网在减少患痴呆的风险上的重要性。我们在一生中不断发展并维持人际关系的能力代表着重要的促进健康的行为，比如减压、学习新知识及情绪表达。
Note:It is important to recall that our brain does not operate in isolationfrom the rest of the body. Rather, the human body operates as asymphony, producing a behavioral harmony of life. The heart has aparticularly important relationship with the brain with nearly 25% ofthe oxygen and blood from every heartbeat designated for the brain.Accordingly, some of the lifestyle behaviors proposed for brain healthhave similar benefit for the cardiovascular system.
注意：重要的是要记得，我们的大脑不是脱离身体的其他部位孤立运转的。更确切地说，人类身体如同一曲交响乐一样运转，产生一种生命的动作协调。心脏与大脑有特别重要的关系，每次心跳带来的氧气和血液中有将近25%是供给大脑的。因此，为大脑健康而提出的生活方式的行为中有一些对心脏血管系统也有相似的益处。
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