If you want to give your brain a boost, you don't need to completely change your lifestyle. Instead, just commit to a few small practices.
6 of the Best Brain Health Habits You Can Start Now, According to a Nutrition Expert
Published on Jun. 11, 2025
Best brain health habits to start today
Before forming good brain health habits, it might be helpful to break down a few key terms first:
- Brain aging is when natural age-related changes occasionally make it harder to do things such as recalling words.
- Neuroplasticity is like neuro-flexibility—or the brain’s ability to adapt and compensate when challenged, like during stress or stroke.
- Memory decline is a form of cognitive decline affecting thinking, learning, and remembering. “Some age-related cognitive decline is normal, but dementia is not,” notes Moon.
With repetition, daily habits strengthen pathways that fire in the brain, profoundly impacting long-term brain health. However, poor lifestyle habits may slowly change your brain, affecting you decades later, cautions Moon.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are six pillars for optimizing brain health and reducing risk of Alzheimer’s dementia, brain fog, and burnout. With Moon’s guidance, we’ve worked them into simple lifestyle habits to start today.
1. Eat well
Brain-friendly foods are also heart-friendly foods. If you’re getting naturally occurring antioxidants, anti-inflammatory compounds, or omega-3s, you’re on the right path to the MIND diet, which is a “a combination of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating patterns,” according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
The MIND diet is the key evidence-based dietary approach for cognitive health. “It’s been associated with cutting risk of Alzheimer’s dementia in half and slowing brain aging by up to 7.5 years,” says Moon.
Eating vegetables is a solid start, especially leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, beans, berries, lean poultry, fatty fish, and healthy fats like olive oil. You should also stay hydrated to prevent impaired cognition, and limit alcoholic beverages and ultra-processed foods (UPF) to potentially protect brain structure and function, suggests a 2022 study published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series A.
Tip: Snack on a small handful of nuts every afternoon.
2. Move more
Get your groove on—your brain will thank you. Physical activity boosts blood flow and supports neurogenesis (the brain’s production of new neurons), according to a review published in the September 2023 issue of Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy.
“Exercise, especially cardio, releases brain-derived neurotrophic factor to do its good work in keeping brain cells healthy and growing new ones,” explains Moon. “Getting the blood pumping means more oxygen and nutrients flow to the brain to improve cognitive performance.” Essentially, you may learn better.
Tip: Take a “brain health” walk after dinner daily, even if just for 15 minutes.
3. Engage the brain
The idea of “use it or lose it” applies here. Incorporate “working out” or challenging your brain into your daily life by doing activities such as solving puzzles, reading, or learning new skills.
“Working your brain is good for it, helping build new neuronal connections, [also known as] improving its neuroplasticity,” says Moon. “The brain loves novelty and an attainable challenge.”
Tip: Engage your brain by downloading and using a language-learning app, try painting for the first time, or pick up an instrument you’ve always wanted to play.
4. Sleep soundly
Research published in a 2023 issue of Biomedicines found that sleep helps with brain waste clearance and memory consolidation, functions said to be carried out by the glymphatic system. Essentially, Moon explains, “sleep is when the brain flushes metabolic waste from the day and allows short-term memories to transfer to long-term storage.”
While poor sleep can immediately impact mental sharpness, it can also have long-term consequences.
Tip: Go to bed and get up at the same time each day, including on the weekends.
5. Manage stress
“Stress is a memory thief, stealing the glucose your brain craves so it can be ready for a fight-or-flight scenario,” says Moon. “This is why short-term memory is one of the first victims of chronic and acute stress.”
Consider practicing mindfulness or meditation—they’re both associated with reduced stress and improved focus, as highlighted by studies published in the medical journals Biomedicines and Brain Sciences. You can also create a stable schedule for yourself to follow.
Tip: Start journaling regularly, and jot down your thoughts on what’s happening in your life.
6. Socialize
You don’t need to be a social butterfly; however, regularly staying socially connected, like spending quality time with friends and loved ones, counts.
Moon says, “People who nourish positive social connections benefit from better mental (emotional) and cognitive health.” Loneliness can do the opposite.
Tip: Make conversation with the people you encounter while running errands.
How to make these habits stick
Moon recommends trying these simple strategies to help your new brain health habits become second nature:
- Start small: Pick just one or two habits for now. Set small, realistic goals.
- Use cues: Set alarms and calendar reminders to signal your new habit.
- Be focused: Your brain will eventually fire and wire in ways that reinforce each new habit.
- Stack them: Link a new habit to one you’ve already accomplished. Whenever you do one, you do the other.
- Track progress: Embrace consistency and progress over perfection.
“It’s never too early—and never too late—to live well for brain health,” says Moon.
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