Our health is our brain health
Dr. Joao Andre Souza
Neurologist, Coimbra Local Health Unit
Member of the Portuguese Society of Cerebrovascular Accidents (SPAVC)
The brain is the black box of our body. See, feel, and record everything, anytime, anywhere. All our experiences leave an indelible mark on this silently suffering organ. All the excesses—in diet, tobacco, alcohol—and all the deficiencies—in physical activity, cognitive stimulation, sleep, social interaction—are like sand in the machine that gradually erode the complex machinery that is the brain. This cumulative effect leads to brain diseases that are, to a large extent, the natural result of the many systematic errors we make. The excess salt we add to our food, the piece of chocolate that was once just a square, the glass of wine that turns out to be several at lunch and dinner, the physical exercise that starts tomorrow, the sleep that will be restored at the end of the day—a week, the high-pressure medications that are taken only the day before the appointment. The brain does not fall victim to these lies and imposes on us, at very high interest rates and in the form of serious illnesses (some of them incurable), all the health loans that we have been asking it for decades.
Today, July 22, we celebrate World Brain Day, under the theme “Brain Health and Prevention: Protecting Our Future”. For this reason, it is important to remember that our health is only what our brain allows us to achieve. This body is the only guarantor of our individuality, our independence and our dignity. This is what makes us unique. Preserving it through a healthy life is protecting our future and the future of those we love most. Because if we do not take care of ourselves in the present, we will leave it to someone else in the future.
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