**DISCOVERY #2**
**發現二：**
Adopting healthy habits can make your brain younger within two weeks.
養成健康習慣可以在兩週內讓你的大腦變得更年輕。
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**What Is a Younger Brain?**
什麼是年輕的大腦？
I remember a kid in grade school calling me "fat head." At the time, I didn't realize what a compliment that was.
我記得小學時有個同學叫我「大頭」，當時我沒意識到那其實是一種讚美。
A bigger, fatter brain is a healthier and younger brain—one that is packed with sturdy cells.
更大、更飽滿的大腦其實是更健康、更年輕的大腦——裡面充滿了強壯的細胞。
These healthy cells, or neurons, rapidly transfer information through connections called synapses.
這些健康細胞，也就是神經元，會透過稱為突觸的連接迅速傳遞資訊。
Tiny neurotransmitters, or packets of information in chemical form, travel across these synapses throughout the brain, helping us think quickly and efficiently.
微小的神經傳導物質，也就是化學形式的信息包，會穿越這些突觸在大腦中傳遞，幫助我們快速且高效地思考。
Healthy, young brains have many qualities that keep them functioning at their peak, such as:
健康、年輕的大腦有許多特質，使其能維持最佳運作，例如：
- High-performing neurons with strong membranes
- 高效能且膜結構堅固的神經元
- Intact wires or axons connecting those neurons
- 連接神經元的神經纖維或軸突完整
- Thick myelin—the fatty insulation that surrounds and protects brain wires and speeds up message transmission
- 厚實的髓鞘——包裹並保護腦部神經纖維的脂肪層，加速訊息傳遞
- Ample neurotransmitters to convey chemical messages across synapses
- 充足的神經傳導物質，能在突觸間傳遞化學訊息
- Optimal blood flow providing oxygen and nutrients to neurons
- 最佳的血液循環，為神經元提供氧氣和養分
- Minimal abnormal protein deposits that lead to neurodegeneration and brain disease
- 很少有異常蛋白質沉積，避免神經退化和腦部疾病
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In general, younger brains are healthier brains, but there are exceptions.
一般而言，年輕的大腦比較健康，但也有例外。
For example, a young athlete might suffer a concussion—a traumatic brain injury that can cause confusion, headache, and memory loss.
例如，年輕運動員可能會因腦震盪而受傷，導致混亂、頭痛和記憶力減退。
If that athlete is allowed to rest long enough after the injury, his brain will usually recover and return to its healthy, youthful state.
如果傷後能充分休息，通常大腦會恢復到健康、年輕的狀態。
But if the athlete gets right back in the game and adds further stress to their brain, it can prolong their symptoms and potentially lead to irreversible neurodegeneration or damage.
但若運動員太快重返賽場，給大腦增加壓力，可能會延長症狀，甚至導致不可逆的神經退化或損傷。
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Unequivocal scientific evidence indicates that getting older is the most significant cause of erosion of cells in our brains and bodies.
明確的科學證據顯示，年齡增長是導致大腦和身體細胞耗損的最重要原因。
It's easy to see the common, external, physical evidence of aging: graying hair, wrinkling skin, and expanding waistlines.
我們很容易看到老化的外在表徵：頭髮變白、皮膚起皺、腰圍變粗。
My patient Sharon's first concern was her
我的病人Sharon最初關心的是她的
