Braincare vs brain health: what’s the difference?

At Heights, we talk a lot about braincare. It’s kind of our thing. But admittedly, it’s a fairly new concept, and not everyone is immediately familiar with what the term means.

We also talk a fair bit about brain health. It’s another fairly new area of research. You’d be forgiven for assuming the two terms are more or less interchangeable, but they actually refer to different things. Related, yes, but definitely not the same.

To make the distinction a bit easier to grasp, we’ve gathered together everything we’ve written on both topics, and put it all into a nice, big article.

What is braincare?

Braincare is when you care for your brain. That’s it. It doesn’t get much simpler.

But it’s also more than that. It refers to something more regular, a long-term goal. It’s common to have regimens, exercises, and diets to look after your body, but when was the last time you thought about a routine for your mind?

Braincare isn’t a one-off thing. You can’t meditate once and decide your brain is cared for. For many people, meditation won’t be a part of their braincare. The goal is to put in place personalised systems that work for you, and help your brain to thrive, every day.

Learn more about braincare

The best ways to take care of your brain

Good braincare habits affect more than your brain—they have knock-on benefits in your life, well-being, mental health, and physical health as well. That’s a good return on an investment that doesn’t need to take a lot of time.

We’ve put together some of our favourite ways to look after your brain. They’re all approachable and actionable, and all based around things that you already do in your everyday life.

5 tips from our braincare expert

Self-care IS braincare

Having presented TEDx talks, as well as the highly-rated Power Hour podcast, Adrienne Herbert knows a thing or two about achievement. Which means that she knows a thing or two about how important it is to look after yourself. After all, if you aren’t feeling your best, how can you expect to perform at your best?

On this episode of the Braincare podcast, she explains why self-care isn’t all about crystals and Goop, and shares her tips for practising self-care, starting with simple things that you can do yourself.

Listen now

What is brain health?

The health of our brains is one of the most important factors in our overall health, our longevity, and our quality of life. But it’s a relatively young field of study, and there is still a lot that we don’t understand. In fact, you could argue that there isn’t one single definition of brain health yet.

Still, that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth reading up on. We put together a guide on what it all means.

Read it now

The best vitamins for brain health

Vitals⁺ contains 20 different vitamins and minerals, and beyond that there are even more that your brain might need. That’s the reason a fully balanced diet can be tricky—there’s a lot to keep track of.

But among those 20, there are six nutrients that stand out as having the biggest impact on your overall brain health. So if you’re looking for an immediate effect, these are the ones to look out for.

6 vitamins for brain health

Which foods support brain health?

Our brains use up roughly 25% of our total energy. But as well as just calories, they need a whole range of different vitamins and minerals to perform at its best, in the long-term.

In order to get the full spectrum of nutrients, our Head of Nutritional Research, clinical dietitian Sophie Medlin, recommends following the MIND Diet, which is based on the Mediterranean diet, but with a few bells and whistles thrown in. Here are some of the key parts of the MIND diet.

12 top brain foods

Easy ways to improve brain health

Something as important as brain health shouldn’t be ignored. Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do to help, even if you’re only starting now. Some ideas are time-consuming, but others are simple. And if you make them part of your everyday routine, the benefits start to build up very quickly.

Here’s our guide to some of the best, easiest ways to improve your brain health.

Get the tips

Why Sophie cares about brains

Sophie Medlin, the Head of Nutritional Research at Heights, always knew that she wanted to be a dietitian. But there’s a lot that happened on that journey, and it wasn’t always straightforward. She shared her story about what led her to the world of brain health, and the obstacles she faced along the way.

Read her story

We want braincare and brain health to be at the front of everyone’s minds. And nutrition plays a huge part in keeping your brain healthy—that’s why we made the Vitals⁺ , an all-in-one nutritional supplement with 20 essential vitamins and minerals.

We also provide ideas on braincare through our Sunday Supplement, a weekly email full of simple advice and actionable tips on staying on top of your routine. Sign up now.