Five Things I'm Doing Right Now to Protect My Brain
By Dr. Cynthia Libert, Functional Medicine Physician | Caring for the Body, Center for Functional Medicine
I just turned 50. And honestly, this milestone has made me pause and reflect in a way I didn't fully anticipate.
How do I want to spend the next couple of decades — into my 60s, 70s, and beyond? How do I want to feel? How do I want to show up for my family, my patients, my co-workers, and everyone I love?
As a physician who works in cognitive decline prevention every day, I talk with patients who are afraid of losing their minds as they age. So I want to pull back the curtain and share what I am personally doing to protect my brain. I try to practice what I preach. And I do have a goal of living a long healthspan — the time I'm alive and well and flourishing, God willing.
Here are my top five.
1. Sleep
I prioritize sleep relentlessly and without apology. It has become a non-negotiable for me.
I use a wearable to track my sleep — not because I'm chasing perfection, but because the data helps me stay honest with myself. Most nights I aim for seven and a half hours. I try to go to bed a couple of hours before midnight, which helps me drop into that deep, restorative sleep cycle. I also try to avoid eating close to bedtime so I can get twelve to thirteen or more hours of overnight intermittent fasting, which helps my body rest and repair.
Sleep is when our glymphatic system activates and our brain clears out amyloid and other neurotoxic compounds. It is the brain's way of cleaning house. No supplement, no pharmaceutical, no biohack can replace it. We simply have to dedicate the time.
2. Relationships
I tend to my relationships very intentionally.
I'm happily married and have three wonderful daughters. I guard our connection carefully — prioritizing time together and staying connected even on busy days with texts and calls and small check-ins. I also keep my circle of close friends intentionally small, but those relationships are vital. They are steady places where I can show up as myself, be honest, laugh, and let my guard down.
I'm also deeply grateful for our church community here in Asheville, and for the team and patients at the practice, who bring me real joy and meaning every day.
Loneliness is a significant risk factor for chronic disease — it increases our mortality risk. The spaces where we can show up, be ourselves, and connect with others are genuinely healing for our health.
3. Muscle
I move my body in a way that helps maintain lean muscle mass as I age, and my relationship with exercise has shifted as I've gotten older.
Right now I do intense strength training twice a week with a trainer, plus core work and cardiovascular fitness. I also participate in a dance class twice a week, which brings in rhythm, joy, and play — things that matter deeply for our health. And when I can, I get outside for hiking in nature, which is healing in its own right.
One thing worth highlighting: jumping matters, especially for women as we age. That plyometric, impact-based movement stimulates the osteoblast cells in our bones to lay down new bone — which is key for staying resilient as we get older.
4. Tracking Biomarkers
You can't change what you don't measure.
One thing I've learned over the years is that paying attention to our health doesn't have to come from a place of fear or anxiety. We can do it out of love and stewardship for our bodies. I check a handful of biomarkers twice a year — not as a report card or judgment on myself, but as a gentle nudge to guide my next steps.
I look at how my body is handling stress, how it's doing metabolically, where my insulin, blood sugar, and inflammatory markers are. I also check nutritional markers like magnesium, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids. The goal is curiosity, not anxiety — staying engaged with the process as I age.
5. Faith
I saved this one for last because it's what holds everything else together.
My spiritual health is the piece that anchors me. Spending time on my inner life, my connection with God, staying rooted in who I am as a child of God — the older I get, the more I realize how much this matters. Our sense of meaning and purpose are not soft add-ons to health. They are central to our flourishing and our longevity.
My faith gives context to aging. This isn't about chasing youth or making youth an idol. It's about stewardship — taking care of myself so I can walk out my purpose in life. Being in touch with something greater than ourselves, something that brings meaning and direction — that's what really keeps us going. That's what helps heal us.
A Note Before You Go
If you're reading this and feeling a little overwhelmed, please know — none of this is meant to be a heavy checklist. You can start exactly where you are. Take one or two things that stood out to you and just begin there.
Small, steady steps are where transformation begins.
If you'd like to go deeper on these topics, I'd love for you to join the Re-Think Aging community. We meet once a month for a masterclass and check in annually on our biological age — one of the most meaningful markers of how fast or slowly we are aging.
Ready to take a root-cause approach to your health? Start with a free strategy session with the Caring for the Body team.
Whole-person care. Science-backed. Faith-informed.
This post is adapted from the Re-Think Aging YouTube channel. You can watch the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn1ajMv_kus