How Crossword Puzzles May Keep Alzheimer’s Away | Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation.
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Brain Food
Healthy food (Photo credit: jpockele)
Nestlé invests in US brain food maker: ‘This is a big strategic move for us’.
New Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment Approach
This link will enable you to either listen to or read the transcript from the National Library of Medicine outlining a new possible treatment approach for Alzheimer’s Disease. Study results were recently published in Science. Very interesting!
Wild blackberry extracts show promise as brain health nutraceuticals: Lab data
Two varieties of wild blackberries found in Spain and Portugal may protect the brain from oxidative stress. Here is a link to a summary of the article published in the Journal of European Nutrition.
Wild blackberry extracts show promise as brain health nutraceuticals: Lab data.
Brain Awareness Week Activities
Yesterday at the Parc we had such a fabulous event as we celebrated Brain Awareness Week 2012! We discussed ways to promote brain health and engaged in some fun and interactive brain fitness activities. Check out some of our photos. By the way, what do you think of our brain erasers?
Brain Boosters-Split States
Image via Wikipedia
Welcome! You must be here as you are ready for some stimulating and challenging brain fitness activities designed to help you build that cognitive reserve and stave off dementia or Alzheimer’s! Here is a fun and different brain exercise that is designed to target the areas of thought organization, executive function, and attention/focus. This brain game is for all ages to enjoy. Just yesterday a group of seniors had a blast with this activity, as I know you will too. Remember, your brain just like your body requires exercise to maintain optimal level health and fitness.
Ready? Hidden within this string of letters you will find the names of 3 U.S States. You must use all the letters and not change the order of any of the letters. The names of the states are in the correct order-not scrambled. Have fun while exercising your brain!
MWIIMSNCANOENSSIONETIAN
Want a Healthy Brain For Life?
If you are reading this, then you are committed to your brain health! As you know, we must not take our brain health for granted. Just like our bodies, we must properly care for and nurture our brains. This includes physical exercise, proper brain nutrition, social interactions, and of course brain exercises.
You do not have to be an athlete or have a health club membership to exercise. Walking is free and requires no special skills or equipment. Studies have shown some significant brain benefits just by walking 3x/week for 35 minutes! Individuals actually experienced an increase in the size of the hippocampus. You may ask, “What is a hippocampus?” The hippocampus is the area of your brain responsible for memory. That’s pretty important, don’t you agree? After all, who of us isn’t interested in improving our memory skills? So, get some exercise!
Eating a healthy diet is also crucial for good brain health. Foods like fresh fruits and vegetables-berries, apples, green leafy veggies, omega 3 fatty foods like salmon, nuts-walnuts and almonds, lean meats, green tea. Try to avoid sugar! Sugar just doesn’t have any health benefits. Several new studies are actually suggesting that Alzheimer’s is diabetes of the brain. Do yourself and your brain a favor and get rid of the sugar!
Social connections are an integral part of maintaining brain health. Do you actively participate in social groups? How about starting a book, movie, investment, or cooking club? Do you have any hobbies? How do you spend your time when not at work? What fun activities have you done lately? Be involved with people and remember that humans are social creatures.
The last crucial component necessary to maintain a healthy brain throughout your lifetime involves brain exercises. By engaging in new and challenging mental activities, you are able to form new neural pathways. Forming new pathways in the brain, helps improve our overall cognitive skills. So, if you are an expert at crossword puzzles or sudoku , it’s time for something new. Ever considered learning a new language or learning to play bridge? Both are excellent ways to exercise your brain. Of course, you can always enroll in a BrainMasters class where we will most assuredly exercise your brain!
Brain Boosters-More December Anagrams
Walnuts are brain food!
Why not do yourself a favor and make the commitment to exercise your brain? The research is overwhelming on the benefits of maintaining brain health and exercising your brain. Yes, we are able to engage in new learning at any age and improve brain functioning! Take advantage of the brain’s ability to learn new information and form new pathways through neuroplasticity or brain plasticity by becoming a lifelong learner. Remember, it is also important to feed your brain. How about some walnuts, green tea, dark chocolate, blueberries, salmon? These are all fabulous for our brains!
Let’s try some anagrams with a holiday theme. Remember, anagrams are a great brain exercise as they target problem solving skills, reasoning skills, thought organization, thought flexibility, judgment, and executive function skills. Anagrams are fun for everyone-teens, baby boomers, seniors. Anagrams are a fun brain building activity to boost those brain cells, help form new neural pathways, and build your cognitive reserve. Try these anagrams as a family activity or part of a family game night, compete against friends or office buddies and see who can find the most. Enjoy, laugh, have fun!
Here are your anagrams. How many new words can be formed? Share your lists with us and let’s see who can generate the most words!
CHRISTMAS
STOCKINGS
SLEIGH
SNOWMAN
SANTA CLAUS
CHESTNUTS
TINSEL
CHIMNEY
MANGER
NORTH POLE
Brain Boosters-December Holiday Anagrams
Image via Wikipedia
The holidays are here, it is cold outside, and I want you to give your brain a break from your unproductive multitasking. So, take a deep relaxing breath and let’s exercise your brain! I’m on my third cup of green tea and just had a handful of walnuts with apple slices. YUM! Grab a cup of green tea, coffee, or hot cocoa with some spiced or plain walnuts, almonds, dark chocolate, dark chocolate covered almonds-yummy, or blueberries and let’s workout. Let’s try anagrams with a holiday theme. Remember, anagrams are a great brain exercise and they target problem solving skills, reasoning skills, thought organization, thought flexibility, judgment, and executive function skills. Anagrams are fun for everyone-teens, baby boomers, seniors. Anagrams are a fun brain building activity to boost those brain cells, help form new neural pathways, and build your cognitive reserve. Try these anagrams as a family activity or part of a family game night, compete against friends or office buddies and see who can find the most. Enjoy, laugh, have fun-it’s good for all of us! A healthy heart and body help us maintain a healthy mind.
Here are your anagrams. How many new words can be formed? Share your lists with us and let’s see who can generate the most words!
CEREMONIES
CANDLES
DECEMBER
MISTLETOE
SNOWFLAKES
SLEDDING
PRESENTS
MENORAH
PARADES
VACATION
DREIDEL
FAMILY
Now that you have given yourself a well deserved break and exercised your brain, focus on the things important to you during this Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza season. Happy Holidays!
BrainMasters 