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Resveratrol could enhance exercise performance
Resveratrol was first isolated from Senna quinquangulata (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
More good news about the potential health benefits of resveratrol from a study just published in the Journal of Physiology.
Spring Brain Cleaning and Anagrams
Image via Wikipedia
Spring has sprung and is here in full force! Allergies, pollen, blossoms, and maybe even the spring cleaning bug. How about a spring cleaning for your brain? Get rid of those cobwebs that crowded your brain during your winter hibernation and return to the business of forming new brain pathways while building a cognitive reserve through neuroplasticity or brain plasticity. Let’s build a buff brain! Challenge yourself with something new or just do something differently or change the order of things in your daily, morning or evening rituals. Yes, it can actually be that simple-anything that causes or forces us to think differently is beneficial! It doesn’t matter if you are a senior, a baby boomer, a gen X or Y, approaching 50, 40, or even 30. We all need to embrace the concept of lifelong learning. It’s as simple as ABC-Always Brain Challenging-that is what we believe at BrainMasters!
Equally important to exercising the brain is the caring for the brain. This includes physical exercise and eating healthy brain foods. By engaging in physical exercise and consuming healthy foods we become active participants in the anti-aging, longevity, and anti-Alzheimer’s Disease campaign. I know everyone is busy-we all are. Surely, we all can allocate 30 minutes each day to exercise whether it is a walk, yoga, biking, or playing Wii Fit-just get moving! If you have a dog, then walk it; after all pets need exercise too!
Now that you are armed with this powerful new knowledge, it is time to exercise your brain and form new pathways! Here are some spring themed anagrams. Form as many new words as possible, and let us know how you do!
ALLERGIES
DOGWOODS
FESTIVALS
BLOOMING
GRILLING
FLOWERS
FLORAL
BLOSSOMS
NATURE
OUTDOORS
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!
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