OUR GREATEST GIFT and GREATEST PUZZLE
While researching my material for Aging Gracefully with Dignity, Integrity and Spunk Intact: Aging Defiantly,
what started out as a journey to find out how to keep the mind young, I ran
smack into the complexities of the human mind – an amazing puzzle that
scientists are still unraveling.
Many of us think we’re living healthy but are we? Are you taking care of your brain?
Do you know that your brain is in charge of everything
from your weight to your sex life? It’s
very important to take care of your Personal Retrieval System so it can take
care of you!
Every day, make sure you’re keeping your stress levels
low, getting enough sleep, (8 hours), eating healthy snacks throughout the day
to keep your blood sugar up, getting enough vitamin D, looking at complex
images/patterns and learning something new.
You can also slow down your brain tissue from deteriorating
by getting your heart rate up so that you increase blood flow to your
brain. Invest in walking 3 times a week
for a half an hour to improve your memory.
According to a study done at the University of Illinois by Arthur
Kramer, Ph.D., (professor of cognitive neuroscience), "We examined brain
structure before and after fitness training and we found increases of brain
volume in a number of areas," says Dr. Kramer.
Another thing you can do to help your brain health is to
help your back health. Back pain can
slow down your decision making, according to Dr. A. Vania Apkarian. Check out
the Mayo Clinic’s website for back exercises or eldergym.com for back exercises and more.
Of course being overweight doesn’t help your brain
health, either. Why? Because fat cells hold on to toxins that can
be harmful to your brain. And free
radicals can actually kill brain cells.
Check with your doctor about where your BMI, (Body Mass Index), should
be. The average is below 25. (Suggested BMI for 75+ is 27.) Remember to drink plenty of water and to eat
plenty of foods that are rich in antioxidants to help right those free radicals
out of your body. (Green apples have a
lot of pectin to help more those pesky fat cells around. Plus, apples have the antioxidant quercetin
in them to fight those nasty free radicals.)
Ladies, pair my book,
Aging Gracefully
with Dignity, Integrity & Spunk Intact: Aging Defiantly with
Dr. Daniel G. Amen’s, Unleash the Power of the Female Brain.
Further Reading:
Resources:
Apps:
