Let’s talk about brain food, 50 ways to exercise outside, and your mental health.
Happy Independence Day. I am truly grateful to be living in the USA.
YOUR BRAIN HEALTH (NUTRITION)
You all have most likely seen advertisements for brain health supplements and the research shows that most of them contain the same basic ingredients; ginkgo biloba, B vitamins, huperzine–A, Bacopa monnieri, phosphatidylserine, fish oil (Omega-3), curcumin and vitamin E. There is, however, very little research for most of these ingredients because the pharmaceutical companies aren’t investing in research for supplemental health products. Why not employ a strategy of incorporating all the proven ways for preventing dementia and improving your cognition instead? You can take supplements if you want, but don’t rely on them.
Here are the proven ways to improve your brain health:
Focus on an anti-inflammatory diet, such as the Mediterranean, DASH or MIND
Keep your brain active; learn a new language, play and sing music, do puzzles, write stories
Exercise regularly – at least three times per week
Be socially active
Get enough sleep (for you), basically 7 to 8 hours per night
Don’t smoke and limit your consumption of alcohol
Maintain a healthy weight
If you experience depression, seek professional help
Here’s the primary article that gave the majority of the information: https://alzheimersprevention.org/downloadables/FINGER-study-report-by-ARPF.pdf
Addendums:
Dietary magnesium boosts brain health (European Journal of Medicine)
Depression hastens Aging (University of Connecticut)
Junk food changes your brain (Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne and Yale University)
EXERCISE(S) FOR THE MONTH
50 tips for taking fitness outside (it is summer, you know)
DOING THE TOUGH STUFF (article on mental health)
https://thegrowtheq.com/doing-the-tough-stuff/
I believe this is an extremely important treatise on the mental state of America today, and the author makes a number of compelling observations regarding our society today and where it’s heading.
THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTH
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes in the grass on a summer day listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is hardly a waste of time.” John Lubbock
“I believe the greatest gift I can conceive of having from anyone is to be seen, heard, understood, and touched by them. The greatest gift I can give is to see, hear, understand, and touch another person.” Virginia Satir
HUMOR (science quotes)
“The universe is made of protons, neurons, electrons and morons.”
“Think like a proton and stay positive.”
“According to chemistry, alcohol is a solution.”
“You matter. Unless you multiply yourself by the speed of light squared, then you energy.”