Flitting about like a hummingbird, dancing around every thought, whim and compulsive urge is how many of us go about our day. With an extremely high level of external stimulation hitting us from all angles (the computer screen, cell phone beeps, television commercials, radio jingles, shimmering billboards, etc.), giving our brain a rest is getting harder and harder to do.
Some people just don’t take the time to sit quietly, and thoughtlessly yet mindfully examine their state of being. Many of us claim to be too busy, disinterested or skeptical of the benefits a little time out of mind can provide. But science continues to uncover the truth that sitting quietly, slowing our thoughts and relaxing our brain may do more for us than we think.
Meditation, from its rise in popularity in the late 1960’s to its revival among millions of modern peace seeking yogis, has proven beneficial on so many levels. It is not only physically relaxing, it also helps make us smarter and feel less stressed.
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by Kelsey Murray
Have you ever wondered why people who are already obese continue to gain weight? Is it laziness, a lack of desire to lose weight, or something else? Two new studies that have been published by the Journal of Clinical Investigation shows that it might be something else: their hypothalamus works differently.
The hypothalamus part of the brain controls how often we feel hungry or thirsty, in addition to controlling our need for sleep and our body temperatures. This means that when the hypothalamus is not working properly, someone might still feel hungry even if he or she has already eaten a lot of food.
In one of the studies, it was found that neurons that surround the hypothalamus of obese humans and obese rats are often damaged by inflammation. This inflammation could be caused by high-fat diets, which are notorious for causing inflammation throughout the body. Although it takes weeks or months for inflammation from high-fat diets to occur in other parts, it only takes a few hours for the same thing to happen in the brain.
The other study found that mice that ate a high-fat diet were slower to replace the old, non-functioning neurons. This could also hamper the hypothalamus’ ability to regulate hunger and other bodily functions.
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New research shows that a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins B, C, D, and E supports brain function in older people and is also associated with lower levels of brain shrinkage. Additionally, diets shown to be high in trans-fat were associated with lower levels of mental capacity.
The study used blood tests to determine the diet and nutrient levels of 104 participants with a median age of 87. To determine mental abilities, the participants completed memory and thinking skills tests. Forty-two of the participants had MRI scans taken of their brains to find their brain volume.
Published in the medical journal Neurology, researchers reported that age is the largest contributing factor to mental decline, but diet is also made a significant difference. Vitamins and omega-3s are important components of any healthy diet, so it’s not surprising that these nutrients are also important for brain health. In particular, omega-3s have been shown to play an important role in mental health. I spoke with Michael Gonzalez-Wallace, author of Super Brain, Super Body, about the role these nutrients play in brain function.
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By Becky Striepe for Care2.com
A new study out of the University of South Carolina suggests that it can!
The study looked at two sets of mice: one set exercised (on tiny, adorable treadmills!) for an hour each day, while the other set was sedentary. At the end of the experiment, the researchers had both sets of mice do one treadmill “run to exhaustion,” and then looked at the state of their brain cells.
What the scientists found was that the brain cells of the active mice had “newborn mitochondria.”
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A brief background plus an overview of the first three chakras was outlined in part one of the Beginner’s Guide to the Chakras. The following is a continuation of the guide that explains the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh chakras and what you can do to keep them open and in balance.
4th Chakra
Sanskrit name: Anahata
English name: meaning “unstruck”
Location: middle of the chest
Associated body parts: heart, lungs and arms
Color: green
Element: air
Sound vibration: YA
- Governs sense of unconditional love, heart-felt gratitude and the ability to share.
- When your fourth chakra is out of balance you may have difficulty giving and receiving unconditional love for yourself and others. You might also have a weak heart, suffer from arrhythmia, heart palpitations or certain breathing problems.
- Yoga poses such as camel, bow and cobra help to open and balance the heart chakra.
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