Tag Archives: brain health

Meditation Makes You Smarter

Not all health solutions are about what you eat and how you physically exercise. Some exercise is mental and it purposely involves no physical activity. Meditation isn’t just relaxing, it can expand your intellect as well. While you build bigger muscles with weights, you build a bigger brain with the relaxation methods of meditation.woman meditating

“In meditation, effort must be applied in a direction opposite to what we are used to. Our effort must be to relax ever more deeply,” says John Novak, author of Lessons in Meditation.

There’s physical evidence of these brain-expanding benefits. The researchers from the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging used a high-resolution, three-dimensional form of MRI and two different approaches to measure differences in brain structure. (more…)

Posted on July 9, 2023 by Jason

We love Kellogg’s Live Bright Brain Health Bars

kelloggs live bright barsThis week, we love Kellogg’s new Live Bright Brain Health Bars. For those who want to consume the right amount of essential fatty acids like DHA-3 (Docosahexaenoic acid) but don’t like the taste of fish, a natural source of these healthy fats, then look no further than Kellogg’s Live Bright Brain Bars.

DHA plus eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), another essential fatty acid, are believed to have beneficial effects in reducing cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions. DHA, in particular, is found in the brain where it is  needed for mental clarity and development and visual acuity and is different from a-linolenic acid (ALA) which is found in flax seed, walnuts and canola oil. Low levels of DHA have been found in children with ADHD and DHA was found to reduce inflammatory markers in men who are at risk for heart disease. (more…)

Posted on June 8, 2023 by heather

Fatty Foods Can Boost Memory

french-friesYou may not be healthy by eating fatty foods, but you may boost your memory in the process. A team of researchers at the University of California, Irvine has discovered that oleic acids from fats are converted into a memory-enhancing agent in the gut.

This doesn’t mean experts will recommend fatty foods. But it could lead to a new way to treat memory-related problems. Drugs that could mimic the action of the compound are in trials.

In addition, there’s evidence that shows high levels of oleoylethanolamide (OEA) can reduce appetite, produce weight loss, and lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. (more…)

Posted on May 2, 2023 by Jason

Healthier Distractions

jugglerIt seems that television and the internet have destroyed our attention spans. We have become too used to working, answering emails, following Twitter, and responding to text messages all at the same time. Even worse might be driving, applying makeup, and texting… you know who you are! It may seem like we are getting more done when we are multi-tasking and doing more at once, but are we doing it well? I recently burnt a grilled cheese sandwich because I was distracted with blogging or Twitter, or something else I was doing while trying to prepare lunch.

I burnt my lunch because I was not actually paying attention to what was happening on top of my stove. I am not the only one who has noticed an inability to focus. Researchers have found that when we multi-task we are actually wasting, not saving, mental energy. We are only able to devote our attention to one task at a time. (more…)

Posted on April 4, 2024 by Brooke Randolph

Cut Calories, Boost Your Memory

Cutting calories may do more than just trim your waistline. A new study suggests that cutting calories may boost your memory as well.measuring waist

“Even though the number of subjects in the study was not really high, they had really high, statistically significant improvements in their performance on the memory test,” says Mark P. Mattson, a senior investigator at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) in Bethesda, Maryland. (more…)

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Jason

5 Nutrition Tips for Boosting Brain Power

Ginkgo biloba has been touted for its cognitive boosting properties, but the purported memory aid is being doubted these days. According to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association conducted by the University of Pittsburgh, it didn’t help prevent Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia in more than 3,000 elderly study subjects.

Ginkgo manufacturers, predictably, say this isn’t true.

“There is a significant body of scientific and clinical evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of ginkgo extract for both cognitive function and improved circulation,” says Mark Blumenthal, executive director of the American Botanical Council.

No matter who is on the right side of the argument, there is one proven way to improve your memory and overall brain function: exercise. Researchers at Duke University demonstrated that exercise can be an effective antidepressant. Exercise produces serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, which have been associated with elevated mood. (more…)

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Jason

Healthy Brains Come From Healthy Food

We have all heard the term “brain food” used to identify foods that can increase the health and functioning of your brain. Fish is the most well-known brain food due to the Omega-3 fatty acids, which promote brain cell health. Fish also contains Omega-3 DHA which keeps brain cell membranes healthy and aids communication within brain cells.

Other lesser known brain foods include brightly colored produce high in antioxidants, including strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, prunes, and my favorite blueberries. Whole grains and whole grain products such as bread, rice, and pasta contain B vitamins and magnesium which assist normal brain and nerve functioning.

Feeding your brain can increase your mental energy. Mental capacity is what we use to organize our lives. When your mental energy is low, you’re likely to become more forgetful, distracted, and have difficulty thinking and completing tasks. Maximum mental energy is derived from oscillation; changing channels mentally permits different parts of the brain to be activated while others rest and can facilitate creativity. (more…)

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Brooke Randolph

The exercise high

Maybe you’ve experienced it: You’ve finished exercising and you feel an amazing sense of joy, bliss or euphoria, almost as if you’re truly walking on cloud nine… in your running shoes. For many years, science has been challenged in trying to determine if runner’s high actually existed. But recently, a team of researchers in Germany showed that running does incite a high. In the journal Cerebral Cortex, the study showed that endorphins, the feel good hormones, are released in the runner’s body as they exercise. The more endorphins the runner’s body creates, the greater the effect in emotional state.

I was a runner for many years and admittedly had a modest addiction to the way I would feel following a run. It was a combination of feeling serene and calm yet joyful and well, high. So maybe if you love to run, but have a hard time pinpointing why, science may have answered your question.

Posted on March 28, 2024 by heather