Activities for Brain Health: It’s the Variety that Counts
You may know it’s important to keep your brain active, but recent research indicate that variety is KEY
Month: February 2020
Foods Linked to Better Brain Power
Learn what you should be eating to boost brain power
Down in the Dumps? Laughing Yoga Might Be The Answer
When was the last time you cracked up?
Turns out, laughter, even simulated laughter, may be key to mental health!
Head in the Game: Brain Injury and Neurodegenerative Diseases By David Webster and Aubree Kozie
There has long been a suspected link between neurological diseases and brain damage. Given the immediate symptoms of a head injury include several symptoms such as confusion and memory loss which are also observed in those affected by dementia, it does seem likely that the two share neurological underpinnings. Those who incur a head injury may exhibit such symptoms temporarily, or permanently, depending on the severity of the brain injury (Graff-Radford, 2019).
Now, research from the professional sports world may be helping to reveal and clarify the specific interactions between these two associated conditions.
This is a Man’s World: Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Alzheimer’s Disease By Aubree Kozie and David Webster
In the case of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), the James Brown song is correct–this is a man’s world. Women are drastically more affected by the disease and its devastating effects, with over 60 percent of Americans currently diagnosed with AD being female. AD risk for women in their 60’s is double that of breast cancer. Women are also disproportionately the caregivers of those affected by AD, again totaling over 60% of care partners.
One man turned nursing home design on its head when he created this stunning facility.
“I thought I knew a lot about elderly care. The more and more time I was spending with my clients, that’s when I realized, ‘Oh my god, I have no clue.'”
High and low exercise intensity found to influence brain function differently
Low-intensity exercise triggers brain networks associated with cognitive control and attention processing, while high-intensity exercise activates networks involved in emotional processing.
How Your Breath Affects Your Nervous System – Baxter Bell, MD
When I read the posts of my fellow Yoga for Healthy Aging bloggers, I often learn new perspectives that might differ from my own as well as new information that I was previously unaware of. Reading the posts also highlights occasions where I could have been clearer or given better information on a particular topic.
Researchers Explore Lithium as Treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease
Whether it’s diet, exercise or air pollution, researchers are constantly investigating lifestyle and environmental factors that may play a role in the progression or prevention of dementia. In recent years, some attention has been paid to lithium found in drinking water as a potential agent in preventing dementia. Now, there’s yet another study examining lithium–which is also used as a medication to treat certain psychiatric disorders–and its potential in battling Alzheimer’s disease.
IS DIET SODA MORE DANGEROUS THAN SUGAR-SWEETENED BEVERAGES?
Artificially sweetened diet soda is widely used as a low or zero-calorie alternative to regular sugar-sweetened beverages. While it may seem like a healthier choice, a growing body of evidence shows that artificially sweetened diet sodas aren’t any better than their regular sugar alternatives.