How often do you engage in activities that require math and logic? To many people, math and logic seem difficult, therefore, they try to avoid it as much as possible, however, activities that incorporate math and logic, regardless of your age, provide an immense amount of exercise for the brain. It’s important to note that activities which require the use of math and logic provide an excellent workout for the brain. In addition, research studies show that this type of mental stimulation, on a regular basis, can even help prevent or slow down cognitive decline. One research study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed reduced systems of dementia in those who engaged in brain stimulating activities on a daily basis. (By 63%!) According to the research, any type of brain challenge done on a daily basis can improve brain function, memory, and even the capacity to reason. Last, learning new information is a wonderful way to stimulate brain cell growth and build the brain’s cognitive reserve. A few examples are, learning a new language, studying a new subject, or learning how to play an instrument. Building the brain’s cognitive reserve provides resistance, or resilience, to deterioration in the brain. This idea first highlighted as a significant consideration in the late 1980’s, when researcher’s discovered that the participants with highest cognitive reserves were less likely to display symptoms of dementia, even if they were diagnosed with a disease that included dementia as a primary symptom, such as Alzheimer’s.
WAIT…IT’S RIGHT ON THE TIP OF MY TONGUE! Research has confirmed that as we reach middle age, say 40 to 60, our brains don’t function as efficiently as they did when we were young. For example, we may become easily distracted more often. (We may stick our coffee in the microwave to warm it up, and then completely forget about it.) These examples are relatively common, which is why researchers are more and more interested in finding out if the aging brain can continue to learn, and even more importantly, remember what it has learned. Fortunately for us, scientists have confirmed that our brains continue to develop, and way beyond middle age. Deborah M. Burke, a professor of Psychology at Pomona College in California, believes that the ‘tip of the tongue’ phenomenon is something we can experience at any age, but may see it happening more often as we get older. What is the ‘tip of the tongue’ phenomenon? You know those times when you are trying to think of a word, and you know you know it, but you just can’t recall it, but it’s ‘RIGHT THERE’! Dr. Burke’s explanation is that those words that you find on the ‘tip of your tongue’ are hidden away in the folds of your neurons. Our neural connections, which are responsible for retrieving information, can weaken as we age, AND from non-use. However, she provides some useful tips. According to her research, sounding out a part of the word that is similar to the word we’re trying to retrieve, can act as a trigger, helping us to locate the lost word. These similar sounds act as a ‘jump-start’ to our neural network and help us retrieve information. Another helpful hint is to work through the letters of the alphabet in your mind, as this can also be helpful when trying to recall words, names, etc.
Researchers across the globe agree that most people can learn throughout their lifetime, thanks to ‘Brain Plasticity’, which means we continue to grow new neural pathways as we learn new information, skills, etc. However, if we are to experience the best outcomes from ‘life-long learning’ we should also be committed to the following: Exercise, Healthy Diet, Brain Stimulating Activities, Social Connections, Good Sleep Patterns, and a Positive Attitude Although each of these important components are necessary to ‘age well’, for this blog, we’ll focus on just one, EXERCISE. Exercise: Studies done on exercise and the brain include some powerful outcomes. This is an area of research where the positive impact on brain health is the most consistent and undeniable. Exercise improves our flow of oxygen throughout our body, which in turn, benefits both the brain and body. Exercise enhances retention of information. (memory) Exercise has been shown in repeated studies to provide our brains with ‘fight’. Some researchers describe this fight as ‘reverse aging’. Exercise, especially when done with others, creates an overall feeling of well-being through the release of ‘feel good’ chemicals. (neurotransmitters) Exercise increases the number of dendrites in the brain. Dendrites are extensions of our nerve cells. Their job is to receive electrical impulses from other cells and then communicate those to other parts of the brain. So, if aging well is important to you, then be sure to include life-long learning as a part of your daily routine, and when you include exercise, it can act as a ‘save’ button, (like on a computer), which will only enhance your learning experience! References Smale, T. (2017, December 12). 8 Ways to Improve Your Brain Power. Retrieved from Entrepreneur: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/250417
If ‘aging well’ was easy, everyone would be doing it. Something to Consider: You are one of a kind. Does this impact the way in which you live? Imagine that you were the owner of the priceless ‘MONA LISA’, painted by the one and only Leonardo da Vinci. How would you care for it? Would you treasure it? Would you watch over it closely? I’m sure your answer is yes…but why? I would guess your reason is likely related to its value, since it’s priceless. And why is the ‘MONA LISA’ priceless? Because it’s one of a kind. This is what makes it so valuable and the reason so much effort goes into its care and protection. With that being said…you are also one of a kind. No one else in the world has your DNA coding, which contains millions of digits and data. No one shares your fingerprint, your personality, your looks, etc. You are one of a kind and also priceless. So, there’s the argument for taking the very best care of yourself. You are irreplaceable. Can we agree that you’re worth it? They say that ‘TIME’ is one thing you can’t buy… HOWEVER, if you consistently make choices that are good for your brain & body, you will be doing your part to extend your life, which is the best way to buy yourself more time, and the best thing you can do for those you love. Challenging your brain with math, logic, creative thinking, vocab exercises, and more is only a small part of ‘AGING WELL. Eating brain healthy food, staying active (exercising), relaxing, (prayer/meditation), having great relationships (social connections), and maintaining healthy sleep patterns are also necessary. Commit to making any changes you need to make today to take care of yourself…because you are the only one of YOU…and irreplaceable.
11-10-2020-Worksheets-Maturing Minds
->One thing we say repeatedly during our BrainFlex sessions is that age doesn’t matter when it comes to learning. Although it may take us a little longer to learn things, we are still able to learn throughout our lifetime. (Repetition is key!) ->Researchers across the globe agree that we are able to learn throughout our lifetime, which is what the term Brain Plasticity means. (We can grow new neural pathways as long as we are committed to doing so.) ->Most researchers also agree that we must make a concerted effort and remain committed to all of the components important to brain health if we are to experience the best outcomes from life-long learning. These are: Exercise, Healthy Diet, Brain Stimulation, Social Connection, and in recent years, we’ve learned the importance of Good Sleep Patterns and having a Positive Attitude. Although each of these important components are required to ‘age well’, for the purpose of bog chat, I’d like to focus on just one. Exercise: This is one area of research where the positive impact on brain health is the most consistent and undeniable. ->Exercise improves our flow of oxygen throughout our body, which in turn, benefits both the body and the brain, including memory. ->Exercise has been shown in repeated studies to provide our brains with ‘fight’, some researchers describe this fight as ‘reverse aging’. ->Exercise creates an overall feeling of well-being through the release of ‘feel good’ chemicals. (neurotransmitters) ->Exercise increases the number of dendrites in the brain. Dendrites are extensions of our nerve cells. Their job is to receive electrical impulses from other cells and then communicate those messages to other parts of the brain cell.E
Article By: Alvaro Fernandez Let’s review some good lifestyle options we can follow to maintain, and improve, our vibrant brains. Learn what is the “It” in “Use It or Lose It”. A basic understanding will serve you well to appreciate your brain’s beauty as a living and constantly-developing dense forest with billions of neurons and synapses. Take care of your nutrition. Did you know that the brain only weighs 2% of body mass but consumes over 20% of the oxygen and nutrients we intake? As a general rule, you don’t need expensive ultra-sophisticated nutritional supplements; just make sure you don’t stuff yourself with the “bad stuff”. Remember that the brain is part of the body. Things that exercise your body can also help sharpen your brain: physical exercise enhances neurogenesis. Practice positive, future-oriented thoughts until they become your default mindset and you look forward to every new day in a constructive way. Stress and anxiety, no matter whether induced by external events or by your own thoughts, actually kills neurons and prevent the creation of new ones. You can think of chronic stress as the opposite of exercise: it prevents the creation of new neurons. Thrive on Learning and Mental Challenges. The point of having a brain is precisely to learn and to adapt to challenging new environments. Once new neurons appear in your brain, where they stay in your brain and how long they survive depends on how you use them. “Use It or Lose It” does not mean “do crossword puzzle number 1,234,567″. It means, “challenge your brain often with fundamentally new activities”. We are (as far as we know) the only self-directed organisms in this planet. Aim high. Once you graduate from college, keep learning. Once you become too comfortable in one job, find a new one. The brain keeps developing, reflecting what you do with it. Explore, travel. Adapting to new locations forces you to pay more attention to your environment. Make new decisions, use your brain. Don’t Outsource Your Brain. Not to media personalities, not to politicians, not to your smart neighbor… Make your own decisions, and mistakes. And learn from them. That way, you are training your brain, not your neighbors’. Develop and maintain stimulating friendships. We are “social animals”, and need social interaction. This, by the way, is why ‘Baby Einstein’ has been shown not to be the panacea for children development. Laugh. Often. Especially to cognitively complex humor, full of twists and surprises. Better, try to become the next Jon Stewart Now, remember that what counts is not reading this article-or any other-, but practicing a bit every day until small steps snowball into unstoppable, internalized habits…so, pick your next battle and try to start improving at least one of these 10 habits today. Revisit the habit above that really grabbed […]
The information provided is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for professional health care. You should consult an appropriate health care professional for your specific needs and to determine whether making a lifestyle change or decision based on this information is appropriate for you.
The information provided is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for professional health care. You should consult an appropriate health care professional for your specific needs and to determine whether making a lifestyle change or decision based on this information is appropriate for you.
A FEW FACTS: SOCIALIZATION and SENIOR WELLNESS “Strong social ties can preserve our brain health as we age.” (The American Journal of Public Health, Harvard School of Public Health study). “Social isolation may be an important risk factor for cognitive decline in the elderly.” (Tara Parker-Pope, Socializing Appears to Delay Memory Problems, The New York Times, Well, June 4, 2008) “Elderly people who are socially isolated and lonely may be at greater risk of early death” –March 25 (HealthDay News) “Lack of social contact might be an even bigger risk factor than loneliness.” –March 25 (HealthDay News) “Social contact is a fundamental aspect of human existence. Being socially isolated may lead to the development of serious illness and a reduced life span” (Andrew Steptoe, director of the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care at University College London.) The information provided is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be medical advice or a substitute for professional health care. You should consult an appropriate health care professional for your specific needs and to determine whether making a lifestyle change or decision based on this information is appropriate for you.
By: Dr. Pascale Michelon In addition to genetic factors, the environment in which a person lives, as well as the actions of that person, play a role in plasticity. Neuroplasticity occurs in the brain: 1- At the beginning of life: when the immature brain organizes itself. 2- In case of brain injury: to compensate for lost functions or maximize remaining functions. 3-Through adulthood: whenever something new is learned and memorized Plasticity and brain injury A surprising consequence of neuroplasticity is that the brain activity associated with a given function can move to a different location as a consequence of nonnal experience, brain damage or recovery. In his book “The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science,” Nonnan Doidge describes numerous examples of functional shifts. In one of them, a surgeon in his 50s suffers a stroke. His left arm is paralyzed. During his rehabilitation, his good arm and hand are immobilized, and he is set to cleaning tables. The task is at first impossible. Then slowly the bad arm remembers how to move. He learns to write again, to play tennis again: the functions of the brain areas killed in the stroke have transferred themselves to healthy regions! The brain compensates for damage by reorganizing and fonning new connections between intact neurons. In order to reconnect, the neurons need to be stimulated through activity. Plasticit, learning and memot For a long time, it was believed that as we aged, the connections in the brain became fixed. Research has shown that in fact the brain never stops changing through learning. Plasticity IS the capacity of the brain to change with learning. Changes associated with learning occur mostly at the level of the connections between neurons. New connections can form and the internal structure of the existing synapses can change. Did you know that when you become an expert in a specific domain, the areas in your brain that deal with this type of skill will grow? For instance, London taxi drivers have a larger hippocampus (in the posterior region) than London bus drivers (Maguire, Woollett, & Spiers, 2006). Why is that? It is because this region of the hippocampus is specialized in acquiring and using complex spatial information in order to navigate efficiently. Taxi drivers have to navigate around London whereas bus drivers follow a limited set of routes. Plasticity can also be observed in the brains of bilinguals (Mechelli et al., 2004). It looks like learning a second language is possible through functional changes in the brain: the left inferior parietal cortex is larger in bilingual brains than in monolingual brains. Plastic changes also occur in musicians brains compared to non-musicians. Gaser and Schlaug (2003) compared professional musicians (who practice at least l hour per day) to amateur […]
In numerous research studies, brain healthy activities have been proven to actually delay cognitive impairment and even Alzheimer’s Disease Every 5.7 seconds a new case of dementia in the world Every 57 seconds someone is diagnosed with AD Any kind of stress can create problems with our memory and destroy neural pathways Your Brain’s Vital Functions 1. Attention: The ability to increase your “ATTENTION” will in tum, increase both your math and reading performance. In addition, both visual and hearing memory can improve. Attention is what helps us focus on things and shut out the things that aren’t necessary. Attention assists with movement, emotions, and sensations, allowing the brain to make sense of all that is around us. 2. Memory: General memory facilitates the formation, activation, and retention of neurological circuits that contribute to your brain’s optimal functioning. Memory is the veritable bedrock of superior brain health and serves as the basis of your personal identity. 3. Working memory: Working memory is linked with your IQ and is the first brain function to decline as you age. It is central to your ability to manipulate stored information and can easily be improved by practicing a series of simple exercises. Brain Fitness promotes stronger memory and improves brain function through all ages. Recent studies show that the brain constantly revises itself. “brain plasticity”. Scientists used to believe that the brain developed all of its major functionality-that is, the “wiring” of the brain that supports hearing, seeing, feeling, thinking, emotions and the control of movements-in early infancy. The “mature” brain was thought to be unchangeable, like a computer with all its wires permanently soldered together. Our brains have the lifelong ability to adapt and build is termed “neuroplasticity”. The neural pathways, more like the information highways, are the foundation of our cognitive skills which determine how efficiently we are able to process information. Because the brain is always adapting and building, our ability to think, remember and learn is never static, it can always be upgraded and improved! Ground breaking research in the area of neuroscience shows that regular brain fitness training can provides tremendous benefits to people of all ages, including those who are experiencing cognitive decline due to age, disease, trauma or chemotherapy. Neuroplasticity which enables the neurons (brain cells) to make new pathways with new learning and adaptive experiences. Brain Flex is a brain fitness program which provides you with a personal brain trainer. Brain Flex includes a variety of activities that will assist in creating these new neural pathways and strengthen the existing ones. Activities are personally designed each one of our clients. The activities provided will provide opportunity to stimulate all areas of the brain and will especially focus on the areas which may prove to need more attention. In addition, age appropriate […]
By: Alvaro Fernandezblack and white brain Let’s review some good lifestyle options we can follow to maintain, and improve, our vibrant brains. 1. Learn what is the “It” in “Use It or Lose It”. A basic understanding will serve you well to appreciate your brain’s beauty as a living and constantly-developing dense forest with billions of neurons and synapses. 2. Take care of your nutrition. Did you know that brain only weighs 2% of body mass but it consumes over 20% of the oxygen and nutrients we intake? As a general rule, you don’t need expensive ultra-sophisticated nutritional supplements, just make sure you don’t stuff yourself with the “bad stuff “. 3. Remember that the brain is part of the body. Things that exercise your body can also help sharpen your brain: physical exercise enhances neurogenesis. 4. Practice positive, future-oriented thoughts until they become your default mindset and you look forward to every new day in a constructive way. Stress and anxiety, no matter whether induced by external events or by your own thoughts, actually kills neurons and prevent the creation of new ones. You can think of chronic stress as the opposite of exercise: it prevents the creation of new neurons. 5. Thrive on Learning and Mental Challenges. The point of having a brain is precisely to learn and to adapt to challenging new environments. Once new neurons appear in your brain, where they stay in your brain and how long they survive depends on how you use them. “Use IT or Lose IT” does not mean “do crossword puzzle number 1,234,567”. It means, “challenge you brain often with fundamentally new activities”. 6. We are (as far as we know) the only self-directed organisms in this planet. Aim high. Once you graduate from college, keep learning. Once you become too comfortable in one job, find a new one. The brain keeps developing, reflecting what you do with it. 7. Explore, travel. Adapting to new locations forces you to pay more attention to your environment. Make new decisions, use your brain. 8. Don’t Outsource Your Brain. Not to media personalities, not to politicians, not to your smart neighbor … Make your own decisions, and mistakes. And learn from them. That way, you are training your brain, not your neighbor’s. 9. Develop and maintain stimulating friendships. We are “social animals”, and need social interaction. Which, by the way, is why ‘Baby Einstein’ has been shown not to be the panacea for children development. 10. Laugh. Often. Especially to cognitively complex humor, full of twists and surprises. Better, try to become the next Jon Stewart. Now, remember that what counts is not reading this article-or any other-, but practicing a bit every day until small steps snowball into unstoppable, internalized habits…so, pick your next battle and try […]
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