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Tag Archive for: brain health

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30 Day Healthy Brain Challenge: Day 1

June is Brain Injury Awareness Month and in recognition Solutions for Living is introducing the 30 Day Healthy Brain Challenge.  We challenge you to complete these 30 simple activities and tips which when incorporated into your lifestyle can help improve memory, boost mental health, prevent brain injury and reduce cognitive decline.

Pick and Start a New Novel

Reading is something we encourage in children from a very young age for many reasons including building language skills, developing speech and more.  Taking time to read is something we should continue to encourage, especially in our adult years.  Researchers have studied the effects of reading on the brain and have found that reading a novel can change the brain and these effects last for days after reading has occurred.  From cognition to mental health and everything in between, reading has fantastic benefits for the brain at all ages.

Delve deeper into the research behind how reading improves our brain in the following article from ABC News.

ABC News:  How Reading a Novel Can Improve the Brain

To learn more about other ways reading can improve your health take a look at a previous post from our blog:  Books Can Boost Your Health.

Be sure to follow along the 30 Day Healthy Brain Challenge and let us know how many activities you have completed!

 

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Cognition and Aging – Use it or Lose it

Our brains are made of billions of neurons, which interact with each other to complete specific tasks. Signals are sent from one neuron to another along neural pathways, and these determine our thoughts, emotions, insights, and so much more. Each task relies on a different neural pathway, so the pathway for reading a book is different than the pathway for putting on our shirt. The more we use a pathway, the stronger the connection becomes.

These neurons have the ability to physically change themselves when faced with new and difficult experiences. This ability is called neuroplasticity. As we are exposed to new areas, tasks, information or experiences, neural pathways are formed and existing ones are reshaped. This will continue throughout our entire lives as we learn. As we have experienced through practicing a musical instrument, memorizing our shopping list, or recalling a friend’s phone number, if we consciously focus and train our brains in a certain area, they will become faster and more efficient at performing those tasks.

So, how can we use this knowledge to try and combat age-related cognitive decline?  Check out our latest episode of OT-V:  Cognition and Aging – Keeping the Mind Sharp to learn some proven strategies. 

 

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Give Your Brain a Workout

Our brains are made of billions of neurons, which interact with each other to complete specific tasks. Signals are sent from one neuron to another along neural pathways, and these determine our thoughts, emotions, insights, and so much more. Each task relies on a different neural pathway, so the pathway for reading a book is different than the pathway for putting on our shirt. The more we use a pathway, the stronger the connection becomes.

These neurons have the ability to physically change themselves when faced with new and difficult experiences. This ability is called neuroplasticity. As we are exposed to new areas, tasks, information or experiences, neural pathways are formed and existing ones are reshaped. This will continue throughout our entire lives as we learn. As we have experienced through practicing a musical instrument, memorizing our shopping list or recalling a friend’s phone number, if we consciously focus and train our brains in a certain area, they will become faster and more efficient at performing those tasks.

Just as we need to exercise the muscles in our body, we also need to exercise our brain.  But what exercises are best?

Take a look at the following from The New York Times that discusses studies on the aging brain and some advice to help you age well.

The New York Times:  How to Become a ‘Superager’

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Take A Hike– Your Brain will Thank You!

While studies show that walking in nature can boost mental health, researchers are delving deeper to study the actual effects on the brain.  Learn more about the ongoing studies in the following from the New York Times and be sure to take advantage of all the natural world has to offer this Spring.

The New York Times:  How Walking in Nature Changes the Brain

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Can Distraction be Helpful for the Mind?

Distraction is everywhere…

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… Back to our post.  While it’s important to avoid life’s distractions and focus on the task at hand, a new study is showing that some distraction can benefit older adults with creativity and problem solving.  Learn more about the study and its findings in the following from CTV News.

CTV News:  Aging brain benefits from distraction: study

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It’s Easy Eating Green

Although his grammar was off, perhaps Popeye’s nutritional advice was right… “I’m strong the the finish cause I eats me spinach…”  Check out the findings of a study showing how leafy greens can improve cognition and mental ability as you age.

Health Day:  Leafy Greens and Your Brain

For more tips on nutrition and healthy eating visit our Food For Thought page.