How brain fit are you?

Hi - Quiz time
It is almost February 1st. This is when your February challenges will begin. Ask yourself each question and answer honestly. Each day I will give you a challenge that will increase your
mental stimulation and physical activity  and also working on your emotional and spiritual well being as well These challenges will  increase your ability to focus better, think more clearly and accurately and remember more.

1. Can you keep up with conversation ?
2. Do you hear sounds clearly and accurately?
3. Do you react quickly to every situation?
4. Can you keep track of moving objects at the same time ?
5. Do you remember appointments?
6. Do you remember daily everyday activities and their order?
7. Do you remember where put something?
8. If still driving ,do you drive safely?
9. Do you find words on the tip of your tongue?

See you in February...

Encourage your Memory...

Whoops!

Omega 3 fatty acids have been acclaimed for their treatment in a variety of age related processes. They have a significant effect on brain function, particularly on moods and memory. There are several ways to improve your memory such as getting off of the chair and using your cognizance. Supply your brain the building blocks that it needs and most likely you will not misplace your keys as frequently as before. Your cognitive function needs honing on a continual basis. Foods containing the omegas are as follows: salmon (most fatty fish), oils from nuts, olive oil, beans and squash. The Inuit consume large amounts of omega 3 fatty acids and display a low occurrence of cardiovascular health issues. Phenol and Phytoalixin are chemicals that certain plants release in response to damage or stress. They do positive things in many cases. It can reduce plaque as in Alzheimer's disease and improve some degenerative conditions. They also contain anti-aging properties and are somewhat protective. These can be found in blueberries, red grapes and other fruits.

        So keep your memory boosted... Only time will tell

Memory Boosters

Are you able to remember what someone said to you 30 years ago very clearly but where did you place your car keys or leave your debit card at a store in the ATM machine today? Here are a few ways to support your memory as you age.
Eat your fish. It's great for your brain. Vitamin B 12 is essential  and is required in many bodily activities.
A deficiency leads to pain, electric shock feelings, sleep disturbances, fatigue, depression and loss of memory. Fish is a great source of  Vitamin B 12. Next important ingredient should contain phytoestrogens.
These are found in soy beans, lentils, oats , barley, yams, apples, rice, carrots and pomegranates and many more foods. Quercetin is a natural compound found in many plants. It is a flavenoid and it works on the neurons and increases synaptic conduction and results in better and quicker connections in the brain. These are found in onions, fruits, vegetables, leaves and grains.
This is enough information to digest on a relaxing Sunday. I will talk about Phenol, phytoalism, and more about omega 3 acids..

Gratifying things to do on a Saturday.

Saturday is a wonderful day. There are several things that you could do on a Saturday such as:

1. Change your location temporarily of where you generally have coffee - perhaps a little hide away cafe. Meet a small number of  friends  and truly enjoy the space and time in a different environment.
2. Plan to go out for a nice meal or go to a food court and treat yourself to something that you enjoy and don't indulge in very often.
3. Become a thrifter for the day-you may find a treasure or a designer dress with the sales tags still attached, or maybe an antique or vintage vase for a bit of change. Sometimes a piece of functional furniture can be your find very cheaply.
4. Be a couch potato for the day with a cozy blanket and a book or kobo and listen to your favourite music.
Order in for your meal and end the day with a lavender bubble bath-so relaxing...
5. Cancel plans to do housework if you had them and go out and visit or meet friends that enjoy being with....
6. Take a workshop for the day on the topic of one of you favourite hobbies.

Above all - 'Live it up'    Remember , this is 'socialization' which is a necessary part of brain fitness...

'No man is an Island'

John Donne was a Poet, Satirist, Lawyer, and Priest. (1572-1631). Neuroscientists have caught up with the wisdom of this great poet and value the importance of poems that he wrote. They have also realized their essential essence; we must stay coordinated and committed with other people. Our cognitive acuity requires socialization along with physical activity, nutrition, spirituality and mental stimulation. That is the complete recipe for brain fitness. Folks who are deprived of human contact suffer from serious psychological effects along with physical deficiencies. Mental diseases are not always prevented when you are socializing adequately. Socialization will help us to think more clearly and remember a great deal more. The size of the brain has been associated with the size of the social group that the animals generally form. So as we age one should take steps to socialize eg. join a social club, play challenging games with a group of people, meet an old chum for dinner, Learn to ballroom dance with a group. Enjoy a movie night and on and on it goes. Learn a new card game with others.

                                                  'For whom the bell tolls'. by John Donne

The 'February Meltdown Challenge Month'

Firstly I will finish talking about Hypoglycemia. Do you suffer from undiagnosed Hypoglycemia? The condition can mimic most every medical condition. Your brain cannot function efficiently when you have low blood sugar. If left undiagnosed, a person could go into a coma.

Now onto 'February Meltdown Challenge Month' We all need to generate new brain cells ( neurogenesis ) but it requires exposure to several of the brain health areas. On February 1, I will present  to you, a challenge and proceed to give you one each day, some more complex than others. I will choose the challenges from 5 different areas. They will be from areas such as : Physical activity, Mental stimulation, socialization, spirituality and nutrition. Do those areas sound familiar? You will be given one challenge a day (there will be five per week) So you will have a plenty of time to complete these opportunities. One or two of the challenges will be a type of challenge that you could do every day as you are working on the next one. I (Hippo) will also do the daily challenges. We will learn and participate together...

Hypoglycemia- non diabetics....

Hypoglycemia is a condition when your blood sugar is too low. There are three reasons why it could occur -that is your body's sugar is used too quickly. Glucose is released into the bloodstream too slowly,or too much insulin is released into the blood stream. The reason for people without a diabetic condition could be drinking alcohol, a tumor or cyst in the pancreas so that it produces too much insulin, liver disease or perhaps you may have skipped a meal or there has been too long an interval between meals.
Symptoms could be: Double or blurry vision, fast or pounding heartbeat, feel cranky or acting aggressive,
nervous feeling, hunger, trembling or shaking, sweating and sleeping trouble. You may just experience a few symptoms. perhaps some toast and honey or 1 cup orange juice (not diet) will rescue you temporarily
You may feel weak and faint or something more serious -so you should seek medical attention-also remembering that you should not drive when your blood sugar is low. also if you experience this condition at all -you should call your health care provider.

Today -we are speaking about people that have not been diagnosed with diabetes at the present time.
It can also occur with diabetics- so let's not get confused...

Steady as you go...

Paying attention to avoid risks... Yes, you can take steps towards fall prevention.
Finding balance can be somewhat difficult, especially during the winter. Extra respect is necessary for the weather conditions that create some of our woes. Take just a little extra time for reaching your destination.
When our attention is divided we are less likely to notice our risks. Outside be particularly cautious where you are placing your feet. Don't be too proud -use grippers for the feet or cane if necessary. Have sensible carry bags for items to be placed in that you have purchased. That way you are concentrating on your steps rather than dropping or misplacing a bag or package. Also have your vision checked annually or if you suspect any changes in your health, tend to an appointment then and there. Ask the pharmacist, annually to review all of your medications that you might have. your medications to make sure that that they are not out of date. Above all, keep active. Be extremely alert if you are climbing or descending public stairs in the winter time or summer time. .
Keep active. Don't let a fall get you down.
We will talk more about hypoglycemia tomorrow night.. quite common..

Do you suffer from Hypoglycemia?

We will talk about this in depth tomorrow-I am suspicious of it happening to more of us, as we age and perhaps go to bed earlier. If  I have an early supper the night before I will feel a little out of sorts but only up until I eat my breakfast. So I am presently doing a little more research on hypoglycemia. There are good healthy solutions. Tomorrow evening I will share what I have learned and how to handle this situation.

Lavender is a hot topic...

We have talked a little about lavender previously. It has a pleasing smell to it and does many things for the body, including your brain health. It truly appears to lower your stress and acts as a relaxant. It is known for a fact that good smells lower stress. The limbic system are the processors of smells-this is an area in the brain that regulates emotion and moods. Lavender is one of the most popular herbs. I bath with lavender and it is very effective and calming in the evening before going to sleep. Massage therapists use such an oil somewhat diluted for rubbing onto the skin. It is also effective used in a diffuser in a room. I have recipes for shortbread cookies made with lavender. The 'oil' must be diluted in water before applying to the skin.
Lavender flowers are safe for most people and also are still beneficial as dried flowers. Take a moment and try even a cream or bath oil that has a lavender scent.

I am preparing a 'series of blogs' for the 29 days of February and will begin explaining to you mid-week about some of the body and brain boosting challenges that I am hoping that you will participate  in, at home each day along with myself also attempting the same goal -it's all to do with our health....

It's all about blueberries....

Let's talk about blueberries and why they are so well thought of, in the cognitive world. Blueberries help us maintain smoothly working nerve cells and healthy cognitive function. They also are showing a favourable impact on blood sugar regulation in persons already diagnosed with blood sugar problems. The blood sugar benefit of blueberries should not be surprising. They contain a very good amount of fiber which is helpful in blood sugar control. They also are made up of vitamin K and C, manganese and dietary fiber. Their antioxidant benefits are extremely favourable and their benefits for the nervous system and brain health are now confirmed. The cognitive functions and including memory will benefit with regular servings each week.The amount of blueberries recommended per week- 3-4  - '1 cup' servings.

So enjoy-Frozen blueberries will suffice especially during the winter months when cost becomes a huge factor as opposed to the lovely fresh blueberries of summer.

B......rrrrrrrrr !

Guess we did not quite beat away the 'Winter Blues'. It's here in full force. But just think -it's only going to last about five more days. We have been spoiled this year with our weather. So just take a big breath and take it with a smile, due to the fact there is nothing we can do to prevent it from happening-so let be.

Cold Weather Blues

Weather does have a huge effect on our mood. The combination of long term cold and dark can become the 'winter blues'. The sudden severe cold causes 'hibernation mode' which can cause your metabolism to change. In this stage you will tend to eat more of the 'sweet' foods in your daily diet which invariably  lowers your energy level. You may even crave certain foods that are not particularly nutritious. You may have a low energy feeling and that makes you crave sugar , thus providing a only short term benefit. Yes, your emotions can definitely be affected by the weather. Of course there are two sides to every story-There is also a positive effect from good warm weather-so that is a plus that we in different areas of Canada have to look forward to in the upcoming seasons.

What are you about?

This wee challenge made me think...... about myself and what would be my answers...

Describe five adjectives that would describe you best. Ask yourself that question.

What makes you happy?   Are you usually happy or sad?

How do you deal with conflict?

What was the best job that you ever had?

What annoys you the most?

Happy is the man that finds some Wisdom, and the man that gains Understanding.    (My version)

Cherish a Friendship

I met with one of my friends for dinner last evening, whom I have not seen for 10 years. The reason that we did not see each other or make much of an attempt to reconnect was due to life's  circumstances

'life happens'
and now in our stages of life we have the time and energy to reconnect,  Wonderful - fantastic-

a reconnection of a truly good friend.  and how lucky we are ...

Friends are a necessary part of our lives. I think they somewhat shape the way that we become as a person. Most of the time we need friends for companionship, conversation, and laughter. Real virtue lies in the support that we get for our concerns, interests, ambitions and goals. Not many people take time to ponder the value and appreciation that good loyal friends provide to us.  Many folks take friendships for granted, until one finds themselves in need of support or perhaps losing a good friend to death or mental illness.

We form a bond with friends and they help move us along through the stages of life.

Emotional reasons for playing games with your peers

Playing games with your peers creates a framework so that we can interact in friendly manner and compete. In other words friendly competition. During this time the brain has an opportunity to think, experiment and use different tactics in order to attempt to defeat the other person or people.
It is a way of escape from our current lives.
So it is healthy to be part of a group that meets perhaps
once a month, especially thru the winter to play games or card. I is a place and time to socialize also
and compete in a friendly manner. Myself and the rest of the group are have formed a games evening throughout the winter months. "Unshelved" is looking so forward to our first evening as our first game is scrabble and he is very well versed in words.

May the best person win......

Time to Mend our ways....

Let's make an attempt to eliminate the things that make our day go askew (love that word) most every day. We will try to eliminate some of the senseless daily fury. Like the hole in your right pocket of your coat ,so that when you put your change or parking pass in your pocket and it immediately drops on the floor as you are rushing out the door. The needle and thread work well on something like that..Perhaps your dishwasher or the drain under the sink has quite a drip and you forget to empty the pail that catches the drips each day-get these things fixed... or it will overflow... Forgive at least one person in your life this month that has annoyed you in the past. Have kind thoughts when you see pets out and about.

Tonight above all "Refluff" your pillows and hey.... maybe learn to fold a fitted sheet.


Don't forget to smell the flowers....

Importance of Laughter ...

Did you know that laughter reduces the level of stress hormones? It increases the level of health hormones and endorphins and don't forget about our neurotransmitters. Another section that is enhanced by laughter is the antibody area. All of this means stronger immunity and fewer physical effects from stress. Laughter brings the focus away from anger, guilt and stress, and negative emotions.
It connects us with others. Just as a smile or some kindness. It is contagious. So if you have the ability to bring more laughter into your life then, you can most likely help others to laugh a little more and then they will realize that there are benefits to laughter and happiness. By elevating the mood around you, can reduce their stress levels.
Now , you all realize just how important the "quality" of social interaction is to you and your acquaintances and friends.

"De-Clutter Time"

Did I say "De-clutter"? Once you begin to do this, you will feel lighter. When you have items around you that do not mean much to you anymore, then it's time to remove such things from your home. If you are not sure whether or not what you can part with-- then set up a container (box) for placement of items as you see the need . Then,after six months or so, if you have not longed for these items perhaps it is time to give to your favourite charity. Another man's trash can be another man's treasure.

Also de-clutter your computer on a regular basis. You don't need to keep old emails unless they are very important. If important just file away on your computer in an orderly fashion.  Your computer will operate more efficiently- just like you will, when you begin the process of de-cluttering in your home. Suggestion would be to begin with one room and go from there. Lot's of luck... You can do it !

'Reach for the top' in "2012"

We truly have a responsibility to try new activities,
so as to address the elemental changes in brain function

that occurs with age, beginning at a much earlier age than you think. How about the "thirties." Having the capability, energy and enthusiasm to try new things can be one of the most extraordinary benefits by making an effort to improve the brain. It can also be overwhelming.By activating the important brain chemicals,  and speeding up visualization and also sharpening our focus, we become more analytical and inspired. We will tend to be more motivated and complete tasks that perhaps we would not have previously completed and also have gained improved listening skills.

Hippo rests her case...

Keep on learning !

Hi-
I am back from holidays and ready for another great year. I hope everyone else is on 'board' because we are all going to "use it or lose it." The Brain that is........ We must use our brain effectively and engage our processing systems -hearing, seeing or the emotions(feelings) and use that information for what special goals you want to achieve. This will drive the brain to change it's abilities at different levels. You can begin a new activity but you must challenge yourself to remain on the edge of your threshold, so that you may improve. If you reward yourself upon an excellent effort, your memory and learning abilities will improve and thus increase the production of particular brain chemicals that are big contributors to memory, learning and calmer emotions. Also remember that new, exciting and novel experiences will exercise the brain machinery and you will feel brighter and more perceptive.
Hippo