Neurobics?

Hippo says that "Neurobics" is a great way to exercise your brain using your 5 physical senses. and your emotional sense in  unanticipated ways. They will encourage you to change your daily routines. Even the slightest change in "daily routine" patterns will create brain stimulation.
It can be done anywhere that you choose and anytime. They can be done in offbeat, unzipped and weird ways. These exercises will activate underused neural pathways and connections, assisting you with accomplish creating a fit, flexible and moldable mind.
A few suggestions:

• Drive to work a different route
• Unlock your door with your eyes closed
• Use opposite hand to surf the TV
• Brush your teeth with the opposite hand
• Smell the flowers and listen to some of your favourite music
• Try getting dressed with your eyes closed
• If you walk or jog regularly-take a different route
• Try folding clothes with one hand

Fun and socialization

Hippo attended the ballet last night with friends and enjoyed "Wonderland" and evening out.  We laughed and talked-all very positive and relaxing.
Fun is the enjoyment of pleasure and a primary grouping of like-just like socialization is so key to brain fitness. You may experience fun at many human activities, such as during work, play or social functions and recreation. It is usually a spontaneous or a high sprirted event.
I hope that you have had fun this weekend.

Have you eaten healthily today?

Diets high in saturated fat increase the risk of dementia. It can impair your concentration and also affect your memory. So beware of foods that are made of animal products. Ice cream, whole milk red meat and butter, cheese and sour cream should be consumed in smaller amounts if necessary for your diet and fancy.
Omega 3's very important for brain health. Fish is a great source of omega 3's but I do know some folk who are not fond of fish- I suggest looking into fish oil supplements. Some of the nuts (walnuts) and some seeds also provide non-fish omega 3's. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables as they are packed with antioxidants, especially colourful fruits and vegetables. If your diet permits eat green leafy vegetables.
Drink grape juice and also cranberry juice and fresh grapes and berries and peanuts...Be careful of carbohydrates such as sugar and white bread. Carbs can fuel your brain for a short boost and a rapid crash.
For energy that lasts, choose whole wheat bread,oatmeal and high fiber cereal, brown rice and  lentil/beans.
Good luck-I know that you will feel brain boosted if you follow some of these hints.

An Idle brain-a decline in cognitive abilities-not a healthy situation

Make sure that you stimulate your brain. Problem solving is very important for the brain plus frequent  memory workouts. It is so necessary to keep that memory intact. Mental stimulation keeps your mind sharp and rather agile. The more that one thinks, the better the brain will function, regardless of age. If we do not keep our mentally charged our brains will degenerate and then we will experience cognitive decline. It has been proven that active folks 50 yrs. and over, reduce their risk of dementia by as much as 70-80% compared to those who do not stimulate their brains and remain inactive. Social interaction and physical activity provide an enormous boost to brain functions.

Beginning tomorrow, Hippo will expand upon good nutrition. It is imperative for the human being to maintain an excellent diet of brain boosting foods in order to maintain
a healthy  lifestyle with plenty of strong cognitive abilities.

Hippo shares her tips for enhancing your ability to learn and remember

Try and relate your information to some things that you are already familiar with so you can connect the data to some other previous knowledge. New material can build on old information from your past.
Focus on understanding the basic ideas of a story or concept and then explain it in your own words to someone else. This works so well with complex ideas.
Always review what you learned on the same day you learned it and several times there after. Do not cram, as you will then not be able to retain information.
Attempt to relate data to textures, colours, smells and tastes-this will make it a physical method of remembering information. This is called sense involvement.
Reciting material out loud will also be effective.
Above all -choose a quiet place to work so that you will not be easily distracted. Focusing intensely for approximately 8 seconds should process a piece of information in a conducive setting.

Use it or lose it....

 Hippo says"Use it or lose it"  
"Improve your memory"

Do something out of your comfort zone in order to make it a good brain exercise. It needs to be an unfamiliar activity.
Some activities will require your mental effort and then it will expand your knowledge.
Examples: learn a new language, or instrument, or sport, or try a more difficult level of crossword or sudoku puzzle. The more interested and engaged that you in your new activity, will most likely allow you to continue doing it and also the benefits you will experience will be greater. Pay attention to what you are learning or it won't get encoded into the brain. Pick a quiet area so you can focus and you will then be able to attain worthwhile benefits.
So Hippo summarizes what you require to do to improve your memory. Give your  brain a strenuous workout.

• Learn something new.
• Must be a challenge
• It should be fun  

        

Is your memory slipping?

Hippo would like to remind you, to get plenty of sleep and physical exercise. Exercise will increase the oxygen to your brain. This will in turn increase your ability to enhance your processing and recall. You also need a good nutritious diet and many healthy habits. When you are sleep deprived you don't function well. Your creative and problem solving abilities and thinking are jeopardized to a great degree. Sleep is necessary for melding of the memory .
Socialization is very important and we are not meant to thrive in isolation.
Relationships stimulate the brain. Meaningful ... and strong support systems are crucial for our maintenance of emotional health and of course our brain health.