As the American population ages, quality-of-life issues often seem to surpass concerns for longevity. Whether it’s our joints, our hearing, or our mental performance, individuals throughout America—and the world—are rightly seeking to increase their quality of life, not merely the number of birthdays they celebrate. High on the list of performance concerns are those that relate to mental acuity.
Have you ever wondered why there are eight natural remedies: good nutrition, regular exercise, water, sunshine, temperance, fresh air, rest, and faith in God? These are indeed powerful preventers of disease when regularly used. There is also much scientific data that shows them to reverse or improve chronic disease. In reality, there are myriads of scientifically-validated natural remedies. Why limited to eight? (Probably to help us remember to practice them!) Here is another: Good music is powerful therapy.
The average American consumes 19.5 teaspoons (82 grams) every day. That translates into about 66 pounds of added sugar consumed each year, per person. Many refined sugars are “hidden” in processed foods. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar per day for healthy women and 9 teaspoons (38 grams) for men. The AHA limits for children vary depending on their age and caloric needs, but range between 3-6 teaspoons (12 – 25 grams) per day.
In a systematic review and a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies consisting 317,540 participants, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health studied the association between depression and risk of total and subtypes of stroke participants. Pooled analysis showed that depression was associated with:
Question: What European monarch was trained as an auto mechanic?
You guessed correctly if you answered “Queen Elizabeth”. Yes, indeed, during World War 2, this English princess worked to repair jeeps. During the war, her father, King George V (or Bertie) raised successful gardens while Queen Mary hosted sewing bees in the palace to help keep the soldiers clothed warmly.
Just about everyone operates as a CEO (chief executive officer)—including you! Your prefrontal cortex operates as your CEO. It is in this area of the brain that executive processes occur that enable you to manage yourself and your resources successfully in order to accomplish your goals.
Habits—we all have them. American author Elbert Hubbard said: “Habit is the great economizer of energy.” He was exactly right.
Habits are our friends—when they’re good ones. Habits are routines that help us perform multiple tasks with minimal mental effort. They help us repeat safe and effective behaviors, and build consistency and security into our lives.
High school students’ capacity to pay attention increased 13 percent if they had a green view outside of their classroom window. They also performed better on tests and recovered from stress better if they were in a classroom with a view of a green landscape, rather than a windowless room, or a room with a view of built space.
Synapses are microscopic points of communication between nerve cells that are heavily involved in memory, learning, habit formation, and the development of talent and character. A neural circuit is composed of neurons and their synapses. Our lifestyle choices substantially impact synapses and their neural circuits. For example: Recurrent use of a particular neural circuit for learning (i.e. learning a musical instrument) increases the size, number, and efficiency of the involved synapses. Repeated use of a brain circuit results in easier and faster learning, and therefore practice, when done correctly, indeed makes performance perfect.
Both obesity and diabetes cause a clear reduction in brain size without additional contributing factors. The frontal lobes – the CEO of the brain; the hippocampus, so important to memory and mood; the cingulated gyrus, important in adaptability to new situations, are especially vulnerable.