How is your Brain?

Ha!! Got you there. Bet you are wondering where I am going to go with a title like, How is your Brain? Actually, since I am on a health kick this week, (since I know several people who are not healthy..) I thought I would bring up some questions regarding the health of your brain and some simple things to help keep your brain sharper...

The health of your brain plays a critical role in everything you do. If your brain were not functioning effectively, you may have trouble walking, or talking, or even remembering what you were doing ten seconds ago. I know some of us have that problem on a regular basis, but it is not do to lack of brain health...for me it may just be due to lack of brain...(not).

Honestly though, people exercise their bodies and can see results, but you also need to remember to exercise your brain. It too is a muscle and an organ, and does need to be exercised in order to remain sharp. Don't get me wrong, physical exercise is not only good for the body, but it is also good for the brain. The more exercise you get, the better the blood flow will be to all parts of your body, including your brain. Sometimes if you are feeling particularly stressed, if you take a brisk walk, you will find that the problems that seemed overwhelming are not so bad anymore. By increasing blood flow to your brain, you are helping it to relax and then you are able to see alternative solutions to the problem you were wrestling with. Also, as we talked about before, as you exercise, your body releases endorphins which make you feel better and relax you. That relaxation is also a benefit to your brain, it will work better and you can remember better if you are not under a tremendous amount of stress.

You may also want to consider foods that are good for your brain. Some researchers are finding that foods low in fat and cholesterol may reduce the chance of stroke and therefore reduce the chance of brain cell damage. By eating foods high in antioxidants (dark vegetables and fruits), you may also help protect those same brain cells. Cold water fish contain beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids which will also help protect your brain cells. You may also want to take some nutritional products that are high in antioxidants if you are unable to eat the appropriate fresh fruit. MonaVie Active is a great addition to your diet. Also our StemEnhance stem cell nutritional product can help your brain regenerate some of those brain cells that are not working as well as they used to. Both of these product lines are natural and contain high levels of antioxidants.

Remaining socially active can also help keep your brain healthy. Social interaction will force you to remember names, places, events as you recount stories to others. Social interaction can also help you to mitigate the stress you may be under by talking about what is bothering you. You may even have your friends help you to work out a potential solution to your problems. If they can't find a good solution, they could joke around enough with you that you start laughing and then the problem does not seem as bad anymore. All the same, the concept is that social interaction will help to reduce stress and by interacting with others, you are forcing your brain to work (so you are exercising it).

Another way to exercise your brain is to make an effort to learn something new. By forcing yourself to learn new things, you are exercising your brain because researchers have found that the mental stimulation of learning can limit the effect of aging on your memory and your mind. Some say the best thing for your brain is to combine learning something new things with physical activity. Haven't you noticed that you tend to remember things better if you were doing a particular activity at the same time? I find I learn new dance moves much faster than if I was sitting at a desk trying to remember a new language. If I were moving around while learning the new language, I also tend to remember the new words much better. Give it a try, the worst thing that could happen is people think you are crazy, but hey, you are having fun...

One last thing that you can do to help keep your brain healthy is to be sure to get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can adversely affect the brain and cognitive functions. A 2001 study indicated that sleep deprivation can lead to mental illness including psychosis and bipolar disorder. One study found that lack of sleep causes the brain to become incapable of putting an emotional event into the proper perspective. It can also cause you to become incapable of making a controlled, suitable response to the event. How many times have you been so tired that you "couldn't think straight"? Well, there is an actual physical reason for it. You need to keep your brain healthy so you reduce the chance of developing these problems.

So, how is your brain? Is it as sharp as it used to be? Do you feel like you are forgetting more than you used to? Try some of the ideas above and let's see if we can get that brain working better and helping you to feel better.

If you want more information on MonaVie product line or StemEnhance, please feel free to visit our website for more details. You can (almost) always reach us by e-mail at hawgwash1@yahoo.com too.

Regarding the picture at the top, are you looking at a young woman or an old lady? Look again, it is both...

Until tomorrow...