Siprulina and Chorella - Superfoods

Protecting yourself in the event of a serious radiation event involves much more than simply loading up on potassium iodide and various other iodine supplements. While high levels of iodine do protect the thyroid and glandular systems from radiation poisoning, they do not necessarily protect the rest of your body from the devastating and deadly effects of nuclear radiation. However, two amazing superfoods -- Spirulina and Chlorella -- offer substantiated protection against harmful radiation. They also help to detoxify the body of harmful radiation after exposure, effectively protecting organs and other areas not protected by iodine. Read more

Slashing the Risk of Cancer and Diabetes to half

Findings published in the Anticancer Research journal reported that most people need much higher  intake of Vitamin D. The study found that daily intakes of vitamin D by adults in the range of 4000 to 8000 IU are needed to maintain blood levels of vitamin D metabolites in the range needed to reduce by about half the risk of several diseases ,breast cancer, colon cancer, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes

Read more here

Neurogenesis

Neurogenesis is a term that is used to refer to the birth of neurons in the brain. Neurons are the basic building blocks of the human brain. There are more than 100 billion of these cells in human brain. Each neuron has two or more protrusions called dendrites and axons. It receives inputs and produces outputs signals to enable us to live and interact with our surroundings. It was first established in the 1960s following work done by Dr Pasko Rakic of Yale University. Further research done over the years especially the last decade has shown that neurogenesis occurs throughout adult life.

The study of neurogenesis is important to find improved treatments for mental disorders such as Alzheimer, Huntington, epilepsy and traumatic brain injury.Researches have found that neurogenesis occurs in the hippocampus, an area that is associated with learning and memory, and the olfactory bulb, which is the area responsible for the sense of smell. Research shows that thousands of neurons are produced each day but most of these new cells die within weeks. In order for the neurons to survive it needs support from neighbouring glial cells, nutrients and also connection to other neurons.

Though there are many questions that unanswered about what actually triggers neurogenesis, scientists have experimental evidence that neurogenesis is enhanced by:

1) Physical exercise

2) Enriched environment

3) Specific types of learning

4) Certain drugs used as antidepressants

Current research is focused on learning about the new neurons’ contributions to the brain’s activities. Neurogenesis though is still an emerging field, thus far has provided insights about degenerative brain diseases.

Increase IQ - 8 Minor Mental Modifications

There are hundreds of modifications a person can make to boost their mental faculties. However, there are a few simple steps which you can start using right now, that will help to increase your intelligence quotient going forward:

1. Use mind calming techniques such as deep breathing and good body posture.
It is important to keep a silent and calm mind which is free of anger, stress and worry. This is because negative emotional states are a good way to cloud the mind of the clear thought it requires to think properly. It also allows thoughts of inspiration to become more easily recognised. An example of a good technique would be to maintain a good exposure, and to practise deep breathing throughout your day. This is a simple step, i know, but it will have a profound effect on the quality of your thoughts.

2. Make a habit to think through things in a positive light.
When you think positively, you are helping your mind to seek out opportunity and see the abundance in life, instead of the lack. This will therefore help you to focus on solutions in a situation as opposed to problems. So when you look at a complex mental task, you should look at finding the solutions, instead of worrying about how complicated the problem is and getting bogged down this way. This is a simple step, but it will have a profound effect on the number of mental problems you can solve and how efficiently your brain runs.

3. Put pen to paper and write your experiences, goals and ideas down.
When you begin to write things down, you are using the creativity parts of your brain which will help you to generate even more ideas about the idea or situation in question. From this, you gain an additional perspective which may lead to profound insights or solutions to the situation at hand. Also, writing your ideas down is the best practise you can have, because it promotes self discipline of the body and mind. When you can learn to effectively discipline your body and mind, you will have control over it, and your life. Your life is controlled by the way you use your body and mind.

4. Get good sleep.
This sounds obvious but you would be horrified to hear how little step the majority of people actually get. Sleep is vitally important to maintaining optimal mental function and should never be underestimated under any circumstances because it is a fundamental component of life. Most people can do with 7-8 hours sleep, but others need much less time. Its important also that you get into sleeping routines so that you always wake up refreshed. This works infinitely better than always sleeping at different times every evening.

5. Prioritise your time.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and some of us will make maximum use of this time by moving towards our goals, and investing the needed time and energy towards them. However, for the majority of people, almost 40-50% of the day can go down in the bin as a straight loss, in that we waste our time doing idle and useless things. By prioritising your time, you can therefore extract much more from your mind, and make your mind efficient. When you use your time wisely, you are building the discipline to get on with the important things you need to perform to achieve your objectives, and make your mind more responsive to your commands for even more efficiency.

6. Change your beliefs.
When we believe a particular thing about a situation (whether it be true or not), we will tend to automatically see things from the perspective that the belief is true. In other words, what you believe, you will see as being true no matter what. So using this, if you believe that you are intelligent, smart and mentally sharp, you will become it. When you believe that you can do a certain thing with all sincerity and strength of faith, you will do it. The actual reasons for this are extremely complex yet profound to enhance our lives: basically, your beliefs can very easily penetrate the deeper subconscious mind, so we only see the world as being true dependant on our beliefs. To create mental efficiency is therefore about believing the right things (ie that we are smart, clever etc) to promote these things in our life. If instead you believe you are a mental failure, what do you think will happen?

7. Exercise your mental faculties.
There are loads of ways to exercise your brain: You can learn new things. Become creative. Do crosswords and puzzles, play chess, do maths in your head etc etc There are a million and one things you can do to maintain and boost your mental faculties. Just make sure that you do something mentally stimulating on a daily basis and your mental acuteness will remain throughout your life and through old age. Everyday, we can go through the grind of boring and mundane jobs which do not stimulate our mental faculties properly, so we should never assume that our jobs are enough to keep us mentally fit. We need to take charge of our lives, and ensure our mental fitness on a daily basis.

8. Use intelligence increasing techniques.
This is by far the easiest way to increase your IQ. There is no reason why you should let your dreams slip into the bin whilst others achieve them with ease and brilliance. You are entitled to achieve your goals as much as anybody else. You still have the time to make an investment in yourself. When you have the discipline and desire to increase your intelligence, you will learn that your discipline and desire will build on top of its self to create a huge furnace of desire to reach your goal.

What To Expect
When you implement these simple steps to make an investment in yourself, you are opening the path to greater intelligence. Not only will you become more alert and focused throughout your day, but you will have a greater quality of life by which you can strive to achieve your dreams.
posted in : Self Help 101

Brain Facts

The human brain has amazed and baffled people throughout the ages. Some scientists and researchers have devoted their entire lives to learning how the brain works. Here are some facts about your brain.

Physical Attributes

The weight of your brain is about 3 pounds.

Your skin weighs twice as much as your brain.

Your brain is made up of about 75 percent water.

Your brain consists of about 100 billion neurons.

There are anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 synapses for each neuron.

There are no pain receptors in your brain, so your brain can feel no pain.

There are 100,000 miles of blood vessels in your brain.

Your brain is the fattest organ in your body and may consists of at least 60 percent fat.

The Developing Brain

At birth, your brain was almost the same size as an adult brain and contained most of the brain cells for your whole life.

A newborn baby’s brain grows about three times its size in the first year.

Humans continue to make new neurons throughout life in response to mental activity.

The first sense to develop while in utero is the sense of touch. The lips and cheeks can experience touch at about 8 weeks and the rest of the body around 12 weeks.

Brain Function

Your brain uses 20 percent of the total oxygen in your body.

If your brain loses blood for 8 to 10 seconds, you will lose consciousness.

While awake, your brain generates between 10 and 23 watts of power -- or enough energy to power a light bulb.

The old adage of humans only using 10% of their brain is not true. Every part of the brain has a known function.

The brain can live for 4 to 6 minutes without oxygen, and then it begins to die. No oxygen for 5 to 10 minutes will result in permanent brain damage.

A study of 1 million students in New York showed that students who ate lunches that did not include artificial flavors, preservatives, and dyes did 14 percent better on IQ tests than students who ate lunches with these additives.

Psychology of Your Brain

You can’t tickle yourself because your brain distinguishes between unexpected external touch and your own touch.

There is a class of people known as supertasters who not only have more taste buds on their tongue, but whose brain is more sensitive to the tastes of foods and drinks. In fact, they can detect some flavors that others cannot.

The connection between body and mind is a strong one. One estimate is that between 50-70 percent of visits to the doctor for physical ailments are attributed to psychological factors.

Memory

Every time you recall a memory or have a new thought, you are creating a new connection in your brain.

Memories triggered by scent have a stronger emotional connection, and therefore appear more intense than other memory triggers.

While you sleep at night may be the best time for your brain to consolidate all your memories from the day. Lack of sleep may actually hurt your ability to create new memories.

Dreams and Sleep

Most people dream about 1-2 hours a night and have an average of 4-7 dreams each night.

Studies show that brain waves are more active while dreaming than when you are awake.

Some people (about 12 percent) dream only in black and white while others dream in color.

While you sleep, your body produces a hormone that may prevent you from acting out your dreams, leaving you virtually paralyzed.

Source

Nursing Assistant Central December 31, 2008

14 Scientifically-Proven Ways to Boost Brain Power

This posting appeared in eMedExpert.com

Until just a few years ago, doctors believed that the brain stopped making new neural connections - meaning that the memory began to get irreversibly worse - when the body stopped developing, usually in the early 20s. And doctors knew that, like any other part of the body, neurons weaken as people age. Loss of brain function due to neural breakdown was assumed to be a normal, unavoidable part of aging. It turns out they were wrong.

In the past few years, it has become clear that you can, in fact, make new neurons starting in your 20s and continuing well into old age. You can literally rewire the brain with new parts as the older parts wear out. How?

There are lots of things you can do right now to preserve, protect and enhance your gray matter.

1. Physical exercise

A healthy body really does mean a healthy mind. In the last decade it became clear that regular exercise beneficially affects brain function. Exercise boosts brain power by stimulating formation of new brain cells (neurons), the process known as neurogenesis. Also, exercise strengthens connections between those cells. Researchers have found the areas of the brain that are stimulated through exercise are associated with memory and learning1.

Physical exercise may even help prevent Alzheimer's disease. Several studies have confirmed that regular physical activity reduces the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in old age.

2. Lifelong learning - your brain is a learning machine

For most of us, after we graduate from high school or college, our pursuit of new knowledge bottoms out over time. We may be masters at what we do, but we aren't learning new things. There is clear evidence that education and learning produce favourable changes in the brain. Researchers believe that intellectual activity play a neuroprotective role against dementia. Some studies suggest that having a low level of formal education and poor linguistic skills is a risk factor for cognitive decline in later life.

But if you continue to learn and challenge yourself, your brain continues to grow, literally. Recent research have demonstrated that learning over time enhances memory and the survival of new brain cells. An active brain produces new connections between nerve cells that allow cells to communicate with one another. This helps your brain store and retrieve information more easily, no matter what your age.

How can you challenge yourself? Scientists agree that anything that is new and expands your knowledge will be effective:

• Learning to play a musical instrument
• Switching careers or starting a new one
• Starting a new hobby, such as crafts, painting, biking or bird-watching
• Learning a foreign language. According to the latest study speaking more than one language may slow the aging process in the mind.
• Staying informed about what's going on in the world
• Learning to cook new dish

If you let your brain be idle, it's not going to be in the best health.

3. Mental stimulation

Stimulate your brain. Make sure you're actively problem-solving and having to use your memory. Just as physical activity keeps your body strong, mental activity keeps your mind sharp and agile. The more we think, the better our brains function - regardless of age. Without something to keep us mentally charged, our brains, like unused muscles, can atrophy, leading to a decline in cognitive abilities.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, found that mentally active seniors reduced their risk of dementia by as much as 75 percent, compared to those who do not stimulate their minds. Researchers from the Princeton University found that simple cognitive stimulation such as Bingo can be of great value to the daily management of Alzheimer's patients.

Some good ways to stimulate your mind:

• Travel
• Going to museums
• Reading books, newspapers, or magazines
• Play 'thinking' games like cards, checkers, chess, crosswords, sudoku puzzles
• Scrabble or doing crossword puzzles
• Playing musical instruments
• Dancing
• Crafts such as drawing, painting, and ceramics
• Ditch the calculator once in while and forcing yourself to do the calculation
• Volunteering

4. Social interaction - People are good medicine

"Social interaction" can be measured by how often people talk on the phone with friends, neighbors and relatives, how often they get together with them, how many people they can share their most private feelings and concerns with.

Socializing may have a protective effect on the brain because it's a form of mental exercise. Not only does interacting with people stimulate the brain, but it can also keep you sharp, because dealing with people can be pretty challenging. Strong social ties have been associated with lower blood pressure and longer life expectancies.

And having no social ties is believed to be an independent risk factor for cognitive decline in older persons.

A U.S. team found that talking to another person for 10 minutes a day improves memory and test scores. They found that socializing was just as effective as more traditional kinds of mental exercise in boosting memory and intellectual performance. They also found that the higher the level of social interaction, the better the cognitive functioning. Social interaction included getting together or having phone chats with relatives, friends and neighbors.

In a study of more than 2,800 people ages 65 or older, Harvard researchers found that those with at least five social ties - church groups, social groups, regular visits, or phone calls with family and friends - were less likely to suffer cognitive decline than those with no social ties.

5. Sleep & Nap

Sleep plays a crucial role in brain development and growth.

One of the explanations the science has come up with for the healing power of sleep is that sleep may contribute to neurogenesis, the formation of new nerve cells in the brain. New research in animals provides a clue about how the sleep deprivation harm the brains - reduces the number of new brain cells. Without sufficient sleep, neurons may not have time to repair all the damage, and so could malfunction during the day.

Sleep is necessary for the brain to process and consolidate knowledge and for memories to form. Neuroscientists say that during sleep the hippocampus (where memory is stored) becomes highly active and moves knowledge from short-term memory to long-term memory.

The memories laid down by the sleeping brain are of two kinds. Declarative memory is memory for information - facts, dates, and names. Procedural memory is what allows us to do things like play a musical instrument, ride a bicycle, or add up a bill. Scientists think these two types of memory are influenced by different parts of the sleep cycle. Slow wave sleep benefit mainly the consolidation of declarative memories. In contrast, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep seems to benefit procedural memory20.

A 45-minute midday nap can help boost your memory and remember facts, but only if you learned them well in the first place5.

According to animal studies, when you perform a task, the brain cells fire in a certain sequence. If you then fall asleep, the same cells automatically fire in an identical sequence without being distracted or disrupted by incoming visual stimuli.

There is a consistent pattern: Learn something new during the day, consolidate what you have learned during a good night's sleep, then remember or perform the task better in the morning. However, sleep before learning is also critical in preparing the brain for next-day memory formation.

Even a nap in the middle of the day may benefit some learning, according to a recent study5. Sleep appears to help "set" the declarative memories and make them easier to recall.

6. Stress management

The brain uses 20 percent of our body's oxygen and 20 percent of its blood.

Scientists believe people exposed to chronic stress tend to have elevated levels of cortisol - a hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to acute and chronic stress. High cortisol levels are dangerous to the brain.

Some of the most impressive effects of the stress on brain are hippocampus atrophy, shrinkage of the hippocampus or prefrontal cortex (the area of the brain unique to humans), and even neural death in some brain regions. The hippocampus, a vital brain region for episodic, spatial, and contextual memory, has many cortisol receptors, which makes it especially susceptible to stress.

Severe stress lasting weeks or months can impair cell communication in the brain's learning and memory region27. Increased stress hormones lead to memory impairment in the elderly and learning difficulties in young adults.

Latest study provides the evidence that short-term stress has the same effect. Researcher from the University of California have found short-term stress lasting as little as a few hours can impair brain-cell communication in areas associated with learning and memory. They found that rather than involving the widely known stress hormone cortisol, which circulates throughout the body, acute stress activated selective molecules called corticotropin releasing hormones, which disrupted the process by which the brain collects and stores memories.

Stress is a constant in our lives and cannot be avoided. So, stress management is the key, not stress elimination. Several ways to help you manage stress in your daily life:

• See problems as opportunities
• Get away from the noise
• Exercise
• Learn relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation
• Cut down on unnecessary responsibilities and avoid over-scheduling
• Make time for leisure activities
• Get a massage

7. Laugh & Humor

Laughter is the best medicine! We've heard the expression time and again. Medical world has begun to take more serious notice of the healing power of humor and the positive emotions associated with it. By having fun and laughing, your stress levels decrease significantly. Humor stimulates the parts of our brain that use the "feel good" chemical messenger dopamine. Also, researchers found that humor improves memory.

8. Healthy breakfast

It might be the last thing on your morning to-do list, or it might not be on your list at all. However, many studies have shown that having breakfast improves the ability of concentration, reaction time, learning ability, mood and memory, whereas skipping breakfast reduces people's performance at school and at work.

A recent study done at Cardiff University in Wales found that subjects who ate a high-fiber cereal in the morning showed a 10 percent reduction in fatigue, lower incidence of depression, and better cognitive skills. Fiber helps slow down the absorption of food in the stomach, so you have more energy for a longer period of time.

9. Omega-3 fatty acids

High intake of omega-6 rich oils (such as sunflower or grape seed oil) may boost the risk of developing memory problems, say French researchers4.

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for brain health - they provide the physical building blocks necessary for the development and maintenance of the structural and functional integrity of the brain. In fact, one of the omega-3 fatty acids, commonly known as DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), makes up a large portion of the gray matter in the brain and is vital for brain cells function. Adding more DHA to your brain directly influences cell-to-cell communication, affects nerve conduction and neurotransmitter release, and other things that allow brain cells to send messages to each other. One 1999 review of studies on DHA, published in the journal Pharmacological Research, found that the nutrient is essential to normal brain function, and that a diet rich in DHA improves learning, while a lack of DHA causes learning ability to suffer.

French researchers looked at the diets of 8,085 people older than 65 who did not have dementia at the start of the study. Over the following four years, 183 of the participants developed Alzheimer's disease, and 98 developed another form of dementia. People who regularly consumed omega-3 rich oils, such as canola, flaxseed, and walnut oil, were 60 percent less likely to develop dementia than those who did not regularly consume such oils. The study also found that regular consumption of fruits and vegetables lowered dementia risk by 30 percent. People who ate fish at least once a week were 40 percent less likely to develop dementia.

Coldwater fish, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and herring are rich sources of omega-3 fatty acids (just be careful to eat this in moderation due to potential contamination with mercury). Dutch studies revealed that high fish consumption may reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive decline.

10. Blueberries

Would you believe that eating this tasty, low-glycemic superfood every day was found by the USDA at Tufts University to slow and even reverse age-related brain decline, as well as improve short-term memory loss and help reverse age-related loss of balance?!

Blueberries are a major source of flavonoids, in particular anthocyanins and flavanols. Although the precise mechanisms by which these plant-derived molecules affect the brain are unknown, they have been shown to cross the blood brain barrier after dietary intake. It is believed that they exert their effects on learning and memory by enhancing existing neuronal connections, improving cellular communications and stimulating neuronal regeneration.

11. Vegetables

Researchers found that eating vegetables appears to help keep the brain young and may slow the mental decline sometimes associated with growing old. Cruciferous and green leafy vegetables including cauliflower, spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprout and collards appear to be the most beneficial. Researchers say that may be because they contain healthy amounts of vitamin E, an antioxidant that is believed to help fight chemicals produced by the body that can damage cells.

Three B vitamins, folic acid, B6, and B12, can help lower your homocysteine levels. Fortified cereal, other grains, and leafy green vegetables are good sources of B vitamins.

12. Want to drink? Choose red wine!

People who drink to forget bad memories may actually be doing the opposite by reinforcing the neural circuits that control negative emotional memory.

While heavy drinking clearly causes serious problems for many people, drinking in moderation may be good for the brain.

Researchers found, intake of up to three daily servings of wine, unlike other alcohol beverages (liquor, beer), was associated with a lower risk of dementia. This may be due to the ability of red wine polyphenols to protect brain cells against alcohol-induced damage. There is well-documented evidence that resveratrol, a polyphenol found in red wine and red grape skin and seeds, has a significant antioxidant properties and produces neuroprotective effects.

13. Keep health problems under control

Many medical conditions, particularly those identified as risk factors for cardiovascular disease, are also risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia.

High blood pressure in midlife increases the risk of cognitive decline in old age. Use lifestyle modification to lower your blodd pressure.

Diabetes is an important risk factor for dementia. You can improve blood glucose levels by eating healthy diet, exercising regularly, and staying lean. But if your blood sugar stays high, you'll need medication to achieve good control.

High levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol appear to significantly increase the risk of dementia46. Diet, exercise, weight control, and avoiding tobacco will go a long way toward improving your cholesterol levels.

Research has shown that a higher than average blood level of homocysteine - a type of amino acid - is a strong risk factor for the development of Alzheimer disease and dementia47.

14. Neurobics

Created by Lawrence C. Katz, Ph.D., a professor of neurobiology at Duke University Medical Center, neurobics is a unique system of brain exercises using your five physical senses and your emotional sense in unexpected ways that encourage you to shake up your everyday routines. Studies have shown that even small changes in daily patterns cause brain stimulation.

Neurobics can be done anywhere, anytime, in offbeat, fun and easy ways. These exercises can activate underused nerve pathways and connections, helping you achieve a fit and flexible mind:

• Drive to work a different route
• Get dressed with your eyes closed
• Brush your teeth with the other hand
• Unlock the door with your eyes closed
• Use your opposite hand to dial the phone or operate the TV remote
• Listen to music and smell flowers at the same time
• Shop at new grocery store

Research has suggested that using your left hand if you're left handed or your right if you're left handed more often, can help stimulate parts of the brain that you don't normally use.

Successful Intelligence

Robert Sternberg in his book, Successful Intelligence: How Practical and Creative Intelligence Determine Success in Life says that there are three main types of intellectual abilities:

1. Analytical Intelligence
2. Creative Intelligence
3. Practical Intelligence

He goes on to stress that a successfully intelligent person is someone who knows what their strengths are and take steps to improve on their areas of weakness in each of these three abilities. Here are some of his advice:

I. Improving Your Analytical intelligence:

• Recognize Problems before they become problems
• Represent Problems accurately
• Allocate your resources wisely
• Monitor your decisions and make corrections where needed

II. Improving Your Creative Intelligence:

• Don't just follow the crowd, think for yourself
• Question your assumptions, they aren't always true
• Allow yourself to think outside the box
  

III. Improving Your Practical Intelligence:

Practical Intelligence makes use of "tacit knowledge" or knowledge you have about a task that is just difficult to put into words.

• Tacit knowledge grows with experience

Mind Control by Cell Phone

Two independent studies have established a person's brain waves are disrupted during cell phone use reports Scientific American today. The studies shows that cell phone use seems to increase the alpha waves in the brain. Alpha waves fluctuate at a rate of eight to 12 cycles per second (Hertz). These brainwaves reflect a person's state of arousal and attention. Alpha waves are generally regarded as an indicator of reduced mental effort, "cortical idling" or mind wandering.
Read more here.

Plants' Flavonoids Have Beneficial Effect On Alzheimer's Disease

A study by University of South Florida and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have found that a set of molecules found in certain plants appears to have a beneficial effect in brain tissue associated with Alzheimer's disease. Researchers administered molecules called flavonoids, which are found
in certain fruits and vegetables, to a mouse model genetically programmed to develop Alzheimer's disease. Using two of these molecules, luteolin and diosmin, they were able to reduce the levels of a protein called amyloid-beta, which forms the sticky deposits that build up in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's.

"These flavonoids are widely available in natural foods and it appears that they may be used in purified form as therapeutic agents. The compounds have few if any side effects and are naturally occurring in citrus fruits. They also can be found as dietary supplements in health food stores," says Terrence Town, Ph.D., one of the lead authors.

Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (2008, May 8). Plants' Flavonoids Have Beneficial Effect On Alzheimer's Disease, Study In Mice Suggests.

Reflective Mind

The Complete Lawyer published an interesting article today about being reflective. Stephanie West Allen and Jeffrey Schwartz discuss about:

• Banishing The Reactive Mind
• Becoming More Self-Aware
• The Golden Moment Of Choice
• Exercising The Mind

Excerpt ~

If you understand how to skillfully orchestrate your GMCs, your reflective mind will be in command of your reactive brain and you will have much greater life control. Golden Moments of Choice are possible because your brain is always changing (that's called neuroplasticity). The changes are either by default as it interacts with your environment or deliberately as it interacts with your mind. Your brain can either be randomly molded by external circumstances or artistically sculptedby your self-aware mind. Which do you think leads to an intentional-and
self-directed life—letting your brain be rewired by outside forces, or
ensuring that the brain rewire is an inside operation?

Read the entire article here.

Epigenetics- You are what you eat,breathe, feel, etc...

"Our understanding of genetics is currently undergoing a paradigm shift," says Melanie Ehrlich, a molecular biologist at the Tulane Cancer Center. "It is now commonly acknowledged among scientists that it is not enough to look to DNA as the sole determinant of heredity."

Ehrlich is referring to a complicated chemical switchboard known as the epigenome that switches genes on and off. Scientists are learning that looking at DNA alone is not enough to determine heredity as they are now learning that epigenome is highly reactive to its environment.
As more light is shed on epigenetics, scientist are confident that cures for diseases and even an antidote for aging can be found. Read more here.

Food To Nourish Your Brain.

There is truth in the saying, “We are what we eat”. It is no secret that if we nourish our brains with the right nutrients, it will in turn nourish us. Essentially there are four types of food group that cares and nourishes the brain.


1. Fatty Acids
It is used to create specialized cells that are used in thinking and learning.
Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are important for the brains well-being. Salmon, mackerel, tuna and trout are rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids, while evening primrose oil and borage can boost the brain’s Omega-6 supplies.

2. Amino Acids
It is used to make neurotransmitters that allow networking and communication among the brain cells.

3. Glucose
It is the fuel that brain uses to produce the energy to motivate and move us. Glucose is a type of sugar. It is present in carbohydrates. It is normally the only fuel for the brain.

4. Micronutrients
It is the anti-oxidant the safeguards the brain from damage and dysfunction. Fruit and vegetables are rich source of micronutrients.

I will writing more on this topic, in the meantime, let us watch our diet.

Another Reason To Avoid Stress

It's been known for some time now that severe stress lasting weeks or months can harm cell communication in the brain but a recent study conducted by Dr.Tallie Z. Baram, the Danette Shepard Chair in Neurological Sciences in the UC Irvine School of Medicine and her team found that short term stress lasting only hours has the same debilitating effect on the brain.


The study found that acute stress activates selected molecules of cortisol, a widely known stress hormon, activates the release of corticotropin releasing hormones(CRH). The release of CRH speeds up the disintegration of dendritic spines.

Dendritic spines are protrusions on neuron which houses the synapses. As learning and memory takes place in the synapses, the release of CRH in brain's hippocampus region, the brain's main learning and memory center greatly affects this process.

So the next time you are stressed in for a few short hours keep in mind that you are harming your brain.
Adapted from materials provided by University of California - Irvine.

Mind Mapping

Mind Mapping, popularized by Tony Buzan is a powerful technique that improves note taking and enhances creative problem solving. It differs from conventional note taking which uses the list format in that it is two dimensional and compact. Mind Mapping also uses key words and key images to give a more collective presentation of a subject.

Microsopic view of the brain neuron cell

Mind Maps emulates the way the human brain works in making associations and this in turn aids in seeing the whole “picture” rather then seeing one part at a time.

Mind Maps are useful for:

1. Recall. Since mind maps copies the way the brain works which is not linear but naturally associative it helps you to remember more easily. Mind Maps are also more visual and recalling images is easier then recalling words.


2. Creativity. Mind Maps reflects the way the brain organizes information or thoughts. Any single idea is linked to thousands of others. As information is presented in more coherent way, the brain will find it easier to connect the links and this aids in creativity.


3. Planning and Presentation. The visual nature of mind maps can assist you in writing a book, building a website and/or to give public talks or seminars.

How To Mind Map.

Peter Russell who joined Tony Buzan in the 1970s teaching mind mapping skills to various organizations gives the following tips on how to mind map.

* Use just key words, or wherever possible images.

* Start from the center of the page and work out.

* Make the center a clear and strong visual image that depicts the general theme of the map.

* Create sub-centers for sub-themes.

* Put key words on lines. This reinforces structure of notes.

* Print rather than write in script. It makes them more readable and memorable. Lower case is more visually distinctive (and better remembered) than upper case.

* Use color to depict themes, associations and to make things stand out.

* Anything that stands out on the page will stand out in your mind.

* Think three-dimensionally. Use arrows, icons or other visual aids to show links between different elements.

* Don't get stuck in one area. If you dry up in one area go to another branch.

* Put ideas down as they occur, wherever they fit. Don't judge or hold back.

* Break boundaries. If you run out of space, don't start a new sheet; paste more paper onto the map. (Break the 8x11 mentality.)

* Be creative. Creativity aids memory.

* Get involved. Have fun.

An example of a Mind Map – From BuzanWorld

If you interested you can visit the links below which offers information free mind mapping tools.

1. Free Mind – Free Software


2. Mind-Mapping.org – Mind Mapping Resources

10 Simple Ways On How To Beat Boredom Cheaply

1. Read a book. Hit the library.

2. Put on a rock song, close your eyes and imagine that you are rocker performing in a concert. Try this. It works everytime for me.

3. Observe things around you, pick on anything and research it on the internet. You'll be suprised with the amount of information that is available today on just about anything.

4. Try drawing objects in front of you, each item separately first and then combine them. How do you think a table, a chair, a steel cabinet and calculator will look like if you combine them?

5. Try creating your own alphabets.

6. Make your own sandwiches.

7. Go for a walk in the park.If you have a camera try snapping some photos.

8. Create a website.

9. Learn a new language.

10. Write articles, short stories or novels.

In today's information age, no one should feel bored. There are many ways to beat boredom without spending a dime or cheaply. Scientific American has a good article about the studies done on boredom here.