Education
If you find yourself constantly feeling fatigued, distracted, moody and just plain “off,” you’re likely dealing with some sort of “brain fog.” Brain fog has become an unwanted side effect of our fast-paced, industrialized lifestyle and more recently, COVID-19 survivors.
Intermittent fasting has been around for hundreds of years. From a neuroscience perspective, caloric restriction and intermittent fasting can have significant positive effects on both the brain and body. A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine states that intermittent fasting can have broad-spectrum benefits for many health conditions such as obesity, and heart and neurologic issues.
We all want to age well. Regular exercise, eating right, and avoiding stress help maintain a healthy body as we age, but what about the brain? New research indicates these same strategies also promote brain health.
The sugary, high-fat foods we often crave when we are stressed or down, as comforting as they are, may be the least likely to benefit our mental health. As people across the world grapple with higher stress levels and anxiety, many turn to their favorite comfort foods: ice cream, pastries, pizza and chips. But studies in recent years suggest that the unhealthy foods we often crave when we are stressed or down, as comforting as they may seem, are the least likely to benefit our mental health.
Unfortunately, many people don’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables or simply don’t have the time to prepare a meal. You can always buy a prepared juice or smoothie at a local grocery store but these products are often filled with sugar or other ingredients that are not healthy - especially for your brain!
Can the way we think about ourselves and our abilities shape our lives? Absolutely. The way we think about our intellect and talents not only affects the way we feel, it can also affect what we achieve, whether we stick to new habits, or if we will go on to develop new skills. A growth mindset means that you believe your intelligence and talents can be developed over time. A fixed mindset means that you believe intelligence is fixed—so if you’re not good at something, you might believe you’ll never be good at it.
Most people in the scientific community now accept that the brain continues to repair itself and create new brain cells throughout life. The birth of new neurons in the brain is referred to as neurogenesis. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a group of small protein-like molecules called neurotrophins that are responsible for neurogenesis or the development of new neurons and for the health and maintenance of mature ones.
You’ve probably heard the term “nootropic” talked about a lot recently. Like Nerve Growth Factor (NGF), it’s a trendy word right now. But what does it mean? According to the dictionary, a nootropic is a substance that enhances cognition and memory and facilitates learning. Slang dictionaries erroneously call them “smart drugs.”
According to a new study in the NeuroImage scientific journal, exercise can freshen and renovate the white matter in our brains, potentially improving our ability to think and remember as we age. White matter, which connects and supports the cells in our brains, changes for the better as we become more physically active.
The concept of a “healthy brain” is fairly new, but one that is growing in importance. Here at Procera, we believe that the brain can be positively impacted by dietary choices, brain-specific supplementation, and lifestyle habits. Once it was thought that it was only important to look after the developing brain (birth until the early 20s).
Like your brain, your lung function can diminish with age, especially if you don’t take care of them. No matter what your age, it's still possible to keep your lungs working at an optimal level. "Your lungs finish development by age 25, and their function remains stable for about 10 years. After that, they begin to gradually decline. By age 65, you've typically lost up to a liter of lung capacity compared with when you were younger", says Dr. Aaron Waxman, director of the Pulmonary Vascular Disease Program at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.
Our research shows that people that stay active and play old fashioned games such as crossword puzzles score better on cognitive exams. It is therefore very important to keep your brain engaged in mental stimulation activities as you age. Think of these seven activities like exercises for your brain.
