Anxiety is a powerful biological trigger for weight gain. Here's how to stop it—fast.
For most of us, stress is a fact of life. Sadly, new research reveals it's also a fact of fat. You may hold topnotch health credentials—the diet of a saint and biceps strong enough to arm-wrestle Lisa Curry—but with chronic stress on your plate, you'll find it hard to lose weight. Worse still, stress can add kilos. Here's why: your body responds to stress—psychological or physical—in the same way. Whether you're facing a deadline or a deadly lion, the amygdala, the fear-processing part of your brain, signals a 'look out!' message to the pituitary and adrenal glands. These respond by releasing a flood of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, explains Jennifer Ackerman, author of Sex Sleep Eat Drink Dream: A Day in the Life of Your Body ($32.95; Scribe). Your heart rate speeds up, supplying your muscles with extra blood. Next, your body's fat and energy stores release extra glucose and fatty acids to supply more fuel. This can make you hungry ... very hungry.
"If you have high cortisol levels, you tend to go for sweet or salty foods that provide a quick source of energy and glucose," says accredited practising dietitian Lisa Renn from Mind Food Dietetics in Melbourne. Snacks such as these stimulate the brain to release pleasure chemicals that reduce tension—and the soothing effect that occurs when you sink your teeth into that cinnamon-sprinkled custard tart becomes addictive.
With your adrenal glands pumping out cortisol, production of the muscle-building hormone testosterone slows. "Over time, this drop causes a decrease in your muscle mass, so you burn fewer kilojoules," explains Dr Shawn Talbott (PhD), author of The Cortisol Connection: Why Stress Makes You Fat And Ruins Your Health—And What You Can Do About It ($35; Hunter House). According to some research, there's even a link between raised cortisol and increased abdominal fat storage, adds Renn.
Taking these seven steps to beat stress will help you control your cortisol levels, manage your weight and improve your overall health—all at the same time.
1. Sidestep the Coffee Cart
Next time you're under duress, choose decaf. When you combine stress with caffeine, it raises cortisol levels more than stress alone does. In one study by The University of Oklahoma in the US, people who consumed the equivalent of 21/2 to 3 cups of coffee while under mild stress boosted their cortisol by about 25 per cent—and kept it up for three hours. When subjects took 600 mg of caffeine (the equivalent of six cups of coffee) throughout the day, the hormone went up by 30 per cent and stayed high all day long. You'll experience these effects even if your body is accustomed to a lot of lattes. And because high cortisol levels can contribute to 'stress eating', you might want to consider ditching caffeine altogether.
2. Go Slowly at Meals
Under stress, we tend to scoff down food—even healthy food. In fact, research has linked this behaviour to bigger portions and more belly fat. But Renn suggests that slowing down gives your brain time to catch up with your belly: "People tend to eat more quickly when they're stressed, and there's a response delay of about 20 minutes before your brain realises your tummy is full. Therefore, if you're eating faster, you're more likely to overeat."
3. Stop Strict Dieting
It's ironic, but research shows that constant dieting can make cortisol levels rise by as much as 18 per cent. Depriving the body of food is actually a stressor, creating a spike in cortisol levels. What's more, dieting makes your blood sugar go haywire—first rising, then plummeting. You get cranky and (you guessed it) ravenous. When your brain is deprived of sugar—its main fuel—self-control takes a nosedive, and your willpower doesn't stand a chance. The only way around this is to stop rigid dieting. To stabilise your blood-sugar levels, aim for three healthy meals a day with two snacks evenly spaced in between them, says accredited practising dietitian Julie Gilbert. This keeps hunger pangs at bay and eases the stress they cause, thereby clearing the path for you to drop extra kilos and eliminate emergency trips to lolly lane!
4. Redirect Your Cravings
If each wave of stress has you gulping a can of Fanta—if you constantly give in to a particular craving—you create a 'stress habit'. "You'll reach for the same food every time you're under pressure," says Renn. Instead, craft a 'stress plan': devise a strategy—whether it's calling a friend or listening to some mood-boosting music—for addressing your next hair-pulling episode. Get ready for crunch time by putting your friend's phone number on speed dial or loading a soothing Black Sabbath album into your CD player.
5. Drop and Do 10
That's right, power out some push-ups. "Moving your muscles is an effective instant stress reliever. It actually fools your body into thinking you're escaping the source of your stress," says Talbott. "Exercise makes your blood circulate more quickly, transporting the cortisol to your kidneys and flushing it out of your system." It also eases anxiety by releasing feel-good compounds called endorphins, says Prevention's fitness and nutrition expert Kylie Ball, associate professor from Victoria's Deakin University.
But if push-ups are impractical, just flexing your hands or calf muscles will help move cortisol along, says Talbott. Even taking a stroll during your lunchbreak is beneficial. In one study, he found that just 18 minutes of walking, three times a week, can quickly lower cortisol levels by 15 per cent.
6. Sleep It Off
The most effective stress-reduction strategy of all: get enough shut-eye. "Your body perceives sleep deprivation as a major stressor," says Talbott. An American study by The University of Chicago found that getting an average of only 6 hours of sleep each night can increase cortisol, appetite and weight gain. Emily Bradley, Prevention's natural-medicine expert, recommends you get at least seven to nine hours per night. Other research shows that lack of sleep also raises levels of ghrelin, a hunger-boosting hormone. In one study, appetite—particularly for sweet and salty foods—increased by 23 per cent in people who lacked sleep. The good news: a few nights of solid sleep can bring all this back into balance, and getting consistent rest helps maintain the equilibrium. As Talbott says, "You'll eat less, and you'll feel better, too."
7. Power Up Breakfast
Deficiencies in B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium and magnesium can stress your body, leading to increased cortisol levels and food cravings, says Talbott. But you can fight back by eating a breakfast that's high in these nutrients. He suggests some OJ, a grapefruit or a large handful of strawberries to supply vitamin C; a small tub of low-fat yoghurt, which contains calcium and magnesium; and a wholegrain bagel or toast with a bit of peanut butter. Wholegrains are bursting with B vitamins, and peanut butter contains fatty acids that can decrease the production of stress hormones.
Your stress-busting menu
Beat Stress: Try tai Chi for relaxation
Saturday, May 22, 2010
The 5 best ways to sharpen your memory: remember names. Know where your keys are. Never have a frustrating memory lapse again. It's easier than you th
IF YOU WORRY THAT YOUR MEMORY'S failing, here's some encouraging news. A recent study says that you don't lose your memory as you age; you just temporarily lose access to some parts of it when neuron connections don't function properly. Research also shows that making simple lifestyle choices can improve neuron function--preventing and even reversing problems with recall. Here, experts reveal the five most effective habits you can adopt to improve your memory.
1. Indulge in Caffeine and Chocolate.
Memory experts say consuming a little caffeine and chocolate each day may help you remember information better. But you need to choose the right kinds.
Strive to get your caffeine from black or green tea. You'll get a slight boost from the caffeine, which will make you feel more alert so you can absorb new information, explains Jeff Victoroff, M.D., associate professor of clinical neurology at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and author of Saving Your Brain (Bantam, 2002). You'll also be taking in important antioxidants that stave off brain cell damage. Just don't drink your tea with milk, Victoroff says, because milk interferes with the absorption of those antioxidants.
When you buy chocolate, choose dark varieties made with at least 60 percent cocoa, recommends Victoroff. (Most American chocolate, including dark, is made with very little cocoa, so you should look for French or Belgian brands; Valrhona is one brand that's available in some gourmet and natural food stores.) Although more research is needed, researchers suspect that compounds in dark chocolate called procyanidins counteract oxidation and inflammation, two conditions that age the brain. Some scientists think procyanidins also improve memory by increasing blood circulation so your brain gets more oxygen and nutrients, explains Victoroff.
2. Sleep on It.
Common sense dictates that if you get a good night's sleep, your brain functions better and you remember better. Several studies suggest that during sleep, your brain processes your experiences from the day, strengthening the connections between neurons that were formed when you were awake. This may allow you to remember the information more easily the next day.
Scientists also think that while you sleep your brain weakens strong neuron connections to make room for new ones. "You can think of [the weakening of connections] as pruning away unneeded things," explains Marcos Frank, Ph.D., assistant professor of neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
To maintain memory, most people need to get about eight hours of sleep a night. Some research suggests that intense aerobic exercise and a 60- to 90-minute hot bath can help you get that amount. Researchers say those activities may help you sleep better by increasing body temperature or helping release hormones that trigger sleep. For the sedation effect, be sure to do these activities at least two hours before you go to sleep; if you do them too close to your bedtime, they'll keep you awake.
3. Work It Out.
Experts agree that aerobic exercise improves your memory by doing more than just enhancing your sleep quality. Anytime you do at least moderate exercise (like brisk walking), your brain receives a larger-than-usual supply of blood, explains Victoroff. More blood means your brain gets more nutrients and oxygen, both of which help neurons work more efficiently.
Aerobic exercise also improves memory by relieving stress, Victoroff says. When you're stressed, your body releases hormones like cortisol, which boost your energy to help you cope with a challenging situation. However, these hormones also travel to your brain and damage your memory center. Animal studies show that after just a few days of exposure to elevated cortisol levels, brain cells in the memory center start to die. But exercise allows your body to burn off that extra stress-induced energy, which reduces cortisol levels. Most experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, like walking or biking, daily.
4. Eat the Right Fats.
You need to eat fat daily to maintain brain power. But as with chocolate and caffeine, you need to choose the right kind. Studies show that omega-3 fatty acids can keep you from losing cognitive function. Certain kinds of fish and fish oil supplements, flaxseeds and flaxseed supplements, and canola, soy, and walnut oils contain these fatty acids, but some research suggests that whole fish is the best form for brain function. This may mean that fishes contain other brain-enhancing compounds. "If I had to give a single easy-to-remember piece of advice," says Victoroff, "I'd say eating 4 ounces of fatty fish [like salmon or sardines] four times a week probably does your brain a lot of good."
On the flip side, experts agree that trans fats (found in hydrogenated oils) are the worst fats for your memory. Eating a diet high in trans fats is associated with narrowed blood vessels in the brain and limited blood flow. A high-trans-fat diet also lowers levels of HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol that helps ward off blockages in blood vessels. Trans fats are in chips, french fries, and baked goods that contain margarine or shortening.
5. Challenge Your Brain.
Research shows that the more intellectually stimulating your occupation is, the better your brain functions throughout your life. But don't despair if your job is dull. A few studies suggest that adopting intellectually challenging hobbies like crossword puzzles or reading can also boost your brain power.
It's not clear how mind-stimulating work and hobbies improve memory. According to one theory, challenging your brain prevents cognitive deterioration by strengthening the neural connections that you use most often, says Randy Buckner, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. The more situations you expose your brain to and the more challenging or stimulating those experiences are, the stronger the neural connections grow. Others theorize that those connections deteriorate no matter what you do, but stimulating your brain intellectually forces it to create other connections to compensate for deterioration, explains Buckner.
You should probably choose a hobby that challenges parts of your brain that you don't use at work, although longterm research hasn't been done to prove this idea. Preliminary evidence shows that with this approach you'll build connections between neurons where you're most likely to lack them, says Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., president and medical director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Foundation in Tucson, Ariz. "If you have an intellectual job, the best thing for your brain is to go home and play music, paint, or walk in nature."
Getting Started
Quick Memory Chargers
The best memory improvements come from long-term lifestyle changes. But if you need a quick memory boost--like before a meeting--try one of these three tips.
1. Load up on carbohydrates, especially healthy complex carbohydrates like bananas, kidney beans, and whole-grain bread. Carbohydrates release sugar into your bloodstream where it travels to your brain and boosts brain function for up to an hour, says Randall Kaplan, Ph.D., who conducted research on this topic at the University of Toronto and Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto. But beware: When the glucose kick ends, you may feel groggy.
2. Drink a caffeinated beverage 20 minutes before you need a memory charge. Studies show that caffeine will make you feel more alert, which may help you remember information better. But you don't want to overdo it, says Jeff Victoroff, M.D., a neurology professor at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. If you're wired on caffeine as you acquire information, you may not be able to retrieve it later unless you're in the same wired state.
3. Don't try so hard, advises Martha Storandt, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. If you can't remember someone's name, continue on with your conversation and don't dwell on trying to recall the name. It's more likely to come to you if you don't stress about it.
Clare Horn, the associate editor at Natural Health, looks forward to eating dark chocolate to help her remember people's names.
1. Indulge in Caffeine and Chocolate.
Memory experts say consuming a little caffeine and chocolate each day may help you remember information better. But you need to choose the right kinds.
Strive to get your caffeine from black or green tea. You'll get a slight boost from the caffeine, which will make you feel more alert so you can absorb new information, explains Jeff Victoroff, M.D., associate professor of clinical neurology at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and author of Saving Your Brain (Bantam, 2002). You'll also be taking in important antioxidants that stave off brain cell damage. Just don't drink your tea with milk, Victoroff says, because milk interferes with the absorption of those antioxidants.
When you buy chocolate, choose dark varieties made with at least 60 percent cocoa, recommends Victoroff. (Most American chocolate, including dark, is made with very little cocoa, so you should look for French or Belgian brands; Valrhona is one brand that's available in some gourmet and natural food stores.) Although more research is needed, researchers suspect that compounds in dark chocolate called procyanidins counteract oxidation and inflammation, two conditions that age the brain. Some scientists think procyanidins also improve memory by increasing blood circulation so your brain gets more oxygen and nutrients, explains Victoroff.
2. Sleep on It.
Common sense dictates that if you get a good night's sleep, your brain functions better and you remember better. Several studies suggest that during sleep, your brain processes your experiences from the day, strengthening the connections between neurons that were formed when you were awake. This may allow you to remember the information more easily the next day.
Scientists also think that while you sleep your brain weakens strong neuron connections to make room for new ones. "You can think of [the weakening of connections] as pruning away unneeded things," explains Marcos Frank, Ph.D., assistant professor of neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
To maintain memory, most people need to get about eight hours of sleep a night. Some research suggests that intense aerobic exercise and a 60- to 90-minute hot bath can help you get that amount. Researchers say those activities may help you sleep better by increasing body temperature or helping release hormones that trigger sleep. For the sedation effect, be sure to do these activities at least two hours before you go to sleep; if you do them too close to your bedtime, they'll keep you awake.
3. Work It Out.
Experts agree that aerobic exercise improves your memory by doing more than just enhancing your sleep quality. Anytime you do at least moderate exercise (like brisk walking), your brain receives a larger-than-usual supply of blood, explains Victoroff. More blood means your brain gets more nutrients and oxygen, both of which help neurons work more efficiently.
Aerobic exercise also improves memory by relieving stress, Victoroff says. When you're stressed, your body releases hormones like cortisol, which boost your energy to help you cope with a challenging situation. However, these hormones also travel to your brain and damage your memory center. Animal studies show that after just a few days of exposure to elevated cortisol levels, brain cells in the memory center start to die. But exercise allows your body to burn off that extra stress-induced energy, which reduces cortisol levels. Most experts recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, like walking or biking, daily.
4. Eat the Right Fats.
You need to eat fat daily to maintain brain power. But as with chocolate and caffeine, you need to choose the right kind. Studies show that omega-3 fatty acids can keep you from losing cognitive function. Certain kinds of fish and fish oil supplements, flaxseeds and flaxseed supplements, and canola, soy, and walnut oils contain these fatty acids, but some research suggests that whole fish is the best form for brain function. This may mean that fishes contain other brain-enhancing compounds. "If I had to give a single easy-to-remember piece of advice," says Victoroff, "I'd say eating 4 ounces of fatty fish [like salmon or sardines] four times a week probably does your brain a lot of good."
On the flip side, experts agree that trans fats (found in hydrogenated oils) are the worst fats for your memory. Eating a diet high in trans fats is associated with narrowed blood vessels in the brain and limited blood flow. A high-trans-fat diet also lowers levels of HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol that helps ward off blockages in blood vessels. Trans fats are in chips, french fries, and baked goods that contain margarine or shortening.
5. Challenge Your Brain.
Research shows that the more intellectually stimulating your occupation is, the better your brain functions throughout your life. But don't despair if your job is dull. A few studies suggest that adopting intellectually challenging hobbies like crossword puzzles or reading can also boost your brain power.
It's not clear how mind-stimulating work and hobbies improve memory. According to one theory, challenging your brain prevents cognitive deterioration by strengthening the neural connections that you use most often, says Randy Buckner, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. The more situations you expose your brain to and the more challenging or stimulating those experiences are, the stronger the neural connections grow. Others theorize that those connections deteriorate no matter what you do, but stimulating your brain intellectually forces it to create other connections to compensate for deterioration, explains Buckner.
You should probably choose a hobby that challenges parts of your brain that you don't use at work, although longterm research hasn't been done to prove this idea. Preliminary evidence shows that with this approach you'll build connections between neurons where you're most likely to lack them, says Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D., president and medical director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Foundation in Tucson, Ariz. "If you have an intellectual job, the best thing for your brain is to go home and play music, paint, or walk in nature."
Getting Started
Quick Memory Chargers
The best memory improvements come from long-term lifestyle changes. But if you need a quick memory boost--like before a meeting--try one of these three tips.
1. Load up on carbohydrates, especially healthy complex carbohydrates like bananas, kidney beans, and whole-grain bread. Carbohydrates release sugar into your bloodstream where it travels to your brain and boosts brain function for up to an hour, says Randall Kaplan, Ph.D., who conducted research on this topic at the University of Toronto and Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto. But beware: When the glucose kick ends, you may feel groggy.
2. Drink a caffeinated beverage 20 minutes before you need a memory charge. Studies show that caffeine will make you feel more alert, which may help you remember information better. But you don't want to overdo it, says Jeff Victoroff, M.D., a neurology professor at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. If you're wired on caffeine as you acquire information, you may not be able to retrieve it later unless you're in the same wired state.
3. Don't try so hard, advises Martha Storandt, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. If you can't remember someone's name, continue on with your conversation and don't dwell on trying to recall the name. It's more likely to come to you if you don't stress about it.
Clare Horn, the associate editor at Natural Health, looks forward to eating dark chocolate to help her remember people's names.
4 Exercises to Sharpen Your Brain
Think of your brain as a muscle: It gets stronger with exercise. Your everyday mental tasks are like walking, but how about a real workout? Try these simple exercises to boost your brain power and clear away the fog of forgetfulness.
1. Use your non-dominant hand
Tackling new tasks improves brain capacity in younger people and has a restorative effect on mental faculties that are declining. Boost your brain power right now by performing everyday activities with your non-dominant hand. If you're right-handed, use your left hand to eat, drink, comb your hair, and brush your teeth. Try writing your name with your non-dominant hand or put your mouse pad on the other side of the keyboard.
Why does this work? The human brain starts declining after the age of 30 especially in women with each successive pregnancy. By exercising your brain through the use of non-dominant hand, you are stimulating the opposite side of the brain and activating blood flow, which slows down the brain aging process and improves mental capacity. Evidence from functional brain imaging shows that the process of neuroplasticity -- the brain's natural ability to form new connections -- can be enhanced by studying new things, especially hand-eye coordinated exercises like developing the use of your non-dominant hand and practicing visualization meditation. For an effective guided visualization that will also increase your years, check out Meditations to Live to Be 100.
Stimulating communication between the two hemispheres even helps physical balance. Mind-body exercises like tai chi coach people to use the right and left side of the body equally. Try switching it up in sports. For instance, in tennis, switch the racquet to your non-dominant side and play.
2. Work out your brain
You have to use it or lose it! You can work out your mind just like you work out your body. Mental exercises that will keep your brain fit include doing crossword puzzles, playing chess, or memorizing names, shopping lists, and phone numbers. When I was a young boy, to keep my brain function strong, my father had me memorize Tang Dynasty poetry. Every day I had to memorize a new poem and recite it back. Learn the words to a poem or a new song and repeat them back from memory. Set aside the calculator and add manually instead. Keep challenging yourself with tasks that are new to you.
Whatever mental exercise you choose, the key to success is to practice every day at the same time; you are developing and activating new neural pathways, and consistent cycles will keep the brain on track.
3. Move your fingers to improve your brain
Many people marvel that Asian children seem so intelligent. It could be because they use their fingers more frequently. They eat with chopsticks and at one time, they used to compute with an abacus in school. In fact, some studies have been done with children who use an abacus daily, and findings show that engaging the fingers stimulates nerve endings that go directly to the brain, increasing circulation. Take advantage of this by practicing motor activities that use your fingertips, like crocheting, knitting, and other arts and crafts where you are manipulating small parts. Try playing the piano or a stringed instrument.
Here is an exercise you can do anywhere, at any time. Put one finger on top of the one next to it, then try to stack the next finger on top of that. Or hold a pencil or pen between your index and middle fingers, roll it over until it's balanced between the middle and ring fingers, then again to between the ring finger and pinky. This exercise has a beneficial impact on brain health for anyone at any age, but especially for people in their 40s, 50s and beyond -- when signs of brain aging starts to set in.
Why does this work? A map of the brain shows that the nerve endings on your fingertips correspond to more areas of the brain than any other body area, except perhaps the tongue and lips. Therefore, finger exercise and movements can be useful in stimulating the neurons in the brain. The National Institute of Mental Health conducted experiments that showed finger exercises enlarged the capacity of the participants' brains, increased connections between neurons, forged new neural pathways, and increased circulation to the brain areas. The researchers concluded that finger exercise contributed significantly to brain plasticity, the ability of the brain to renew itself. Increased circulation means more oxygen and nutrients for the brain cells and decreased waste products that clog up the brain.
4. Stimulate brain acuity with self-massage
To improve concentration and memory try this self-massage that stimulates two easy-to-find acupressure points on your neck at the base of the skull. Cross your hands behind you with the palms cradling the back of your head, your thumbs in the grooves on each side of your neck, and your index fingers crossing one another below the skull, just above the thumbs. Sit in a chair, lean your head back, and let it rest against the pressure of your thumbs and index fingers. Slowly inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth, letting your whole body relax. Do this for three to five minutes. You'll increase blood flow to the brain and at the same time relax the neck muscles, which often tense up in response to stress, constricting blood vessels in the area.
You can find these, and many other brain boosting tips in my new book, Second Spring. I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
--Dr. Mao
1. Use your non-dominant hand
Tackling new tasks improves brain capacity in younger people and has a restorative effect on mental faculties that are declining. Boost your brain power right now by performing everyday activities with your non-dominant hand. If you're right-handed, use your left hand to eat, drink, comb your hair, and brush your teeth. Try writing your name with your non-dominant hand or put your mouse pad on the other side of the keyboard.
Why does this work? The human brain starts declining after the age of 30 especially in women with each successive pregnancy. By exercising your brain through the use of non-dominant hand, you are stimulating the opposite side of the brain and activating blood flow, which slows down the brain aging process and improves mental capacity. Evidence from functional brain imaging shows that the process of neuroplasticity -- the brain's natural ability to form new connections -- can be enhanced by studying new things, especially hand-eye coordinated exercises like developing the use of your non-dominant hand and practicing visualization meditation. For an effective guided visualization that will also increase your years, check out Meditations to Live to Be 100.
Stimulating communication between the two hemispheres even helps physical balance. Mind-body exercises like tai chi coach people to use the right and left side of the body equally. Try switching it up in sports. For instance, in tennis, switch the racquet to your non-dominant side and play.
2. Work out your brain
You have to use it or lose it! You can work out your mind just like you work out your body. Mental exercises that will keep your brain fit include doing crossword puzzles, playing chess, or memorizing names, shopping lists, and phone numbers. When I was a young boy, to keep my brain function strong, my father had me memorize Tang Dynasty poetry. Every day I had to memorize a new poem and recite it back. Learn the words to a poem or a new song and repeat them back from memory. Set aside the calculator and add manually instead. Keep challenging yourself with tasks that are new to you.
Whatever mental exercise you choose, the key to success is to practice every day at the same time; you are developing and activating new neural pathways, and consistent cycles will keep the brain on track.
3. Move your fingers to improve your brain
Many people marvel that Asian children seem so intelligent. It could be because they use their fingers more frequently. They eat with chopsticks and at one time, they used to compute with an abacus in school. In fact, some studies have been done with children who use an abacus daily, and findings show that engaging the fingers stimulates nerve endings that go directly to the brain, increasing circulation. Take advantage of this by practicing motor activities that use your fingertips, like crocheting, knitting, and other arts and crafts where you are manipulating small parts. Try playing the piano or a stringed instrument.
Here is an exercise you can do anywhere, at any time. Put one finger on top of the one next to it, then try to stack the next finger on top of that. Or hold a pencil or pen between your index and middle fingers, roll it over until it's balanced between the middle and ring fingers, then again to between the ring finger and pinky. This exercise has a beneficial impact on brain health for anyone at any age, but especially for people in their 40s, 50s and beyond -- when signs of brain aging starts to set in.
Why does this work? A map of the brain shows that the nerve endings on your fingertips correspond to more areas of the brain than any other body area, except perhaps the tongue and lips. Therefore, finger exercise and movements can be useful in stimulating the neurons in the brain. The National Institute of Mental Health conducted experiments that showed finger exercises enlarged the capacity of the participants' brains, increased connections between neurons, forged new neural pathways, and increased circulation to the brain areas. The researchers concluded that finger exercise contributed significantly to brain plasticity, the ability of the brain to renew itself. Increased circulation means more oxygen and nutrients for the brain cells and decreased waste products that clog up the brain.
4. Stimulate brain acuity with self-massage
To improve concentration and memory try this self-massage that stimulates two easy-to-find acupressure points on your neck at the base of the skull. Cross your hands behind you with the palms cradling the back of your head, your thumbs in the grooves on each side of your neck, and your index fingers crossing one another below the skull, just above the thumbs. Sit in a chair, lean your head back, and let it rest against the pressure of your thumbs and index fingers. Slowly inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth, letting your whole body relax. Do this for three to five minutes. You'll increase blood flow to the brain and at the same time relax the neck muscles, which often tense up in response to stress, constricting blood vessels in the area.
You can find these, and many other brain boosting tips in my new book, Second Spring. I invite you to visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with me.
May you live long, live strong, and live happy!
--Dr. Mao
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