This may come as a surprise, but some of the foods most likely to land on the table this Thanksgiving are really good for you and can deliver a bundle of benefits to your brain.

From stuffing to cranberries to red wine to hot chocolate, and even that last sip of coffee, there are many traditional dishes can preserve and even enhance mood, memory and other mental functions. Think of them as brain savers!

Stuffing can be rich in antioxidants since bread crust is packed with them, far more so than the softer inside of bread. Antioxidants are premiere disease-fighters and anti-aging agents. They are compounds that scavenge free radicals of oxygen, the unstable molecules given off by the body’s many metabolic actions. Free radicals are thought to be responsible for impairing memory with age.

Cranberries virtually top the list of antioxidant-rich foods.  Cranberries outpulled some highly touted antioxidant rich goodies, including strawberries, spinach, raspberries, broccoli, beets, red grapes and cherries, among 11 others. Studies in animals suggest that cranberries are particularly neuro-protective, good at protecting against chronic age-related afflictions like loss of coordination and memory. They protect brain cells from the free-radical damage that normally occurs over time, thereby preserving cognitive and motor functions. Compared with animals fed a standard diet, aging animals given cranberries showed actual saw improvements in normal age-related declines in working memory, reference memory, balance and coordination.

Cranberries are so powerful in preserving brain function, researchers recently found, that by their antioxidant action they can reduce the severity of brain impairment following strokes. Exposure to a concentration of cranberry extract equivalent to about half a cup of whole cranberries resulted in a 50 percent reduction in brain cell death.

And, go ahead, finish it all off with a cup or two of coffee. Researchers have identified a new antioxidant in coffee, which we blogged about previously.

Or, savor a cup of hot cocoa. Made with about two tablespoons of pure cocoa powder, it tops both red wine and tea in antioxidant power — two times more than red wine, two to three times more than green tea and up to five times more than black tea. Something about heating the cocoa brings out the antioxidants in it!

In addition to all that guilt free eating, the socialization is a brain healthy activity too….so long as the stress inducing relatives aren’t contributing to the conversations.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Early in October a team of researchers from the Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council of the University of Oxford in England, U.K. , published the results of a new study discussing how juggling and similar activities increase brain connections.

In brain scans of 48 subjects made after an extensive 6-week practice period, the researchers observed changes in regions of the brain’s white matter that are linked with reaching, grasping, and peripheral vision, independently from the acquired level of juggling skill.

These results suggest that it is not how well a person learns to do something that matters, but rather that the time spent practising and training is the key to improving the brain function. So, when engaging in such an activity as brain training, it is essential to do it over a period of time to realise the positive changes and benefits.   You can read more about the findings here.

Unbelievable for some, but true:  Apparent smarts makes men more attractive in women’s eyes!

Scientists from Elon University  conducted a study on female  students, asking them to choose the most desirable males from videos showing them accomplishing athletic and cognitive tasks. It turned out that the women picked those men who appeared the most intelligent!  It makes for very interesting reading here…

Is it true? What do you think?

Today - World Alzheimer’s Day, September 21, is a day when the Alzheimer’s Association and other organizations around the globe unite  efforts to raise awareness about the disease and its impact on our families, communities and nations. World Alzheimer’s Day was first launched on September 21, 1994 by ADI.  The fact that 35M people today are living with Alzheimer’s Disease (a 10% increase in just the last 4 years!) should be cause for alarm and, more importantly, cause for action on the part of our health care and health insurance industry leadership, our government elected officials and all of us as individuals. You can read more about Alzheimer’s disease facts and figures and how you can get involved to make a difference in the fight here

The Alzheimer’s Association organizes  Memory Walks across the country to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s research and education. It a great way to join others, get exercise,  and walk for the cause. Learn more  Here.

So you understand that maintaining a social network of friends is important to your cognitive health. Do you feel like your social life could use a boost? Try these tips for enhancing your social interactions and relationships:

• Call a friend or relative you haven’t talked to in a while
• Schedule a regular lunch or dinner date with a friend
• Organize a weekly card or board game with a group of neighbors
• Offer to babysit
• Participate in activities at your local community center
• Take an exercise class at a community center or gym
• Join a local walking or hiking club
• Sign up for an art or music class
• Volunteer for your favorite charity

In addition to potentially reducing your risk of developing dementia, having a personally fulfilling social life has numerous other health benefits. For instance, other  studies have shown that people with fuller social lives and relationships have a lower risk of early death, are less likely to become disabled, and have better overall physical and mental health.

SOURCES:  Humana, Inc.; JAMA/Archives journals;  The Lancet Neurology; Department of Health and Human Services;  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; U.S Department of Health and Human Services

Brain decline has a profound impact on the life and relationships of people who develop it. “Being socially active, being an intellectually engaged individual, having recreational time, enjoying a good diet, lacking stress – these are all things that tend to help in avoiding dementia,” says Dr. Lawrence Whalley, author of The Aging Brain and psychiatrist and professor of mental health with the School of Medicine at Scotland’s University of Aberdeen.

How Social Activity Affects Dementia Risk

Studies show that having a fulfilling social life can significantly reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. A study in the February 2007 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry found that lonely people are at increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life. The researchers tested 823 older people for loneliness and gave them a loneliness score of 1 (lowest) to 5. They found that for each point of increase in the loneliness score, the participants had a 51 percent increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Another study, published by The Lancet Neurology, found that social networks (e.g., having close friends, staying in contact with family members) may help protect against the damaging effects of Alzheimer’s disease.  For this study, researchers collected information about the social networks of 89 elderly people. They also tested the participants’ cognition 21 times each year. After the participants died, the researchers analyzed their brains and found that the larger a person’s social network, the less effect tangles and plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease had on his or her cognitive test scores.

SOURCES:  Humana, Inc.; JAMA/Archives journals;  The Lancet Neurology; Department of Health and Human Services;  National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; U.S Department of Health and Human Services

You may find this primer about brain development and functioning, created by the Society of Neuroscience quite interesting. They are a nonprofit  organization of scientists and physicians who study the brain and nervous system and whose mission it to research and educate. The primer is called Brain Facts. It’s written with a non-medical audience in mind and it’s available for free. Definitely worth checking out if you have an interest in how the brain works, how memory is stored in the brain, how changes in the neural pathways effect our memory and the process of learning, to name just a few of of the interesting components.

Of course, there are many excellent types of food and ingredients for your brain. But which ones are totally natural and easily available?

Let’s cover  five of the brain healthiest foods, starting with… wild salmon! We all know the benefits of salmon, especially wild as opposed to farm-raised salmon. It is a great source of essential fatty acids like omega-3 and is low in saturated fat. It can help you improve your mood, your brain matter, your synaptic connections, your arteries and reduce your risk of stroke and dementia.

At number 2, … Cacao beans! No, sorry, we didn’t say chocolate, just minimally processed cacao beans which can be found in 100% organic non-alkalized cocoa powder or high cacao percentage dark chocolate bars with at least 75% cacao content or even better: 85% and more. Cacao beans help you shape up your brain power, greatly improve your mood and generally make you feel happy!

Now, ever heard of Matcha? Well, if you haven’t, it is a type of finely-powdered Gyokuru green tea, which has absolutely nothing to do with your supermarket tea bags! Drinking Matcha is like consuming the green tea leaf itself and all its health benefits: antioxidants, catechins, vitamins, Fluoride and L-Theanine.

Also discover the acai berry and all the health benefits of blueberries a.k.a. the brain berry! The acai is a South American berry that is high in protein, contains essential fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins and is generally highly benefiting for the brain!

Last but not least… coffee beans! You may have read that coffee has been shown to reduce the risk of mental decline and diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Coffee beans are very rich with antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals and freshly-ground roasted coffee bean powder has many brain and body health benefits. Just like cacao beans, however, coffee is best consumed in a pure form like pure espresso.

That’s the brain food roundup for today. Eat well and keep up with your brain workouts!

Source: Brain Ready.com

July 4th is almost here and there are likely to be BBQs, family gatherings, community events, fireworks and more on the agenda over the next few days.  Is this good for your brain? “Absolutely”, says the scientific community who have studied the positive effects of socializing on the brain - specifically delaying brain decline and reducing stress.  To give you a little incentive to get out there and mingle, here are a few articles to consider:

• Socializing Appears to Delay Memory Problems
  
• Multiple Benefits of Socializing for Older Women
  
• How important is socialization?

Convinced?  So get together with family and friends and have a great 4th of July weekend. Your brain will thank you!

Do you have trouble remembering things? Of course, working on memory strategies can help a lot. But what if you even forget to do your memory workout? Now, with the new “Workout Reminders” feature, you can tell the HAPPYneuron Coach to email your personalized workout on a schedule that suits you.  You may never forget your brain workout again!

To schedule your workout reminder, Login and click “My Workout Reminders”. You can select as many days a week as you like and any type of workout. Of course, to be sure you receive your reminders, you may need to make coach@happy-neuron.com a ’safe recipient’ in your email program. The FAQ can tell you how for your particular email program.

As always, to see sustainable cognitive improvements, workouts are recommended up to 45 minutes, 3 times per week and continue for 10+ weeks. Staying on track with your cognitive workout program just got little easier.

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