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Posts Tagged ‘aging’

Your brain is an organ and just like the heart and lungs, it requires oxygen and exercise in order to operate at an optimum level. You may be too young to give into middle-aged worries like ‘ use it or lose it’ or even to start fretting about Alzheimer’s and other degenerative diseases – however, it’s still important that you focus on keeping your brain in shape.

By regularly engaging in the right types of activities, you can increase your memory, improve your problem-solving skills and boost your creativity. Here are some tips on how to keep your mind active:

Quit smoking

If you are a smoker, quitting is top of the ‘to-do’ list for better mental acuity. This is because smokers can add memory loss to the long list of health problems that come from smoking. Smokers may have twice the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease as do people who have never smoked. Therefore, if the state and health of your mind are so important to you – stop smoking now — it is never too late. If you quit smoking now, you can still reduce your risk of memory loss later in life

Learn a language

Say ‘Ciao!’ to a new language. Learning to speak Spanish or Mandarin will keep your brain flexible and your mind sharp, helping to reduce the slowing of the thought processes that come with ageing. Attend lessons, listen to tapes from your library (a place you should be spending a lot of time in by the way!) or seek out friends with whom you can converse in your new chosen language. Instead of watching the same television programs you always do, take in a foreign language movie with subtitles and immerse yourself in your new experience.

Play games

Thanks to an ageing baby-boom generation, there are now plenty of mentally stimulating games. Brainteasers and puzzles are good exercises for the brain. At sites like at sites like Free Printable Sudoku you’ll find the best sudoku puzzles. Always have a crossword book in your purse or briefcase and scribble in it while you commute, while you wait for an appointment or when you relax on your coffee break. You will improve your cognitive skills and creative thinking as well as your word power and vocabulary. Try also games that force you to strategize – for example, chess, bridge and solitaire.

Learn a new skill

A long-term goal like learning to play a musical instrument stimulates your brain on many levels over an extended period. A skill like learning to dance is great for the brain because it combines music and movement. Make everyday activities slightly harder You can stimulate your brain just by mixing up your daily routine. If you are right handed, brush your teeth with your left hand, shower with your eyes closed — anything that will force you to use more of your senses.

Read

Whether it is a website, a novel or a newspaper, keeping your mind engaged in intellectual activity and expanding your vocabulary are two important ways to keep your brain thinking and working. As an added exercise, repeat facts you want to remember a few times aloud – then later, try to recall them again later.

Socialize

Your brain is the ultimate party animal and loves social activity. Seek out clubs or other social activities that will surround you with people and have you interacting. New scenery, new topics of conversation and other multi-sensory activities force the brain to literally form new connections, thus increasing memory capacity.

An emerging major health problem is the problem of overweight and obesity. There are many ways to overcome the problem. The major cause of the problem is the sedentary modern lifestyle, a shift from natural foods to fast and junk food and lesser physical activities. In some cases, genetic disposition and other physical problems could be the causes for problems of obesity. The common approach to weight loss is to modify dietary practices, change lifestyles, increase physical exercise, medications and in rare cases surgical interventions. But the best and safest approach would be the natural way to weight loss and better health consisting of diet and physical exercises.

The cardiovascular system is improved by physical exercises. There is strengthening of the immune system. It is useful in insomnia, high blood pressure and depression. It has a beneficial effect on the mind as well as mental health. There is a reduction in the level of Cortisol, a stress hormone, which causes mental and physical problems. Exercises improve cognitive functioning. Neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases are reduced or prevented with exercise. The myocardial thickness as well as the cardiac volume is improved leading to a better performing heart. The blood and oxygen flow to the brain is improved. The creation of new nerve cells is hastened. There is increased lung capacity with inhalation and exhalation when doing physical exercise. The work load of the heart is reduced as a result. The mobility of the joints is improved. The bone density also improves.

There are numerous weight loss diet plans such as the 7 day diet, The Atkins diet, Jon Benson’s Every Other Day diet, Anne Collins Weight Loss Program, NutriSystem, Diet Smart, the Banana Diet, Master Cleanse Secret, Beverly Hills Diet and many more in the market. Anti-obesity drugs are also available which can reduce your appetite. There are also the weight loss pills, health drinks, syrups, capsules, shakes, herbal formulas, weight loss supplements and many other recipes for quick weight loss that are also available in the market besides the diet plans. Increasingly products that promise to suppress appetite are launched.

The weight loss market is growing rapidly. There are diet courses, medications, physical fitness programs, CDs, crèmes, body belts, books, lotions, pills, and food products and supplements.