Community Corner
New Year, New You … New Brain!
New Year’s resolutions often revolve around goals to make our bodies look better. “I’ll fit into a size 6.” “I’ll lose my beer belly.” “I won’t be afraid to wear a bathing suit in public.” But what about the inside of your body? If you think those love handles are embarrassing, wait until you can’t remember the names of the people you’re introducing at that next cocktail party.
“The good news is, your brain can get a makeover to help it work faster and smarter,” says LearningRx – Cherry Hill, executive director, Stephen Pearson. “There’s even new evidence that you can help prevent – and reverse – the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s. It’s important that people know they can take a proactive approach to building a healthy brain in 2011.” Here are some tips from Learningrx – Cherry Hill:
Start with a brain check-up. Get a cognitive skills evaluation to find out which brain skills (memory, attention, visual processing, etc.) are weak.
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Get enough iron. Women who are iron deficient typically don’t perform as well on cognitive exercises as those who have sufficient iron in their blood. In one test after anemic women were given iron supplements, they did 5 to 7 times better.
Eat fish. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are crucial for building brain cell membranes, protecting blood vessels and decreasing the risk of stroke.
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Stay hydrated. Even slight dehydration can produce short-term memory deficits, reasoning difficulties and other cognitive problems.
Exercise. Even brisk walking increases blood flow to the brain.
Eat breakfast. Studies show that kids who eat breakfast have better memories and test scores than those who skip the first meal of the day.
Eat curry. According to Gary Wenk’s “Your Brain On Food,” Indians (the subcontinent) develop less Alzheimer’s because they eat a lot of curry, which is rich in antioxidants.
Keep your brain active. Do sudokus and crossword puzzles, learn another language, or lose the list and use mnemonics to remember your grocery list.
Go organic. The prestigious medical journal “Pediatrics” has published studies linking pesticides and food dyes to malfunctions in the brain, including ADHD.
Get your brain trained. Studies show that intensive, one-on-one brain training can help increase cognitive reserves, which significantly helps reduce the risk of developing dementia.
About LearningRx
LearningRx specializes in identifying and correcting underlying cognitive skill deficiencies such as attention, memory, processing speed, and problem solving. Dr. Ken Gibson developed the program based on 30 years of research and clinical trials, and nationwide more than 30,000 students of all ages have gone through brain training at 80+ franchised locations. www.LearningRx.com/cherry-hill.
