The Brain May Age Faster In People Whose Hearts Pump Less Blood: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
"Keep your heart healthy and you may slow down the aging of your brain, according to a new study reported in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association."
More encouragement to get up and get moving! Sounds like a good 2 for 1 deal to me! Seriously, anytime we exercise our bodies we're also shaping up our brains! Remember that the brain controls ALL body function!
Showing posts with label excercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label excercise. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Synapses In Lab Mice Rejuvenated By Exercise And Caloric Restriction
Synapses In Lab Mice Rejuvenated By Exercise And Caloric Restriction: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"
"Harvard University researchers have uncovered a mechanism through which caloric restriction and exercise delay some of the debilitating effects of aging by rejuvenating connections between nerves and the muscles that they control."
This seems to be the opposite of what most of us are doing. Instead of physical activity and and sensible eating we are sedentary and overeat too often! There goes the brain!
"Harvard University researchers have uncovered a mechanism through which caloric restriction and exercise delay some of the debilitating effects of aging by rejuvenating connections between nerves and the muscles that they control."
This seems to be the opposite of what most of us are doing. Instead of physical activity and and sensible eating we are sedentary and overeat too often! There goes the brain!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Worried Sick:Stressed By Downturn, Patients Flocking To Health Professionals
As an integrative practitioner I see many people who have either stress as a component of their health problems or as the true root of their physical ailments. Everyone has stress and to some degree it's good for us. Unfortunately most of us have more than we can handle. The key is to improve the body's ability to handle the stress that comes our way. This can be done in various ways. More and better sleep is powerful. So is simply drinking your 64-80 oz of water daily. And then there are great foods and nutrients which give the body the raw materials it needs to build hormones, neurotrasmitters, and immune factors. So if you're experiencing stress that is overwhelming you should see someone who knows about these methods. The stressors may still be there but you'll be able to handle it better! That's how you can break the vicious circle that occurs with the effects of stress on the body.
HARRISONBURG - As the economic news worsens by the day, physicians and therapists who treat the physical and mental effects of stress and anxiety are seeing more new patients - and an increase in symptoms among longtime patients.
According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, stress due to the economic downturn is making Americans angry, sleepless and anxious - and that survey was completed in August 2008, before the worst of the news about the economy had surfaced.
Seventy-two percent of Americans cited money as a significant source of stress, and 69 percent cited the economy, according to the APA.
"Some clients have expressed distress over losing large portions of their retirement that was tied to the failing stock market as well as the mortgage crisis," said Dr. Audie Gaddis, owner of Commonwealth Psychological Services. "Many are reporting fears that they may lose their jobs."
Work is causing stress in 68 percent of Americans, with housing coming in at 47 percent and job insecurity at 34 percent, according to the survey. Forty-six percent of Americans are now worried about providing for their families' basic needs, the APA said.
Physical, Mental Effects
Gaddis is seeing more clients who need basic anxiety management techniques and strategies to live within their means or prepare for personal financial crises.
"Clients heavily in debt and living paycheck to paycheck are quite anxious that should they lose their job their problems could readily mushroom out of control, forcing them to sell their already devalued homes or worse, face the prospects of bankruptcy," Gaddis said. "The problem [is that] these mood disorders could adversely impact job performance and money management strategies."
That in turn, he said, could lead to "self-fulfilling prophecies" among patients who lose their jobs or savings due to poor performance or bad financial decisions.
Gaddis' office also provides employment consulting and coaching, and has seen more clients coming in for help on resumés and interview skills.
Increased Fatigue, Depression
At Atwell Family Chiropractic, Dr. Daniel Atwell, who has been a chiropractor in Harrisonburg for eight years, has seen clients mention both directly and indirectly the health effects of the economy.
The APA said stressors tend to manifest themselves in distinct physical ways. In the survey, 53 percent of Americans have reported fatigue, lack of interest and motivation, feeling depressed, headaches and muscular tension, and lost sleep.
Chiropractors don't just treat physical pain, but also work to relieve stress in the nervous system, which can appear as stress tension in the spine, nervous system, back or neck, Atwell said.
Holiday Stress
Clients seem to be more stressed at this time of year, and more than last year especially, Atwell said.
Emotional stress is one of the most overlooked common factors in pain, he said.
"When it comes to any condition, we always ask our patients, if you think back to when your back or neck went out, or when you had pain, you were probably under physical, nutritional or emotional stress," he said. "It's almost always true."
It's a fair assumption that economic stress coupled with the typical stress of the holiday season can make people sick with symptoms that are often painful, Atwell said.
"What do we do during the holidays? We don't eat the best, we're also physically doing more shopping, more walking, and getting less sleep," he said. "So all parts of us are being attacked."
In his cold and flu prevention seminars, Atwell urges clients to watch those three areas - physical, nutritional and emotional.
"You can also find an avenue for stress, like journaling or meditation before you go to bed," he said. "Exercise is also a great avenue."
Contact Kate Prahlad at 574-6277 or kprahlad@dnronline.com
http://www.rocktownweekly.com/news_details.php?AID=34098&CHID=1&sub=Top
HARRISONBURG - As the economic news worsens by the day, physicians and therapists who treat the physical and mental effects of stress and anxiety are seeing more new patients - and an increase in symptoms among longtime patients.
According to a survey by the American Psychological Association, stress due to the economic downturn is making Americans angry, sleepless and anxious - and that survey was completed in August 2008, before the worst of the news about the economy had surfaced.
Seventy-two percent of Americans cited money as a significant source of stress, and 69 percent cited the economy, according to the APA.
"Some clients have expressed distress over losing large portions of their retirement that was tied to the failing stock market as well as the mortgage crisis," said Dr. Audie Gaddis, owner of Commonwealth Psychological Services. "Many are reporting fears that they may lose their jobs."
Work is causing stress in 68 percent of Americans, with housing coming in at 47 percent and job insecurity at 34 percent, according to the survey. Forty-six percent of Americans are now worried about providing for their families' basic needs, the APA said.
Physical, Mental Effects
Gaddis is seeing more clients who need basic anxiety management techniques and strategies to live within their means or prepare for personal financial crises.
"Clients heavily in debt and living paycheck to paycheck are quite anxious that should they lose their job their problems could readily mushroom out of control, forcing them to sell their already devalued homes or worse, face the prospects of bankruptcy," Gaddis said. "The problem [is that] these mood disorders could adversely impact job performance and money management strategies."
That in turn, he said, could lead to "self-fulfilling prophecies" among patients who lose their jobs or savings due to poor performance or bad financial decisions.
Gaddis' office also provides employment consulting and coaching, and has seen more clients coming in for help on resumés and interview skills.
Increased Fatigue, Depression
At Atwell Family Chiropractic, Dr. Daniel Atwell, who has been a chiropractor in Harrisonburg for eight years, has seen clients mention both directly and indirectly the health effects of the economy.
The APA said stressors tend to manifest themselves in distinct physical ways. In the survey, 53 percent of Americans have reported fatigue, lack of interest and motivation, feeling depressed, headaches and muscular tension, and lost sleep.
Chiropractors don't just treat physical pain, but also work to relieve stress in the nervous system, which can appear as stress tension in the spine, nervous system, back or neck, Atwell said.
Holiday Stress
Clients seem to be more stressed at this time of year, and more than last year especially, Atwell said.
Emotional stress is one of the most overlooked common factors in pain, he said.
"When it comes to any condition, we always ask our patients, if you think back to when your back or neck went out, or when you had pain, you were probably under physical, nutritional or emotional stress," he said. "It's almost always true."
It's a fair assumption that economic stress coupled with the typical stress of the holiday season can make people sick with symptoms that are often painful, Atwell said.
"What do we do during the holidays? We don't eat the best, we're also physically doing more shopping, more walking, and getting less sleep," he said. "So all parts of us are being attacked."
In his cold and flu prevention seminars, Atwell urges clients to watch those three areas - physical, nutritional and emotional.
"You can also find an avenue for stress, like journaling or meditation before you go to bed," he said. "Exercise is also a great avenue."
Contact Kate Prahlad at 574-6277 or kprahlad@dnronline.com
http://www.rocktownweekly.com/news_details.php?AID=34098&CHID=1&sub=Top
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Brain Function Improved By Playing, And Even Watching
I've been saying for quite some time how important motion and movement are to brain function. New research says that even discussing and watching sports can stimulate areas of the brain associated with language. Fascinating!!
Brain Function Improved By Playing, And Even Watching
Sports02 Sep 2008
Being an athlete or merely a fan improves language skills when it comes to discussing their sport because parts of the brain usually involved in playing sports are instead used to understand sport language, new research at the University of Chicago shows.
The research was conducted on hockey players, fans, and people who'd never seen or played the game. It shows, for the first time, that a region of the brain usually associated with planning and controlling actions is activated when players and fans listen to conversations about their sport. The brain boost helps athletes and fans understanding of information about their sport, even though at the time when people are listening to this sport language they have no intention to act.
The study shows that the brain may be more flexible in adulthood than previously thought. "We show that non-language related activities, such as playing or watching a sport, enhance one's ability to understand language about their sport precisely because brain areas normally used to act become highly involved in language understanding," said Sian Beilock, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Chicago. She is lead author of the paper, "Sports Experience Enhances the Neural Processing of Action Language," to be published Tuesday, September 2 in the on-line issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Experience playing and watching sports has enduring effects on language understanding by changing the neural networks that support comprehension to incorporate areas active in performing sports skills," she said.
The research could have greater implications for learning. It shows that engaging in an activity taps into brain networks not normally associated with language, which improves the understanding of language related to that activity, Beilock added.
For the study, researchers asked 12 professional and intercollegiate hockey players, eight fans and nine individuals who had never watched a game to listen to sentences about hockey players, such as shooting, making saves and being engaged in the game. They also listened to sentences about everyday activities, such as ringing doorbells and pushing brooms across the floor. While the subjects listened to the sentences, their brains were scanned using functioning Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), which allows one to infer the areas of the brain most active during language listening.
After hearing the sentences in the fMRI scanner, subjects performed a battery of tests designed to gauge their comprehension of those sentences.
Although most subjects understood the language about everyday activities, hockey players and fans were substantially better than novices at understanding hockey-related language.
Brain imaging revealed that when hockey players and fans listen to language about hockey, they show activity in the brain regions usually used to plan and select well-learned physical actions. The increased activity in motor areas of the brain helps hockey players and fans to better understanding hockey language. The results show that playing sports, or even just watching, builds a stronger understanding of language, Beilock said.
----------------------------Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.---------------------------- Joining Beilock in this research were Howard Nusbaum, Professor of Psychology at the University; Steven Small, Professor of Neurology and Psychology at the University; and Beilock's Ph.D. students Ian Lyons and Andrew Mattarella-Micke Source: William Harms University of Chicago
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/119952.php
Brain Function Improved By Playing, And Even Watching
Sports02 Sep 2008
Being an athlete or merely a fan improves language skills when it comes to discussing their sport because parts of the brain usually involved in playing sports are instead used to understand sport language, new research at the University of Chicago shows.
The research was conducted on hockey players, fans, and people who'd never seen or played the game. It shows, for the first time, that a region of the brain usually associated with planning and controlling actions is activated when players and fans listen to conversations about their sport. The brain boost helps athletes and fans understanding of information about their sport, even though at the time when people are listening to this sport language they have no intention to act.
The study shows that the brain may be more flexible in adulthood than previously thought. "We show that non-language related activities, such as playing or watching a sport, enhance one's ability to understand language about their sport precisely because brain areas normally used to act become highly involved in language understanding," said Sian Beilock, Associate Professor in Psychology at the University of Chicago. She is lead author of the paper, "Sports Experience Enhances the Neural Processing of Action Language," to be published Tuesday, September 2 in the on-line issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"Experience playing and watching sports has enduring effects on language understanding by changing the neural networks that support comprehension to incorporate areas active in performing sports skills," she said.
The research could have greater implications for learning. It shows that engaging in an activity taps into brain networks not normally associated with language, which improves the understanding of language related to that activity, Beilock added.
For the study, researchers asked 12 professional and intercollegiate hockey players, eight fans and nine individuals who had never watched a game to listen to sentences about hockey players, such as shooting, making saves and being engaged in the game. They also listened to sentences about everyday activities, such as ringing doorbells and pushing brooms across the floor. While the subjects listened to the sentences, their brains were scanned using functioning Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), which allows one to infer the areas of the brain most active during language listening.
After hearing the sentences in the fMRI scanner, subjects performed a battery of tests designed to gauge their comprehension of those sentences.
Although most subjects understood the language about everyday activities, hockey players and fans were substantially better than novices at understanding hockey-related language.
Brain imaging revealed that when hockey players and fans listen to language about hockey, they show activity in the brain regions usually used to plan and select well-learned physical actions. The increased activity in motor areas of the brain helps hockey players and fans to better understanding hockey language. The results show that playing sports, or even just watching, builds a stronger understanding of language, Beilock said.
----------------------------Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.---------------------------- Joining Beilock in this research were Howard Nusbaum, Professor of Psychology at the University; Steven Small, Professor of Neurology and Psychology at the University; and Beilock's Ph.D. students Ian Lyons and Andrew Mattarella-Micke Source: William Harms University of Chicago
Article URL: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/119952.php
Sunday, December 30, 2007
The Healthy Brain Program
This is an excellent reference for brain health from our friends in Austrailia!
The Healthy Brain Program, an initiative of the Brain Foundation, aims to assist Australians to keep their brains healthy into old age, through the provision of community education and research. The program aims to address issues such as:
People are living longer, and the prevalence of degenerative brain disorders is increasing.
There is little information available about how to keep the brain healthy compared to the wealth of information about a healthy body and heart.
There is a need for a coordinated approach to education on key indicators and risk reduction strategies.
The program aims to:
Increase community awareness of the potential for improving the long term health of the brain through lifestyle changes and risk reduction strategies.
Promote recognition of risk reduction strategies.
Motivate the attitudinal changes needed for the development of a healthy brain lifestyle.
Pointers to a Healthy Brain
*Exercise and challenge your brain – don’t be a couch potato
*Nourish your brain with a healthy diet, drink alcohol in moderation
*Enjoy physical activity
*Make “safety first” a priority – wear a helmet, drive safely, take any head injury seriously
*Learn to manage stress and depression
*Relax and sleep well
*Have regular checks for blood pressure, diabetes, heart rate, cholesterol
*Do not smoke or use illegal drugs
Exercise and challenge your brain
*Human mental decline typically begins before 40
*We must take measures to keep our brains in shape, no matter what age
*The brain needs exercise. Practising skills leads to better performance
*Unused parts of the brain stop working
*Challenging the brain with new activities wakes up new areas
*Try things you don’t already do – an accountant might study a new language
*Challenging creates new pathways that appear to become alternate routes when neurones die off in middle and old age.
Research suggests
- Reading to a small child enhances mental development
- Ongoing mental stimulation provides some protection against mental decline
How can you exercise and challenge your brain ?
Exercising the brain is doing anything that makes you think, such as “what did I do last Saturday?”
*Avoid using calculators
*Swap TV for mind games or a book
*Play games that involve memory (bridge) or thinking ahead (chess)
*Take up a new hobby, learn a musical instrument, study a new language
*When you read a paper, consider your own editorial
*Prepare for retirement as a time for “serious leisure”, for a hobby or activity that involves “the whole being”
*Nourish your brain with a healthy diet
*Like any high-performance machine, the brain needs top quality fuel.
Your brain needs a well-balanced, low cholesterol, low saturated (animal-fat) diet.
*Timing is significant in nutrition. Studies have demonstrated the importance of a good breakfast.
*Protein and unsaturated fat is especially important for developing brains. Fish, a rich source of both, is sometimes called brain food.
*Your body converts long strings of amino acids in the protein you eat to individual amino acids that your brain converts to the specific proteins it needs.
*Your brain needs vitamins and minerals; they come from your diet.
*Research suggests anti-oxidant vitamins E and C protect the brain.
*Avoid excess food. Reducing calories can help slow age-related brain changes
*Enjoy caffeine and alcohol in moderation.
*As a general rule, good nutrition for the body is good nutrition for the brain.
*What energy source is essential for the brain?
Glucose is the fuel needed to keep the cells alive and functioning
*Your liver, pancreas and kidneys work together to maintain the right level of glucose in your blood
*Your blood supplies glucose to your brain at a steady rate
*The glucose provides the energy to enable brain proteins to build cells, produce chemicals for nerves to communicate and to repair damage
*When you concentration wanes in the late morning or afternoon, eating a snack containing sugar, such as fruit, can solve the problem
*Enjoy physical activity
*Exercise daily if possible. Set exercise priorities and stick to them.
*Regular exercise reduces depression and reduces cardiovascular risk factors, even a simple walk lets you think freely
*Some exercise states may produce euphoria, but even 12 minute bouts of exercise (to 85% maximum heart rate) release serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline (like taking Prozac)
*Exercise in the evening after a stressful day, rather than early in the day
*Take exercise opportunities- climb stairs (up to three floors) instead of taking the lift, schedule in regular five-minute walking breaks, park your car away from lifts, escalators so you have to walk further.
*Make “safety first” a priority
*Head trauma is the silent epidemic
*Major causes of adult head trauma is motor vehicle accidents, on-the-job accidents, falls, assaults and sports injuries
*Take common-sense safety precautions including wearing seatbelts and sports safety helmets as appropriate
*Road deaths are publicised but not the number permanently disabled
*Head injury from snowboarding is on the increase
*Learn to manage anxiety, stress and depression
*Anxiety increases heart rate and blood pressure and can lead to stroke
*Acute stress – “flight or fight reaction” – is normal and short-lived.
*The brain produces substances that tell many organs of the body to speed up and perform more effectively, then it returns to normal.
*Some suffer chronic stress - a long-term problem.
*There is increasing evidence that stress actually damages the brain.
*The mechanism for this is thought to be the brain’s response to hormones that increase during periods of stress.
*These stress hormones can actually kill nerve cells in animals and are thought to do the same in humans.
*The steps you take to reduce stress are likely to preserve nerve cells and help maintain mental abilities.
*One of the toughest stresses is depression.
*5-12% of men and 10-20% of women will suffer major depression at some stage.
*Major depression is not just sadness or grief, it is indescribably painful.
*Depression affects memory and slows brain metabolism.
*Major depression can lead to some degree of brain damage, affecting memory.
*Major depression is a medical emergency.
*When life becomes stressful, do you ?
*Meditate? Meditation may lower blood pressure, even not actively meditating
Relax? Actively relax by tensing then relaxing individual muscle groups
Exercise? Channeling internal stress into external action can relieve stress
*Ensure there is a balance of work and recreation in your life?
*Let go of things that are outside your control?
*Take time out for yourself
*Visit your general practitioner (and your chiropractor)!!
*Relax and sleep well
*During deep sleep, the brain repairs itself and boosts the immune system.
*During rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the brain consolidates information learned during the previous day.
*Poor sleep or sleep loss leads to fatigue, immune suppression, memory, concentration and mood disorders. Optimal learning cannot take place against a background of sleep debt.
*Seek help for sleep apnoea as it increases the risk of stroke.
What can you do if you can’t get to sleep?
*The most common causes of difficulty are not being able to shut off the anxieties and worries of the day and preparing for tomorrow’s problems.
One way you could help is by preparing for sleep:
- Don’t take one last look at email messages
- No phone calls, business, late-night news, planning for tomorrow after 9pm
- Don’t go to bed until you feel sleepy
- Don’t have caffeine after noon
*Have regular checks for blood pressure, diabetes, heart rate, cholesterol
*If you have diabetes and high cholesterol, you have 4x the risk of stroke
*If you have diabetes you have 2x the risk of stroke
*Lots of mini-strokes can lead to dementia in later life
*Do not smoke or use illegal drugs
*Research suggests that smoking in later life can promote mental decline
*regular use of ecstasy results in deterioration in memory and recall skills
*ecstasy can cause damage to the brain cells that help control movement as well as emotional and cognitive responses and the ability to feel pleasure
*speed can cause memory and motor control damage.
Date created: 6 March 2003
Referenced from: http://www.brainaustralia.org.au/healthy_brain
The Healthy Brain Program, an initiative of the Brain Foundation, aims to assist Australians to keep their brains healthy into old age, through the provision of community education and research. The program aims to address issues such as:
People are living longer, and the prevalence of degenerative brain disorders is increasing.
There is little information available about how to keep the brain healthy compared to the wealth of information about a healthy body and heart.
There is a need for a coordinated approach to education on key indicators and risk reduction strategies.
The program aims to:
Increase community awareness of the potential for improving the long term health of the brain through lifestyle changes and risk reduction strategies.
Promote recognition of risk reduction strategies.
Motivate the attitudinal changes needed for the development of a healthy brain lifestyle.
Pointers to a Healthy Brain
*Exercise and challenge your brain – don’t be a couch potato
*Nourish your brain with a healthy diet, drink alcohol in moderation
*Enjoy physical activity
*Make “safety first” a priority – wear a helmet, drive safely, take any head injury seriously
*Learn to manage stress and depression
*Relax and sleep well
*Have regular checks for blood pressure, diabetes, heart rate, cholesterol
*Do not smoke or use illegal drugs
Exercise and challenge your brain
*Human mental decline typically begins before 40
*We must take measures to keep our brains in shape, no matter what age
*The brain needs exercise. Practising skills leads to better performance
*Unused parts of the brain stop working
*Challenging the brain with new activities wakes up new areas
*Try things you don’t already do – an accountant might study a new language
*Challenging creates new pathways that appear to become alternate routes when neurones die off in middle and old age.
Research suggests
- Reading to a small child enhances mental development
- Ongoing mental stimulation provides some protection against mental decline
How can you exercise and challenge your brain ?
Exercising the brain is doing anything that makes you think, such as “what did I do last Saturday?”
*Avoid using calculators
*Swap TV for mind games or a book
*Play games that involve memory (bridge) or thinking ahead (chess)
*Take up a new hobby, learn a musical instrument, study a new language
*When you read a paper, consider your own editorial
*Prepare for retirement as a time for “serious leisure”, for a hobby or activity that involves “the whole being”
*Nourish your brain with a healthy diet
*Like any high-performance machine, the brain needs top quality fuel.
Your brain needs a well-balanced, low cholesterol, low saturated (animal-fat) diet.
*Timing is significant in nutrition. Studies have demonstrated the importance of a good breakfast.
*Protein and unsaturated fat is especially important for developing brains. Fish, a rich source of both, is sometimes called brain food.
*Your body converts long strings of amino acids in the protein you eat to individual amino acids that your brain converts to the specific proteins it needs.
*Your brain needs vitamins and minerals; they come from your diet.
*Research suggests anti-oxidant vitamins E and C protect the brain.
*Avoid excess food. Reducing calories can help slow age-related brain changes
*Enjoy caffeine and alcohol in moderation.
*As a general rule, good nutrition for the body is good nutrition for the brain.
*What energy source is essential for the brain?
Glucose is the fuel needed to keep the cells alive and functioning
*Your liver, pancreas and kidneys work together to maintain the right level of glucose in your blood
*Your blood supplies glucose to your brain at a steady rate
*The glucose provides the energy to enable brain proteins to build cells, produce chemicals for nerves to communicate and to repair damage
*When you concentration wanes in the late morning or afternoon, eating a snack containing sugar, such as fruit, can solve the problem
*Enjoy physical activity
*Exercise daily if possible. Set exercise priorities and stick to them.
*Regular exercise reduces depression and reduces cardiovascular risk factors, even a simple walk lets you think freely
*Some exercise states may produce euphoria, but even 12 minute bouts of exercise (to 85% maximum heart rate) release serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline (like taking Prozac)
*Exercise in the evening after a stressful day, rather than early in the day
*Take exercise opportunities- climb stairs (up to three floors) instead of taking the lift, schedule in regular five-minute walking breaks, park your car away from lifts, escalators so you have to walk further.
*Make “safety first” a priority
*Head trauma is the silent epidemic
*Major causes of adult head trauma is motor vehicle accidents, on-the-job accidents, falls, assaults and sports injuries
*Take common-sense safety precautions including wearing seatbelts and sports safety helmets as appropriate
*Road deaths are publicised but not the number permanently disabled
*Head injury from snowboarding is on the increase
*Learn to manage anxiety, stress and depression
*Anxiety increases heart rate and blood pressure and can lead to stroke
*Acute stress – “flight or fight reaction” – is normal and short-lived.
*The brain produces substances that tell many organs of the body to speed up and perform more effectively, then it returns to normal.
*Some suffer chronic stress - a long-term problem.
*There is increasing evidence that stress actually damages the brain.
*The mechanism for this is thought to be the brain’s response to hormones that increase during periods of stress.
*These stress hormones can actually kill nerve cells in animals and are thought to do the same in humans.
*The steps you take to reduce stress are likely to preserve nerve cells and help maintain mental abilities.
*One of the toughest stresses is depression.
*5-12% of men and 10-20% of women will suffer major depression at some stage.
*Major depression is not just sadness or grief, it is indescribably painful.
*Depression affects memory and slows brain metabolism.
*Major depression can lead to some degree of brain damage, affecting memory.
*Major depression is a medical emergency.
*When life becomes stressful, do you ?
*Meditate? Meditation may lower blood pressure, even not actively meditating
Relax? Actively relax by tensing then relaxing individual muscle groups
Exercise? Channeling internal stress into external action can relieve stress
*Ensure there is a balance of work and recreation in your life?
*Let go of things that are outside your control?
*Take time out for yourself
*Visit your general practitioner (and your chiropractor)!!
*Relax and sleep well
*During deep sleep, the brain repairs itself and boosts the immune system.
*During rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, the brain consolidates information learned during the previous day.
*Poor sleep or sleep loss leads to fatigue, immune suppression, memory, concentration and mood disorders. Optimal learning cannot take place against a background of sleep debt.
*Seek help for sleep apnoea as it increases the risk of stroke.
What can you do if you can’t get to sleep?
*The most common causes of difficulty are not being able to shut off the anxieties and worries of the day and preparing for tomorrow’s problems.
One way you could help is by preparing for sleep:
- Don’t take one last look at email messages
- No phone calls, business, late-night news, planning for tomorrow after 9pm
- Don’t go to bed until you feel sleepy
- Don’t have caffeine after noon
*Have regular checks for blood pressure, diabetes, heart rate, cholesterol
*If you have diabetes and high cholesterol, you have 4x the risk of stroke
*If you have diabetes you have 2x the risk of stroke
*Lots of mini-strokes can lead to dementia in later life
*Do not smoke or use illegal drugs
*Research suggests that smoking in later life can promote mental decline
*regular use of ecstasy results in deterioration in memory and recall skills
*ecstasy can cause damage to the brain cells that help control movement as well as emotional and cognitive responses and the ability to feel pleasure
*speed can cause memory and motor control damage.
Date created: 6 March 2003
Referenced from: http://www.brainaustralia.org.au/healthy_brain
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