mental fitness

The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Mental Fitness

by Joi

Sleeping Cheetah

The following is a guest post from Allie.

While you toss and turn in bed, the numbers on the clock are inching slowly forward, creeping closer to the morning alarm. With each passing minute, your anxiety increases, making sleep even more elusive. You roll out of bed to start your day feeling groggy and disoriented. You are not alone. According to the American Psychological Association, 60 percent of adults report having trouble sleeping a few nights per week or more, and it doesn’t take a psychology degree to know that living a groggy life can’t be good for your mental fitness. Over 40 million Americans have a sleep disorder that affects their health.

The amount of sleep needed to function properly varies from person to person, but a study by the National Sleep Foundation found that most people need at least seven hours of sleep per night, though we average only six and a half. When a person doesn’t get enough sleep to suit their body’s needs, they create a sleep debt that is often times not satisfied. This leads to fatigue and an inability to function at an optimum level.

The brain haze that most people experience after a poor night’s sleep is not something that can be alleviated with a few lattes. In fact, an inadequate amount of sleep, even for just one night, has a substantial impact on your mental focus. One startling finding by the CDC has shown that “insufficient sleep is responsible for motor vehicle and machinery-related crashes, causing substantial injury and disability each year. In short, drowsy driving can be as dangerous — and preventable— as driving while intoxicated.” This is because sleep deprivation slows reaction time and impairs hand-eye coordination.

Not only does lack of sleep affect motor skills, it also diminishes concentration. The foggy feeling that comes with a sleepless night, is partially due to a decline in alertness and concentration. Without the capability to pay attention, an individual becomes confused and has difficulty with complex thought. The ability to learn and process information is also hindered because of this lack of concentration. Focusing on complicated tasks is challenging and sleepy individuals often have a difficult time blocking out distractions.

Inadequate sleep impacts decision making skills as well. The brain’s executive functioning ability deteriorates with sleeplessness. A study at Duke University in which subjects completed economic decision-making tasks after being deprived of sleep, concluded that sleep deprivation caused people to overestimate the likelihood of positive outcomes and underestimate the likelihood of negative outcomes. This lead to a distorted risk perception, inciting subjects to make risky, and usually poor, economic choices. One of the study’s co-authors likened the findings to the evidence that medical residents made more mistakes after long work hours. In occupations that require strong decision-making skills, overly risky behavior caused by sleep deprivation can lead to job loss, financial issues, and harm to employees, customers, or co-workers.

Memory also relies heavily on sleep. The nerve connections in the brain that make new memories are strengthened during sleep. When the sleep cycles are disrupted, the memory is impaired. Sleep is needed to process what you have learned during the day. Researchers at Harvard Medical School performed memorization tests on healthy subjects. After half of the subjects were deprived of sleep, they were shown 150 slides of various people and objects and told to memorize them. 24 hours later, even after catching up on sleep, the sleep deprived subjects still performed poorly when asked to recall which slides they had memorized the day before. Furthermore, this memory deficiency wreaks havoc on language skills. Not only do individuals often experience slow or slightly slurred speech, but finding the correct word becomes an arduous task.

In a fast-paced world, multi-tasking and creativity are often essential to productivity. Sleep deficiency decreases the ability the ability to multi-task and stifles creativity. These effects are likely related to the inability to the loss of mental focus associated with sleep deprivation. Producing new ideas or creative solutions can be seemingly impossible, as the portion of the brain responsible for creativity is affected. A recent study showed that the ability to attend to multiple tasks simultaneously, the flexibility to alter one’s focus, the ability to follow multi-step instructions, the use of complex reasoning, and the ability to employ creative problem solving skills were diminished by sleep deprivation.

Cognitive functions are not the only thing affected by sleep deprivation. According to the National Sleep Foundation, emotions also tend to go haywire. One of the first signs of sleep deprivation is irritability. If an individual does not sleep after the initial symptoms, it can lead to flattened emotional responses, apathy, anger, or depression. This in turn can lead to an increase in risk taking behaviors, such as drug and alcohol abuse, and further impairment of cognitive abilities.

While research indicates that sleep deprivation leads to a deterioration in mental fitness, a select few claim to thrive on an inadequate amount of sleep. An MSN news article discussed “creative insomnia” and cited the theory that sleeplessness leads to an altered state of consciousness. Mild insomnia can help a minority of artists disassociate from reality and at times this can produce works of genius. Severe insomnia often results in hallucinations, which some argue brings out dream imagery. However, even those that hold this theory to be true, admit that the majority of people are more creative after a satisfying night’s sleep.

An overwhelming amount of research suggests that sleep deprivation is not only harmful to individuals’ health, but also has a considerable impact on mental fitness. National Geographic reported that sleeplessness in the United States has accounted for an estimated 50 billion dollars in lost productivity. Yet, it’s the personal costs that cause the most harm. Whether you are a shift worker, new parent, student, or insomniac, finding a way to get adequate sleep is integral to your quality of life.

The Connection Between Seafood Omega-3s and Mental Health

by Joi

Alaska Salmon

About a year ago, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute sent me a wonderful package of recipes and health information to use for my food blog. Last night I was looking through the recipes for one in particular for salmon. While sorting through delicious-sounding recipes, I came across a pamphlet titled “Seafood Omega-3s and Mental Health.”

Obviously, mental fitness and brain health are of the utmost interest to me, so I put my recipe search on hold and read the information front to cover.

Fascinating! If I didn’t already love fish madly, I’d certainly begin a love affair now. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to eat more fish? It’s delicious, low fat, usually low calorie, great for your heart, and now we learn just how great it is for our mental health.

I sat down to the computer to type in the wonderful article – then it hit me, I’m sure they have a pdf on their website. Lo and behold they didn’t let me down. If mental fitness and the health of your brain are as important to you as they should be, I hope you’ll click the following link and read the article. It’s short but it’s packed with great information, particularly in the areas of depression, postpartum depression, and Bipolar Disorder.

Even if these subjects aren’t relevant to you personally, you’ll learn just how vital omega-3s are to the brain’s functions. Read Seafood Omega-3s and Mental Health for more information.

Learning a Second Language May Delay Alzheimer’s Disease

by Joi

Learn to speak Spanish

As we’ve always known, learning a second language is great for your brain.  However, its benefits seem to surpass anything we ever hoped for.

New studies show that learning a second language can pump up your brain in ways that seem to delay getting Alzheimer’s disease.

While the study focused primarily on individuals who mastered a second language previously (and have kept their skills sharp – as opposed to forgetting everything you ever learned in your high school Spanish class), experts tell us that even people who take up a second language later in life will benefit.

Naturally, the more proficient you become, the better, but “every little bit helps,” said Ellen Bialystok, a psychology professor at York University in Toronto.

As far as scientists know now, learning a second language does nothing to actually prevent Alzheimer’s disease. But once the disease does begin to rear its ugly head, the mental benefits of tackling a second language cushion the individual so that symptoms don’t become apparent as quickly, Bialystok said.

Even if you take Alzheimer’s out of the picture, learning a second language (or, for that matter, anything NEW and CHALLENGING) stimulates your brain cells in fresh, new ways.  The process keeps you sharp, prevents memory loss, and boosts your confidence.   The brain loves to be stimulated and challenged and will reward you in many wonderful ways, including strengthening and improving your memory.

Give it a try!  Pick a language that interests you and begin your own home study course.  Of course, if you have the time and inclination, you could always take a college class.  You’ll want a program that provides audio and/or video, so you can hear the words being properly pronounced.  Just remember to keep studying and never give up.  Your brain will absolutely love the challenge. Think of all you have to gain!

Improve and Strengthen Your Child’s Brain Health

by Joi

Strengthen children's mental fitness and brain health

We talk a great deal about mental fitness and brain health as they relate to adults, but what about the children in our lives? Are there steps we can take with our youth to aid the development of their brain health?  By helping to strengthen their mental fitness, we can ensure that they’ll be on the right track for a lifetime of success.

While it’s never too late to start challenging your mind, it can also be said that it’s never to early to begin.  In this article, I want to look at ways you can proactively challenge the minds of young people – think of it as mentally getting them on their toes and keeping them there!

I’ll start by saying that I’m a little concerned about young people today.  They have all of the technological advances in the world, but this can be a negative as much as a positive.  Good old-fashioned make-believe, book reading (the ones where you physically turn the pages!), and workbooks are becoming more and more rare.  I’m definitely not saying that we should take technology OUT of our children’s lives.  Far from it!  The pros far outweigh the cons and the last thing we want is for our youth to be left behind when it comes to technology.

However, there are things we can do to aid the development of their minds and strengthen their mental fitness.  Below are a few such ideas, and, as you’ll notice, they’re simple, inexpensive, and even fun.

  • Ask your children to make up stories for you.  Creativity is something that needs to be strongly encouraged.  When they’re really small, you can even begin the story and ask them what they think happens next.  When my girls were really young, a lot of our car trips would involve such stories.  One of us would get the ball rolling, then everyone else would join it.  Oh the tales we told!
  • Take library trips once a week or every other week.  We always made a big day out of it. Library Day was something we all looked forward to.  We’d have lunch out.  During lunch, I’d ask each of my daughters what sort of book they were hoping to find.  They’d talk about the things they liked reading about the most, favorite authors, favorite types of characters, and so on.  It piked their interest and made the library trip more of an adventure.  When we got out of the car at the library, they’d practically run into the building!  On the drive home, they’d talk (sometimes all at once!) excitedly about the books they’d found and as soon as we got home, they’d change into something comfortable and find their favorite reading spots.  I wouldn’t see or hear from them until supper!
  • When reading a book to a small child, occasionally close the book, look at them, and say, “What do you think happens next?!”  It gets their creative juices flowing and makes the whole experience more exciting.
  • Make sure your children eat a healthy diet, lots of fresh air, plenty of sleep, and engage in regular physical activities.
  • When watching television with your kids (whatever their ages), ask them questions such as, “Why do you like this character (individual)?,” “Why do you think she did that?,” “What would you have done?”
  • Watch educational television – The History Channel, Animal Planet, The Discovery Channel, etc.  When a new place, animal, even, or individual, is brought up – encourage them to learn more.   My youngest daughter (Stephany) and I are hooked on these educational networks.  We’ll often talk about shows we’d seen and things we’ve learned.  I’ve noticed that, like me, when something interests her, she’ll do her research and learn more about it.
  • This one is something the adult has to master, rather than the child.  Learn to have a two-way conversation.  Many parents seem only capable of one-way conversations.  This doesn’t encourage the child to think or have any sort of confidence in their own voice.  Allow your child to voice his or her own opinions and never interrupt.   As the adult, your main objective should be to allow and encourage the child to FIND their own voice, not mimic yours’.
  • Set a limit on the amount of time your child spends playing games or using social networking. Maybe it’s because I spend so much time thinking about, reading about, and writing about mental fitness and brain health – but I’ve come to think of the main social network as “Brain Rot,” at least when it comes to kids.   Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to incorporate thinking, creativity, and mental fitness into a young person’s life.  You just have to be consistent.
  • Finally, keep the following word in mind: CHALLENGE.  Find ways to regularly challenge (without frustrating!) you child.  A word of caution, be sure you never expect too much or ask more of them than their age (or ability) is able to give.  Countless children have been discouraged by overly aggressive parents (how many have left a sport they once loved because dad or mom made it a nightmare?).

Always realize that it’s about the process, not the result.  If your child works on a math problem, for example, and comes up with the wrong answer, don’t have a melt down!  Working on the problem is mentally challenging and they’re reaping the benefits. Simply, calmly, help them find where they made the wrong turn and help them find their way.  If you push too hard and if you are overly critical, your child will suffer greatly.  The type of parent who criticizes their child’s 98 on a science test, for example (“Why did you miss two?!?!?!?  I never missed two!!!“),  does more harm than they may ever know.

Challenge… but don’t condemn. Light a fire underneath the child for learning… but don’t burn bridges by frustrating them.  Lead… don’t shove.  Basically, just remember, it’s about THEM, not YOU.

Stress Less by Moving More

by Joi

If one of your resolutions, or goals, is to find a way to handle stress and another is to get fit – you’re in for a pleasant surprise because one of the best ways to achieve one is also one of the best ways to achieve the other.

People spend a great deal of time trying to find ways of coping with stress.  They try talking things out, repressing worries and anxieties, meditation, and a host of other approaches. While some achieve a certain level of success with these stress reducers, there is a simpler and more productive way to combat stress.  What’s more, you’ll reap far more head-to-toe benefits with this approach than the others combined.

The stress-busting solution: Engage in as much physical exercise as you can possibly engage in.

One laboratory experiment took ten underexercised rats, and subjected them repeatedly to a variety of stresses: shock, pain, shrill noises, and flashing lights. After a month, every one of them had died through the incessant strain. Another group of rats was given a good deal of exercise until they were in peak physical condition. They were then subjected to the same battery of stresses and strains. After a month, not one had died.

(Disclaimer: As an intense… intense…. intense animal lover, I’m never FOR animal experiments – even on rats.  However, I do have to concede that when science is able to gather information that benefits humans, it’s difficult to argue.  How extraordinary it would be if one day science found another way.)

Here’s the basic, simple, and profound truth:  Our bodies were made to move and the more they are exercised, the more effectively they function.  From Adam and Eve to you and me, our bodies were beautifully designed to function and work.  We were made to hunt, gather, build, work, run, and then go back and do it all over again.  We weren’t intended to sit as much as we do.  We weren’t made to find the easiest way to do things, the path of the least resistance, or the shortest distance to take.

We weren’t made to ride buggies around the grocery store because we’re too lazy (or overweight) to walk.  We weren’t made to find the closest parking space possible to the front door so we don’t have far to walk.  We weren’t made to blow right past the stairs and take the elevator every time.

Many of the problems we have today (physical, mental, and emotional) could be greatly alleviated if we simply got more exercise and increased our activity.

Studies on the ways exercise helps to reduce stress are VERY conclusive.

Benefits of Exercise for the Body and Mind:

  • gets rid of harmful chemicals in our bodies
  • burns extra calories to help us lose weight or keep from gaining too much weight
  • strengthens our muscles
  • strengthens our bones
  • improves our circulation
  • aids in digestion
  • strengthens our respiratory system
  • strengthens our mind
  • provides a form of abreaction (a way we can let off steam)
  • builds up stamina
  • counteracts the biochemical effects of stress
  • reduces the risk of psychological illness

Growth and advancement are almost always wonderful things.  In our world of advanced technology, however, we simply aren’t getting enough activity and exercise.  Think about it, when’s the last time you engaged in activity long enough (or strenuous enough) to break a sweat? When’s the last time you pushed your body beyond what it’s accustomed to doing?

For every aspect of our bodies, we need to find ways to ADD exercise and activity to our daily routines. Keeping an activity journal is one way to get in touch with how much – or how little – you actually move.  Most of us would be surprised at how many hours we actually spend sitting.

Wearing a pedometer is another great way to gauge your movement.  Experts tell us we need to aim for at least 10,000 steps daily.

Whether you are trying to cope with stress and anxiety or not, adding more exercise to your life will make you both healthier and happier.  Do it for your mind, do it for your heart, do it for your weight, do it for your emotions…. just do it!

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

What is Your Mental Attitude?

by Joi

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing.  Motivation determines what you do.  Attitude determines how well you do it.” - Lou Holtz

The quote above, by one of the greatest football coaches and motivators to ever open their mouth, is one of my favorite all-time quotes.  And for someone who has collected and rejoiced over quotes her whole life, that’s saying something!  What I appreciate so much about this quote by Lou Holtz is the fact that it shows us how VERY much in control we are of our lives.

Our ability may be limited in certain areas, our motivation may wane, but our attitude can carry us home.  You could say that our attitude determines our position at the bird feeder station.   My husband knows what an avid bird (and butterfly) watcher I am.  So he set my computer workstation up near a window in our home.  In my view from the window, he set up a mack-daddy bird feeding station – hummingbird feeder, finch feeder, songbird feeder, water dishes… the whole 9 yards.  I’ve placed beautiful potted plants and flowers around the area, too, so it’s a beautiful relaxing “eye vacation” as work online.

The birds like to “position” for the top perch on the black iron frame.  Mockingbirds, doves, blackbirds, and cardinals desire this perch most of all.  One would think that the blackbirds or the doves (the largest) would win every time.

Not so.

The bird that I see perched at the top more often than not is a tiny little hummingbird, looking around, guarding the red nectar…. something the other birds don’t even want!  The attitude of these tiny birds makes them a gazillion times their actual size.  By the same token, our attitude can make us a gazillion times our actual size.

Have you ever thought about your mental attitude?

Think of Mental Fitness as one of Life’s Majors.  Physical Fitness is another one of life’s majors – as well as relationships, self growth, physical health, etc.

The challenging thing is we have to major in each of these areas – the wonderful thing is we have our entire lives to complete the courses.

If Mental Fitness is a Major, guess what Mental Fitness 101 is…..  Mental Attitude.  That’s where it all begins, which is why I think this post is way, way, way past due.  What have i been doing? If you say “Watching birds,” I’m just going to be hurt.  Irregardless, if this were a perfect world, this would be the first post on this entire site.

If you desire a stronger mind, an improved memory, sharper reasoning skills, and more confidence, you can’t just jump into brain games and motivational articles and expect big wonders.  That’s putting the cart before the horse, which is worthless – especially if the cart has apples, he’ll just eat them…

Think about your mental attitude.  During the course of a day, which of these “affirmations” do you tell yourself most often?

  • I can figure this out.
  • I’m a complete idiot.
  • My memory is getting so bad.
  • I’m too old to figure that out.
  • I can figure anything out.
  • I don’t have nearly enough schooling for this.
  • I have a lot of confidence in my mental abilities.
  • I’m a ditz.
  • I’m smart.
  • I’m the sharpest knife in this drawer!

Hopefully you don’t spend a great deal of time beating yourself up, but unfortunately many people do.  Sadly, they’re undermining their abilities to live up to their potential.  They’re selling themselves short and standing in their own way of learning more, doing more, and living more.

If you recognize your own mental voice in any of the negative affirmations, I want you to realize something:  The things we say to ourselves over and over again create a worn path in our minds and on our lives.  In the way that the most frequently-traveled path in the woods will be the most worn, the most frequently-used thoughts will create the widest path in our minds.

Can you see how dangerous this could be if the path leads to the wrong place?!?!  Can you see how amazing this could be if the path leads to the right place??!?!

That’s why we have to do all we can to watch which path our thoughts are paving.  They’re more than just pathfinders, they’re pioneers.  Please watch where they’re leading you and take the upper hand if you don’t like where they’re headed.

When it comes to our mental attitude, a lot has to do with our past.  If any of the negative affirmations regularly play out in your own mind, I have great news for you… you can put an end to them!  Simply find their source -  where the negativity originated from.  Below are a few of the main sources.

  1. Bad experiences in school. Many people allow poor grades, discouraging teachers, or bad test scores to set up a poor mental attitude.  First of all, a great percentage of schooling and test success is simply memorization.  The so-called mental aptitude tests aren’t nearly as accurate as their proponents would like you to believe and (thankfully!) you CANNOT judge an individual’s mental powers by any number of math tests.  Besides, when we were in school, few of us gave as much attention to our studies as we did the opposite sex, our clothes, television, music, our cars, our hair, ballgames, pep rallys, and extra-curricular activities.   I’ll be honest, improving my mind and learning were the furthest things from my teen-aged mind.  Clothes, jewelry, my baby blue Ford Granada, and John Cougar Mellencamp were just about as far as my mind cared to go.  Put your school history behind you – along with grades, tests, and dirty looks from the teachers.  Banish them to the past along with the out-dated hairstyles!
  2. Negative words from others. This one has the potential to be the most destructive force in an individual’s life. We all have certain individuals in our lives who’s words carry an incredible amount of weight for us.  Whether they’re parents, spouses, or other family members or friends.  We all have people who we (mistakenly) use as mirrors.  We THINK we are how they SEE us.  For better or worse, that’s just not accurate… not even close!  Even the people who are the closest to us don’t know all that we’re capable of.  Sometimes they overestimate, sometimes they underestimate.  They’re human beings, they aren’t mirrors.  If someone who means the world to you – who’s opinion you hang the moon and stars on – has ever called you stupid, ditzy, air-headed, dumb, or uses you often as the butt of jokes (even if they honestly mean no malice with the jokes), they have the potential to destroy your mental attitude.  Flat out destroy it.

If a parent or other loved one has left scars on your mental attitude with their words, the time has come to heal the wounds. Whether they’re in the room or not, say out loud, “You’re wrong about me!“  Many times, people say things in anger that they honestly don’t mean.  Unfortunately, when adults are mad, they resort to playground tactics and name-calling ensues.

Remember:  Just because someone calls you a name doesn’t mean you have to wear it and just because they give you a label doesn’t mean you have to wear it.

If someone stuck a piece of paper to your back that said STUPID and told you to wear it for a whole day – unless there were $1,000,000 attached to the situation, you’d yank the label off and tell them where they could stick it…. for longer than just a day.  Yet many of us will wear a negative, condescending “verbal” label for a lifetime.  Why?!

Take off any and all labels that are negative and REFUSE to ever put them on again. Create your own labels and wear them instead.  I don’t care if a parent or even a spouse has given you negative labels – I promise you you don’t have to wear them.

Another situation that can undermine a mental attitude is a financially challenged childhood.  It’s my belief that children who are unusually poor tend to carry their share of issues into adulthood. Many of these kids grow up with an attitude of “I have to prove myself to everyone” – and they set off to do just that.  These determined little guys and gals often grow into workaholics and, if they don’t ever feel “satisfied” that they’ve outgrown their childhood circumstances, they’ll often push themselves too hard and they’ll one day deal with stress problems, anxiety, and a host of other health problems.

Children who live through poverty often feel that they aren’t quite as smart as other kids.  I know that’s outrageous. You know that’s outrageous.  But children are very sensitive to feeling different – and the feelings that we have, even as very young children, tend to follow us all of our lives.

Adults who have had their mental attitude “bruised” by these sorts of lingering insecurities can, figuratively, set their child self down and have a good talk with them!  When you realize how far you’ve come, the things you’ve accomplished (things that, at 7 years old no one would have given you a shot to be able to do), you’ll be able to see that your childhood didn’t weaken you at all – it gave you strength that you might not have had otherwise.

No matter what has caused your mental attitude to be less than best, take heart that it doesn’t have to stay like this. You can turn things around, starting today.  This very premise is the foundation that this website (The Mental Fitness Center) and this blog (Out of Bounds) were built upon.

From Brain Builders by Richard Leviton:

Your brain, or what scientists like to call the 3-pound universe is the next frontier in human development.  Your brain contains an estimated 100 billion neurons, or nerve cells, and is capable of outstanding feats of computation and information processing.  Despite this wealth of potential brain power, most people use no more than about 4 – 10 percent of their possible brain capacity.  The good news is that this is easily changed.

The truth of the mater is, you can increase your brain power… but you can’t put the cart before the horse.  On this site, we talk at length about foods for brain health, overcoming anxiety, mental fitness, brain games, and a  host of other self growth topics.  I want you to realize, however, that none of these will benefit you until you have a healthy mental attitude.

You have to KNOW that you are capable of learning and capable of growing.  You have to KNOW that you are worth it.  Rip off the labels and never allow anyone or anything to ever “label” you again. If you allow negative labels to “stick” to you, it’ll be nearly impossible to grow out of their shadow.

Take them off. Bury them in the yard. Take that, name-callers and circumstances.

I have countless articles, exercises, and resources planned for Out of Bounds and The Mental Fitness Center, and I’m excited about the site’s growth.

Needless to say, I’m even more excited about our growth.  So, what do you say? Let’s grow!

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

The Heart Bone’s Connected to the Head Bone

by Joi

When choosing foods, activities, and healthy habits for your brain’s health, look no further than the information you know about heart health. If you know the foods and activities that promote good heart health, then you know the food and activities that promote good brain health. Research shows that the two are even more connected than we thought. Apparently, what’s good for the heart is also good for the brain.

New research showed that people with the highest cardiac output for their body size (known as their cardiac index), meaning those with the greatest blood flow from their heart, tended to have more brain volume, which generally indicates a healthier brain.

Furthermore, researchers found that people with the lowest cardiac output showed nearly two more years of brain aging than did those with the highest cardiac output.

“Those with the lowest cardiac index and the middle group both had smaller brain volumes than those with the highest cardiac index,” said the study’s lead author, Angela Jefferson, an associate professor of neurology at the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at Boston University School of Medicine.

“Our results definitely suggest that cardiac health is related to brain health,” she noted.

Results of the study are published in the Aug. 2 online edition of Circulation.

The health of the heart and circulatory system are increasingly being linked to the health of the brain. Poor heart health has been linked to neuropsychological impairments and dementia, according to background information in the study.

Clearly, there is a strong connection between heart health and brain health. The things that affect the heart can affect brain health. The most important thing we should take away from this is the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle. When we do the following, we not only protect our heart’s health, we protect our brain’s health as well:

  • Exercise regularly.  Having a sedate lifestyle isn’t good for any part of our body or any corner of our life.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.  Being overweight puts a strain on your heart and your respiratory system.  Both are needed for optimum brain functioning.
  • Don’t smoke.  Again, the heart and respiratory system are greatly affected by smoking and each play incredibly key roles in our brain’s health.
  • Manage high blood pressure and cholesterol.  You should know your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers and, if they are high, you should be under a doctor’s care.
  • Practice proper relaxation techniques. Know, firsthand, what things relax you and restore calm to your body, spirit, and mind.  Practice your relaxation techniques regularly – never let a day go by without surrendering to complete and total relaxation for at least 20 minutes, more during particularly stressful times.
  • Get enough sleep.  You know how much sleep you require to feel your best.  Do your best to make sure you get enough sleep.
  • Eat a healthy diet. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. Cut WAY back on greasy foods, fried foods, sweets, and salt.

A lot of the things we should do and shouldn’t do for healthy hearts and healthy brains fall under the category “Good old fashioned common sense.” Basically, we know what habits are healthy habits and we know the ones that are unhealthy. It’s just a matter of committing ourselves to sticking with the good and throwing out the bad.

Maybe the fact that our hearts AND brains depend upon it will help us make healthy choices. If not, what in the world would it take?

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

The Breakfast of Mental Champions

by Joi

Like a good little mental fitness blog should, we’ve been researching in the field of mental health – finding the things we can all do to improve our mental health. Something we’ve uncovered is very encouraging – there’s far more than we ever thought possible, that can be done to improve one’s memory, mental health, while preventing dementia and Alzheimer’s.

One of the most effective, and easiest, changes we can make is at the breakfast table.

It’s alarming how many people skip breakfast and even more alarming how many think they are actually doing something good for their body when they do so.

Study after study shows that for optimum physical health, we need to eat a good breakfast.  I’m sure you’ve seen these studies before, yourself.  What you may not realize, however, is just how important a good breakfast is for your mental health.

Studies have found that eating breakfast may improve short-term memory as well as attention. Students who eat breakfast tend to perform significantly better than those who don’t.  By the same token, workers who fuel up with a healthy breakfast work circles around those who either skimp or skip breakfast entirely.

So what breakfast foods do the experts suggest are the most pivotal for your brain’s health?   To fully arm yourself with the healthiest brain foods and fuel your mind with the nutrients it craves, include high-fiber whole grains, dairy, and fruits.  Be sure not to overeat, however.  High calorie breakfasts can slow you down and make it hard to concentrate.

Sugar is one of your brain’s favorite fuel sources – not table sugar, but glucose, which your body metabolizes from the sugars and carbohydrates you eat. That’s why a glass of something sweet to drink can offer a short-term boost to memory, thinking processes, and, yes, even mental ability.  A glass of juice is, obviously, the best way to give your brain this sweet treat.

Then, of course, there’s my favorite part of morning (or noon, or night…): Coffee.  Caffeine can energize and help you focus and concentrate.Caffeine in foods such as coffee (and chocolate, another reason for loving life) give your body and mind a wake up call.  Of course, the effects aren’t long term – just long enough to help you wake up and begin functioning.

One of my favorite breakfast foods is oatmeal.  It’s unmistakably good for you and it’s so wonderfully filling that you don’t feel like you’re starving halfway between lunch and breakfast.  You can kick up the health benefits of oatmeal and make it as healthy for your brain as it is for you heart by adding nuts.  Nuts (and seeds for that matter) are good sources of the antioxidant vitamin E, which is associated with less cognitive decline as you age.

Another favorite  healthy food, dark chocolate, also has powerful antioxidant properties. And it contains natural stimulants like caffeine, which can enhance focus and concentration.  That’s why dark chocolate is a favorite mid-morning snack.

As we’ve said many times on Out of Bounds and Self Help Daily, what’s good for the heart seems to be good for the brain – and vice versa.  The heart and the brain each depend on blood flow and eating a diet high in whole grains and fruits can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, lower bad cholesterol, and prevent memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. When you reduce your chances of plaque buildup and enhance blood flow, you really fire up those brain cells!

Be sure to include whole grains in your breakfast meals as often as possible.

Further research shows that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.

But that’s not all:  Studies also show that diets rich in blueberries significantly improved both the learning capacity and motor skills.

Obviously, adding blueberries to oatmeal, cereal, yogurt, and pancakes is an extremely healthy thing to do for your brain’s health. 

So, are you ready to start powering up each morning with a healthy breakfast?  Start off with 100% fruit juice, a whole grain cereal or oatmeal, blueberries, and a cup of coffee.

In addition to eating a well-balanced breakfast, mental health experts also advise:

  1. Get a good night’s sleep.
  2. Stay hydrated.
  3. Exercise to help sharpen thinking.
  4. Practice relaxation techniques.
  5. Eliminate as much stress from your life as possible.
  6. Stay physically active – remember, keep that blood circulation, for your heart AND brain.

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

The Mediterranean Diet for Brain Health: Delicious!

by Joi

I spend a great deal of time harping about healthy food on Out of Bounds. Truth be told, I can be found preaching the same sermon on Self Help Daily as well. The thing is… we are, to a very GREAT extent, the sum total of what we put into our mouths day in and day out.

Consider the following Mental Fitness and Brain Health facts:

A recent study found that those who eat three servings or more of vegetables daily have a slower rate of cognitive decline as they age. If you aren’t currently getting enough vegetables each and every day, do yourself a huge favor and start today.  Head off to the grocery store and fill your cart up with vegetables that appeal to you – fresh vegetables, if at all possible.  Look for and try different recipes – don’t settle for the same two or three vegetables over and over again.  Branch out!

Experts tell us that we should strive for as colorful a plate as possible.  So, throw on some green vegetables, orange vegetables, red vegetables, and so on. They aren’t just vital to your physical health, they’re vital to your mental fitness as well.

Research at Vanderbilt University shows that drinking fruit or vegetable juice (any type) three times weekly can reduce your odds of getting Alzheimer’s disease by up to 76%. Seventy-six percent!  We’d be total goobers to pass up such a delicious way to care for our brain.  (For my review of Ocean Spray juices, click the link.)

Make a promise to yourself today that you’ll start paying more attention to what you put into your mouth.  Hold each bite accountable for itself. Remember, what you feed your brain today determines how it’ll treat you tomorrow.

Make each moment count double,
~ Joi

4 Ways to Improve Your Memory and Strengthen Your Mind

by Joi

How can you strengthen your mind?
How do you improve your memory?
How do you prevent mental decline?
How do you guard against supposed “age-related” memory problems?

If you’re looking for ways to strengthen your mind, improve your memory, and enhance your brain’s fitness – look no further  than the mirror.

More specifically, look at four simple promises you have to MAKE, then KEEP. Obviously, just making them isn’t going to do a bit of good. :)

Promise # 1:  Keep Your Mind Engaged

Experts tell us again and again and again (think they’re trying to drive their point home?!) that we need to keep mentally active if we want to keep mentally fit.  We have to keep our minds occupied.  If we fill our mind, our time, and our days with nothing but fluff – our minds aren’t going to be stimulated enough to stretch or grow.  In fact, the mind will regress and weaken.  Think about lifting weights.  Which will produce better-defined, more attractive, and stronger arms – working out with a 10 pound weight in each hand or a jumbo marshmallow in each?  You have to challenge something to bring out its best.

But here’s the thing I think most people miss:  You have to keep on challenging anew.  You can’t get to a point and rest thinking, “I’ve arrived. I’ll rest.”  The person who does that will soon learn just how wrong they were.

Anyone who has embarked on an exercise regime to lose weight knows the importance of adding distance or time to their workouts.  If you don’t keep challenging your body, the weight will simply stop coming off.  If you start out walking a nice, comfortable pace everyday for a month, you’ll lose weight.  How much depends upon your eating habits.  However, after a period of time, your body isn’t impressed by this distance or challenged by your pace.  It refuses to budge any more. Hello, plateau.

This is why fitness trainers preach the importance of changing your routine up, adding distance, and incorporating interval training into your workout – it keeps the body challenged.  It keeps the body improving.  It keeps the body engaged.

How do we keep our mind engaged?  If you’re reading these words, you already have a keen interest in mental fitness and brain health. You’re already ahead of the game.  You probably read each day, love brain games, and are probably a Crossword Puzzle working machine.  But here’s the thing:  Are you reading the same things each day?  Are you working the same types of puzzles each day?  Do you visit the same types of websites?  Do you watch the same types of television shows?

Are you working out with jumbo marshmallows?

It’s not enough to just read educational blogs, websites, magazines, books, and so on.  You have to make sure you aren’t reading the same subjects over and over and over again.  Many so-called experts who are cemented in particular subjects aren’t giving their minds the workout they think they are.  They aren’t stretching their minds at all, actually.  The mind gets accustomed to and comfortable with all of the articles about the same thing.

How much growth do you think occurs between accustomed to and comfortable with? Virtually none.

Here’s what I like to do.  I take a different subject area every couple of weeks and try to learn as much about that subject as possible.  I’m the biggest animal lover in the world, so I use animals often as subjects.  I recently chose one of my favorites – the great white shark.  Fascinating guy!

I also love history, so I’ll often choose a period of time, a war, or an individual and learn all I can.   Flowers, herbs, plants, natural remedies, baseball – they’re all personal favorite directions to take off and explore.  There’s something mentally stimulating for the mind to immerse itself in, say, sharks one week (or month) and Andrew Jackson the next. Personally, I’m fonder of the shark.

Challenge your mind and, whatever you do, KEEP YOUR MIND ENGAGED.

Promise # 2:  Keep Your Body Moving

Experts also tell us that staying physically active is as important for our minds as it is for our bodies.  Try to get more activity each day in any way you can. Below are various ideas to do just that.

  1. Walk everyday for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Garden!  Planting flowers, herbs, veggies, and plants – then tending to them calls for a lot of activity and burns a lot of calories. You get fresh air, sunshine, and physical fitness. If you engage your mind by reading about many new, fascinating plants, you’ll be overachieving!
  3. If the weather is too cool to walk outdoors, consider buying  a treadmill.  I wouldn’t take anything for mine.
  4. Clean house like you mean it!
  5. Wash your car yourself instead of taking it through a car wash.
  6. When shopping, take the long route to everything on your list.
  7. Make it a habit to park as far as possible from your destination.
  8. Put the laundry up one item at a time.

You get the idea – find more ways to move your body more often.  Pedometers are outstanding.  They let you know how many steps you’ve gotten that day – so you can try to stay on pace or push yourself beyond pace.  Always fun.  Just KEEP YOUR BODY MOVING.

Promise # 3:  Keep Your Lungs Clear

Smoking isn’t just unhealthy for your lungs and body – it’s a nightmare for your brain. If you are a smoker who wants to improve your memory and strengthen your mind – you simply must quit smoking.   What’s more, if you’re around smokers – even if you don’t smoke – your lungs aren’t as clear as they’d like to be.  Avoid second hand smoke whenever possible.  It’s horrible for every part of your body and mind.

If you’re after optimum physical and mental health- KEEP YOUR LUNGS CLEAR.

Promise # 4:  Keep Your Appointment with Your ZZZZZZs

One of the surest signs that you aren’t getting enough sleep is mental fogginess.  Forgetting names, misplacing things, and simply not feeling on top of your game are all signs of a lack of rest.  You may think you’re getting all the sleep you need, but that may not be the case.  Try to add a few more ZZZs and see if you feel more like your old self.

Sleep is required for our bodies and minds to repair themselves from all they do during the day.  If you rob yourself of the sleep your body and mind crave, you’re running on empty – and that never ends well.

Even if you’re keeping your mind engaged, keeping your body moving, and keeping your lungs clear… you won’t achieve all that’s yours to achieve if you don’t KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH YOUR ZZZZZZZZs.

Make each promise and make each promise stick!
~ Joi

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