Boost your Brain!

Trivia on why its important to exercise your brain power.

The Center of the Chain
The brain controls your body's information processing. It's important to take good care of it. Did you know that a study showed that people who ate seafood at least once a week had a lower risk of developing dementia than those who didn't?

Idea?
The brain's energy consumption is equivalent to the energy required to light a 20-watt light bulb. It is also uses up to 20% of the body's oxygen supply. Imagine that, our brain is so small compared to the rest of our body, but it uses up so much energy!

The Brain is Massive
Your brain triples in size after birth, but when you reach 30, it shrinks a quarter in mass every year! Your brain actually gets smaller. So giving your brain some work now ensures that you utilize your gray matter while it's at its optimum size!

If You don't Use it, You Lose it
Like any other organ in our body, if the brain doesn't get enough activity, it can atrophy. When you exercise your brain, you improve your memory, concentration, and performance under stressful environments. You also lessen the chance of getting sick with Alzheimer's.

BRAIN BUILDING
here are some things you can do to keep your brain in tip-top shape

1. A change will do you good.
Getting into a routine might put your brain to sleep. making simple changes in your life like going to a new place, passing a different route, or reading something you don't normally do can help wake up your brain.

2. Live a stress-free life.
Anxiety can give your brain extra, unnecessary work. When stressed, try to close your eyes for five minutes and visualize a place that makes you happy like sunset by the beach.

3. Eat right.
Food rich in omega-3 fatty acids are ideal. Include more fish in your diet. Carbohydrates are also said to be a good brain food. They are mentally soothing.

4. Get fit.
Physical exercise can keep your brain healthy. There are studies that show that physical activity slows down the shrinking of the brain as people age. So even if its just a couple of hours walking a week, do it!

5. Solve puzzles.
Answering crossword puzzles is great the first few times, but after a while, it will no longer feel like much of a challenge. You can try answering a variation of these puzzles. Some of them are available as computer programs or can be downloaded online. Try the Suduko Puzzles. Here is one of my favorite sites that has online sudoko game.
http://uk.games.yahoo.com/sudoku.html


If you got something in your head that you think it would make our living well don't hesitate to email me up, or if you got questions feel free to ask me.
Sawyer Padilla
raymond_padilla90@yahoo.com
livingwell-sawyer.blogspot.com
Star teacher April 2008
Macy Alcaraz