My Brain Health
by Courtney Dwyer
Being a student, loving to learn new things about health and vitality and about the human body, my brain is super important to me! I am very aware when I’m not as focused or clear in my thinking, and when my energy is low and I’m not as motivated. I know how to improve my mental clarity with nutrition and diet, but I recently became aware of another piece to the puzzle of good health.
While on vacation up in beautiful Washington and Oregon, I stopped off at Powell Books to gather more information. I discovered a book written by a neurological doctor specifically about the brain, and the blip on the back cover absolutely enthralled me.
The first thing the doctor mentions to improve mental clarity, or to age gracefully cognitively if you will, is exercise! Now you may be thinking, well duh! That makes sense. But I never really understood the importance it has.
The doctor compared two men that he came across while watching television several years back. They were the same age, 80 years old, but there was a HUGE difference between them. The first man was in a care home, sitting in a wheel chair just staring out into space, pretty much waiting to die. The second man was Jack La Lanne. If you don’t recognize the name right away, this man swam across a river while towing seven boats -- with people on them! He is the man that sells juicers on infomercials and has the stamina and quick-wittedness of a 20 year old! What could have resulted in the big difference between these two men of the same age? Well, Jack was a fitness guru, a real authentic muscle man; he was even said to be the creator of the infamous “jumping jack.” There was no information about the physical activity level of the first man, but it seems likely that exercise was a key factor.
The author goes on to mention another doctor who studied school children and physical activity. Children who were more sedentary had anti-social behaviors, were more likely to act out in class, and had lower test scores. Children who were more active had less anti-social behavior, almost no acting out, and higher test scores!
It’s just simple anatomy as to why it works. The more you exercise, the more blood gets to your brain, feeding your brain! And the brain requires a lot of energy -- it uses 20% of the nutrients from the food you eat and requires a lot of oxygen from your blood!
The doctor explains another aspect of brain activity and exercise. It seems psychologists have been using exercise as part of treatment for people suffering from severe depression and severe anxiety! Some even prescribe an exercise routine instead of medication because of the amount of neurotransmitters produced, like endorphins, from exercise!
What’s awesome is that it doesn’t take that much extra physical activity to improve brain function. Even just taking a walk two days a week will improve brain function. It’s prevention! Do you want to age gracefully cognitively? Studies have shown that exercise prevents dementia and Alzheimer’s by almost 60%!
For me, if I want to continue learning and absorbing what I learn about health and nutrition, exercise is going to be a definite part of my daily life from now on. Riding my bike to work, taking up some Yoga from Megan here at The Fountain of Health, and jumping on my mini trampoline are all on the agenda!
I postulate for you healthy eating, exercise, and peace of mind.
Being a student, loving to learn new things about health and vitality and about the human body, my brain is super important to me! I am very aware when I’m not as focused or clear in my thinking, and when my energy is low and I’m not as motivated. I know how to improve my mental clarity with nutrition and diet, but I recently became aware of another piece to the puzzle of good health.
While on vacation up in beautiful Washington and Oregon, I stopped off at Powell Books to gather more information. I discovered a book written by a neurological doctor specifically about the brain, and the blip on the back cover absolutely enthralled me.
The first thing the doctor mentions to improve mental clarity, or to age gracefully cognitively if you will, is exercise! Now you may be thinking, well duh! That makes sense. But I never really understood the importance it has.
The doctor compared two men that he came across while watching television several years back. They were the same age, 80 years old, but there was a HUGE difference between them. The first man was in a care home, sitting in a wheel chair just staring out into space, pretty much waiting to die. The second man was Jack La Lanne. If you don’t recognize the name right away, this man swam across a river while towing seven boats -- with people on them! He is the man that sells juicers on infomercials and has the stamina and quick-wittedness of a 20 year old! What could have resulted in the big difference between these two men of the same age? Well, Jack was a fitness guru, a real authentic muscle man; he was even said to be the creator of the infamous “jumping jack.” There was no information about the physical activity level of the first man, but it seems likely that exercise was a key factor.
The author goes on to mention another doctor who studied school children and physical activity. Children who were more sedentary had anti-social behaviors, were more likely to act out in class, and had lower test scores. Children who were more active had less anti-social behavior, almost no acting out, and higher test scores!
It’s just simple anatomy as to why it works. The more you exercise, the more blood gets to your brain, feeding your brain! And the brain requires a lot of energy -- it uses 20% of the nutrients from the food you eat and requires a lot of oxygen from your blood!
The doctor explains another aspect of brain activity and exercise. It seems psychologists have been using exercise as part of treatment for people suffering from severe depression and severe anxiety! Some even prescribe an exercise routine instead of medication because of the amount of neurotransmitters produced, like endorphins, from exercise!
What’s awesome is that it doesn’t take that much extra physical activity to improve brain function. Even just taking a walk two days a week will improve brain function. It’s prevention! Do you want to age gracefully cognitively? Studies have shown that exercise prevents dementia and Alzheimer’s by almost 60%!
For me, if I want to continue learning and absorbing what I learn about health and nutrition, exercise is going to be a definite part of my daily life from now on. Riding my bike to work, taking up some Yoga from Megan here at The Fountain of Health, and jumping on my mini trampoline are all on the agenda!
I postulate for you healthy eating, exercise, and peace of mind.
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