Brain Boosters

One thing that concerns me is getting alzheimer’s when I get old. Or even before I get old. My mom had it and it is heartbreaking to see. I do hope and pray that if it does happen, I become more of who I already am, being a happy person with a terrible memory, versus wanting to kick cats. So I read up and try to do things for my brain health.  There was an article in Newsweek January 10-17, 2011 called “Can You Build a Better Brain?” I thought it was interesting so I will give you a summary with my take on it.

Scientists are finding that attempting to keep your brain active by memorization or crossword puzzles, etc. doesn’t work. “Doing crossword puzzles will improve your ability to…do crosswords.” What you want is something that transfers to all tasks across the board. Here is what does work:

1.       The “ancestor effect.” “Thinking about our genetic origin … enhances intellectual performance.” Well, who knew my favorite pastime of sitting around reminiscing and listening to stories about our collective childhoods was good for me? I like to think that it’s because the veil between this world and the next is very thin, and when we talk about our ancestors, they listen, and they pray for us and help us.

2.       A positive mood. Take a break and watch a funny YouTube video. Expose yourself. TO HUMOR.

3.       “Being told you belong to a group that does very well on tests tends to let you do better than if you’re told you belong to a group that does poorly”. Reminds me of a time we were talking parenting and saying we shouldn’t compare our kids to others’ kids or to siblings. Someone asked Kathleen if I ever did that. She said, “Yeah, but always in the opposite way – ‘You guys are the best kids ever. You’re an Ojeda! We are the BEST!’”

4.       Exercise. Simple aerobics. Walking 45 minutes a day three days a week. (I am just passing on the information; I didn’t say I followed all these things! Don’t judge me!) Findings show a year of exercise can give a 70 year old the connectivity of a 30 year old, improving memory, planning, and dealing with ambiguity and multitasking.

5.       Meditation. It “increases the thickness of regions that control attention and process sensory signals.” Need I say more?

6.       And weirdly enough: Video games?! BUT in order to be helpful, the game must require motor control, visual search, working memory, long-term memory, and decision making. Next time you’re over we’ll sit down to a rousing game of Halo.

Sounds easy enough. Now, what was I saying again?