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Brain Health
As we age brain health was thought to decline, but not so. Not only can you improve your intellectual health into old age, you can reprogram after illness.
You know what it feels like. We used to be as sharp as a whip, but now our brain health seems to be in decline. We have trouble remembering things, we lose words, we pause for long periods mid-sentence...(oops, did I say that out loud??)
It was thought until recently that brain function peaked, plateaued then declined inexcorably, as through age, the brain became increasingly rigid.
But guess what? That's wrong. Our brains are plastic, as long as we treat them that way. That is, they don't have to go stiff, they just need exercise. like the rest of us. The concept of neuroplasticity was first considered by the early Greeks, but it really hadn't gained any serious currency until recently. Now the idea of neuroplasticity is setting the world's brain health experts (yes, Virginia, it IS brain surgery) on fire. The science is proving that the brain can continue to learn, rewire and adapt well into old age. We can use our thoughts alone to change behaviours dramatically. It really is a use it or lose it organ.
I've found a great resource to get that exercise too!
Luminosity
has a range of exercises you can do everyday to improve your brain function. It can be geared to the things you want to improve. It's not free, but it's quite inexpensive (about $7 per month) and worth it, I think, if it does the job. I'm doing the exercises, so I'll let you know!
Dr. Norman Doidge
has studied and documented a range of cases reflecting the remarkable expansion and recovery functions the brain is capable of. Neuroplasticity has been described as the most important breakthrough in understanding brain health in 400 years.
So what are some of these features of neuroplasticity?
Our thoughts can switch genes on and off which indicates free will can overtake both nature and nurture Stroke patients have been able to overcome their limitations Conditions like Obsessive compulsive disorders can be successfully treated by teaching new thought patterns to patients A woman labeled retarded was able to cure her deficiencies using brain exercises and now teaches other how to as well.
But no point waiting for desperate times. You can re-program your brain and improve your intellectual health now by applying one thing:
Focussed Attention The brain is an adaptive organ, but it needs new material. If you haven't learned how to do anything new and challenging lately, do it now. If you thought maybe going
back to school
might be interesting, sign up. Do puzzles, crosswords, games of increasingly complexity. Your brain is like any other sort of muscle. It needs to be exercised and challenged. Otherwise, it will let you down. If you need inspiration, view this talk by
Jill Bolte Taylor
on experiencing and then recovering from her own stroke. She is a brain scientist, which makes it all the more interesting and moving to listen to.
Return from
Brain Health
to
Womens Health Problems
Other articles on the Women's Health:
Womens health problems
Womens health problems at this stage of life centre around half a dozen main issues. This is where you shake off the bad habits for longevity.
| Health Goals
If you think it's all uphill from here to get better health outcomes, don't panic. Incorporate the 10% difference in your daily life and reach your health goals.
| Benefits of Exercise
Once you are in your 50's, all those bad lifestyle choices you made previously come home to roost. The benefits of exercise are wide ranging and for some, life saving.
| Perimenopause Symptoms
Experiencing perimenopause symptoms is the start of the menopause, when periods become irregular and you begin to feel those hot flushes.
| Menopause
Menopause is a stage of life where a woman will undergo profound changes emotionally and physiologically, but we are often surprised and unprepared when menopause actually hits.
| Menopause Symptoms
There are a wide range of menopause symptoms and perimenopause symptoms a woman may experience. Treatments for most are available if they become too much.
| Menopause and Sex
Physical changes during menopause can impact on maintaining intimacy. Menopause and sex can mix, it just needs adjustment.
| Depression and Menopause
Statistically there is a link between depresson and menopause, but depression is not considered a symptom of menopause. How will you know the difference?
| Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy or HRT can reduce the impact of the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause such as night sweats and insomnia.
| Testosterone for Women
Testosterone for women to replace shrinking levels in middle age sounds great, but needs to be treated with extreme caution.
| Heart Attack Signs in Women
The heart attack signs in women are often very different from those in men, but the message remains the same...get help quickly.
| Breast Cancer
Post menopause is when women are particularly at risk of contracting several life threatening diseases and breast cancer is one of them.
| Brain Health
As we age brain health was thought to decline, but not so. Not only can you improve your brain health into old age, you can reprogram your brain after illness.
| Pre-diabetes
An estimated 300 million people have pre-diabetes, but it's still not too late to avoid diabetes altogether.
| Belly Fat
An increase in belly fat in middle age is related to hormones, diet and that tipple we've become partial to each evening...
| How to stop overeating
You know the feeling, disgust with yourself, bloated because you have over eaten again. How to stop overeating? It's going to take a bit of retraining on your part but you can stop overeating.
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