The Clackamas print., February 28, 2007, Page 6, Image 6

6
Clackamas Print
Feature
Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007
10 Steps to a Healthy Brain
- Compiled by Kimberly Maier, The Clackamas Print
As a result of advances in medicine and research, the human life expectancy has now increased to age 74 for males and 79
for females. By contrast, human mental decline starts at around the age of 40.
A healthy body is useless if driven by an ailing mind. Follow these tips to help your brain perform its best and fight off
dementia in later life:
•”T
,• Take a |leep Breath — W
h inhale deeply, the air in
ypurlun J ; shouldpxpand thfj
fcp^tt of your ribcage. If
you take 3| SSept breath and y
1ms expand the area near
your breaj MVyou’re breat
ong. The brain needs
a rebnatant supply of oxyggpl . „¡cells will die. Because
ibjrL tom with all 2 “ hBbrain cells you will ever have,
breathing correctly is é nqa^f youWant to keep your brain
fuÄhÄMng.
• Sex it up — Brain imaging studies
at UCLA have shown that people who
experience more frequent orgasms have
increased brain activity and superior mem­
ory. Getting excited during sex causes an
increase of blood flow and oxygen to the
brain.
• Be a bookworm — Reading and
writing are both activities that create
connections between nerve cells in the
brain. These connections protect die
brain from dementia and Alzheimer’s
disease.
Keep your heart happy — Without a
clear pathway for blood
to enter the brain, it
will be deprived of the
oxygen it needs to sur­
vive. Smoking, eating
fatty foods and being a
greasy, fat ass in general
will clog up your arter­
ies, making a narrow
path of great resistance
for oxygenated blood.
Feed your brain - Fruits, vegetables
and grains are rich in antioxidants, which
protect your brain from degenerating and
help keep it disease-free. Antioxidants
intercept free radicals and protect cells
from oxidative damage that leads to
aging and dementia-related diseases.
Blueberries and apple
juice are an easy
way to introduce
antioxidants
into your
7.
• Use it or lose it - Unused parts of
the brain cease functioning just like any
other part of the body. Challenging the
thinker with uncharted activities wakes
up new areas
andenhances
overall learn­
6
1
5 4
ing ability. 1 2
7 3 6
Crossword
9 3
puzzles and
5
8
6
7
board games
are a good 9 8
way to stim­
7 3 6
4 5
ulate your 5 4
8
9
mind.
1
• Easy on the drugs and alcohol -
This is a no-brainer. These substances
cross the blood-brain barrier and cause
severe damage.
1.
• Chill out - Stress is a major cause of high
blood pressure, which limits blood flow to your
melon. When a person is overstressed, it causes
chemical imbalances that impair the transmission
of nerve signals, slowing brain function.
• Stay in school - The National
Institute of Health determined that
higher levels of education corre­
late with good cognitive function.
It is speculated that educa­
tion provides a “cognitive
reserve” for the brain to rely
on when tissue starts dete­
riorating. So, essentially,
college is a back-up plan in
more ways than one.