What's that you say? Playing with the kids in the park helps my memory?
Eating a golden pear or a handful of nuts packed with antioxidants will help me retain the new words I learned while doing the crossword puzzle?
And reading the ever diminishing Sunday comics before my nap will increase capillary development which will increase the blood supply which of course means more oxygen for my strong healthy brain?
These are all great ways to spend our time, but can they really help to generate brain cells and stall the onset of dementia?
Arthur Kramer, PHD, a Cognitive/Experimental Psychology Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign specializes in exercise and brain-health. His studies range from "Capitalizing on cortical plasticity: influence of physical activity on cognition and brain function" to "The effects of video game playing on attention, memory and executive control." He is one of the hundreds of researchers delving into the mysteries of our cerebral cortex health. His neuroplasticity-based research encourages us to eat a variety of foods, play games, laugh and exercise for optimum brain health.
Neuropsychologist Brenda Milner works at the Montreal Neurological Institute and is a member of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives. Her research of 40 plus years has shown physical exercise and game playing to help improve permanent memory and problem solving among many other major brain functions.
So it seems Doctors are encouraging us to play mind games! Why not try this out for ourselves? Head out to the comedy club, grab some new running shoes or pick up a good book and curl up in your favorite chair. In a week or two lets check in and see how we have done. We can remember this, right?
http://www.sharpbrains.com/
http://www.revolutionhealth.com/mental-health-games/index
http://www.aarp.org/health/healthyliving/brain_health/articles/noodle_boosters.html
http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Brenda_Milner
http://aging.als.uiuc.edu/kramer.htm
