Alcohol – One Drink Affects the Brain

Alcohol – One Drink Affects the Brain

Even a single drink of alcohol is enough to impair someone’s ability to reason quickly and detect errors, according to a study that electronically monitored brain waves in volunteers given drinks. Dutch researchers put sensors on the scalps of 14 men who were tested in three sessions after having a placebo, a single alcohol drink, or several drinks. The volunteers then were challenged in a computer test that required quick thinking and instinctive reasoning. Changes in brain action were quickly detected even after a single drink, leading the researchers to conclude that alcohol, even in “modest doses,” was enough to erode the mind’s ability to detect and correct errors. The […]

Alzheimers – B12 Helps Prevent

  Vitamin B12 may help to protect people against Alzheimer’s disease, a small study suggests. But other studies in this area have had mixed results. Some have found a link between B12 and Alzheimer’s risk. Others have not. The new study included 271 Finns. They were 65 to 79 years old at the start of the study. At that time, they did not have Alzheimer’s or other dementia. Researchers gave people blood tests. They measured levels of homocysteine, one of the building blocks of proteins. People with high homocysteine levels have a greater risk of stroke. They also measured the active form of B12, which lowers homocysteine levels. During the […]

Alzheimers – Smoking raises risk

Heavy smoking in midlife more than doubles your odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease, a Kaiser Permanente study said Monday. The study is the first to examine the long-term consequences of heavy smoking on Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia, says the study’s principal investigator, Rachel Whitmer, a research scientist with Kaiser Permanente in Oakland. Researchers evaluated the records of 21,123 men and women, who, starting in midlife, were followed for an average of 23 years. Of 5,367 study participants diagnosed with dementia later in life, 2,367 were smokers, and 261 were heavy smokers (more than two packs a day). Compared with non-smokers, those who had smoked two packs of cigarettes a day […]

Brain Health – 6 things to boost memory

Like the rest of your body, your brain needs exercise to keep fit. Most research on brain health can only show that certain behaviours are associated with beneficial results. In other words, it appears that people who do crossword puzzles have better memories. But scientists can’t prove that doing crossword puzzles is responsible. People who do puzzles might have better memories because of other habits or their genetics. Still, it’s worth doing all you can to stay clear-headed, incisive, clever and quick. Be a Social Butterfly Research shows that staying socially active helps maintain brain function. If you’re retired and spend time alone, consider a part-time job or volunteer at […]

Keep the Faith & Keep Your Health

Faith, Health and Healing, Is there a connection? Faith is defined as belief and trust in and loyalty to God or belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion. This belief as defined in the Bible is “the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1 As one writer describes it; Now faith is the confidence that we shall receive the things for which we hope, the proof of the reality of things we do not see. “Courage, hope, faith, sympathy, love, promote health and prolong life. A contented mind, a cheerful spirit, is health to the body and strength to the soul. “A merry [rejoicing] heart doeth […]

Living Foods

Living foods are foods which keep us healthy, free from diseases and provide healing and strength to our bodies. They are rich in anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. These are the foods we need to consume daily in order to reach and maintain an optimum level of health. Although Organic foods are preferred and healthier to use, if they are not available then use what is available.  Do you think it is worth trying them? Almonds: Almonds are especially nourishing to nerve cells. It contains minerals and vitamins particularly Calcium for strong bones and teeth. It is rich in protein and fat and the best nut […]

Mental Health – 8 Guidelines for improved

Prevention, magazine, Mar. 1998, reminds us that eating the right foods helps keep the mind clear, quick and sharp and helps to fight off diseases. “Abstemiousness in diet is rewarded with mental and moral vigor.” CDF:126.   Here is a list of eight (8) Laws that positively affect and improve the mind Law of Mental Exercise (also see Lifestyle blog on physical exercise) “It is a law of the mind that it will narrow or expand to the dimensions of the things with which it becomes familiar.”- Mind, Character, and Personality, Volume 1, page 101, Law of Beholding “It is a law of the mind that it gradually adapts itself […]

Mental health tips for men

  You’re physically fit: You eat your vegetables daily and run three times a week. But what about your mental fitness? Sure, it’s a little harder to evaluate — you can’t measure it with calipers or a scale. Yet, given the deep connections that researchers have found between mental and physical health, it is crucial that you pay attention to your psychological well-being. According to experts, many of us don’t realize we are suffering psychologically because we aren’t exhibiting “classic” signs like exhaustion, panic attacks or frequent crying. But, specialists warn, psychological problems can take many forms. ” Mental health problems are massively under-diagnosed in men,” says William Pollack, M.D., […]

Sleep – Short ‘Power Naps’ Found Best Performance Booster

A 10-minute nap is better than a half-hour snooze at improving work performance, according to new Australian sleep research. Associate Professor Leon Lack and postgraduate student Amber Tietzel studied the effect of varying nap lengths in the School of Psychology Sleep Laboratory at Flinders University in Adelaide. They conclude that 10 minutes is the most effective nap length for improving performance for up to 3 hours afterward. “We were testing the notion of whether power naps, as they’re known in the United States, are really as effective as they are claimed to be,” Lack told Reuters Health. He explained that participants in the study underwent a series of performance tests […]

Sleep Said To Help Motor Skills

Get a good night’s sleep after piano practice: It may prove crucial to learning new skills such as tickling the ivories. Scientists have long known that adequate sleep is important for forming different types of memories. People can do better on a test with proper rest than by pulling an all-nighter, for example. But learning motor skills involves a different part of the brain, and often a lot more practice, than memorizing facts. Is sleep important for that, too? Very, German scientists report. Scientists at the University of Lubeck taught healthy young students different finger-tapping sequences, and then either let them sleep or kept them awake for eight hours. When […]

Stress-Free or Stress-Less?

Stress-Free or Stress-Less?

Are you enjoying a stress free life? Well that is amazing! No one can live without experiencing some degree of stress all the time. There are two types of stress; good stress which we experience most days to keep us getting up and facing the day ahead. It is also the spice of life, for any emotion like sheer joy or activity like crossing a busy intersection causes stress in a good sense. Bad or negative stress is the second type of stress and this refers to stresses which can cause a negative impact on health and life. Sickness and diseases can cause physical and psychological stress as well as […]

The Mind & Disease – Be Positive!

The Mind & Disease – Be Positive!

I heard a story once of two patients, on the same hospital ward, who were both diagnosed with cancer. As the physician gave the first patient his results, he said to him, “Sir I have very bad news for you. The blood test results came back, showing you have cancer and it is at the fourth stage. Even treatment at this time will not help you. You have just six months to live”. The distraught patient left the ward feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, and died six months later. The second patient was told by the doctor, that his blood test results came back and there was no trace of cancer. […]

TV Linked To Kids’ Attention Problems

TV Linked To Kids’ Attention Problems April 5, 2004   CHICAGO (AP) — Researchers have found that every hour preschoolers watch television each day boosts their chances — by about 10 percent — of developing attention deficit problems later in life.   The findings back up previous research showing that television can shorten attention spans and support American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations that youngsters under age 2 not watch television.   “The truth is there are lots of reasons for children not to watch television. Other studies have shown it to be associated with obesity and aggressiveness” too, said lead author Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a researcher at Children’s Hospital and […]