Is there a way to help your brain to work better, and more efficiently? The good news is that there are ways that you can nourish your brain cells so you enjoy better brain function. There is a relationship between what you eat and how you live, and how healthy your brain is, and how well it works. The bad news (maybe) is that you may have to educate your taste buds to make it happen.
Things to do to improve brain function
• Eat more of the Omega-3 fatty acids such as yellow fin tuna, wild salmon, and flaxseed meal (mix it in with your oatmeal or cold cereal).
• Eggs have choline which is linked to good brain function.
• Incorporate more antioxidants into your diet. This includes foods such as citrus, and especially blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, and pomegranate. Coffee is high in antioxidants as is green tea. Dark chocolate and garlic provide powerful antioxidants. Avocados are another super food.
• Complex carbohydrates supply much-needed sugar for brain function in its best form. Think brown rice, whole grains, sweet potatoes, and fresh fruit among other things. (Tip: if your family is not accustomed to whole wheat bread, pasta, etc., introduce it a little at a time.)
• Mom was right: eat your green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, and broccoli. They provide good nutritional support for many body systems including your brain.
• Spinach and cranberries may help prevent memory loss diseases such as Alzheimer Disease.
• Drink lots of water. If your brain is dehydrated, it is difficult to think well.
• Exercise. Thirty minutes of gentle walking three times a week will help you think better.
How to drain your brain
• Consume simple sugars including soda, sugary energy drink, and fruit juice. They contribute to blood sugar crashes, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, as well putting you on a high/low blood sugar ride.
• Meals that are high in carbohydrates will make you feel sleepy.
• Using nicotine will constrict your veins decreasing blood flow to your brain.
• Be a couch potato, and overeat.
• Refuse to learn anything new.
Do some research on your own to learn more. Don't you think it's worth a lifestyle change to have a better life?
Health tips from Your Personal Trainer
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Do You Know What You Are Drinking?
Tomorrow morning for breakfast, would you take a glass, half fill it with sugar, add acid strong enough to break down tooth enamel, stir in artificial coloring, throw in carbonation, and drink it? Statistics state that soft drinks account for more than a quarter of all beverages drunk in the United States. The average American drinks 53 gallons of carbonated soft drinks per year.
Is there really anything wrong with a can of soda?
• It depends on your definition of "anything wrong." If you drink one, or more sodas per day, you increase your risk of "metabolic syndrome." This increases your risk for heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Drinking diet soda does not change this statistic.
• Caffeine, in heavy amounts, may make you a bundle of nerves, and may aggravate heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat patterns). Additionally, it creates caffeine dependency.
• This "liquid candy" (so called for the amount of sugar in it) can fill you up with 160 calories leaving little to no room for foods with nutritional value.
• It can break down your tooth enamel causing tooth decay. The acid in soda pop is only slightly less destructive than battery acid.
• Soda often contains dyes that are harmful to some people. (Are you sure you are not one of them?)
• Some research indicates a link between drinking pop and esophageal cancer.
• Other studies suggest that there is a link between drinking colas, and having kidney stones.
• Diet soda has a higher amount of acid than regular pop.
If you still want to drink soda, do it wisely.
• Strictly limit the amount that you drink – no more than one can per day.
• Drink it with meals to restrict the damage done by the sugar and acid.
• Don't let it replace more nutritious foods.
• Rinse your mouth – or better yet, brush your teeth after consuming soft drinks.
• Use a straw to limit the amount of acid touching your teeth.
Glenn will be at The Gathering, a group of local merchants, in Ocala on Saturday, February 27, 2010. Make plans now to attend the gathering, and chat with Glenn about your own personal fitness program.
Is there really anything wrong with a can of soda?
• It depends on your definition of "anything wrong." If you drink one, or more sodas per day, you increase your risk of "metabolic syndrome." This increases your risk for heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Drinking diet soda does not change this statistic.
• Caffeine, in heavy amounts, may make you a bundle of nerves, and may aggravate heart arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat patterns). Additionally, it creates caffeine dependency.
• This "liquid candy" (so called for the amount of sugar in it) can fill you up with 160 calories leaving little to no room for foods with nutritional value.
• It can break down your tooth enamel causing tooth decay. The acid in soda pop is only slightly less destructive than battery acid.
• Soda often contains dyes that are harmful to some people. (Are you sure you are not one of them?)
• Some research indicates a link between drinking pop and esophageal cancer.
• Other studies suggest that there is a link between drinking colas, and having kidney stones.
• Diet soda has a higher amount of acid than regular pop.
If you still want to drink soda, do it wisely.
• Strictly limit the amount that you drink – no more than one can per day.
• Drink it with meals to restrict the damage done by the sugar and acid.
• Don't let it replace more nutritious foods.
• Rinse your mouth – or better yet, brush your teeth after consuming soft drinks.
• Use a straw to limit the amount of acid touching your teeth.
Glenn will be at The Gathering, a group of local merchants, in Ocala on Saturday, February 27, 2010. Make plans now to attend the gathering, and chat with Glenn about your own personal fitness program.
Get Up And MOVE!
Do we move less because we get older, or do we get older because we move less? Studies show that there is a definite connection between exercise and the aging process on a molecular level. As little as 100 minutes (less than two hours) of moderate exercise per week can make a difference.
What makes molecules age?
Telomeres are the caps on the end of the strings of our chromosomes. Each time a cell divides, the telomere erodes. When the telomeres on a cell are too short, it can no longer divide, and the cell dies, perhaps as part of the aging process. Some experiments seem to indicate that there is a connection between exercise, and the length of the telomeres. The more intensive the exercise, the more protection there is for the telomeres.
What kind of testing demonstrates this?
The testing took place with older and younger professional athletes, and with some untrained persons. Scientists noted that the older athletes' regular exercise activates an enzyme called telomerase, which helps keep the telomeres stable. The telomeres are then more steady, and can better protect the body cells. In older athletes, who had faithfully worked out for decades, the telomeres were the most stable.
Exercise has other benefits as well
Regular exercise helps regulate your appetite. People who exercise regularly have a lower pulse rate, and blood pressure. Exercise can even help alleviate certain kinds of depression. Don't you think you should start moving today?
Glenn will be at The Gathering, a group of local merchants, in Ocala on Saturday, February 27, 2010. Make plans now to attend the gathering, and chat with Glenn about your own personal fitness program.
What makes molecules age?
Telomeres are the caps on the end of the strings of our chromosomes. Each time a cell divides, the telomere erodes. When the telomeres on a cell are too short, it can no longer divide, and the cell dies, perhaps as part of the aging process. Some experiments seem to indicate that there is a connection between exercise, and the length of the telomeres. The more intensive the exercise, the more protection there is for the telomeres.
What kind of testing demonstrates this?
The testing took place with older and younger professional athletes, and with some untrained persons. Scientists noted that the older athletes' regular exercise activates an enzyme called telomerase, which helps keep the telomeres stable. The telomeres are then more steady, and can better protect the body cells. In older athletes, who had faithfully worked out for decades, the telomeres were the most stable.
Exercise has other benefits as well
Regular exercise helps regulate your appetite. People who exercise regularly have a lower pulse rate, and blood pressure. Exercise can even help alleviate certain kinds of depression. Don't you think you should start moving today?
Glenn will be at The Gathering, a group of local merchants, in Ocala on Saturday, February 27, 2010. Make plans now to attend the gathering, and chat with Glenn about your own personal fitness program.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Chew Carefully When You Eat
Moms always used to say, "Chew your food 32 times before you swallow." Remember how you used to roll your eyes? Well, guess what? Mom was right—at least in saying you should eat slowly, and chew more carefully for a longer time.
What are good eating practices good for?
• Chewing well is a part of healthy digestion.
• Put your troubles to the side, and try to be in a calm state of mind while you eat. Eating in a peaceful atmosphere contributes to good digestion. If you are accustomed to having a glass of wine with your meal, this, too will help digestion.
• Chewing food into smaller pieces makes it easier to swallow the food
• It gives the food longer exposure to digestive enzymes in your saliva, which in turns breaks the food down better for digestion.
• When your food has higher amounts of saliva, it slides through your stomach, and into your intestine more easily.
• Chewing slowly can help keep you from overeating.
• Careful chewing will help keep your teeth and gums healthy.
What happens if you don't follow good eating practices?
• You are helping develop bacterial overgrowth, which is a cause of flatulence, heartburn, IBS, and abdominal spasms.
• You may be aggravating muscle pain, headaches, asthma, and allergies, and skin rashes.
• You might be setting yourself up for constipation.
• You won't get the full value of the nutrients you are ingesting.
How to help your digestive system
• Cut your food into small pieces.
• Don't cram your mouth full. Chew a little at a time.
• Chew until what you have in your mouth seems liquefied. This will take time to get there, and you'll feel strange doing it at first.
• If you do not have time to sit and chew carefully, consider a liquid replacement such as a protein shake made with whey powder.
Start today. The sooner you master the challenge of a peaceful, calm, well-digested meal, the sooner you will feel a lot better.
Glenn will be at The Gathering, a group of local merchants, in Ocala on Saturday, February 27, 2010. Make plans now to attend the gathering, and chat with Glenn about your own personal fitness program. Click on the poster to see it better.
What are good eating practices good for?
• Chewing well is a part of healthy digestion.
• Put your troubles to the side, and try to be in a calm state of mind while you eat. Eating in a peaceful atmosphere contributes to good digestion. If you are accustomed to having a glass of wine with your meal, this, too will help digestion.
• Chewing food into smaller pieces makes it easier to swallow the food
• It gives the food longer exposure to digestive enzymes in your saliva, which in turns breaks the food down better for digestion.
• When your food has higher amounts of saliva, it slides through your stomach, and into your intestine more easily.
• Chewing slowly can help keep you from overeating.
• Careful chewing will help keep your teeth and gums healthy.
What happens if you don't follow good eating practices?
• You are helping develop bacterial overgrowth, which is a cause of flatulence, heartburn, IBS, and abdominal spasms.
• You may be aggravating muscle pain, headaches, asthma, and allergies, and skin rashes.
• You might be setting yourself up for constipation.
• You won't get the full value of the nutrients you are ingesting.
How to help your digestive system
• Cut your food into small pieces.
• Don't cram your mouth full. Chew a little at a time.
• Chew until what you have in your mouth seems liquefied. This will take time to get there, and you'll feel strange doing it at first.
• If you do not have time to sit and chew carefully, consider a liquid replacement such as a protein shake made with whey powder.
Start today. The sooner you master the challenge of a peaceful, calm, well-digested meal, the sooner you will feel a lot better.
Glenn will be at The Gathering, a group of local merchants, in Ocala on Saturday, February 27, 2010. Make plans now to attend the gathering, and chat with Glenn about your own personal fitness program. Click on the poster to see it better.
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