blog
Decoding Healthcare: Navigating Essentials for Informed Wellness
Healthcare can seem complicated and confusing to navigate. However, having a grasp of some key concepts can help you make [ … ]
blog
aging
Are We More Easily Distracted As We Age?
Some people might be able to focus on their task at hand — and filter out distractions. However, research is indicating that as we age — we’re not able to do this as easily — an aging brain is a distracted one. Even simpler things, things that we may take for granted when we’re younger, like sitting across from your friend and having [ … ]
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Nod Your Head Up And Down (And Make Yourself Happy)
Did you know that research has found when you nod your head up and down at least 100 times a day, looking up at the ceiling and down at your toes, your vision will improve? You are strengthening the muscles in your neck and increasing blood circulation to the head and eyes. The stimulation from the neck also travels down the spine [ … ]
blog
What to Eat (And What To Avoid) For A Healthy Brain
We all know that subsisting on cheeseburgers and pizza is bad for our waistlines and our heart health, and we’ve been told from an early age to “Eat your vegetables — or there will be no dessert!” When we consider that two-thirds of Americans are now overweight or obese, the implications of current nutritional research are important [ … ]
blog
Why “Let’s Do Lunch” (For Real) Is A Good Idea For Your Brain
Most of us are afraid of aging, because aging means not being as active or efficient as we used to be. Incompetencies of aging create significant frustration and even feelings of hopelessness. However, studies have shown that while aging cannot be reversed, its effects can be decreased through a sustainable [ … ]
blog
Just Go Outside — Your Brain Will Thank You
We’ve learned about the consequences associated with spending too much time indoors —looking at screens, in urban cities — so let’s examine the positive effects of nature on our psychological and emotional lives. We’ve already discovered the link between increased rates of mental illness [ … ]
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Why Some Remember Their Dreams, and Why Others Don’t
We often live our lives with the advice to “follow our dreams” — to always do that which we can aspire to do. While dreams in reality are often less flattering than that, and almost always less coherent, we’ve attached value to what they mean for centuries. [ … ]
blog
What Meditation Does To Your Brain
Anyone who has ever attempted to meditate can vouch for the fact that while it is theoretically simple, it is extremely challenging in practice. In fact, its simplicity is what makes it difficult, and it is also what makes it worthwhile. “Mindfulness meditation” (the practice most popular in the United States) [ … ]
blog
Does Yoga Benefit The Brain?
The answer is an overwhelming yes. One study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience employed MRI scans to reveal that there were increases in gray matter in the brains of yogis. These gains were seen in a variety of regions, including “the somatosensory cortex, which contains a mental map of our body … [ … ]
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Discovering Your “Sharing” Brain
If you’re a parent of a toddler, then there’s one monosyllabic phrase that undoubtedly punctuates your days: “Mine!” Children are good at many things that might give grown-ups green horns — such as touching their toes and falling asleep anywhere, to name just a few — but it seems that sharing [ … ]
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Trust Your Brain to Heal Your Heart
“Tell me one last thing,” says Harry Potter to his mentor Dumbledore towards the end of the saga’s last movie. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?” As opposed to millions holding their breath to see Dumbledore’s reaction, Dumbledore stays calm and turns to Harry: [ … ]
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Try More Sleep and Reap the Rewards
The average human spends one-third of their life sleeping, but rumor has it that things were a little bit different for Leonardo da Vinci: da Vinci would only take 1-hour naps every 4 hours. Looking at one of the most influential geniuses of mankind, one might think that sleeping might actually be [ … ]
arts
Discovering Synesthesia: Loud Apples and Green Mondays
As a writer, I tend to cover a wide range of topics, and in the process, I usually get to learn something new. One of these topics is music. Every once in a while, I get to write an album review; doing so allows me to familiarize myself with the artists. This week, I learned about Annamaria Pinna, lead singer [ … ]
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Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall
We should all remember that social expectations are a product of the brain, so is our judgment, and our will to rise above these expectations. We have the power to define who we are — from what we see in the mirror to who we aspire to be. [ … ]
arts
What Learning Music Does For Young Minds
The correlation between studying music and improved cognitive function has been fairly well researched. Children, regardless of age, who have had interactive experiences with music have demonstrated improved memory, language, and math skills over those who have not had such [ … ]