Exercise Your Brain: Play Brain Games

Games like crosswords and Sudoku are increasingly gaining recognition as ways to protect your brain in older age. Although additional research is needed and a causal relationship hasn’t been established, older adults who regularly play number and word games have shown brain function up to a decade younger than their age on memory tests. Just like muscles, you can use or lose brain function! Brain exercise is an important part of a comprehensive wellness program. June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, a time to acknowledge a disease nearly six million Americans live with today. There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s Disease, but there are a few things you can do to reduce your risk. Try following the MIND Diet, an eating pattern rich in nutritious foods that can reduce Alzheimer’s risk by 53% when followed closely. Reaching a [...]

April is National Volunteer Month

National Volunteer Month April is National Volunteer Month, but volunteer work any time of year is important for the health of both you and your community! Nearly one in three American adults (77 million!) volunteer each year, contributing a collective 6.9 billion hours of service at an estimated value of $167 billion. But did you know that helping others could help you too? Helping your community is what matters most, but when performed altruistically, volunteering has mental and physical health benefits for volunteers themselves. Research has shown positive associations between volunteering and improved health in older age demonstrated by longer lifespan, higher cognitive function, and lower rates of depression. It’s hypothesized that knowing your actions make a lasting impact on those you serve helps you feel better about yourself, thus reducing stress. Volunteering can also offer a new sense of [...]

Train Your Self-Esteem

“Without it, you can do little. With it, you can do anything.” No, we aren’t talking about money. We’re talking about self-esteem, a trait often understood as something you either have or you don’t.  Individuals who report high levels of self-esteem claim to be more likable and attractive, have better relationships and make better impressions on others than individuals who report low levels (though, objective measures show these assumptions aren't valid). The good news is that self-esteem isn’t a fixed state as it may wax and wane through the lifespan. We also know it’s a lot like a muscle that can be trained to grow stronger. How can you start training your self-esteem?   Start by completing this reflective exercise. Take a few minutes to write a short description of yourself. Use adjectives to describe your mood, outlook, personality, and [...]

Embrace Learning

We talk a lot about healthy aging concerning our body, but what about our mind? Our current knowledge of strategies for promoting brain health is limited. However, research suggests two beneficial actions can help: 1) achieve at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity throughout the week to delay the onset of cognitive decline; and 2) eat five one-cup equivalent servings of a variety of fruits and vegetables daily. But beyond exercise and balanced eating, what else can you do? Embrace learning! Your brain has what’s known as plasticity, or the ability to learn and grow as you age. The process of learning new information can stimulate the growth of new brain cells and help prevent cognitive decline over time. Learning new complex skills strengthens connections between parts of your brain. We know that brain exercises like puzzles and word games can [...]

Strengthen Social Connections

You may have heard that people from the Mediterranean region are the healthiest on the planet, with low risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and depression. Good nutrition and physical activity are not the only reasons for these health benefits. A major contributing factor of the Mediterranean Lifestyle includes social connectedness.   The Mediterranean Diet ranked first place as U.S. News and World Report’s Best Overall Diet of 2019, beating the ketogenic diet (#38) and Whole30 Diet (also #38) by a longshot. Although there’s no official definition of a Mediterranean eating pattern, it’s generally characterized by lots of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds, low-fat or fat-free dairy, plant oils, and seafood. Chicken and other meat products (especially red) are included sparingly—just a few times a month. Not sold yet? Many proponents also make room [...]

Identify your Bias

Identify your bias Are you biased? Of course you are! We all have biases that can help or hurt how we navigate the world and the people in it. Our biases can be explicit or implicit, meaning we’re aware or unaware of them, respectively. Explicit biases are simpler to address because we’re conscious of them. On the other hand, our implicit biases are involuntary and might not align with our declared beliefs. The problem is that these biases could cause us to inadvertently engage with viewpoints we don’t truly agree with. Good news! Implicit biases are malleable; our brains are incredibly complex, so the negative associations we’ve formed through our lifetime can be unlearned. The first step, though, is identifying your implicit biases. Get your results by taking an implicit bias test from Project Implicit at Harvard University: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/takeatest.html

Donate Blood

New Year’s Resolutions don’t have to be related to your physical health. New Year’s Resolutions don’t just relate to your physical health, your emotional health and wellbeing are often even more important. Research shows that doing something nice and helping others is associated with a myriad of health benefits including: reduced stress, improved emotional wellbeing, a sense of belonging/reduce isolation feelings, and even decreased negative feelings.  Do something nice for others to put a smile on their face and yours. Did you know January is National Blood Donor Month?!  Try something nice this month by donating blood! One blood donation can save up to three lives and every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. Learn more about giving blood at www.redcrossblood.org.