If you don't keep your mind active, studies show that your brain loses some of its functionality as you age, which causes memory loss, brain fog, and even Alzheimer.
A well-stimulated brain also elevates your mood, which helps you feel better on the inside.
Here are 15 brain boosting activities:
1. Play games that challenge and stimulate your mind. These include:
* Picture Puzzles
* Strategy Games
* Crossword Puzzles
* Card Games
* Deduction Games (such as Clue)
* Visualization Puzzles
* Optical Illusions
2. Reading stimulates the brain as it activates your imagination. Reading also helps with memory retention and problem solving, especially if you're reading a mystery. Also, self-help books stimulate your brain by helping you to think for yourself, as well as find solutions in your mind..
3. Exercising helps circulate blood that carries oxygen to your brain. Over the long-term, exercise is proven to increase brainpower and even create new neurons.
4. Stimulate your brain with meditation.. Meditation has been shown to increase your IQ, relieve stress, and promote a higher level of brain functioning. Meditation also stimulates the prefrontal cortex of the brain, the area of the brain responsible for advanced thinking, ability and performance.
5. Deep breathing helps deliver oxygen to your brain. Oxygen helps you be more alert and awake. As little as 10 to 15 minutes of deep breathing daily can increase brain functionality.
6. Taking fish oil supplements is literally like membrane material for the brain.. The two primary components in fish oil, DHA and EPA, strengthen the emotional center of the brain and boost focus.
7. Studies have proven that listening to music strengthens the right hemisphere of the brain and actually changes the structure of it. Also, people who listen to music are shown to be more emotionally intelligent than those who don't.
8. Writing improves memory and thought expression. Writing articles, blogs, or journal entries stimulates thought processes, which also enhances brain function.
9. Sleep clears out brain clutter and reduces brain fog. When you don't get enough sleep at night, your memory and normal brain function suffers.
10. Painting is shown to be an effective brain booster in that it sparks the creativity within you. Even if you have never tried painting before, give it a shot. You'll find that you feel more creative and may actually enjoy it.
11. Starting the day out with a good breakfast has been proven to supply energy to the brain and body for the whole day. When you skip breakfast, you're missing out on a powerful edge, both physically and mentally.
12. Walking allows you to clear your mind and thoughts. Not only is it good exercise for your body, walking gives your brain a chance to wander freely, clearing it of any troublesome thoughts.
13. Drink a serving of pure fruit juice.. Fruit juice contains nutrients that revitalize and refresh the brain. Juices to drink are pomegranate, blueberry, and cranberry as they deliver more focus and energy.
14. Students who drink some caffeine before an exam typically have higher scores than those who don't. This is because caffeine stimulates activity in the brain, which produces better focus and thinking ability. Don't overdo it though!
15. Draw a picture. Like painting, drawing stimulates the creative side of your brain. So get out some colored pencils and start boosting your brainpower.
To get the most out of these brain boosting activities, mix them up and do a variety of them at different times. Just choosing one won't boost your brainpower, however, combining and alternating them will give your brain the added boost you need now and in the long run.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Congress party supporters gather outside the residence of party President Sonia Gandhi, portrait seen background, in New Delhi on Saturday.
Jammu and Kashmir state's National Conference party leader Farooq Abdullah is congratulated by an unidentified person for his victory, at his residence in Srinagar.
Women in traditional Korean costume bow down to their elders during a ceremony celebrating the Coming-Of-Age Day at a university in Seoul.
Malaysian health officials collect health declaration forms at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang.
Protestors with pictures of Aung San Suu Kyi in Queens Park in Toronto. Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi faced a second day of a closed-door trial today.
Astronaut John Grunsfeld, STS-125 mission specialist, participates in the mission's fifth and final session of extravehicular activity (EVA) to refurbish and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.
Britain's Prince Charles with his mother, Queen Elizabeth, after she presented him with a royal horticultural society victoria medal of honour in London. (Reuters Photo)
At Chota Lahore Refugee Camp in Swabi, a boy waits in line carrying a stack of rotis — AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti
An fighter poses with his weapon as he mans a position in the streets of Mogadishu, Somalia. Pro-government forces scrambled to thwart an insurgent onslaught that has left more than 100 dead and displaced tens of thousands over the past week.
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Rich and Famous Food...
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The world of the rich and famous is fascinating for many of us. They lead the life many of us want and they do what we only dream of us. This time we'll have a look at the most expensive foods in the world. 1. Saffron, a spice grown worldwide, is derived from the saffron crocus flower. A pound of dry saffron (0.45 kg) requires 50,000–75,000 flowers to make, meaning an entire football field of these flowers. Requiring so much resources and labor, prices for the spice go around US$500/pound to US$5,000/pound (US$1100–US$11,000 per kilogram). 2. The most expensive nut in the world is the Macadamia nut. The macadamia tree produces nuts only after it's 7-10 years old, requiring fertile soil and heavy rainfall. These nuts have a very hard seed, but once it's open it reveals a creamy white kernel containing up to 80% oil and 4% sugar. The cost of a kilogram of these nuts exceeds 30$. 3. The most expensive caviar in the world is not the black one, but the almas caviar! The word 'almas' is Iranian for diamond. Beluga caviar comes from a fish over 100 years old, that is virtually unchanged for 120 million years. The luxurious caviar comes from the oldest survivor of the Dinosaur era. Beluga caviar ranges in price from more than $5,000 per kilogram in the United States 4. The most expensive mushroom in the world is the white truffle. The mushroom has its origins in the Langhe area of the Piedmont region in northern Italy, it can reach 12 cm diameter and 500g. These truffles are sold at a amazing price of €2,000 and €4,000 per kilogram ($1350 - $2700 per pound). The record price for this truffle was paid last year, in December, when Stanley Ho, the owner of the Macau casino paid $330,000 for 1.5kg of truffles. 5. The most expensive potato in the world is a French one, "La Bonnotte". Annually, only 100 tons of this top quality potato are cultivated and collected only on the island Noirmoutier. The potato fields require to be fertilized only with seaweed in a climate shaped by the nearby sea. The cost of one single kilogram can reach €500 since this type of potato is almost extinct. 6. The most expensive beef in the world is the type of beef coming from the Wagyu cows. These Japanese cows are fed the best grass and provided the best treatment. That is why the meat is especially tender and particularly expensive. 200 grams of a fillet cost in Europe more than 100 dollars. 7. The most expensive sandwich in the world is the club sandwich from Essen aka von Essen Platinum Club Sandwich. This triple-decker delicacy contains the finest chicken, ham, hard-boiled quails' eggs and white truffles and it's currently sold at Cliveden, Berkshire. The chicken (poulet de Bresse) is referred to as the 'fourth gastronomic wonder of the world served with a topping of white truffles, sold at over a thousands ponds a month. At 1,182 calories, with 1.8oz of fat, it's not the healthiest dish but certainly one of the most expensive. Costing 100 pounds (almost 200 dollars), this is a must-try for the food fanatics. 8.The most expensive pizza in the world, valued at 8300 Eur can be tasted in Italy. With generous toppings of caviar and lobster, the pizza has a diameter of 20cm and Louis XIII Remy Martin cognac poured all over it. 9. The most expensive omelet in the world can be tasted at the Le Parker Meridien restaurant in New York. The $1,000 omelet consists of 10 ounces of sevruga caviar, a whole lobster, and six eggs. To make it in the privacy of your own home, the cost will be only $700. 10. Off to something sweet now with one of the most expensive deserts in the world, served at Serendipity 3, a popular restaurant in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The $1000 sundae was introduced in 2004 and was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most expensive dessert. It's made up of 5 scoops of the richest Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream, Madagascar vanilla, 23K edible gold leaf and one of the most expensive chocolates in the world, Amedei Porceleana. |
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