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Press Media Wire (Press Release) - Feb 21,2009 - Do you find yourself experiencing too many “senior moments”?
Suffering from anxiety or insomnia? With bad economic news in a
seemingly endless supply, more and more people find themselves
suffering from stress, poor memory, lack of concentration and “brain fog."
Newport Beach California “brain fitness” expert Jason T. Gomez today offered a Top 10 list of simple steps that can help people improve the health and function of their grey matter—and improve focus and concentration, reduce stress, lift “brain fog,” and reduce anxiety.
Top Ten Brain Fitness Tips
1. Stop smoking.
Nicotine and the other toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke arrive in
your brain just moments after you inhale. What’s more, cigarette
smoking constricts the blood vessels that feed oxygen to the brain. And
long-term, smoking raises your risk of stroke—a form of brain injury
that is the third leading cause of permanent disability in the U.S.
2. Eat brain food, not junk food.
The brain makes up only 3% of our body weight, yet it consumes 25% of
our energy. Feed your brain high-quality protein (up to half a gram per
pound of body weight per day), so it has the food to maintain and grow
neural nets. Other brain-friendly foods include blueberries, avocadoes,
walnuts, green tea, oily fish like salmon, red bell peppers, spinach,
turkey, and broccoli.
3. Get rid of the Grande Lattes.
Artificial stimulants like caffeine, and depressants like alcohol,
interfere with the brain’s normal bioelectrical cycles. “And too often,
people use caffeine as a substitute for sleep,” says Gomez.
4. Avoid premature aging.
Caffeine isn’t the only thing that makes your brain old before its
time. Alcohol, exposure to toxic fumes, narcotics, lack of sleep, and
even negative thinking cause brain cells to age prematurely. “And when
you consider that about 85,000 brain cells die naturally every day,
some of us can’t afford to lose any more,” laughs Gomez.
5. Go to bed at a decent hour.
(See, Mom was right.) Why is sleep so important? When you don’t get
enough sleep, blood flow to your brain can drop by as much as
one-quarter. So your brain cells get 25% less oxygen and nutrients. (No
wonder you’re the first in line for a latte in the morning.)
6. Take a hike.
Or hit the gym, go dancing, or walk the dog. Your brain is part of your
body, and exercise is just as good for your brain as it is for the rest
of you. “Exercise to the point of perspiration at least three times a
week,” says Gomez. “Aerobic exercise increases blood flow and oxygen in
the brain.”
7. Use it or lose it. The Alzheimer’s Association
recommends mental challenges in the form of crossword puzzles, Soduko,
jigsaws, strategy games and even learning a new language help build new
neural connections and keep old connections more flexible and
responsive.
8. Stay connected. Social butterflies may
benefit from maintaining and enjoying their interpersonal
relationships. And for many, connecting with friends and family also
helps reduce stress.
9. De-stress. Speaking of stress,
it’s also a proven brain cell killer. “Flooding your body with
adrenaline and other stress-related biochemicals activates the ‘fight
or flight’ parts of your brain,” says Gomez. “Living that way gives you
a kind of tunnel vision. You may start to see everything as a threat,
and over time, that wears on your brain, your body and your endocrine
system.”
10. Train your brain. Not surprisingly, Gomez advocates biofeedback to help optimize your “mental hardware.” According to the Mayo Clinic’s Web site, biofeedback
“can be particularly useful in treating stress-related conditions” and
is being examined in clinical trials as a treatment for other
conditions, including asthma, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, and
high blood pressure. “A trained biofeedback therapist can help you learn to regulate your brain’s electrical activity,” says Gomez. “Some clients say it’s like getting a computer upgrade for the brain. They have more memory and can process things a lot faster.”
11. Take your vitamins.
If you’re not eating enough “brain foods,” Gomez says that some
nutritional supplements may help bridge the gap. “Flax Oil, and Omega 3
fatty acids—found in fish like salmon—appear to be essential in
building healthy neural pathways. And lecithin is a major component of
the protective sheath that surrounds nerve cells. The family of B
vitamins appears to be helpful in reducing the effects of stress,” he
says.
“If you hadn’t already noticed that this Top Ten list
of brain fitness tips includes eleven items, that may be a sign that
your brain is getting flabby,” says Gomez. “And since it’s the only brain you have, why not take better care of it?”
About Jason Thomas Gomez
Jason T. Gomez is Operations Manager and Client Care Specialist at BrainHarmony Biofeedback Center
in Newport Beach, California. A profound spiritual epiphany during his
youth inspired Jason Thomas Gomez to explore of the role of the brain
in religious and spiritual experience. His studies eventually
culminated in a Master’s Degree in Religious Studies with an emphasis
in Neuro-theology.
About BrainHarmony Biofeedback Center
BrainHarmony
is Orange County California’s exclusive provider of proprietary
biofeedback services using Brain State Training™ technology. Biofeedback—a safe, natural and drug-free self-help and self improvement technique—is clinically proven to maximize focus and concentration, reduce stress, and improve clarity of thought and overall calmness.
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CONTACT:
Jason Thomas Gomez, M.A.
BrainHarmony Biofeedback Center
Cell - (949) 798-9291
Office - (949) 336-7566
Email: info(at)mybrainharmony.com
Website: www.mybrainharmony.com This SEO press release was written and distributed on behalf of our client by Imagine That Creative, Inc.
For more information or to request an interview, please contact our
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