BRAIN POWER. Did you know that the human brain is quite a modern machine? The living brain stores more info than the Library of Congress. In fact, the brain’s memory holds the storage capacity of 4.7 billion books or 230,000 DVDs. The brain also processes information faster than a computer. With 86 billion nerve cells, this critical organ sends speed impulses that travel from one nerve cell to another faster than a racecar at 268 mph. Twenty percent of your body’s oxygen and calories are needed by the brain for optimum functioning.
BRAIN VS. BRAWN. Because your brain and muscles both need fuel to work, it can come down to a “tug of war” when energy (sugar) is in short supply. Which one then takes priority? The brain, which weighs only 2% of your total body weight, requires half of your total glucose supply needed for impulse transmission from neuron to neuron. The “selfish brain” helps ensure survival when resources are limited because “the brain always gets the energy it needs.”
MOVE IT. If you are sedentary, even up to middle age (45 to 64), you can reverse some of the damage done to the respiratory and heart systems by beginning a fitness program. Ask your physician for the best way to start exercising. New research shows that hitting the sauna for 30 minutes after a fitness workout can see your blood pressure lowered and artery stiffness reduced.
STICK TO IT. Most people think of “going on a diet,” instead of “staying on a diet” for life. In a 12-week weight-loss program, 75 adults were followed by tracking their calorie-restricted weight. After the program ended, it was noted that participants began immediately gaining pounds. The trick here is for the attendees to continue counting calories and weighing themselves long-term to keep the weight off. The average American adult now weighs 177 pounds – that’s up 3 pounds in the last 10 years. But a 150-pound person can burn 409 calories in just 60 minutes of water skiing.
PUT SLEEP ON YOUR LIST. One in three U.S. citizens still gets too little sleep at night. This is a fact despite the statistic, that in the past 14 years, they have gained 17 minutes of sleep. Making a list of things-to-do for the next day may help eliminate worrying that keeps you up at bedtime.
DEPRESSION NEEDS HELP. In a study of 3,410 adults covering a period of 60 years, it was discovered that people with depression had shorter lives than those who didn’t have the malady. The risk of dying 4 to 18 years earlier than normal was highest in the years following increased symptoms of a major depressive episode. Definitely treating and controlling depression can reduce the risk of early death and suicide attempts now gaining momentum in our country and throughout the world.
ALL NATURAL. Given a choice, 78% of Americans say they would like to treat pain first with non-drug treatments.
Statistics derived from WebMD.
