brain exercises

We all know that exercising the physical body is beneficial but many forget the importance of brain exercises. Remember that the brain is responsible for what happens to the entire human system. Here are examples of brain training activities that one can perform in order to stay mentally fit and stable.

Brain Reflection Activity

This can be taken online you would have to click on a box whenever it will change its color. If you can click as early as 0.20 second, then your brain is fast. You can try this by going to this link. http://www.brainmetrix.com/reflex.htm. This test will try your reflexes; you can also try other computer games in order to measure your brain reflexes.

Brain Creativity Test

Take games that would enhance your creative thinking, you can also try painting and learning a new hobby like photography, drawing, ballet, dance classes, and new ways of creating your own art from previous examples. The brain creativity test can be tested by creating something new, something original. You can also train the brain by coming up with new fiction stories and new board games that you have created yourself. You can also try some creative games at http://www.brainmetrix.com/silversphere.htm

Memory Test

brain exercises

Memory building is the first step to recognizing data and fact, it has to be trained frequently in order for the brain to store and retrieve information efficiently, and people who have a hard time memorizing would not be able to go to other complex steps of brain activities. It would be good to play memory games every now and then, check your ability by undergoing the number or rhyme technique, remember the list of grocery items without using a list and use mnemonics and visualizations in order to complete a given set of list. Another way is to make use of number and shape system as well as remembering alphabets and using them as signs in order to remember something.

Play Chess and Other I.Q Booster Games

Chess can improve intelligence, strategy and planning. Other strategy games like card games are also good brain workouts that you and your family can play.

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benefits of grapes

It is a common known fact that fruits and vegetables provide the necessary nutrients that the body needs, but it is always better to dig into the facts deeper in order to understand the specific benefits of each fruits in order to be able to provide a balanced notion of what to eat and what to avoid.

Grapes come into two forms and different variations; some are cultivated with seeds while some are not. Grapes are a rich in flavonoids. This is the reason why they are purplish in color. Some locally grown varieties in the Philippines are color green. Grapes are used for red wine, raisins and are known becoming an ingredient in herbal supplements.

What does grape contain?

Grapes contain Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Calcium, Phosphorus, and Fat, Carbohydrates, Protein and calories of 70.

What are the benefits of grapes?

Grapes are good for the blood and they can improve body building efforts because they are a good source of energy. The juice of the grapes is also recommended for curing gout, rheumatism, skin and liver disorders. Little of us know that grapes can lower the levels of acidity inside the body and can remove the acid from the system; this is beneficial for the kidneys especially in avoiding the formation of bladder and kidney stones.

Grapes are also great for reducing the chance of acquiring the herpes simplex virus that produces cold sores and genital herpes. It is useful for strengthening the immune system against sexually transmitted diseases. Wines that come from grapes can also reduce the risk of heart diseases. Current research proves that grapes can slow down the effect of heart diseases, grape juice functions by blocking the artery clog effects that are caused by eating too many fatty and processed foods.

health benefits of grapes

The antioxidants found in grapes called polyphenol can also protect the body and strengthen the immune system. Grapes are so effective. It also contains cancer fighting ingredients due to the high levels of caffeic acid inside it together with bioflavonoids that help in the absorption of Vitamin C. The components of grapes have been known to kill cancer cells and protect people against lung, breasts and prostate cancer.

mental health achievement

Certain health achievements could help you have a better life. Mental health achievements are viable ways for you to have a better life.

It can be uncanny for someone to have mental health achievements without knowing about how to handle ones’ natural inclination to be worried or to feel tense. These feelings of worry or tension is better known as the fight or flight mechanism.

When this mechanism kicks in, the body has a flood of hormones, like adrenaline, produced by the endocrine glands resulting in shallow breathing and an increase in heart rate, just to name a few.

You don’t need to be an athlete or someone who has a solid physique for you to go through things that evoke the fight or flight response. For example, the loss of someone who was close to you could linger for a significant amount of time and could lead you into having a nervous breakdown. However, there are those who were able to set the things that kept them overly worried and tense aside, got back up and lived their lives for the better. These people were able to have mental health achievements.

For you to also have them, there are certain things that you can do. First, you should believe that things are going to get better in the long run. It might be a bit difficult to think about things getting better after going through something such as the aforementioned loss of someone close. It might be cliché but it will be good to remember that it’s not about how you outdo the things that’s thrown at you, it’s about how you can outlast them.

Next thing to do is to breathe deep. A lot of people underestimate such a simple thing but what they don’t know is that breathing deep can help you relax.

mental health achievement

Doing a bit of walking helps. A bit of exercise can often go the distance when it comes to having mental health achievements. Walking has a way of clearing one’s head of the thoughts that would normally drag you down.

Making a deal with yourself to only live in the present can be an advantage. You can learn from the things that have happened in the past and be ready for what might happen in the future. Concentrating on the present is only but a step in doing so.

healthy lifestyle

Having a good bill of health as well as positive thinking are musts for the young if they wish to be successful in life. Youngsters should be made aware of the various topics on health as well as learn self-management skills for them to thrive in the world with good health. Proper knowledge about health topics, like relationships, sex, alcohol, depression and drugs can bring about a positive impact for the young to have lives that are happier, more positive and with higher levels of confidence.

Managing one’s weight is a good health topic for the young to talk about. Weight management starts with having regular physical activities as well as having a healthy eating habit. Discussing topics about nutrition, physical activities such as exercise, food types and dietary supplements, just to name a few. The young should also include an ample amount of healthy food and try inasmuch to avoid eating any junk food. Youngsters should be taught about having good nutrition, enough physical activity as well as a structure that can support both of these.

Talking about having a healthy lifestyle is an important topic that the young should talk about. Leading a lifestyle in school, the work place and life in general is vital for the young to reach success. Any topic that discusses the effects of smoking, alcohol, drug use as well as eating disorders are all important. Health and wellness forums can be conducted in order to educate the young in matters that relate to a healthy lifestyle.

healthy lifestyle

Another topic that the youth can talk about is sex, since there are a lot of teenagers that think twice about talking about it with their parents. However, as parents, it is their role to impart knowledge with regards to issues related to sex, like abstinence, birth control and teen pregnancy, among other things.

anorexia

There are hundreds of men and women suffering from poor image which can lead them to develop eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and other disrupting behavior that can hinder them from living a normal life.

Some start out with fad diets and once they lose weight they suddenly hold on to the image and start getting afraid that they will return to the same weight. Some end up overeating after awhile and feel guilty about it. The guilt can cause them to cause themselves to vomit, while some get overly obsessive about counting the calories of the food they eat. This then becomes a habit.

The joy of eating food and nourishing the body becomes a very hard concept for them. They start to have feelings of fear and disgust with food and associate it with bad memories. There is really no one single factor that causes the eating disorders, but media and the way a person perceives their society has a lot to do with it.

Women and men are consistently bombarded with media ads and magazines that contain edited pictures of celebrities. There is hype of crash diets which can a person to feel that losing the weight is the only thing that can bring contentment. Even if other people are already claiming that they look good, they still are unable to take control of the mind.

Stories of Overcoming Anorexia

There is no single cure for boosting self image, but the strength of relationships and confidence can help one recover. People who suffer from anorexia need to understand the becoming healthy is the goal. It is not about becoming skinny.

No one can enjoy their life if they are constantly stuck with the idea of weight. Individuals need to learn that they need not rely on what others have to say in order to feel good about themselves.

They have to learn that life is not really about the weight but what a person can do about their life that really gives meaning and hope not only to them but to others. Once a person realizes that there is so much more to do rather than to focus on how much they weight, they can start getting better.

Anorexia is a mind battle. People can help and guide but it is really up to the patient to want to change.

• Oxygen to the brain:  Cobwebs clear out and there is a sudden clarity of thought.
• Your body has a morphine-like chemical that releases within, like a “natural high”-endorphins. You feel as if on mood enhancing drugs.
• While outdoors and viewing the sunrise (or sunset) you’ll connect with nature.  The beauty, miraculous order, and intricacy of the natural world is a metaphor for perfect human functioning; with complete self acceptance-here and now-nothing to improve or change.   Have you ever seen a discontented tree?  Or a dog chastising himself for not catching the ball?

2.  Laugh:  It reverses your perspective; your mood from what’s-the-use to motivated, opened to new solutions.

• Humor hits when there is a sudden unexpected switch–truth revealed, cut through the B.S.  Someone else knows what   it’s like out there in the trenches.

3.  Breathe:  Use this biofeedback method – it evens out your heart rate, greatly slows down your rate of breathing, and increases your body temperature, causing stress to melt away.

• Stop all you are doing and sit or lie down in a comfortable position
• Using belly breathing (feel your belly to be sure you are), slowly inhale for the count of 2, naturally and gently.
• Breathe out gently, slowly, while counting to four.  Again, use belly not chest breathing. Make sure the out breath is much longer than the in breath.
• Repeat above steps for 5 to 30 minutes while visualizing pleasant scenes or listening to a soothing meditation recording or music

Not Getting Swine Flu

A Pandemic Is Declared

On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus. A Phase 6 designation indicates that a global pandemic is underway.

More than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection with novel H1N1 flu. This number has been increasing over the past few weeks, but many of the cases reportedly had links to travel or were localized outbreaks without community spread. The WHO designation of a pandemic alert Phase 6 reflects the fact that there are now ongoing community level outbreaks in multiple parts of world.  It wouldn’t hurt to have some preventative medication such as tamiflu available to you.

WHO’s decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is a reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus.

Making more Money

Making money online used to pretty much require you to have your own Web site, products to sell and some marketing savvy. But a new generation of dot-coms have arisen that will pay you for what you know and who you know without you having to be a web designer or a marketing genius.

But it’s hard to tell hype from the real deal. I did a search on “make money online” and “making money online”, and much of the information out there is just promoting various infoproducts, mostly about Internet marketing. I see why people sometimes ask, “Is anyone making money online besides Internet marketing experts?”

Here is a list of business opportunities with legitimate companies that -

★ Pay cash, not just points towards rewards or a chance to win money

★ Don’t require you to have your own Web domain or your own products

★ Don’t involve any hard-selling

★ Aren’t just promoting more Internet marketing

★ Give a good return on your time investment.

These are legitimate companies with business models that allow you to get paid for a wide range of activities.” – Says About.com

Sites like ReferEarns, Zyoin, Who Do You Know For Dough?, Bohire and WiseStepp connect employers with prospective employees, many of whom are already employed and not actively job-hunting, via networking – the people who know these qualified candidates.

Quitting Smoking

Here are some examples of reasons to quit:

★ I will feel healthier right away.
★ I will have more energy and better focus.
★ My senses of smell and taste will be better.
★ I will have whiter teeth and fresher breath.
★ I will cough less and breathe better.

Why not utilize the help of a prescription medication to aid in helping you quit the habit.  A medication such as Zyban may be just what you need, and easily obtained through online resources.

Controlling your Allergies

Pollens. Shower or bathe before bedtime to wash off pollen and other allergens in your hair and on your skin. Avoid going outside, especially on dry, windy days. Keep windows and doors shut, and use an air conditioner at home and in your car.

Mold. You can reduce the amount of mold in your home by removing houseplants and by frequently cleaning shower curtains, bathroom windows, damp walls, areas with dry rot and indoor trash cans. Use a mix of water and chlorine bleach to kill mold. Open doors and windows and use fans to increase air movement and help prevent mold.

Losing Weight

Before you try to make any changes to your habits, first you need to see where you are right now. Find out what your body mass index (BMI) is. See how it compares to a healthy weight. Start keeping a record of what you eat each day and how much exercise you get.

The next step is really important. You have to make a long-term commitment. If you’re going to change your eating and exercise habits, you won’t be done after six weeks or six months or six years. You have to decide that you’re motivated to make changes that will last for the rest of your life.

America’s Food Standards

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, Americans consume too many calories, saturated and trans fats, salt, cholesterol and added sugars. The guidelines suggest that Americans should adjust their daily intake to include more potassium and vitamin E rich foods. They advise individuals to choose more fruits and vegetables while decreasing intake of foods that are low in nutrients but have a high energy level. Examples of these high energy level foods include fried foods.

Why Do We Eat This Stuff?

Availability – In many parts of the country, we are overrun with fast food and junk food options. There are fast food restaurants on every other street corner.

The Price – There’s the ever-present-well-lit-open-24-hours-drive-thru menu at Whataburger. There’s McDonald’s Dollar Menu at 4am – McDouble, fries, 2 pies, and so on . Del Taco’s 2 for $5.00 Deluxe Combo Burrito’s at midnight. There always open and always cheap.

3. The Taste – While some would disagree that fast food tastes good, big chain fast food corporations pay tens of millions of dollars to figure out what taste, texture, and temperature combination will be more than just mildly non-offensive. The food items have to be so taste-filled that an otherwise reasonable person will overlook every detail on where that combination of ingredients came from.

The First Step

Going Cold Turkey
I had to completely gross myself out from eating fast food. So I went online and searched for McDonald’s, Don’t Eat At McDonald’s and of course “Super Size Me” – The Movie. What I found was very disturbing, and it really made me realize how I had come to be 50 pounds overweight. I was ashamed and embarrassed of myself, how could I put all that crap in my body? So I just had to quit Cold Turkey and that was that!

Fast Food = Fat Food

The Truth
As if The movie “Super Size Me” wasn’t bad enough I saw another video about a wellness educator and nutrition consultant Karen Hanrahan. She has kept a McDonald’s hamburger since 1996 to illustrate its non-existent ability to decay. Aside from drying out and bit and having “the oddest smell,” it apparently hasn’t changed much in the past 12 years. That was “super gross”.

If you over-eat on food, you might end up getting cavities.  If that is the case, you will probably want to visit a dentist or dental assistant that can help you with controlling the cavities so you can get back on track to eating right.

Eating Healthy

Your Meal Plan
Remember this – in the end weight loss is still about burning more calories than you take in. The advantage to these foods is that they may help you do just that – if you eat them instead of some higher-calorie foods.

Your Goals
Set them and carry through, it’s not easy but if you never do it, you never will. I wrote my story of sticking with it and never giving up. I set my mind on my goals, stuck with it, and ended up loosing 20 pounds this summer!

You Won’t believe these Videos

McDonald’s Fast-Food Test

click on fries to view

400 calories, 17.5g fat, 57 carbs

click on burger

500 cal, 26g fat, 38 carbs

10 – Keeping It Off Super-foods

1. Green Tea - In a recent study, volunteers who drank a bottle of tea (fortified with green tea extract) every day for three months lost more body fat than another group who drank a bottle of regular tea.

2. Soup - Eating low-calorie soups (the broth- and tomato-based ones) before meals may reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness. Therefore you would take in fewer total daily calories.

3. Green Salads - Just how low-calorie can a green salad be? Consider that two cups of fresh spinach leaves, 10 slices of cucumber, one medium tomato, and 1/4 cup of grated carrot has a grand total of 67 calories (along with a hefty 5.5 grams of fiber).

4. Soy – Replacing the dairy in your diet with soy can give you a great caloric drop. Soy milk is high in protein. The more the protein in the soy milk, the higher the isoflavone content. Many believe that isoflavones reduce cholesterol, prevent osteoporosis and reduce the risk for certain cancers (prostate cancer and breast cancer).

5. Beans – Beans help you feel full longer, which means they may work to curb your between-meal appetite. They also give you a big fiber and protein bang for a minimum of calories. One-half cup of pinto beans or kidney beans has around 8 grams fiber and 7 grams of protein, all for about 110 calories.

6. Water – it’s a great alternative to other, calorie-containing beverages. Water is necessary for life, and you should be drinking it throughout the day. You can get your water flavored, unsweetened mineral water, regular water with lime or lemon, or cucumber. Even brewed coffee (especially decaf) counts if consumed black and in moderation.

7. Diet Shakes - While diet shakes are not the solution to weight loss or maintenance, research shows that they might help. Women who had lost weight on a reduced-calorie plan that included meal-replacement beverages maintained their losses after a year by drinking at least one diet shake a day in place of a meal.  There are medications that might help with weight loss as well.  Try talking to your doctor or order online something like Xenical.

8. High-Fiber, Whole-Grain Cereal – Whole grains in general help boost fiber and the nutritional value of your meal, but many studies done on their relationship to weight loss have specifically involved breakfast cereals.

9. Grapefruit – A recent study found that grapefruit may help encourage weight loss and reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. One pink grapefruit takes a bit of time and effort to eat, and it adds 3.5 grams of fiber with only 74 calories.

10.Protein/Eggs – are super-nutrients. It’s becoming more scientifically accepted that protein may help to curb appetite. Protein can slightly boost metabolism. But, eating more calories than your body needs — even in the form of protein — will promote weight gain, not loss.

I Started with the Basics

I Drank More water instead of Soda, Juice, energy drinks and so on. I drank at least 8 glasses of water a day. Drinking a large amount of water on a daily basis helps increase your metabolism which also helps your body flush out toxins.

I kept my hunger under control by using a smaller plate when I thought I was eating too much. Eating is good for weight loss but over eating is bad to any one trying to lose weight. Eat 5-6 times a day instead of the usual three meals a day, plus snacks, etc.

I ate slower and it took less food to get full. This is mainly because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to receive the signal from your body that you are full.

I never skip breakfast or any other meal.  If you must lose weight then it is very importance to give your metabolism a boost by eating regularly when necessary. Skipping meals makes your body believe your are starving and slows down your metabolism.

I watched what I was eating. I took out the unnecessary fats, such as butter and whole milk. I replaced them with olive oil and soy milk.

I ate leaner meats. I stopped eating pork, red meat, and instead ate white chicken and fish.

I tone my muscles with moderate weight lifting.  Muscle mass helps your body burn more calories.

I added more eggs to my diet.  Researches show that eating eggs for breakfast can help limit your calorie intake, by as much as 400 calories.

I used Color Therapy.  Believe it or not, the color blue can act as an appetite suppressant. So you can cover your table with blue tablecloth or serve dinner on blue plates.