23 Ways to Boost Your Brain Power *
"#8. Eat Avocado. It contains medium-chain fatty acids, which increase your brainpower by reducing inflammation . . . [Just for the record, I do not like avocados. So, I'm also not particularly fond of guacamole. This created some issues in Hawaii, where we were amply supplied with avocados by our then-AAL agent, who had an avocado tree in his backyard. Fortunately, Lois & the kids loved them. I labeled avocados the "zucchini of Hawaii."]"#9. Consider a Daily Low-Dose Aspirin. An ongoing National Institutes of Health clinical trial is testing the theory that taking an aspirin could lower the risk of dementia. Talk to your doctor about whether this could be right, & safe for you. [Maybe this makes up for my lack of avocados. I've been taking a baby aspirin {81 mg} daily for quite a few years now. Wish I could remember exactly how many . . . ]
"#15. Go Fish. Eat your omega-3s (fatty acids found in salmon & other cold-water fish) or take a supplement. A new study from the University of Pittsburgh found eating any kind of baked or broiled fish once a week helped spur structural brain changes that boost memory. [Another possible point in my favor. I've been taking capsules of omega-3 fish oil for quite a fews years, recommended for overall heart health by a physician at a Grace Place Retreat. Anyone else familiar w/the Friday Night Seafood Buffet @ Jo Dean's in Yankton, SD? There is no place like South Dakota!]
" 16. Enjoy a Glass of Red Wine. Fresh research from Texas A & M University found that resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red wine, improves memory, mood & learning capacity." [Although I've always been more of a white wine person, I appreciated a glass of red wine until I started experiencing symptoms of what turned out to be a hiatal hernia. Red wine is now something that I can only handle very rarely. My wife enjoys her Merlot, & I can vouch for her exceptional memory.]
* From Walgreen's 'Feel Good Every Day' advertising insert in Parade Magazine, 10/4/15.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
Excerpt from Omaha World Herald (11/1/15): "Winter, sunlight & sadness . . . Today, though estimates vary, more than 10 million Americans are believed to struggle w/SAD. And many more experience a milder version, commonly referred to as the winter blues. SAD was added in 1987 to the American Psychiatric Association's official manual as a descriptor for major depression."It's so ubiquitous now that a restaurant in Manhattan recently began serving a cocktail infused with drops of vitamin D to combat the winter blues. Pizza Beach opened in the dead of winter earlier this year w/the promise of transporting patrons out of the cold & onto the beach. 'I can't stand it,' owner Anthony Martignetti said of the winter months. 'I know that (SAD) is more real than people give credit.' [DISCLAIMER: I am only reporting the news. Since I am NOT a licensed mental health provider, I can neither confirm nor deny the effectiveness of this "treatment."]
"The drink, a mixture of rum, orange & pineapple juice & nutmeg, spiked w/vitamin D, is his small part to try & help. Vitamin D supplements have helped * Ben Kubaryk, a 31-year-old living in Washington, D.C., cope w/his cyclical depression. But they weren't enough. * SEE disclaimer above.
"Kubaryk spent most of his childhood in Puerto Rico, but his family relocated to Atlanta when he was 15 years old. Georgian winters are fairly mild, but living at the higher latitude impacted him almost immediately.
"That first winter, he said he felt like he was sitting in a cold, dark hole. Each year after, he'd feel himself begin to dig the hole in the early fall & by December he'd be immersed in it.
"It wasn't until college, when he learned about SAD in a psychology class, that he recognized his symptoms in the description. Come winter he'd lose energy. It was hard for him to get out of bed. From the middle of December through April he'd go about his day like a zombie, slogging through, not initiating conversation. [Lois & I used to experience what we called our "January slump" around the 3rd or 4th week of January. It happened pretty regularly on an annual basis. Now we suspect that we were both experiencing at least a mild case of winter blues.]
"After another bleak winter this year, Kubaryk bought himself a light box * that mimics sunlight. He started sitting in front of it in September every morning before work. So far, the cold, dark hole has stayed closed . . . * Ditto re: comment above.
"It's common for sufferers of SAD to feel like winter has crept up on them, especially if they are feeling jubilant & active during the summer. Rosenthal recommends pre-emptive action to get ahead of it."
MY COMMENTS: The purpose of my excerpt is to "whet your appetite" about this subject. You may identify with comments, symptoms, etc., expressed in this excerpt. I do. It may lead you to do more investigating, possibly to talk to a mental health provider. If you are suspicious, it's worth checking out.
For me personally, I can tell the difference. When days get shorter, sunshine is in short supply, days get gloomier--I get gloomier. It definitely plays a role in my chronic depression.
This excerpt continues by describing five possible "antidotes." I will list them but wait until next time to go into detail.
- "Light therapy
- Exercise
- Diet
- Meditation & mindfulness
- Take a vacation"
If you are familiar w/"antidotes" to depression, you're right! It's practically the same list.
There are countless on-line sources of information about seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Here are some that I consider to be trustworthy.
No comments:
Post a Comment