A Simple Way to Boost Your Brain

Want a bigger brain?

A new study out of Washington University School of Medicine found that more physical activity correlated with larger brain size in healthy adults 🧠

This was based on MRI brain scans of 10,125 men and women (average age 53). The more days they exercised, the larger their brains were in key areas.

Most of the study participants exercised 4 days per week, but the researchers said that even small amounts of exercise (like walking 4000 steps per day) were beneficial.

We don’t always see the results of our efforts immediately, but taking care of our health will pay off in the long run 👟

Reference

Raji CA, Meysami S, Hashemi S, et al. Exercise-Related Physical Activity Relates to Brain Volumes in 10,125 Individuals. J Alzheimers Dis. Published online December 7, 2023. [link]

Nutrition for Brain Health

The Best Diet for Your Brain 🧠

If you’re heading into the new year thinking about healthier choices for your body and brain, consider this:

A new study spanning 12 years in people over the age of 65 in France found that those who followed a Mediterranean Diet had a lower risk of cognitive decline.

The unique thing about this study was that it didn’t just rely on the participants to report their eating habits.

Instead, the researchers measured markers in blood samples and in the gut microbiome that relate to the Mediterranean diet pattern—which means more accurate and reliable results!

The Mediterranean Diet emphasizes:

▪️ Fruits, vegetables, beans, & whole grains

▪️ Healthy fats from olive oil, nuts, & seeds

▪️ Protein from fish, poultry, beans, & eggs (only small amounts of red meat)

▪️ Some dairy products

▪️ Limited sugars

The Mediterranean Diet has not only been linked to a lower risk of cognitive decline but also better heart health and a lower risk of cancer.

📲Tag a friend in the comments who might want to hear this!

Reference

Tor-Roca A, Sánchez-Pla A, Korosi A, et al. A Mediterranean Diet-Based Metabolomic Score and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: A Case-Control Analysis Nested within the Three-City Cohort Study [published online ahead of print, 2023 Oct 24]. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2023. [link]

Abundance vs. Scarcity

Abundance vs. Scarcity 👉

People with an abundance mindset tend to believe they can have limitless health, wealth, happiness, and all things good.

Whereas those with a scarcity mindset tend to believe these things are limited.

YES, there is a middle ground.

Not many health practitioners talk about mindset, but it powerfully influences health, healing, and results.

Because beliefs → influence thoughts → influence behaviors → influence results.

There are lots of ways we can work on shifting our mindset, but the first step is always awareness—to notice our thoughts throughout the day.

❤️Tap to like if this resonates with you.

↗️ Share if you think a friend could benefit.

New Coffee Study & How it Affects the Brain

📚Research Alert!

Sure, the caffeine in coffee helps us feel more alert and focused.

But a new study shows there’s more to coffee’s brain-boosting effects than just caffeine.

In the study, healthy adults were given either coffee or caffeinated water, and researchers measured their brain activity with functional MRI scans.

Both groups showed changes in brain activity related to being more ready to engage in tasks. But coffee also boosted activity in areas of the brain related to working memory, cognitive control, and goal-directed behavior.

☕ Basically, the coffee made people even more ready to be attentive and responsive than caffeine alone.

This is not so different from what we commonly see in studies on whole food or herbs 👉👉👉 The whole is more than the sum of its parts.

Are you a coffee fan? Comment Yes or No! ⬇️

Reference

Picó-Pérez M, Magalhães R, Esteves M, et al. Coffee consumption decreases the connectivity of the posterior Default Mode Network (DMN) at rest. Front Behav Neurosci. 2023;17:1176382. [link]

Brain Hack to Boost Memory 🧠

Brain Hack to Boost Memory 🧠

If you were to guess—how much of your day is your brain feeling urgent vs. curious?

Most people go through their days in a constant state of urgency.

✖️ The pressure to perform.

✖️ The need to get things done.

✖️ The worry about what might happen next.

But here’s the thing:

That urgency might just be affecting your memory.

A new study out of Duke University that analyzed people’s memory of a video game after setting them up to feel either urgent or curious…

…found that people in a curious state of mind remembered things better the next day than those in an urgent state of mind.

This is amazing because we have the power to shift our mindset!

What if next time you sat down (or showed up) to work, you first took a few minutes to…

💞 Take a deep breath.

💞 Set a positive intention.

💞 Wonder.

Will you try it?

Comment with your thoughts. Share to inspire others. Like if you found this useful!

Reference

Sinclair AH, Wang YC, Adcock RA. Instructed motivational states bias reinforcement learning and memory formation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023;120(31). [link]