Better brain health

Wherever you are right now, you are occupying a place that boosts brain activity. Perhaps you are tuning out the place you are in to read this post, but it is still there around you and in your brain. Place grounds us through our 6 senses: vision, hearing, proprioception, smell, taste, and touch. Certain sights, […]

Here’s an important fact you should know. According to scientists, sugar is bad for your brain health. Because of this fact you are surely going to skip the ice cream, right? Maybe not. Facts don’t easily change our motivations or behavior, and there’s a good reason for why. We don’t have a mind for facts,

Words offer us 3 vital health benefits. As the key to our humanity, words are an important part of the connection and care we share with others. Yet many people take the blessing of words for granted, unless dementia, stroke, or other impairment takes them away.  WORDS MAKE US HUMAN From early on, an important

On the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be tempting to overlook long-term aging concerns and return to your usual lifestyle. Not so fast, especially if you are over 50. We have another pandemic to be concerned about. A dependence pandemic is also threatening the whole world, regardless of economic status. Optimizing “functional ability”

To honor Brain Awareness Week (March 15-21, 2021). let’s take a closer look at how a clever immune system protects brain health. Over the past year, the pandemic has revealed the starring role our immune system plays in our health. Antibodies, cytokine storms, and vaccinations have become part of the daily news. Yet the immune

The award-winning science journalist Sharon Begley died on January 16, 2021. What a great loss to readers looking for accessible truths from neuroscience. Over a 40-year career, Sharon wrote absorbing articles on complex issues for leading publications, including  Newsweek, the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and STAT. KINDNESS On a personal note, I met Sharon in

The Thanksgiving holiday began some 400 years ago as a day for celebrating the harvest. Over the centuries, what began as an informal harvest celebration has evolved into a federally-recognized holiday that binds the nation together, especially in hard times. But during a pandemic, we need to reconsider cherished traditions to stay safe  and stay

As we approach autumn, let’s consider the “autumn” of life and the harvest of wisdom it brings. Here in America, we do little to honor longevity with social rituals. The unspoken (and sometimes spoken!) attitude is that the loss of youth is a bad thing. What’s there to celebrate about getting wrinkles, gray hair, frail