Research has shown that eating less can help your brain. So whether or not you’re trying to shed some body fat or not, reducing food intake has additional benefits beyond fat loss that you should be aware of.
A calorie restricted diet helps your brain because it:
- Reduces the production of brain-disabling proteins
- Repels brain plaques associated with Alzheimers
- Helps neurons maintain their vitality
In addition to the benefits your brain receives from a calorie restricted diet, it can also help you live longer. This is because a calorie restricted diet:
- Reduces age related diseases such as diabetes and cancer
- Reduces cholesterol levels
In fact, an animal study found calorie restriction is better at extending life span than exercise.
The amount of calorie restriction used in the studies ranged from 30-50%. However, researchers state that people would benefit tremendously by even a moderate reduction in calorie intake.
When you reduce your calorie intake, it’s important to maintain a well balanced diet.
“Calorie restriction is not about starvation,” says Chhanda Dutta, chief of the Clinical Gerontology Branch of the National Institute on Aging in Bethesda, Maryland. “It’s about lowering caloric intake, minus malnutrition.”
It’s also important to note that calorie restriction is NOT for everyone and may be in fact dangerous, especially for those over age 65, ill or very thin. Always seek your Doctors advice before embarking on such an eating plan.
References:
Sageke Sciencemag
Genomenewsnetwork
Sciencedaily (May 15, 2008)
Sciencedaily (May 2, 2007)
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Cogolog is an online memory games website. The site is free to join and contains 14 different memory games and promises to add more over time. The site keeps track of your progress via graphical line charts. I’ve spent time playing the games myself and can attest that they are both fun and addictive – as are most good brain games.
The following was taken from their home page and gives you some additional information about the site.
Cogolog.com is a unique place to learn about the power of your brain. The tests presented here focus on memory performance. More tests are on the way… Bowles-Langley Technology, Inc. “BLT” provides a range of cognitive testing services for industry and the medical profession. The company’s alertness testing system for workers in hazardous occupations is an industry standard. BLT research is funded by the National Institutes of Health. There is no charge for the use of our tests and exercises on this site.
I definitely suggest you give the online memory games at Cogolog a try by clicking here. Your brain will thank you for it!
This online memory games site has been added to the Free Online Brain Games and Game Sites post which can be located by clicking here. There you will find numerous links to many more free online brain games.
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brain, brain fitness, health, how to improve memory, memory games, online memory games
The following article By Steven Reinberg appeared in healthfinder.gov website.
Exercise Keeps the Brain Young – Experiments in mice find running increases production of neural stem cells…
The key points I take away from this article are:
- Exercise appears to reverse the decline in the production of brain stem cells usually associated with aging.
- Exercise has the ability to restore a neurochemical essential for the production of new brain cells.
- Moderate running can improve the production, survival and growth of new neurons in the brain.
- The production of neural stem cells in the hippocampus decreases dramatically by middle age, and moderate running exercise can slow this trend.
- Exercise can maintain health and proper health of our brain.
(SOURCES: Yu-Min Kuo, Ph.D., associate professor, department of cell biology and anatomy, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Tainan, Taiwan; Paul Sanberg, Ph.D., D.Sc., professor, neurosurgery, and director, University of South Florida Center for Aging and Brain Repair, Tampa; November 2008 Journal of Applied Physiology )
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