Healthy Aging: Body, Mind & Spirit

Brain World!

October 29, 2010 on 4:23 pm | In Boomer Health Issues, Brain Fitness, Brain plasticity, Dream research, Health Psychology, Improvements in health care, Learning from our elders, Memory loss, Preventative screenings, The power of memories, Transforming negative thought patterns, Traumatic brain injury TBI | 1 Comment

I just learned about a new magazine that I find fascinating: Brain World.

I like to read about the latest research in the neurosciences. Look under their “News” section for the latest!

Here’s a great article on “The myths of maturity.”

It says: AGING BY ITSELF DOES NOT GUARANTEE A LOSS OF BRAIN FUNCTION!

How men react to stress versus women

October 25, 2010 on 6:49 pm | In Andropause, Boomer Health Issues, Brain Fitness, Brain plasticity, Depression and aging, Health Psychology, Improvements in health care, Learning from our elders, Menopause, Pros and cons of marriage, Transforming negative thought patterns | Comments Off

New research suggests that when men are tense, the part of their brains that reads facial expressions and emotions shuts down, which may make them withdraw.

“For men under stress, the regions of the brain used for social understanding became less coordinated with other regions, especially when looking at angry faces,” says researcher Mara Mather of the University of Southern California. “For women, those regions were more coordinated. When looking at someone showing emotion, women put themselves in the other person’s shoes.”

Learn more here.

Cash and junk food

October 23, 2010 on 1:49 pm | In Boomer Health Issues, Brain plasticity, Health Psychology, Learning from our elders, obesity research, Weight gain | Comments Off

U.S. researchers analyzed the shopping behavior of 1,000 households over six months and found that the participants’ shopping carts contained a larger proportion of impulsive or unhealthy food products when they paid with credit or debit cards rather than cash.

Further research revealed that “cash payments are psychologically more painful than card payments, and this pain of payment can curb the impulsive responses to buy unhealthy food items,” the authors reported in their study, published online and in an upcoming print issue of the Journal of Consumer Research.

Read more here.

Women and Depression

October 22, 2010 on 1:45 pm | In Boomer Health Issues, Brain Fitness, Brain plasticity, Depression and aging, Health Psychology, Improvements in health care, Learning from our elders, Loneliness, Menopause, Transforming negative thought patterns | Comments Off

At least 15% of American women between the ages of 45 and 64 experience frequent depression, a U.S. researcher says. I have been reporting on this story since that international study first came out in early 2008. Depression is most common worldwide around age 44-50.

Katherine Muller, Director of Psychological Training at Montefiore Medical Center, says recent research suggests the odds of being diagnosed with depression peak for women at age 44.

“When you’re tense, levels of stress hormone cortisol go up, cortisol affects the balance of mood chemicals in the brain in such a way that you’re more susceptible to depression.”

At this stage of a woman’s life she is usually experiencing transitions and wholesale changes like empty nest, doubts about relationships, juggling careers, marriage, aging parents and over analyzing and concerns about life so far, according to Muller.

“Genetics is a major risk factor for developing a psychiatric disorder” so people with a family history should pay special attention to their behavior, Muller advises.

However, depression is very treatable and getting help in a combination of therapy and medications is a crucial step, Muller adds.

This recent report gets a big “DUH” from me! I’ve been writing about these issues for the past three years over at my Midlife Crisis Queen blog!

They forgot to mention menopause as a MAJOR contributor to midlife depression.

The Shriver Report: A Women’s Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s

October 18, 2010 on 4:31 pm | In Boomer Health Issues, Brain Fitness, Brain plasticity, Depression and aging, Health Psychology, Heart disease, Improvements in health care, Learning from our elders, Memory loss, Menopause, Preventative screenings | 2 Comments

Maria Shriver appeared on the news this AM discussing some very important points about Alzheimers and women’s lives.

One point was that the disease process of Alzheimer’s begins around menopause for women, in other words in our 40s. The importance of maintaining brain health cannot be dismissed.

How do you maintain brain health? By being aware of the dangers of diabetes, depression and cardiovascular disease starting early, and get adequate treatment when they occur.

Here’s a useful website when you are looking for answers to questions about aging, Alzheimer’s, estrogen and memory.

Romance: the BEST natural painkiller!

October 17, 2010 on 6:00 pm | In Boomer Health Issues, Brain Fitness, Brain plasticity, Depression and aging, Health Psychology, Heart disease, Improvements in health care, Learning from our elders, Loneliness, The power of memories | Comments Off

Falling in love can act as a potent painkiller, and now scientists have figured out why. Romance stimulates the brain’s reward pathway, much like the rush of an addictive drug.

They also found doing something new and exciting with a longtime partner stirs up that old passion, “a good idea whether you’re in pain or not.”

I am excited about this news, must be because I just completed a new book about how to get romance BACK into your life even though you feared it was gone for good!

Don’t just sit there, go check it out!

Keep on trucking to preserve your brain!

October 17, 2010 on 5:50 pm | In Boomer Health Issues, Brain Fitness, Brain plasticity, Depression and aging, Health Psychology, Improvements in health care, Learning from our elders, Memory loss, Strong bones/Osteoporosis, Weight gain | Comments Off

Walking six to nine miles a week may preserve brain size and consequently stop memory deteriorating in later life according to a new study published online on 13 October in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Read more about it here!

Vivitrol works with alcoholism and other narcotics

October 13, 2010 on 4:43 pm | In Boomer Health Issues, Depression and aging, Drug addiction | Comments Off

Vivitrol (naltrexone) is a special narcotic drug that blocks the effects of narcotic medicines and alcohol.

Vivitrol is now used to treat alcohol addiction in certain patients, but only along with a complete management program.

Would you like to learn more about brain integration therapy?

October 12, 2010 on 6:08 pm | In Brain Fitness, Brain plasticity, Health Psychology, Improvements in health care, Learning from our elders, Memory loss, Traumatic brain injury TBI | Comments Off

I’ve had four treatments so far with Nancy Evans up here in Fort Collins, and my brain is convinced that this stuff works!

Want to learn more about it? Read this article!

The thirst for excitement appears to be in our genes!

October 9, 2010 on 1:56 pm | In Boomer Health Issues, Health Psychology, Improvements in health care, Learning from our elders | Comments Off

I don’t know if this is healthy aging-related, but the urge to do exciting things—has been linked to dopamine, a chemical that carries messages in your brain. For a new study published in Psychological Science, scientists analyzed genes in the dopamine system and found a group of mutations that help predict whether someone is inclined toward sensation seeking.

Read more about it here!