Exercise Brain Growth (video)

Maximize Learning at School or Work!

Watch this video showing how exercise grows new brain cells.  See how exercise improves our mood, vigor, and productivity while it decreases tension, depression, aggression, and fatigue.  Exercise increases our capacity to learn by increasing attention, motivation and memory. At the cellular level it increases neurotransmitters (e.g., dopamine, serotonin, nor-epinephrin) and neurotrophins like BDNF (Miracle-Gro for the brain) which helps brain cells wire together needed to learn.  Exercise increases vascular flow providing more oxygen and glucose to the brain while helping remove cellular breakdown products.

Dr. John Ratey, clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, author of SPARK answers many questions (e.g., how much to exercise, what kind of exercise works best, why obesity slows learning, how to slow cognitive decline, how the heart influences brain function, and much more).

Wellness QUEST for Your BEST!

Keep Looking Up!

Wellness QUEST: When you are feeling downcast, look up.  Notice how your upbeat view lifts you, helping you overcome your challenge.   If you’re on your last leg, look for someone on solid ground who can help you get back on your feet, moving you forward.

Your Health Challenge
  Write and post, “One or two upbeat thoughts, when feeling down.”

WIN a Wellness Prize!:  Share your upbeat thought(s) and become our next Wellness Quest Winner!  Simply post your positive thoughts by clicking the ‘LIKE’ button under the “Keep Looking Up!” post on Wellness Quest’s Facebook page. You will automatically be entered in our raffle drawing.  If the time you post your ‘LIKE’ comes closest to the predetermined winning times we have chosen for the week – you will become a Wellness Winner, receiving the undated, desk-top HealthCare-toons Calendar, 366 Ways to Look and Feel Great by cartoonist Ed Fischer and Jeff Haebig, Ph.D.  (You may post one ‘LIKE’ per day relating to this week’s Health Challenge!  See how many upbeat thoughts you can think of.)

Thanks for shining your ray of optimism towards gloomy situations!

Links: Optimism

             Positive Thinking Results in Positive Success!

Health Joke:  Due to financial problems, the light at the end of the tunnel will be shut down until further notice.

Inspirational Quote:  Do not take life too seriously.  You will never get out of it alive.  

                                                                                                                                  Elbert Hubbard

Health Care-toons Calendar is an undated, spiral-bound, desk-top calendar offering years of daily Wellness QUEST Activities, each with an inspirational quote, joke and cartoon designed to get people laughing, talking, and enjoying daily health practices. Topics included healthy eating, exercise, relaxation, feeling management, humor, communication, self- worth, communication, environmental sensitivity, optimism, creativity, responsible drug use, first aid, medical self-care and much more. Fun, friendly, insightful and delightful - Health Care-toons appeals to all ages. Copyright 2005 Wellness Quest, LLC

Dean Ornish on Healing (video)

Reverse Diseases Naturally

Dr. Ornish weighs in on bad fat and on the Atkins Diet. He cites natural ways to reverse heart disease, cancer and impotency. Talking on TED, he reminds us to lose weight, feel better and get healthy.  Dr. Ornish is a clinical professor at UCSF and founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute.

For a bonus, view Dr.Ornish talking about, "Your Genes are Not Your Fate!  Powerful stuff your mindbody!

Singing in the Rain! (video)

Dance Through the Doldrums

Gene Kelly elevates our spirit, creating sunshine during cloudy days, dancing and singing in the rain.  This classic song resonates today, showing how joyful music and movement inspirits the body and brain.  Stand up now – join in.  
Feel the joy!

Exercise and Improved Learning (video)

Brain science produces results!   Exercise is essential!

Dr. John Ratey, author of SPARK: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, speaking to Steven Palkin on The Agenda TV program cites research and positive results of exercise on enhanced learning and effective remedy for attention deficit, aggression, mood disorders, anxiety, and depression. For a more complete discussion, listen to Dr. Ratey’s talk at Authors at Google.

Stress Gets Under Our Skin

Mindbody Affected by Excess Stress

Newswise reports research from UCLA identifying the neurocognitive pathways that might be involved in inflammatory responses to acute social stress.

Lead author George Slavich noted, "frequent or chronic activation of the system may increase risk for a variety of disorders, including asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and even depression.

"Although the issue is complex, one solution is not to treat negative thoughts as facts." suggested Slavich. "If you think you're being socially rejected, ask yourself, what's the evidence? If there is no evidence, then revise your belief. If you were right, then make sure you're not catastrophizing or making the worse out of the situation."

Review the Year and Celebrate!

Wellness QUEST for YOUR BEST! Find a quiet moment to reflect on family, friends and other special people who have helped, loved, and inspired you throughout the past year. Celebrate all of them with an expression of gratitude before the year ends.

Health BENEFITS: Gratitude has a unique relationship with well-being. Wikipedia reports research suggesting how grateful people are happier, more satisfied with their lives and social relationships, and more in control of personal growth. They are less depressed, less stressed, and sleep better.

QUOTE: He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has. ~Epictetus

HUMOR: An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan

POST SCRIPT: In addition to being thankful for other people’s positive effect on your life, give yourself credit. Your positive efforts deserve to be celebrated as well.

Note: The Health Cartoon shown above is taken from the perpetual Health Care-toons Calendar by Jeff Haebig and cartoonist Ed Fischer.

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QUEST CRYPTOGRAM answer from December 28th

"Triangle of Fitness... strength, flexibility, aerobics"

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Cell Tower Health Risks (video)

Learn the serious health risks of Radio Frequencies!

Strong evidence shows electromagnetic radiation from cell phone towers is damaging to human and animal health according to EMwatch.com. Serotonin and melatonin levels are disturbed affecting brain messaging, mood, sleep regulation and immune system function. Cancer rates are higher. Short term effects include headaches, sleep disorders, poor memory, mental excitation, confusion, anxiety, depression, appetite disturbance and listlessness. Living within 400 meters of the cell phone towers has shown to increase risks. BioInitiative.org provides a comprehensive report of RF health risks. Links to many research-based EMF related websites can be found on LessEMF.com.

An insightful article by B. Blake Levitt on EnviroLink.org explains how laws were passed taking away cities and citizen’s control over cell tower placement. Read about the substantial nonthermal hazards of RFs, largely ignored by the FCC. This article is disturbing to those of us working for wellness.

Learning less than two weeks ago that a Wireless Communication Facility is proposed to be built less than 200 meters from our home, I decided to create the Radio Frequency Rhythm and Rhyme routine to share at the Development Review Board Public Hearing. The video entertains people to take this matter seriously. I am hoping it prompts the public and elected officials to take decisive action -- and not dance around this serious health issue!

Smart Foods

Food Combination and Mental Performance

Joshua has compiled a list of articles that make a great deal of sense for those of us interested in optimizing body brain function. This article on Smart Foods advises us how to eat a balanced diet that both stimulates and relaxes the brain. Check out Joshua's website for other helpful information focused on natural brain fitness. Many articles relate to Avoidant Personality Disorders and Depression.

Problems Being Overweight and Obese

Serious health problems need to be addressed

Everyday Health website cites reasons why being overweight (more than half of our population) and being obese (up to 26%) presents serious health risks, including various cancers, arthritis, high blood pressure, heart and artery disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes, anxiety, depression, sleep apnea, joint deterioration, and many more diseases, many of which lead to premature death. Helpful weight related information is shown. Body-brain Boogie Blog will soon present more comprehensive ways to lose weight through exercise… a topic that was treated lightly.

Move and Learn with Exercise

Raise test scores and academic achievement with exercise!

Watch this video http://www.learningreadinesspe.com/ and see why students in Naperville, Illinois are benefiting from daily exercise. Harvard University's brain researcher Dr. John Ratey explains the neurobiology behind the body brain changes that are taking place. Be sure to read his sensational book, Spark -- the New Revolutionaly Science of Exercise and the Brain. It also explains why exercise is so effective preventing and treating anxiety and stress disorders, depression, ADD and ADHD, obesity, dementia, and cardiovascular disease. A must read!

Jeff Haebig