When we’re having a bad day, conventional tribal knowledge tells us to try not to bottle up our feelings and to find someone who can help us talk through it.  In fact, we know that having someone to talk to actually decreases the aging of the brain; but for some people, talking about emotions doesn’t come easily or a support network isn’t always available.  A recent study explains what the process of describing emotional responses is actually doing and recommends ways to make it more accessible for those who can’t readily verbalize their...

                 Of all the tips and tricks to boost your cognitive skills, this quick fix may be the best one yet:  eating chocolate!                 We can thank researchers at the University of Nottingham for bringing this biohack to our attention.  Right when you need it the most, a key ingredient in chocolate boosts blood flow to areas of the brain that can lift your cognitive power for up to three hours.                 The flavanols in cocoa dilate blood vessels in the brain, bringing uplifting oxygen to brain tissue.   This boosts the flow of...

               When your mind and body are balanced, your brain is more balanced, too.  Taking time for your mental and emotional health has long lasting impacts on brain health, but what about the time you take out of your day to care for your pets?                 It turns out that you aren’t just enriching their lives.  A newly released study from the American Academy of Neurology shows us that when you’re paying it forward for your pets, you’re actually improving your own brain health!                 This very special human-animal bond has been linked towards...

                As you settled down to sleep last night, you probably weren’t thinking about what position you should rest in to maximize brain power.  Research from the last few years says that we don’t really have to think about it; it’s happening naturally!                 We know that when we sleep, the brain essentially washes itself and consolidates our memories, but this system of clearing waste from the brain is influenced by the position in which we sleep.  By studying MRIs during sleep, researchers focused on the area of the brain where the nightly...

             Just like any other incredible piece of computer technology, your brain needs to hit the refresh button once in a while.  Taking frequent productivity breaks, making sure to keep the blood pumping with walks, (running), or meditation are all familiar ways of hitting that magical refresh button, so it might surprise you to know that your brain is refreshing itself without any conscious effort from you—about every 15 seconds!                 These aren’t the same type of mental health breaks we force on ourselves for a personal refresh, however.  Instead, it’s the only way the...

              If you have trouble remembering names, you know how awkward it can be when interacting with someone whose name has completely slipped your mind.  Overloaded as we are with constant information, your brain may not be able to retain that information; but unlike other smaller pieces of information, forgetting someone’s name is one of the worst social faux pas!                 According to a new study from Northwestern University, you can save yourself the embarrassment (or the appearance of just not caring) with a simple method involving sleep learning. Sleep learning has been used...

                Writer’s block, creative block, or just plain burnout leaves us all feeling lethargic and hopeless when our brains just don’t seem to cooperate with the goals at hand.  We know that taking breaks can boost productivity, but sometimes taking more time away from the situation is so counterintuitive that it’s easy to forget this tip.                 If you don’t like spinning your wheels while you wait for your brain to refresh, ten minutes of moderate running could be all you need!  In a recent study, the increased blood flow and the activation of the brain functions necessary to propel...

               Going with the flow, being in the zone, or becoming one with the flow.  It’s been the subject of discussion in ancient philosophies from the Taoists to the Stoics.  While no one can give you exact instructions on how to achieve it for yourself, the basic explanation of being in “a state of flow” can be explained as a complete merging with whatever you’re doing; the dishes, the basketball game, the painting, or just living.                 Some of the reasons why people turn to nootropics is to help them find this state of...

              No matter what diet is trending--whether it’s paleo or keto—brain health and big brains are in!  With mineral deficiencies in the soil (we’re looking at you, magnesium), people cutting down on environmental costs for eating livestock, or the rise of plant-based food, we’re living in a brand-new era where food is regarded as medicine more and more.                Many people are turning back to how their ancestors ate in an effort to mitigate some of these factors and to incorporate more whole-food based nutrition into their plans. ...

Can you teach an old dog new tricks?  It turns out, you can—and using technology is important even in the retirement years.                 In this instance, we’re talking about people rather than dogs.  As the technology gap widens and leaves many older generations behind from understanding how to utilize the likes of computers, the internet, or Snapchat, technology is easily brushed off by older people.  Sometimes it’s because they just don’t see the function of having such technological systems; other times it’s a lack of someone being able to teach them how to use it or make it financially feasible...

               Would you say you’ve got a good program going to preserve brain health?  Taking vitamins, supplements, nootropics, engaging the mind, reducing inflammation through the diet?  Even if you’re doing all this, or more, there’s something out of the box that you should take note of:  a solid support system.                 Researchers have found that having a solid support system with someone you can count on to listen to you talk about any problems you’re having improves the resilience of the brain and can reduce brain age by 4 years.                 This isn’t just...

              Brain fog is a real part of dieting for many people, especially those who choose to start a very low carb diet.  Low carb diets have many benefits but switching from a diet heavier in carbohydrates to a keto or low carb regimen can be difficult in the beginning!  It’s called the keto flu for good reason, as the body switches from using glucose as fuel to ketones, bringing with it all kinds of malaise.  Even if you aren’t cutting out carbs entirely, sluggishness and brain fog can make it seem impossible.                ...