The Joy of a Healthy Brain - October

 In  Patti Labelle’s song,  New Attitude, she sings:  “I’m feelin’ good from my head to my shoes/ Know where I’m goin’ and I know what to do/ I tidied up my point of view/I got a new attitude…/I’m in control my worries are few…/I got a new attitude.”  That new attitude is actually how many people feel as March arrives—realizing that it will be ushering in spring, warmer temperatures, and more sunshine.

 As we look forward to another spring, we are reminded of the newness that it brings with it.  Crocuses will be pushing their heads through the earth’s once-frozen and snow-covered ground, and daffodils will be making their appearance.  Although March 20^th is the official beginning of spring, the temperature in Delaware does not usually allow us to put away all of those winter coats—not quite yet !  We can, however, begin to resume some of those brain stimulating activities that we may have put “on hold” during the cold winter months.  Even more important, we can begin to do some new things or re-discover interests from the past.  If you have never done some of these activities before or haven’t done them in a long time, now is a perfect time to s-t-r-e-t-c-h that brain and create new brain connections.  Remember, your brain can create new brain cells no matter how old you are.  The more brain cells--the better, because the more brain cells we have (with some in reserve) the greater our chances of “warding off” or delaying brain-related diseases like alzheimer’s.   So, with the onset of spring, here are a few easy activities that some brain health researchers have suggested:

• Resume your outside walking—or get a DVD from the library and do daily in-place power marching right inside your home (with your doctor’s approval, of course).
• Using old magazines, cut out pictures of flowers and trees; paste them on colorful construction paper—making  “Spring Is in the Air” collages, and present them to friends/church members who are in nursing homes or hospitals.
• Begin a new flower or vegetable garden.  These can be started inside, until the weather permits moving them outside.
• Listen to an hour of classical music daily; radio station 90.1 FM is a good one for this.
• Handwrite (not on the computer) a short letter to someone at least once a week—even if you don’t mail it.  Make it “up-beat” and “light-hearted.”
• Borrow library books or magazines about a subject that you are not familiar with—remember learning something new is good for the brain.
• Continue to eat foods that are high in antioxidants—vegetables, grains, fish, and beans.  Finding new recipes on how to prepare them can be fun, as well as brain-boosting.

It may seem like maintaining a healthy brain is a lot of work.  At first, it probably is; however, the more you understand the importance of it and make it a daily part of your life, the easier it will become.  Just think of the words to Patti’s song and you’ll be fine:

“I’m feelin’ good from my head to my shoes/Know where I’m goin’ and I know what to do/ I tidied up my point of view/I got a new attitude…”