BECOMING OURSELVES

Nourished Health Lunch Series

For those of you that love workshops, but also love keeping your weekends free, come to the Lunch & Learn Series at the Nourished Health Wellness Center, in Central Denver. 

Learn ways to create a vibrant lifestyle during your lunch break! Thursdays from 12-1PM.

10/7       Optimize Your Brain
10/14     Change Your Brain, Change Your Life-with Hypnotherapy
10/21     The Whole Person Approach to the Body you Desire
10/28     The Blue Zones’ Secrets to Longevity-Part I  Research by National Geographic
11/4       The Blue Zones’ Secrets to Longevity-Part II
11/11     The Science of Gratitude
11/18     Introduction to Sound Healing

For more information on each topic and to reserve your place at the table, go to Nourished Health Wellness Center. Lunches prepared by Healthy Chef Katie Bauer are available.

Fall Classes at the People House

New location-we are now in Denver and are in the process of creating many personal growth opportunities in various metro locations. Our main website is Technologies of the Self . This blog will continue to list cutting-edge resources for brain optimization and healthy eating.

We have scheduled five classes at the People House for the fall. We will be posting descriptions of each session this week. For more information go to the People House website.

Sept.11     Change Your Body, Change Your Mind, Change                                                     Your Life-with Hypnotherapy

Sept. 18    The Whole Person Approach to the Body you Desire

Oct. 2, 9    Nine Secrets to Healthy Longevity

Nov. 7       Your Body, the Orchestra: A healing experience

Nov. 14    The Science of Gratitude

Pre-registration required. Call 720-202-3078 or email Victoria@technologiesoftheself.org

Multi-tasking-not a gift, but a liability

Do you have friends who brag about their multi-tasking skills? Ever try having an important conversation with a colleague whose eyes never leave their computer screen? Well, Stanford researchers have shown that so-called multi-taskers are "actually more distractible and also performed lower on memory tests and ability to task-switch," so next time go ahead and wait until they stop typing and look you in the eye. 

This supports John Medina's surprising statements in Brain Rules that "multi-tasking, when it comes to paying attention is a myth." He says that "we are biologically incapable of processing attention-rich inputs simultaneously." So, when we think we are paying attention to others while continuing whatever we are doing, we are actually switching back and forth between "several inputs one at a time."

Rather than being more efficient than those of us who know we need to concentrate on one thing at a time, research actually shows that "multi-taskers" take 50% more time to finish what they are doing and "make up to 50 percent more errors." (Brain Rules, 84-87)

Colds are Worth Avoiding

We often take a relaxed attitude about colds, "everyone gets them" They make us feel very, very lousy and we notice that just a little cold can interfere with our ability to concentrate, but we even feel guilty about whining and letting other know how miserable we really do feel, since it's "just a cold."

Well, now to make you feel even worse--researchers at "Mayo's Clinic College have found a surprising link between certain viruses and forgetfulness."  Some of the same "picornaviruses that cause colds and diarrhea can cause lasting damage to the memory-governing hippocampus region of the brain." Mice that had experienced a cold through being injected with the virus could not negotiate a maze that had once been familiar, even after they had recovered.  Researchers concluded that "acute  viral  infection can cause memory deficit".  So this can explain why, after a lifetime of severe colds, "the elderly often lose their memories."  (The Week,  11/10/06)

Good reason to eat healthfully and get enough sleep, and many other precautions like hand-washing. I won't mention-stay away from children, since those of us that are around children usually have no option. We are there because it is our livelihood, but most of all, and/or because we love them and so that is where we want to be. But, we must watch our nutrition and any other means of maintaining our well-being, since the repercussions may last forever.

Brain Stimulating Aromas

From a great brain site with many resources, tips, and brain stimulating ideas, SmartKit---"to sharpen your mental edge"--

It has long been recognized that scents directly affect the limbic system, therefore emotions,  but  even more "importantly, the limbic area also houses the hippocampus—the memory engine of the brain. Since smell signals project into the limbic area, it should not be too surprising, therefore, that smell can also affect memory. This leads us to the field of aromatherapy.

Aromatherapy seeks to capitalize on this nose-limbic system connection to enhance mental and physical well-being. Typically, its practitioners use essential oils (volatile organic oils derived from plants) to bring these changes about. While I am skeptical of many of the bold claims made for aromatherapy, certain studies have actually shown some real benefits and results.

A study done in 2003 showed that rosemary could increase alertness. Additionally, it produced a “significant enhancement of performance for overall quality of memory and secondary memory factors”. (Reference 5)

Research out of the Neurological Clinic at the University of Kiel in Germany demonstrated that the essential oils of peppermint and eucalyptus increased cognitive performance.  These same oils also had a muscle-relaxing and mentally relaxing effect. (Reference 6)

A survey of the aromatherapy literature also reveals this anecdotal evidence:

• Jasmine has been linked with an alert and awake mental state.
• Lavender may be good for reducing test anxiety or anxiety right before you give a speech. It may also be useful for reducing excess stress that may get in the way of studying.
• Vanilla lifts a person’s mood.
• Ginger is thought to promote alertness and stimulate cognition.
• Citrus is also felt to be energizing. Some companies are using lemon essential oils in offices to negate the effects of the post-lunch dip on alertness"

For the rest of the article and some cautions, go to Aromatherapy to Boost Brain Power.

Healthier Brains from Carpooling

Besides getting to your destination quicker while whisking along in the carpool lane, your brain will also be happier. Those driving by themselves in the right hand slow lane are inhaling 50% more carbon monoxide than you and your fellow carpoolers are breathing.  So you not only arrive to the job earlier, but you are ready to start working with sharper mind.     (Energy Times, 2/03)

Brain Nutrition

Integrative Psychiatry: Mental Symptoms and Nutrients (7/14/06), via Brain Blogger.

"...Nutrients play a critical role in mental health. They are the building blocks of the nervous system. In fact, the brain has first call on the available supply of nutrients. Therefore, the first effects of nutritional deficiencies are often mental symptoms. Deficiencies in almost any of the vitamins and minerals can show up first as emotional or mental symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, or impaired memory and concentration."  MORE . . .