Topic: brain

Exercise Can Improve Your Brain…Even More Than Using Your Brain

Exercise Can Improve Your Brain...Even More Than Using Your Brain

Last weekend’s New York Times Magazine contained several articles about the mind, and all the cutting edge research out there about how to improve the mind. One article detailed how playing “n-back games” can make you smarter; another about how exercise can lead to a better brain. Several studies have detailed how exercise can improve brain function, mood, and even improve memory in the past, but the newest research seems to seal the deal: Exercise really, actually does improve your brain…and for now, I’m going to wage my bets on exercise over n-back games. More »

Giveaway: Win One Of Three Brain Health Prize Packs, Each Worth $160

Giveaway: Win One Of Three Brain Health Prize Packs, Each Worth $160

There are simple steps that each of us can take to improve our health, and it all starts with good nutrition. A big misconception is that our brain health is predetermined, but that is not the case. You can let out that sigh of relief now. Experts suggest brain health can be influenced throughout our lives through diet and a little help from your new best friend, DHA. Want to get started practicing positive brain health? Enter to win one of three life’s DHA prize packs, worth $160 each. Read on to fin out how to enter to win. More »

Research Says Video Games Boost Brains, But They Should Still Be Banned

Research Says Video Games Boost Brains, But They Should Still Be Banned

The millions of people who play video games will be happy to learn that, despite past research that showed it was bad for you, a new study now says it’s actually good for your brain. It’s an interesting study, but regardless, the elimination of video games would do wonders for our health instead of turning our society into a bunch of mindless vidiots who “don’t have time for exercise.” More »

Internet Makes Your Brain Act Like Its On Drugs; We’d Rather Get Drunk

Internet Makes Your Brain Act Like Its On Drugs; We'd Rather Get Drunk

In news that makes us think about how much time we actually spend on the Internet, researchers now say our inability to log off could be due to Internet addiction (not because we tell ourselves that we just have to see if so-and-so responds to our Facebook post or if we can get to the next level of whatever mind-numbing game we are playing).

This so-called addiction is very real according to a new study that says it creates changes in our brains similar to the effect of drugs and alcohol. Am I the only one who thinks that gaming is lame? If you want to get high, why not just go out and party, right? (In moderation, of course.) More »

The Weight-Loss Surgery Of The Future Is All In Your Head (Literally)

The Weight-Loss Surgery Of The Future Is All In Your Head (Literally)

Neuroscience news gets weirder and weirder all the time: Two recent studies indicate that the future of diet interventions will go beyond surgeries or pills that simulate neurochemicals in the brain, and directly interfere with the brain’s signals and pathways. Researchers from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases in Maryland found that energy-storing white fat in the body can be converted to brown fat, the energy-burning kind, by suppressing a signal in the brain. The research was done in mice, but if applicable in humans, we could potentially turn our body’s stores of fat into the world’s best metabolism booster (if you’re willing to undergo a little genetic engineering, that is). More »

Study: Grape Seed Extract Wards Off Alzheimer’s (And Wrinkles, Too)

Study: Grape Seed Extract Wards Off Alzheimer's (And Wrinkles, Too)

Want the health benefits of red wine without the buzz? Add some grape seed oil or extract to your diet instead. Grape seed is rich with polyphenols—the same chemical compounds that give red wine its healing powers. And it may help ward off Alzheimer’s Disease, according to researchers at New York City’s Mount Sinai School of Medicine. More »

Study: Alcohol Doesn’t Kill Brain Cells After All (But It’ll Still Make You Dumb)

Study: Alcohol Doesn't Kill Brain Cells After All (But It'll Still Make You Dumb)

You know how a night of heavy drinking can leave you foggy the next day? Not only is your head throbbing and your stomach swirling, but you can’t remember a damn thing. The old theory was that you must have killed a lot of brain cells. Why else would we be acting so stupid, right? Turns out, we didn’t lose any of our precious brain parts — we just doused them with so much booze that they stopped working for a while. More »

A “Brainologist” Spills on Meditation, Medication, and How to Have a Healthy Mind

A "Brainologist" Spills on Meditation, Medication, and How to Have a Healthy Mind

Yesterday, we posted about the new movie Limitless, and what would happen in real life if we were to start taking brain-boosting drugs. Brainologist Lee Gerdes gave us some insights into the costs and risks of mind-altering drugs and supplements like caffeine, omega-3s, and even things like ritalin and cocaine. But what is a brainologist, anyway? Gerdes is the author of Limitless You: The Infinite Possibilities of a Balanced Brain, but he’s also the CEO of Brain State Technologies®, a company that does actually claim to boost your brain power and resolve myriad disorders, addictions, and even emotional problems. It hasn’t received the same cult status as Transcendental, but it does have some celebrity fanfare: Winona Judd says it helped her get over her food addictions, and Gerdes says he’s even helped a NASCAR driver improve his performance.

To find out what a Brainologist does, we grilled Lee on his methods and how we can make the most of our minds: More »

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