WORK UP A SWEAT FOR BRAIN POWER

Are you one of those people who can't remember where you put your glasses, keys, etc? As we age, it is a fact that our brains shrink and unfortunately a smaller brain just doesn't work as well as we would like. Neurologist Majid T. Fotuhi, M.D., author of Boost Your Brain: The New Art and Science Behind Enhanced Brain Performance, says not to worry. He says the brain has the remarkable ability to keep growing at any age. But here is the catch - you have to have the right health habits if you want your brain to grow.

Based on his 25 years' experience teaching and doing research at Johns Hopkins and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Fotuhi says there are ways to significantly improve the performance of our hippocampus. The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for our short-term memory. And guess what the first one is? You guessed it - get moving! Don't become a couch potato and let your brain keep shrinking

According to Dr. Fotuhi, "When you're working out to the point of breaking a sweat, you're actually growing new brain cells in your hippocampus." He says he knows that is mind-boggling but that there is solid science behind it. Below is what Dr. Fotuhi recommends to see significant brain benefits:

30 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity like jogging and 15 minutes of strength straining, such as lifting hand weights or doing squats and pushups, four times a week.

How about this for an incentive? Those who have a bigger hippocampus are less likely to get Alzheimer's disease.  So, eat healthy and exercise for better memory.

GRAPES FOR HAPPINESS

This post is about purple or red grapes. Green grapes are not a part of this post.

A British study found that a heaping cup of red or purple grapes could heighten your happiness in approximately 20 minutes. Having a 'down' day? Grab some grapes, eat a cup of them and see if your mood improves. The researchers say it is a compound called resveratrol which gives the grapes their dark color that gets the credit. This is the reason green grapes are not included. Resveratrol energizes the region of the brain known as the hippocampus that steadies moods and keeps the nervous system calm.

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