Last week I had the opportunity to attend a conference by Dr. Caroline Leaf.  She specializes in studying the brain and the chemistry behind it.  She explained how the various chemicals interact in the brain, the role stress plays on the brain, what exercise does for the brain, and how nutrition affects memory.  I like to think that I have a fair amount of knowledge about a variety of subjects, but I learned a lot of things I had never heard before.  So because I learned some new things that I thought were pretty fascinating, I decided that I would share it with all of you.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had several people asking me about the nervous system and the function of the brain lately.  Many people fear Alzheimer’s Disease and our deteriorating memory, and I was really looking for something to help them.  Are there some things you can do to improve your brain function?  Well, last Saturday gave me the answers I had been looking for.  And while I promised in the last newsletter that I wouldn’t focus on nutrition for a while, there are some things that will creep back in with this particular topic.  But I find that absolutely fascinating that the brain can be affected by what you eat.

In relation to the way we age, brain function is very important.  Personally, I feel it’s very important to understand what we are dealing with, and then go into more and more specifics over time.

Are you Right or Left Brained?
It’s a common miconception to hear that we are either Right Brained (creative) or Left Brained (academic).  However, recent research has shown this isn’t exactly true.  What actually happens is the left side of the brain looks at the details first, and the right side looks at the big picture first.  Dr. Leaf gave an example of this in her seminar and in her books:

Take the equation 2 X 2 = 4

The left side of the brain sees this as 2 X 2 = 4 and the right side of the brain sees this formula as 4 = 2 groups of 2.  Dr. Leaf’s research concludes, “When you put these two together, you have deep understanding.  If you don’t, you will only have partial understanding.” 

For instance, play the video below.  Which way is she turning?  
 

Are you sure?  Maybe you should look again.

The Corpus Callosum is the structure in the brain the connects the two together and allows us to make sense of things.

I know what you are thinking.  Jason, stop with all of the information….I can only hold so much in my head.  Actually, research is now showing we only use 0.001 percent of our brain.  If we were to use our brain to the full capactiy, we could hold 3 millions years worth of data.  “So when you feel like you cannot fit another thing into your brain, it’s not because it’s full; it’s because you have built your memory poorly”, says Leaf.  It’s a shame we can’t defrag our brain like we can a computer.  But maybe you can.

A lot of what I’m going to talk about in the newsletter in the coming weeks deal with brain function, memory, how you can improve it, and the things that you are doing that is destroying it.  Interestingly, a lot of it has to do with Dendrites, seen in the video below.

Interesting Fact: “Up to 35 to 75 percent of information can be lost if the memory is incorrectly built.”  Let’s see if we can improve your memory over the next few weeks.

If you are impatient and want more information, you can visit Dr. Leaf’s website and order the products I have as well.  (I have all of them, but you can pick the one’s that you feel will be the most beneficial for you.)

I just finished my newsletter that list my favorite things from 2008.  I want to add a little more information about each product.  If you aren’t a member of my newsletter yet, you should subscribe.

1. Nature’s Own 100% Whole Grain - No Sugar Added Bread
   I know this is kind of a weird thing to include on a favorite things list, but I really do like this bread.  It is 100%  Whole Grain and my favorite thing about it is that it is Sugar Free.  Most people don’t realize that a lot of breads have added sugar.  (Check the one you have in your refrigerator to see what I mean.)  Another plus is that it only has 50 calories!
   Ezekial Bread is another bread is a close second for me, only because it’s so small.
2. The Laughing Cow – Babybel Cheese
   This is another odd choice on my part, but I really do like this cheese because it is low calorie, and convenient.  It comes in a variety of flavors (original, light, bonbel, gouda, and mild cheddar) and is great for a snack. 
   These are small and convenient, it’s hard not to like these.  The serving size is perfect, and the light version weighs in at only 50 calories.  You can find them at your local grocery store.
3. Skinny Cow
   This is my favorite dessert next to yogurt.  I love yogurt for a dessert, but I feel like I am getting a special treat when I eat Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches.  The calories on these are about 140 calories for each sandwich (you only need to eat one).  And while they aren’t as low calorie as I would like, it’s a lot better than how many calories you would normally consume while eating a bowl of ice cream.  Eat these sparingly.
4. The Lebert Equalizer
   The Lebert Equalizer is a great little exercise product I just got in the mail.  There are a ton of exercises you can do with it.  If you think you are interested in it, come try mine out, and if you like it, you can pick them up for yourself.
5. Foam Rollers
   I can do so many things with a foam roller. I can do balance activities or self myofascial release.  So it’s great for proprioception and working on reaction.  It is wonderful for breaking up the knots in the fascia of the body.  Sometimes when you get a muscle that’s tight that just won’t break lose, this will do the trick.
   If you are in need of one, let me know.  I order them for people all the time.  I personally keep one for me in my house all the time.  (Sorry, that one is not for sale.   )
6. Pumpkin Workouts
   Unless you are one my clients, you will have no idea what I’m talking about.  I did this in October just before Halloween and had a lot of fun.  I’m not sure if my clients had as much fun, but I think they enjoyed the change.  Take a look at some other people doing pumpkin workouts.
7. Eat This, Not That
   I love this book!  The one you see pictured is the new book for kids.  While I don’t have this one yet, I’m sure it’s a great book.  I have the original Eat This, Not That book. 
   The great thing about this book is that it talks about a lot of the local restaurants and helps you make informed decisions on what to eat.  The drawback is that many restaurants change their menu (Panera Bread does this) and it then leaves the book outdated.  I think once you read it, you will have a better idea about how to choose healthier choices at your favorite restaurant.
8. Flatout Wraps
   Flat out Bread is something I just started using instead of my normal tortilla.  It has a great taste to it, and I just find it easier to use than a normal wrap.  I am probably a sucker for gimmicks, but it just seems to work better for me.
   Another plus is that they are great about adding recipes ideas to the package.  Sometimes you run into a roadblock for coming up with something new, but between the back of the package and the website, you will have lots of options.  I would highly recommend it for something different.  I haven’t tried out many different recipes yet, but give it a try and see what you think.
9. Kashi Pizza
   I first had Kashi Pizza on my honeymoon.  I had never seen it before I visited one of the grocery stores in Florida.  I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to find it once I got back home, but I resisted packing my suitcase full of them. 
   I don’t eat them often.  I would say that it’s one of my favorite cheat meals now though.  If I ever have a temptation to eat pizza, this can satisfy the craving.  I don’t know if you are one to order pizza, but if you are looking for an alternative, you should definitely give this a try.  It may just save your diet.
10. Nintendo Wii
    I know the Nintendo Wii has been out for a couple of years now, but I finally got one.  It’s such a great alternative to the typical video games.  It gets you off the couch, gets the whole family involved, and you can even have fun while you are doing it.
    With the addition of the Wii Fit, Nintendo has done a great job at adding fun, interactive tools to an already excellent system.  I don’t know if your family is into games, but I would consider this a better (though more expensive) alternative to the typical family board game.
11. Tabata Training/Interval Training
    I have been having a lot of fun with Tabata and Interval Training lately.  The great things about it is that your heart rate is constantly moving up and down.  Interval training has been shown to be much more effective that normal cardiovascular training and the Tabata workout is much faster and produces better results than typical machine strength training workouts. 
    I don’t know how good your results are with your current workout, but if you are looking for a way to get results fast, this is the way to do it.  Science backs it up with research, and if you give it a try, you will see results as well.
12. The Stick
    I have been hated by many people because I use this on them.  This is taking the foam roller and making it 10 times harder.  I’m not sure how else to describe it.
    Why would someone want to use this?  Because they can get results in 2 minutes versus 2 months with a typical foam roller.  It’s not exactly fun, but it does work.  If you need one of these, let me know.  I love them.