60 Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp

Bonnie Sparrman

Description

Protect and Preserve Your Most Valuable Asset No matter your age, the way your brain works is of utmost importance to the quality of your life. It is the essence of who God made you to be and affects how you interpret the world around you. Discover new ways to enhance your brain's function by focusing on these four areas:Physical activitygetting regular exercise to help promote mental fitnessNutritionunderstanding the importance of a healthy diet on cognitive performanceIntellectually stimulating activitieskeeping your mind flexed and nimbleSpiritual and social connectionsstaying engaged with God and others As you apply the wisdom found in this helpful guide, you will ensure improved mental acuity now and in the future, placing you on the path to a happier, more fulfilling life. Start sharpening your skills today and experience the amazing benefits of better brain health.

Informations

• Publié par: Harvest House Publishers
• Date de parution: 03 avril 2018
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• EAN13: 9780736972109
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
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Cover by Bryce Williamson
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Back cover author photo by Christopher Erickson
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60 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR BRAIN SHARP
Copyright 2018 by Bonnie Beth Sparrman
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97408
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
ISBN 978-0-7369-7209-3 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-7210-9 (eBook)
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Sparrman, Bonnie Beth, author.
Title: 60 ways to keep your brain sharp / Bonnie Beth Sparrman.
Other titles: Sixty ways to keep your brain sharp
Description: Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, [2018]
Identifiers: LCCN 2017035967 (print) | LCCN 2017036347 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736972109 (ebook) | ISBN 9780736972093 (pbk.)
Subjects: LCSH: Brain-Aging-Prevention. | Brain-Care and hygiene. | Brain-Diseases-Nutritional aspects. | Mental health. | Self-care, Health.
Classification: LCC QP376 (ebook) | LCC QP376 .S737 2018 (print) | DDC 612.8/2-dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017035967
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Dedication

For my husband, Eric,
whose constant love is my delight,
and for my father, Bendt Bladel,
whose perseverance is my inspiration.
Acknowledgments
Writing is a funny thing; it is done mostly in isolation but not without a lot of help from others. I have been abundantly blessed by many who have generously offered inspiration, ideas, prayers, and encouragement. First of all, I m extremely grateful for the sage advice of author and editor Todd Hafer. I owe many thanks to Todd for giving me this opportunity to write. Without his talent and trust, this book would not be. Also, I am thankful for Kim Moore, a seasoned editor, for her kindness and for her wise way with words.
I am also deeply indebted to my older friends who are stellar examples of vibrant brain health. First, I think of my dad, Bendt, who at 89 is sharp, athletic, persevering, and not afraid to learn new things. I am grateful for the way he lives, for his good genes, his enduring love, and for choosing a fabulous wife. He and my mother, Elaine, whom we lost to cancer way too early, looked beyond themselves with genuine interest in people of all ages.
Others who inspired this book include Stig Benson, Bonnie Abrahamson, Ken Vogel, Adaline Bjorkman, Harriet Lonergan, Ruth Petersen, Ginny Graham, Helen Pattie, Ingrid Bergstrom, Jack and Joan Streed, John and Mary Anderson, Bill and Jean Bristow, Dr. Wyatt and Nancy Moe, Marvin Bjorlin, Aunt Susann Gustafson, and my loving parents-in-law, Paul and Gunnie Sparrman. Thank you all for living long lives so beautifully.
Who could embark on a writing project without dear friends and family members to cheer and encourage? I owe tremendous gratitude to my wonderful children-Johanna, Bjorn, Karl-Jon, and Isa-and to my supportive siblings, Krissy, Gordy, Randy, Julie, Jon, Randi, Lisa, and Jim.
And what an enormous gift to have a covey of friends who lift me up along the way. I am especially thankful for Shelley Frew (my faithful confidante and pen pal for life), Lora Gus Plude, sa Linbro, Helena Folcker, Joey Nytes, Barbara and Steven Swanson, Jane Frasier, Sue Beck, Dr. Linda Solie, Joy Larson, Linda Peterson, Kristina Krafthefer, Molly Braley, Nancy Stark, Paige Vandegrift, Dr. Karen Tamte, Tim and Cyd Johnson, and Nancy Nordenson. Your help in practical ways, and in allowing your life stories to intersect with mine, thrills my heart and spurs me on.
Lastly, and most poignantly, God has blessed me through my ever-abiding husband, Eric. His love, patience, faithful prayers, technical skills, and coffee roasting abilities keep the journey light, exciting, and full of joy! It is my dream that together he and I will be riding our bikes to the bakery for decades to come. Honey, I owe you more than pain au chocolat !
Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
God Made Us Smart-Let s Stay That Way
Part One: Physical Activity and Related Preventive Measures
1. At the Beach, Pondering Midlife Fitness
2. Take a Hike
3. Go Jump in the Lake
4. Walk It Off
5. Just Keep Moving!
6. Let s Dance
7. Green Thumb, Bright Mind
8. Pilates Yes, Please!
9. Nap-Time Miracles
10. You Smoke like Smelly the Bear
11. Breathe
12. More Than a Helmet
13. Sleep Matters
14. Massage: A Treat for the Mind and Body
Part Two: Nutrition
15. Popeye and Mom
16. Woes of the Western Diet
17. Eating for Pleasure
18. The Beautiful Mediterranean Diet
19. Welcome, Omega-3s
20. Whole Grains
21. Yogurt, Baby!
22. Thank Goodness for Berries
23. Java-for Goodness Sake
24. Healthful Hydration
25. Chocolate on the Brain
26. Why Dad Should Move to Minnesota
Part Three: Intellectual Stimulation
27. Brain Games
28. I Want to Live like Harriet
29. No Pain, No Gain
30. In Favor of Memorizing
31. Music s Mind-Boggling Benefits
32. Journaling Observed
33. On Being Bilingual
34. Art and Arteries
35. Creating Art
36. You ve Got Mail!
37. Learning for a Lifetime
38. What s So Special About Poetry?
39. Laughter: Still the Best Medicine
Part Four: Social and Spiritual Stimulation
40. Any Volunteers?
41. From Zippers to Chickadees
42. Choral Singing for the Health of It
43. Friends of All Ages
44. Book Group: More Than a Good Read
45. One Thing at a Time
46. Pets-Best Friends with Benefits
47. Reinvented Usefulness
48. Grateful Heart, Peaceful Mind
49. Relationships of the Grandest Kind
50. Mindfulness and the Man with the Yellow Hat
51. Mind the Good Stuff
52. Faith Is Forever
53. Do Not Be Afraid
54. Choosing to Be Brave
55. Brave Thinking
56. Free to Forgive, Forgive to Be Free
57. Conversations with God
58. Drinking from the Half-Full Cup
59. Whose Body Is It?
60. Commencement
Notes
About the Author
God Made Us Smart-Let s Stay That Way
F rom the vastness of the Milky Way to the grandeur of oceans and mountain ranges, and all the way down to the tiny legs of honeybees, God s handiwork is magnificent. Yet, as we contemplate the breadth of creation, it s not an exaggeration to say that the human brain is God s masterpiece. Consider this: Every movement, every heartfelt pang, and every wild idea originates in our body s mission-control center, the brain. This three-pound mass of firm jelly sitting between our ears is so important that God surrounded it with a protective, built-in helmet called the cranium.
As a nursing student, I was fascinated to discover that our miraculous brains are a forest of more than 100 billion nerve cells linked at more than 100 trillion points. Signals fly faster than the blink of an eye through this forest, forming the basis of memories, thoughts, and feelings. Within each person s gray matter lies the unique code that makes us who we are. Electrical impulses whiz through the labyrinth, determining our personality, temperament, and values, as well as our ability to see, move, hear, taste, smell, reason, create, believe, solve problems, and be in relationship with others. Without your amazing brain, you would not be you.
Because our brains make up the very essence of who we are, we need them to function well throughout our entire lifespan. We enter the world as helpless infants, dependent on others for our survival. Through love and nurturing care, we master baby skills and become toddlers who pull ourselves up to stand, walk, and then run circles around our parents legs. We scamper through childhood, limbs elongating and minds growing. Then, for better or for worse, another metamorphosis takes place. Children become teenagers. Eventually, they grow into young adults. All the while, brains are developing on myriad levels.
Fluid intelligence, the ability to logically solve problems, develops with us. Crystalized intelligence, which lets us apply our knowledge and experience, also expands as we mature to adulthood. And then what happens to our capacity to think?
You might have heard devastating reports that brainpower peaks at 18 and, following that auspicious age, we suffer a depressing decline. This is not completely true. Thanks to a couple of bright MIT researchers, Hartshorne and Germine, who have studied the brain function of 50,000 participants, we now know that different cognitive skills peak at various points along life s journey. 1
While it s true that our ability to swiftly process new information may peak around age 20, our short-term memory does not peak until 25. It remains very high until about 35. Even more encouraging is the discovery that our ability to evaluate other people s emotional states isn t optimal until we are in our forties or fifties. And crystalized intelligence, which gives us access to accumulated