Neuroplasticity

This term refers to the discovery in recent years that the brain is actually malleable throughout the lifespan and we have the ability to grow new neural connections.

This has tremendous implications for our mental health and anything that has to do with human training, both hopeful and detrimental.

The research is becoming more and more clear but has been finding that the brain is not static and will respond to new learning.

A Mayo Clinic study of 487 healthy adults aged 65 and older demonstrated that with cognitive fitness training, older adults more than doubled their auditory processing speed (a 131% gain.) This translated to improved memory and attention. NaturalNews.com

Below is a great video briefly describing the concept of neuroplasticity.



So what does this mean for you?

Anything that you would like to improve upon in your life, you can!! The only requirement is that you may have to search for the right coach, chiropractor, doctor, and/or other quality of life professionals.

Omega 3: Preventing Mental Decline

An important new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry reveals that fish oil supplements beat mental illness. An article in the Wall Street Journal reported on the recent study for a natural supplementation treatment option for children and young adults with severe mental disease.

Researchers in the new study identified 81 people, ages 13 to 25, with warning signs of psychosis, ... Forty-one were randomly assigned to take four fish oil pills a day for three months. The other patients took dummy pills.

After a year of monitoring, 2 of the 41 patients in the fish oil group, or about 5%, had become psychotic, or completely out of touch with reality. In the placebo group, 11 of 40 became psychotic, about 28%.

With larger studies already planned, this one reveals another component to the wide-ranging benefits that omega 3 oils have. Although this information is already accepted in the natural health community, many studies continue to shed light that natural supplements provide many benefits with little danger of negative side effects.

The truth is we already know that omega-3 fatty acids (polyunsaturated fatty acids -PUFAs) help protect people against cardiovascular disease. We also know
they can play a role in preventing diabetes and cancer. It's little surprise that they also protect against mental illness, given the importance of healthy fatty acids for the functioning of the nervous system. NaturalNews

Read more about benefits of fish oil at fishoilbenefit.net

I feel the biggest point to be taken from these articles is this... providing a natural source is a safer more effective choice.

You're probably saying, " I know that already!"

Good, now you know what the final destination is, it's up to you to ask more questions and discover more information about how to know what's pure and sufficient so you can give yourself what you deserve, good health.

A great way to get started is to sign up for our fish oil workshop on February 15th at 6:45 in the Glen Mills office. Contact our office for more details.

Meditation: An Important Addition For Health

What is meditation
How may it effect your health
A simple meditation exercise

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, NCCAM, reports that the term meditation refers to a group of techniques, most of which started in Eastern religious or spiritual traditions. These techniques have been used by many different cultures throughout the world for thousands of years. Today, many people use meditation outside of its traditional religious or cultural settings, for health and wellness purposes.

In meditation, a person learns to focus their attention and suspend the stream of thoughts that normally occupy the mind. This practice is believed to result in a state of greater physical relaxation, mental calmness, and psychological balance. Practicing meditation can change how a person relates to the flow of emotions and thoughts in the mind.

Meditation used as a mental health intervention, generally termed mind-body medicine (one of the four pillars of health) focuses on:
- The interactions among the brain, the rest of the body, the mind, and behavior
- The ways in which emotional, mental, social, spiritual, and behavioral factors can directly
affect health

People use meditation for various health problems, such as:
- Anxiety
- Pain
- Depression
- Mood
- Self-esteem problems
- Stress
- Insomnia

Meditation may also be beneficial for physical or emotional symptoms associated with chronic illnesses and their treatment, such as:
- Cardiovascular (heart) disease
- HIV/AIDS
- Cancer

There are many different forms, techniques, and styles of meditation and finding one that works well for you is very important. Try a google search for how to meditate or breathing for health. You may want to try this simple meditation technique to start, I found it very easy to get started and it is relevant for advanced users and beginner's.