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10-minute phone call brain boost!

31 Thursday Mar 2022

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brain, brain boost, brain booster, brain health, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, memory, mood boost, phone call, problem solver, serotonin

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You don’t need to do crossword puzzles or play an instrument to get a brain boost. We can strengthen our neural connections with a 10-minute phone call with a friend. That’s long enough to start releasing the brain chemical, serotonin, which improves our mood and awakens our creative thinking. That’s because, during a conversation, we’re thinking about multiple things – what our friend is saying, what we’re going to say next, and predicting how our friend will respond. That involves both brain hemispheres, making our mind more flexible, and slows down brain aging.
To make it even better?
Have that 10-minute conversation while you’re walking. Talking while exercising lights up even more brain areas, making you a better problem solver, while improving overall cognitive health by increasing blood and oxygen flow to the brain.

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Our friends are good for our BRAIN.

16 Wednesday Mar 2022

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brain, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, feeling lonely, friends, friends are good for our brain, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, loneliness, lonely

In a study involving former prisoners of war, brain scans revealed that those locked in solitary confinement had neurological damage comparable to suffering a concussion! While those who had social interactions had less brain damage. It’s because loneliness boosts inflammation in the brain and interferes with our ability to remember facts and solve problems. So give your friends a call, or maybe Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime with them, or even do a social distancing get-together (weather permitting).

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Do you love being scared out of your mind?

24 Monday Jan 2022

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From rollercoasters to horror movies, there’s a biological reason being scared feels so good!

We get a type of high from being scared – called a high-arousal response. According to Margee Kerr, a sociologist who studies fear, it’s similar to the stress response that makes us want to fight or flee – but because we KNOW we’re not in real danger, our brain perceives it as pleasurable. And it is! We feel energized and free from thoughts that usually worry us. And it’s the same feeling we get when we’re really happy.

And that’s why, on a rollercoaster, you can be screaming one minute and laughing the next.

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Are walnuts the key to a long healthy life?

01 Wednesday Dec 2021

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brain, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, longevity, walnuts

Walnuts could be the key to a long and healthy life. Research from the Journal Of Nutrition says, having two large handfuls of walnuts every week – about the size of a quarter-cup each – can reduce inflammation, which is the root cause of everything from diabetes to cancer to heart disease.

So what makes walnuts so magical? Their omega-3 fatty acid content. A quarter cup of walnuts provides 100% of the omega-3 fats you need daily. Plus, polyunsaturated fats in walnuts — the good fats – activate genes that reduce fat storage. Translation: They help you lose weight. So, munch on two large handfuls of walnuts each week.

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Want to keep your brain sharper as you age?

15 Monday Nov 2021

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Find new ways to do things you already do! University of Texas brain expert Dr. Ian Robertson says our brain likes regular habits, which free up space to think about other things. But when we disrupt our ingrained habits, the unfamiliarity boosts neurotransmitter activity and communication between regions, which strengthens our brain. So find a new route to work, shower with your eyes closed, so your other senses work harder and brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand. That’s good for your teeth too, because you won’t brush so hard that you cause receding gums.

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How to hear better in a noisy room!

08 Monday Nov 2021

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Having trouble following the conversation in a noisy, crowded room? Leaning in with your right ear could make a significant difference. The Association of British Neurologists says that’s because the words picked up by the right ear are mostly processed in the left hemisphere of the brain – the side linked to deciphering language. And overall, that makes our right ear 18% better at keeping up with rapid-fire conversations, and picking out the one voice in the crowd we WANT to listen to, compared to the left ear.

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Gratitude can help you sleep better!

01 Monday Nov 2021

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better sleep, brain, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, get better sleep, gratitude, gratitude journal, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, sleep

Here’s how to fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply without pills: Break out your gratitude journal! According to the Journal of Health Psychology, people who spent a couple minutes jotting down the things they were thankful for – even every other day – got deeper, more restful and restorative sleep within two weeks. It works because it reminds you of what’s RIGHT in your life. And that blocks negative, worrying thoughts that interfere with sleep. So try it! Every other day before bed, write down a few things you’re grateful for. Within 2 weeks, you should be sleeping better.

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Turn down the volume and protect your BRAIN?

28 Thursday Oct 2021

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Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's prevention, brain, brain health, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife

Here’s a good reason to lower the volume on your MP3 player: Protecting your hearing can protect your brain from Alzheimer’s! The reason? Because when we can’t hear well, our brain has to work harder to figure out what sounds we’re hearing – and what’s being said. And that takes mental energy away from other tasks. Plus, trouble hearing makes people less social – and numerous studies show chatting with friends is one of the best ways to keep your mind sharp. Bottom line: If you can keep your hearing intact by lowering the volume on your MP3 player, you’ll cut your risk of Alzheimer’s by 20%.

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A simple equation to boost productivity and focus!

18 Monday Oct 2021

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To be more focused and productive, remember this simple equation. It comes from productivity coach, Carson Tate: 50 plus 10.

In other words, for every 50 minutes you spend doing a mentally-challenging task – take a 10-minute break to do something mindless, like checking Facebook or playing a game on your phone. Taking a break about every hour will help re-set your brain so you don’t overload your neural circuits, and will help you focus for the NEXT 50 minutes of mentally-challenging activities.

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Listening to birdsong can give you an energy boost!

22 Thursday Jul 2021

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Need an energy boost? First thing in the morning, open the windows or take a walk, and focus on the birds you can hear chirping. Yale researchers say hearing birdsong for 15 minutes can boost energy levels by 25% or more. Because it’s a happy sound which registers in the brain’s frontal lobe and produces energizing beta waves. But if the birds aren’t cooperating, a CD or app that plays birdsong will work fine.

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