Takeaway #1
Neuroscientist Vilayanur Ramachandran discovered that the brain rewires and reorganizes itself when he found that amputees could feel missing fingers being touched when other parts of their body were touched in a process called neurogenesis: the birth of new neurons.Takeaway #2
Most new neurons created in neurogenesis die unless they receive nutrients and connections with other neurons.Takeaway #3
1. Exercise - improves brain's executive functions like planning and organizing, helps stave of late life dementia, likely due to increased blood flow to the brain and higher rate of survival of neurons. Adding music to working out improves benefits even more.
Takeaway #4
2. Diet - Saturated fat is bad for the brain, but omega-3 fats as well as fruits and veggies high in antioxidants have been shown to increase brain health, and lab tests show calorie-restricted diets positively correlate with longer life and improved brain function.Takeaway #5
3. Stimulants - anything that revs up the nervous system, like caffeine, boots short term memory, reaction time, alertness and energy, and may even protect against memory decline with age.Takeaway #6
4 Video Games - Surgeons who play video games make less mistakes than those who don't, and gamers typically have better attention spans and information processing skills than non-gamers.
Takeaway #7
5 Music - Music can also activate your brain’s reward centers and depress activity in the amygdala, reducing fear and other negative emotions. It can treat low blood pressure, anxiety, and help premature babies gain weight.Takeaway #8
6 Meditation - it can also reduce pain and treat high blood pressure, asthma, insomnia, diabetes, depression and even skin conditions. It can also increase focus and attention, improving performance on cognitive tasks, as shown in scientific studies.
