Why isn’t brain health on top of your mind?

Recently I’ve been speaking to peoples about what a healthy lifestyle means to them.  The reason I’m doing this is to understand where brain health fits in with overall health:  eating right, exercise and emotional health.  What I mostly hear from folks is that brain health isn’t top of mind unless someone has a close family member suffering from a disease like Alzheimer, dementia.

Most of the people want to stay mentally fit as they grow older but they don't have specific things  doing about it, and the reason is they don’t see or feel a need for it yet. 

 What’s striking to me about this is that the same people will go on and on about what they do for their physical exercise, a healthy diet and in some cases, therapy or meditation for mental health.  They attend Weight Watchers and track their points religiously.  They don’t miss a day with gym.  They hit the gym and track how much weight they move.  They shop at the  market weekly for organic vegetables, use little salt in their foods, etc.  They attend yoga and aerobics.  And they do these and that things to be healthy overall.

 But why not brain health?  Why hasn’t it hit mainstream yet? 

 I think its just a matter of time.  We need to continue to get the word out to the news media about how important brain health is.  Its not about waiting until you are 70 anymore to do something about your brain health.  Its about living a brain healthy lifestyle from now until you are 70 and afterwards. 

  Earlier in 80s people use to eat a high-fat diet and rarely exercised.  There were no gyms.  And as far as mental health, it wasn’t ‘normal’ to go to therapy till last decades. 

 So, I am hopeful we’ll see the same phenomenon with brain health and brain fitness.  The more the media writes about it, the more mainstream health insurance and doctors acknowledge the benefits and the more we talk to our friends of any age about it, the faster we’ll spread the word and make it mainstream.  
Someday brain fitness will be top of mind just like eating healthy and exercising. I just hope it comes sooner than later.

- Team Shirsa

Kids & Meditation?

Using meditation with children?

That's something which never never crossed my mind, but an article in the most recent issue of Scientific American Mind revealed that there are classrooms in Canada and the U.S. that have incorporated it into their curriculum. 

A program called Mindup, conceived by Goldie Hawn, has had great success in Vancouver area elementary schools and is catching on in other countries as well.

One of the main benefits that educators, administrators and researchers are finding is that this type of curriculum can help strengthen executive control function in children. Executive function includes cognitive skills like working memory, reasoning, self-regulation and attention, this all are crucial for classroom teaching.

Many teachers say that self-regulation and attention are two of the biggest areas in which young students struggle. Meditative style exercises can help them gain awareness of the conflict that arises in them when many things are competing for their attention. The ability to monitor this conflict and prioritize where their attention should go “has been linked to better math achievement, higher IQ and less antisocial behavior, it can also reduce anxiety levels in children.

 All children may not be able to sit still for very long, but even a few minutes can be beneficial.  Exercises can be as simple as paying attention to your breath or guided imagery. Children can visualize the waves on the ocean or a lake or balloons floating up that lift thoughts connected to negative feelings away. The exercises typically last 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

Parents can also use these techniques and exercise at home as well. If your child struggles with frustration, or anxiety or, paying attention and sleep related difficulties. 

- Team Shirsa