Strengthen Your Body and Supercharge Your Mind

By Dr. Jonny Bowden

Stress does more than make you prone to road rage - it also shrinks your brain. But by following a simple exercise program you may be able to undo some of the damage - or, better yet, prevent it from happening in the first place.

Exercise reduces levels of a brain-robbing stress hormone called cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol actually shrink an important part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and learning. Studies show that exercise may help prevent Alzheimer's or dementia - or, at the very least, significantly delay its onset.

Exercise also releases chemicals that ramp up production of an important brain compound called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) that has been called "Miracle Gro for the Brain." And recent research at the University of Illinois shows that healthy but sedentary folks (ages 60 to 80) who did moderate aerobic exercise for only 45 to 60 minutes three days a week actually grew bigger brains. Both the white matter and the grey matter increased in volume.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Jonny Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition, and health.]

It's Good to Know: Google Trends

With Google Trends (google.com/trends), you can find out how often certain subjects have been searched. You can enter up to five topics at a time, separated by commas. For example, entering Christmas, Christmas shopping, and after Thanksgiving sales in the search bar will show you that searches for those terms peak in the fourth quarter of every year. You'll also see recent news stories on your search topic and be able to pinpoint the geographic origins of most of the searches.

(Source: Lifehacker; Google Trends)

Word to the Wise: Mercurial

"Mercurial" (mur-KYUR-ee-ul) means changeable in temperament or mood. The word is derived from Mercury, the Roman god of commerce and the messenger of the gods.

Example (as used by Dan Balz and Ronald Brownstein in Storming the Gates): "The bulky, white-thatched Georgia congressman was a mercurial, impulsive personality; a brilliant visionary one moment, a petulant, uncontrollable four-year-old the next."

Michael Masterson
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These articles appear courtesy of Early to Rise [Issue #2221, 12-10-07], the Internet's most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/.

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