I’m glad you recognize you were “born with a good brain.” I regret it apparently hasn’t kept up with the latest brain-function research. I suggest a computer metaphor. Picture you were born with brain hardware and some software. As you grow and develop, the software is regularly updated (just like it is in the real computerized world). As your brain hardware ages, however, studies have shown how critically important it is to include exercise on a daily basis. Physical exercise―because it is one of the most important things you can do to keep your brain healthy. And mental exercise―because it is associated with not only retaining your “marbles,” so to speak, but also with potentially slowing the onset of symptoms of aging. The current recommendation is a minimum of 30 minutes of challenging mental exercise on a daily basis, plus reading aloud for 10 minutes a day.

All things being equal, those who are aiming higher typically get farther. That’s what Club 122 Longevity is all about.It was named in honor of Jeanne Calment, a French woman who was born 21 February 1875 and died 4 August 1997—a lifespan of 122 years, 164 days. Her life demonstrates the old adage, You’ll get farther if you aim higher. That’s the reason I purpose to live the “stuff” I talk about. I may not make it to 122 years, 164 days. But I believe I’ll get farther if I aim higher.

Your doctor is correct: alcohol does fall into the category of “empty” calories meaning that it can contribute to weight gain without providing needed nutrients. And it has been shown to interfere with sleep, tending to wake you up after you fall asleep. By the time you “need” alcohol to help you relax and unwind, the likelihood is high that you are already habituated if not addicted. Wine contains alcohol, as you know. It may be a lower percentage of alcohol but it is still alcohol. Some recommendations regarding wine suggest a maximum of 4 ounces of wine no more than 3 days a week. It sounds as if you are way past that already. And most females (you didn’t state your gender) metabolize alcohol less effectively than do males—which means they can get drunk more quickly when they do drink.

To change a behavior that is giving your undesirable outcomes, you need to address the reason you are drinking. Remember: the reason is never the reason. Saying that you drink to unwind and relax is an excuse, not a reason, and likely falls into the category of denial. Millions of people worldwide unwind after work without using alcohol. Physical exercise is one way. The bottom line? If you need to stop drinking alcohol, switching to wine is not the answer.

It’s a bit like the woman who said she’d been drinking huge amounts of coffee (filled with caffeine) all day long and was having difficulty sleeping, to say nothing of feeling jittery ad shaky. She decided to switch to chocolate and was now eating about ½ a pound a day (the results of which were showing up around her waist already).

Addictive behaviors are addictive behaviors. The biggest cure for one addictive behavior is another addictive behavior. It all starts and ends in the brain. Yours. I suggest you follow your doctor’s recommendation and stop drinking alcohol. Period. Find a good 12-step program and address what is going on in your life that has pushed you toward depending on this drug. And do it sooner than later.

After being digested, absorbed, and metabolized, most foods release either an alkaline ash or an acid ash in the body. It is the residue left after combustion rather than the acidity of the food itself that is believed to make a food acid or alkaline. Yes, lemons are generally considered acidic but they are believed to produce an alkaline ash in the body.

In addition, limes and lemons contain virtually zero fructose and only 3-4 grams of total carbs in a whole lemon or lime, whereas a typical orange contains 6 grams of fructose and 25 grams of total sugar per fruit. Personally, I squeeze a lemon into the water I drink first thing in the morning or dump in a packet of cold pressed crystalized lemon (“True Lemon”). When I travel I always carry some packets of “True Lemon” with me.

As far as I know, science has not yet discovered a direct causative link between aluminum and a variety of conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Research continues in this area. If you subscribe to the theory that disease processes (including Alzheimer’s and many different types of cancer) can result from a complex constellation of factors, then exposure to products that contain aluminum could be one factor to consider.

I read an article recently that was designed to raise awareness of products that contain aluminum and a possible connection with a variety of states of illness. Suggestions ranged from using aluminum-free cookware or cookware that contains only a small percentage of aluminum in the alloy, to switching to a natural aluminum-free deodorant crystal (that’s what I use).

I pay attention to these suggestions. They can be part of a brain-friendly lifestyle. I maintain that one’s best strategy in life is to develop and consistently implement a high-level-wellness lifestyle in balance!

That’s right. I don’t. According to Dr. Appleton, author of the book Lick the Sugar Habit, the average American consumes 20 pounds of artificial sweeteners per year. Originally designed for weight loss, research shows that these substances actually increase appetite by stimulating the salivary glands, thus defeating their original purpose. Artificial sweeteners can contribute to compulsive eating, an increased craving for sweets and fatty foods, and an increase in weight.

Aspartame’s ingredients compete with tryptophan and can block its conversion into serotonin; saccharin can cause an increase in one’s consumption of sweets.

Dietary consultants have told me that one of the first things they recommend to people who want to lose or maintain their weight is to stop using all soft drinks—especially those that are diet drinks. I have found it a difficult concept to pitch, especially to people who want to lose weight and are convinced that if a product says “diet,” it will help!

From a brain-function perspective, being overweight is less about how you ‘look’ and far more about how your brain functions, how healthy you’d like to be, and how long you want to live. Being overweight or obese is linked to about 50 diseases or medical conditions including dementia. As I write in Longevity Lifestyle Matters:

Obesity is linked with more than 50 diseases—50!—including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, some forms of cancer, and dementia. According to the American Diabetes Association, a person is diagnosed with diabetes every 20 seconds in the USA, most with type 2 diabetes. If people continue to gain weight and remain inactive, estimates are that within 30-40 years 1 in 3 Americans will have some form of diabetes, a terrifying statistic for patients as well as healthcare professionals and health systems.

If your mindset is that you can do nothing about your weight, your brain will do nothing about it. I repeat: It may be hard pill to swallow but unless you have been struck with an extremely rare condition, in the words of Stephen Richards: We are exactly what our history made us to be. You cannot change the past; you can alter your future. Current wisdom says that 70 percent of how long and how well you live is in your hands.Life is composed of a myriad of miniscule decisions. Every single day you make choices to do this or that; that or this. The outcome of those tiny decisions eventually funnels into what happens to you. So if you don’t like what you see now, take ownership of your habitual thoughts and behaviors and get busy altering them, now. Look at your thoughts today because they influence how you will look and feel in the future.

There’s an old saying: Every pathology has an ecology. In other words, behaviors that result in negative or undesirable outcomes do not occur in a vacuum. Yes, you may have cellular memory for unhealthy eating habits. Nevertheless, you are also capable of creating and maintaining a Longevity Lifestyle that will result in a healthier future.

You are where you are today because of the choices you made in the past. Likewise, in the future you will be where you are because of the choices you made today, tomorrow, and the next day. Habits are simply choices you make on a regular basis. Often they are the result of self-medication—doing something to make yourself feel better in the moment with little or no thought about the future. All human beings self-medicate—but the way in which they do this can differ dramatically. Positive self-medication results in positive outcomes; negative self-medication in negative outcomes. You can self-medicate directly (e.g., food and drink, drugs, and medications). You can also self-medicate indirectly by what you think, watch, and the activities you choose (e.g., exercise, sex, risk-taking, strong emotions, playing electronic games). Addictive behaviors are simply self-medicating choices that have run away with themselves.

In general, current studies indicate that obesity is associated with hyperactivation of the Brain Reward System for high-calorie (HC) versus low-calorie (LC) food cues, which encourages unhealthy food selection and overeating. The Brain Reward System is triggered by seeing, smelling, thinking about, and picturing  or imagining the HC food. You can do something about this: you can retrain your brain by changing your mindset, your self-talk, and (in effect) rewiring your brain to trigger your Brain Reward System by seeing, smelling, thinking about, and picturing low-calorie foods—and by choosing them. It is, after all, your choice. If you are struggling, get some professional help.

It’s fairly simply, “dear Watson,” although not always fast and easy.Obesity begins insidiously with a few more calories ingested than are expended (often from mismanaging portion sizes, selecting refined and processed foods, and failing to get enough physical activity). Go for vegetables, seeds and legumes, high-fiber healthier carbs, and pure water as your beverage of choice. Keep moving. Concentrate on what you can do and do it consistently and stop dwelling on what you can’t do. Think long-term rather than short-term. Millions of people are doing it. So can you—but it all starts in the brain. Yours.

Recently while driving in my car, I heard an interview with Jennifer Stone broadcast on National Public Radio. She was reminiscing about her visit to Muir Woods, that famous and majestic stand of redwoods near the coast in Northern California. Jennifer described that walking into the redwood forest seemed almost like walking into a great green and gold cathedral. She perceived those giant redwoods as stretching upward for the light; as reaching for the chlorophyll of consciousness, as she put it.

I enjoyed that metaphor. When things seem rather chaotic and oppressive around me, down here on the ground, I now perceive my brain as standing tall and straight, stretching upward for the light. While taking a few deep brain breaths, I imagine I’m reaching for the chlorophyll of consciousness. It doesn’t always change what’s going on down here on the ground. It usually does alter my perception of what’s really important and whether or not I need to take in all the craziness around me.

Brain breathing? Breathe in through your nose to a count of four, hold your breath for a count of twelve, and then breathe out through pursed lips to a count of eight. I do several brain breaths while activating the 20:80 Rule.

The 20:80 Rule? The 20:80 Rule goes back to the 2nd Century Greek Philosopher, Epictetus. He taught that it’s not so much what happens to you that matters, rather it’s what you think about what happens to you, the weight you give to it and the relative importance you assign to it that really matters. Think of the chaos in your environment as the 20 percent. Picture your metaphor as the 80 percent. Brain breathing, plus living the 20:80 Rule, are two key tools in my life-strategies trunk. They make a huge difference in my life.

That’s a question that I am asked quite regularly. There are, of course, opinions on both sides of the question. My brain’s opinion is that eating breakfast does matter, primarily for your brain—and I always do it. Breaking the fast from sleeping (unless you get up and snack at night!) boots up the brain much like you boot up a computer. Body cells can use fats, proteins, and carbohydrates for energy, not so with brain cells. Glucose from carbs is the preferred if not the best source of fuel that the brain can use efficiently. Due to its rapid metabolism, the brain requires minute-to-minute glucose. For example, glucose levels decline more during a period of intense cognitive processing. Studies in all types of people have shown improved mental ability following a carbohydrate meal. But what type of carbs? Healthier ones, of course, Carbs that are eaten in as natural state as possible and that are relatively low on the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load lists. Those recommended in a Longevity Lifestyle.

Eric Rimm, senior author of a study related to breakfast and coronary heart disease and associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health, said, “It’s a really simple message. Breakfast is an important meal.” And Leah Cahill, postdoctoral research fellow in HSPH’s Department of Nutrition, was quoted as saying: “Skipping breakfast may lead to one or more risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, which may in turn lead to a heart attack over time.” This study corroborated other studies that have pointed to a link between breakfast and obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other health problems seen as precursors to heart problems. As my favorite aunt would likely have put it: “Eat a good breakfast already!” I do.

[Nedley, Neil, M.D. Proof Positive; Brand-Miller, Jennie, PhD, Thomas M. S. Wolever, MD, PhD, et al. The New Glucose Revolution]

To use a common metaphor, many people go through life flying by the seat of their pants rather than having a plan. Sometimes they get it right and are successful. Other times they are unsuccessful. Either way, they may have difficulty figuring out what they did to achieve a successful outcome or failed to do that contributed to a negative outcome. Studies related to maximizing brain function, to slowing down the impact of aging on the brain, and to keeping your brain in good working condition for as long of possible have provided a great deal of information on how to accomplish this. Following a plan that incorporates many of these steps constitutes taking care of your brain “by design.” The plan needs to be somewhat flexible, of course, but a plan can help ensure you arrive at your destination insofar as it is possible to do so.

Studies have shown that more than half of the factors that impact the health of the brain in terms of keeping it functioning optimally and helping to slow down the onset of aging symptoms, are within your partial (if not complete) control. Including those types of key factors in your lifestyle is part of taking care of your brain “by design.”

For example, studies of centenarians have shown that 16 health habits and lifestyle factors strongly predict who will live to be 100 years old and still be able to live independently (and about half of the centenarians can). Michael E. Howard, PhD discusses those 16 factors in his book entitled How to Live to 100: 16 Lifestyle Characteristics of the Oldest and Healthiest People in the World. You may want to think about these factors, especially around the holiday season, and implement as many of them as possible.

1. Have low blood sugar (less than 100 mg/dL fasting)
2. Have low blood pressure (target is 115/75 mg Hg)
3. Have low total blood cholesterol (less than 200 mg/dL)
4. Keep weight low and steady (BMI from 18.5 to 25)
5. Eat fewer calories
6. Eat mostly a vegetarian “Mediterranean diet”
7. Supplement food intake with vitamins
8. Exercise regularly (be active and stay busy after retirement)
9. Do not smoke
10. Minimize alcohol intake
11. Get regular and restful sleep
12. Have healthy gums
13. Challenge your mind
14. Maintain a positive attitude and avoid anxiety and depression
15. Shed stressors, have daily structure, and be resilient
16. Stay socially connected with serenity and a purpose to life

You might want to order a copy of my book Age-Proofing Your Brain on Amazon.com (21 Key Factors You Can Control). You may also go to “Care of the Brain” on my website under Brain References to find some of the studies that have been done.

Current consensus is that the brain needs a minimum of 30 minutes of challenging mental exercise or stimulation every day. Watching non-educational TV and movies does not count. If your work involves repetitive routines, concentration may help you to avoid mistakes and accidents, but it may not be challenging your brain to learn new information. Before or after work you could read or listen to audiobooks, take a class for fun (if you are not in school), play a musical instrument, and so on. Travel is good for the brain. It thrives on variety and loves to learn new things. Be creative!

Your question reflects many that I receive. Yes, alcohol use is widespread across the planet and historically has been viewed as relatively harmless in moderation. More recently there’s been an emerging trend to play up alcohol’s supposed benefits to the heart and to the brain and ignore or play down links with cancer. I know of no research to suggest that the active principle in wine, alcohol, helps the brain relax.

I am familiar with a study involving a dozen researchers and led by Anya Topiwala, clinical lecturer in old age psychiatry. Published in the British Medical Journal just a few months ago, the title is: “Moderate alcohol consumption as risk factor for adverse brain outcomes and cognitive decline: longitudinal cohort study.” (BMJ 2017;357:j2353) The objectives were to investigate whether moderate alcohol consumption has a favorable or adverse association or no association with brain structure and function. It was a longitudinal observational cohort study with weekly alcohol intake and cognitive performance measured repeatedly over 30 years (1985-2015). Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at study endpoint (2012-15). Structural brain measures included hippocampal atrophy, grey matter density, and white matter microstructure.

The study reported that higher alcohol consumption over the 30-year follow-up was associated with increased odds of hippocampal atrophy in a dose dependent fashion. As you may know, the hippocampus is analogous to a computer’s search engine. Study participants who consumed over 30 units a week of alcohol were at the highest risk compared with abstainers. However, even those drinking moderately (14-21 units/week) had three times the odds of right sided hippocampal atrophy. There was no protective effect of light drinking (1 to less than 7 units/week) over abstinence. Higher alcohol use was also associated with differences in corpus callosum microstructure and faster decline in lexical fluency.

Study conclusions include:

• Higher alcohol use was associated with reduced grey matter density, hippocampal atrophy, and reduced white matter microstructural integrity.
• Alcohol consumption, even at moderate levels, is associated with adverse brain outcomes including atrophy of the hippocampus.

The researchers posit that these study results support the recent reduction in alcohol guidance in the United Kingdom and call into question the current limits recommended in the United States. You may like to read a recent article in PsyBlog discussing this study and its potential implications. [http://www.spring.org.uk/2017/06/very-popular-drink-linked-to-brain-damage.php?omhide=true]

I agree with a recent quote by Dr. Daniel Amen: “Most weight problems occur between the ears…in your brain. Pretty much starts and ends in the brain.” Therefore, I suggest you explore what is different for you around the holidays, what beliefs you have absorbed about eating during these seasons, and expectations of yourself or others that may be impacting your behaviors. Check out my article entitled, “The Diet Trap…and How to Escape.” It contains strategies to help you with the yo-yo of eating.

I am very pleased you are interested in drinking enough water. You might want to stop arguing, however. That is a stressor to both the brain and the immune system.

So, you are both correct, depending on what the temperature is, what you are doing, how you are dressed, and so on. In the USA, estimates are that most people over age 50 are chronically dehydrated and drink less than 1 quart (32 oz.) or 1 liter (1,000 ml) of water per day. Thirst sensation falls over age 50 and many eat when they are actually thirsty—but do not recognize it.

In addition, Mayo Clinic estimates are that the average adult loses more than 80 oz. or 2365 ml of water every day through sweating, breathing, waste elimination, which puts them 48 ounces or 1420 ml in deficit compared to amount of water taken in. And as the water level in the brain cells falls, brain tissue can begin to shrink and pull away from the skull. Dehydration is linked with dementia. Just a one percent level of dehydration (and at the point you probably are not even thirsty) results in a five percent reduction in cognition.

Doctors I know have suggested that it is easier to just stop trying to count how many ounces or milliliters of water you are drinking each day. Instead, just drink enough so you pee one or two pale urines per day. Personally, I find that a much easier way to track my level of hydration.

I think this may be an example of misinformation that may be circulated when conclusions are not carefully analyzed and compared with other known information. If you’re referring to the same study I read, the researchers compared brain alertness in two groups of participants: one group who had only ice cold water to drink first thing in the morning and one group who ate three scoops of ice cream. The brain works best when it is cooler. Both ice cream and water cool down the body and brain slightly—at least initially, until the body turns up the heat to warm ice-cold to body temperature. While your brain and body definitely need nutrition, and water is a nutrient, it does not provide calories for energy, so naturally it would not increase alertness beyond making sure that the brain was well hydrated.

Your brain needs nutrition first thing in the morning in order to boot up because it’s been on a ‘fast’ while you slept. That’s what the term breakfast means: you break your fast. There are high quality nutrients, however, and poor quality nutrients.

Nutritional data on ice cream for typical one-scoop show that on average a 3.5-ounce serving of vanilla ice cream contains 125 calories, 7 grams of fat and 14 grams of sugar. (At 4-5 grams of sugar in one teaspoon, that would be 8-10 teaspoons of sugar). Three scoops would provide 375 calories, 21 grams of fat, and 42 grams of sugar. Even though ice cream is considered poor quality nutrition, some is better than none. However, sugar is a toxin to the brain and tends to spike blood sugar levels, which is not good for brain function. Both the sugar and fat tend to increase your risk of gaining weight. Therefore, while ice cream did increase alertness because it contained calories—and ice water did not—the ice cream failed to provide high quality nutrition. On the other hand, old-fashioned oatmeal and fresh fruit would provide high quality nutrition.

Give your brain enough oxygen. The brain requires 20 percent of all the oxygen your lungs take out of the air. When you breathe shallowly or walk and sit slumped over, the lungs may not expand completely and you may be slightly anoxic, or short of the amount of oxygen the brain requires for many of its chemical processes. Start the day with three brain breaths:  Breathe in through your nose to a count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 12, and breathe out through pursed lips to a count of 8. Take several more during the day, any time that you start feeling sluggish or sleepy.

In the vast majority of cases, yes. However, many people do not want to follow the suggestions. Each brain is believed to need a specific amount of sleep during a 24-hour period. Studies have discovered many tips for how to get a better sleep. Although sleep is independently linked with longevity, in today’s world, many are not excited about following the tips. Here are a few examples (and more are listed on the Sleep Foundation website):

• Have a regular sleep time, starting preferably 1-2 hours before midnight as sleep before midnight has been found to be more restorative
• Go to bed the same time on weekends as during the week
• Avoid the use of electronics for 1 hour prior to bedtime unless you are using blue-light protective glasses
• Avoid exciting movies or video games just before going to bed to reduce brain stimulation and/or the production of adrenalin
• Sleep in a cool room that is as dark as possible
• Keep all electronics out of the bedroom unless you are on call
• Eat dinner by 6 p.m. so food is out of your stomach by bedtime.

Each brain is believed to need a specific amount of sleep during a 24-hour period. Studies have discovered many tips for how to get a better sleep. Although sleep is independently linked with longevity, in today’s world, many are not excited about following tips to improve their sleep. Here are a few examples (and more are listed on the Sleep Foundation website):

• Have a regular sleep time, starting preferably 1-2 hours before midnight as sleep before midnight has been found to be more restorative
• Go to bed the same time on weekends as during the week
• Avoid the use of electronics for one hour prior to bedtime unless you are using blue-light protective glasses
• Avoid exciting movies or video games just before going to bed to reduce brain stimulation and/or the production of adrenalin
• Sleep in a cool room that is as dark as possible
• Keep all electronics out of the bedroom unless you are on call
• Eat dinner by 6 p.m. so food is out of your stomach by bedtime

In 2008, Benson and Libermann led a study that found a long-term practice of the Relaxation Response changed the expression of genes involved with the body’s response to stress. Studies in many peer-reviewed journals have documented how the relaxation response both alleviates symptoms of anxiety and many other disorders and also affects factors such as heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen consumption and brain activity. 

A recent study was coauthored by Manoj Bhasin, HMS assistant professor of medicine and co-director of the Beth Israel Deaconess Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Center—to examine changes produced during a single session of relaxation response practice, as well as those taking place over longer periods of time. They reported that pathways controlled by activation of a protein called NF-κB—known to have a prominent role in inflammation, stress, trauma, and cancer—were suppressed after relaxation response elicitation. The expression of genes involved in insulin pathways was also significantly altered.

Dr. Herbert Benson, internationally renowned cardiologist and co-senior author of the report, indicated that many studies have shown that mind/body interventions like the Relaxation Response can reduce stress and enhance wellness in healthy individuals and counteract the adverse clinical effects of stress in conditions like hypertension, anxiety, diabetes, and aging.

Thirty minutes a day of challenging mental exercise is a proven strategy for retarding the onset of aging symptoms. While not muscles, neurons (brain cells) respond to challenges much as do muscle cells. Use it or lose it, as the saying goes.

Research suggests that for each year of education beyond basic college one’s risk of Alzheimer’s decreases by twenty percent. The theory is that, even if whatever causes Alzheimer’s attacks one’s brain, its neuron trees will be so leafed out (so to speak) that onset of incapacitating symptoms can be delayed if not prevented altogether. It’s certainly worth a shot!

Studies have shown long-term negative effects, especially in some brains. For that reason I personally avoid ingesting or using such substances. You may want to refer to Brain References—Substances and the Brain for additional brain facts.

Thank you for letting me know you have enjoyed the information I’ve presented in seminars. I enjoy sharing information on current brain-function research. However, I am unclear as to where you got the idea that I do personal counseling. Whether in person, by email, snail-mail, or telephone, my answer remains the same: I do not take personal clients, neither do I give advice. I am at a loss to say this any more clearly.

If you perceive that you have a problem for which you need advice, I suggest you find a professional in your area whose expertise aligns with the problem you are trying to solve. And if it is a serious problem, you might want to do this sooner than later. And be prepared to pay for the professional’s time. After all, would you expect your medical healthcare provider to treat you in a grocery-store parking lot free of charge?

Researchers followed 876 people over age 65 for more than 10 years. The study, designed to identify links between household physical activity and brain health in older adults, found that doing household chores can improve the brain health of older adults. Household physical activity was positively associated with larger gray matter volume in older adults. The more time people spent on household chores, the larger their brains. Household chores translate as a light workout, which is known to be beneficial to the brain. People doing household chores are less likely to be sedentary, which is linked with poor brain health. Shrinkage of brain tissue has been linked with a higher risk for developing dementia. Along with lack of physical activity, dehydration—failing to drink sufficient water each day—is also liked with brain shrinkage.

The first author said, “Scientists already know that exercise has a positive impact on the brain, but our study is the first to show that the same may be true for household chores.” At the end of the 10-year study, researchers concluded that regular moderate exercise—including doing household chores—was enough to slow brain aging by the equivalent of 10 years. You might view your household tasks as an anti-aging strategy that is helping you to have a larger brain and better cognitive health. Watching TV hour after hour? Maybe not so much.

You are free to drink anything and any type of water you choose. It’s your brain and your body. The “fancy” waters are likely better than not drinking water at all, but they are often expensive and may contain either sugar or artificial sweeteners—substances I prefer to avoid. You do realize that “boring” is just a state of mind. In essence, you have told your brain that plain water (or alkaline water or hydrogen water) is boring. If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right. Your brain can only do what it thinks it can do and you have programmed it to think that plain water is boring. You are able to reprogram your brain if you choose to do so. I tell my brain: Arlene, you drink enough water to have at least one or two pale urines per day. You like the taste and you like the energy water gives you.

The results of a study led by Dr. Bernhard Ross and colleagues were published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience (24 May 2017, 3613-16; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1523). The researchers found that playing a musical instrument can help protect against cognitive decline, a goal of healthy aging. Learning to play, versus just listening, was found to change the brain’s “wiring.” You’ve heard no doubt about brain plasticity; the ability for the brain to change its software, if you will. The sound-making actions led to immediate “plastic” changes in the brain after just one learning session. That’s more reinforcement for the value to the brain of learning to play an instrument. Of course, the earlier in life the better, assuming you would like to become exceedingly competent. Nevertheless, unless you are comatose, my brain’s opinion is “better late than never.” Some individuals began taking music lessons in their eighties, which is helping to keep their brains sharp. The report is that they’re having the time of their life! Eighty is the new sixty, you know.

Well, that is an interesting and complex question. There are many aspects to reading, and, yes, 10 minutes reading aloud every day is recommended for challenging mental stimulation and an anti-aging strategy. When you read aloud you must first recognize the words (one aspect of reading); you must also remember how to articulate them (another aspect of reading); then you must use your tongue and teeth and vocal chords to say them aloud (yet another aspect of reading).  All of this challenges the brain.

Naturally understanding the words cognitively is yet another aspect of reading and that is desirable – however, that is only one aspect. No one knows for sure what a brain with dementia picks up from hearing someone read aloud. Anecdotally, however, reading aloud to groups of people with dementia has been found to stimulate memories and imagination. Katie Clark who runs Reader groups with dementia patients, has written an anthology entitled A Little, Aloud that reportedly contains stories and poems that have proved most popular, together with anecdotes about the people who have enjoyed them. Clark has been quoted as saying that poetry seems to work better than prose with dementia patients.

In an article entitled “5 Engaging Activities for Dementia Patients,”Kendall Van Blarcom includes reading aloud: “Reading aloud is something you can do for dementia patients. Listening to someone read often sparks memory recall and encourages imagination. Sometimes it even sparks discussion. Shorter works, such as poems or short stories, work better. They don’t tax attention spans and compress significant meaning into much fewer words.” (https://kvanb.com/activities-for-dementia-patients/)

Apparently, having patients with dementia read aloud has resulted in some memory recall. According to the Alzheimer’s Reading Room, when they began creating short stories for Alzheimer’s patients to read aloud they “were surprised by the journey that this simple exercise created.” As the individuals read the stories aloud they started telling the staff stories from their own lives.

(http://www.alzheimersreadingroom.com/2016/06/alzheimer-care-stories-and-memory.html)

Saying that red wine is good for the heart implies that the wine is good for cardiovascular function. Actually, it’s the resveratrol in the skin of the red grapes that appears to be good for the heart and there is some resveratrol in red wine. Balance that by the fact that wine contains alcohol, albeit at a lower percentage than does hard liquor. Alcohol is perceived as a stressor by the brain and tends to trigger the stress response. This can result in a rise in the stress chemical cortisol and in the neurotransmitter-hormone combination found in Corticotropin Releasing Factor or CRF, a powerful substance that provides a brief spurt of euphoria but that also can increase inflammation and may increase one’s risk for suicidal thoughts, especially in a brain that is already depressed. In addition, there appears to be strong scientific consensus of an association between alcohol drinking and several types of cancer. You may want to review this summary yourself. [http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/alcohol/alcohol-fact-sheet]

Resveratrol? I’ll take the red grapes.

Think of the Relaxation Response as a type of meditation or prayer. Named by Dr. Herbert Benson, there are four easy steps that you can implement to break the stress cycle and provide benefits to your brain, immune system, and health.

1. Find a quiet place
2. Get in a comfortable position (e.g., sitting)
3. Select a positive thought to ponder
4. Do this for ten minutes and then return to your duties

In a recent study of the link between use of the Relaxation Response and gene expression, in which Herbert Benson MD was the co-senior author of the report, researchers found that although study participants elicited the Relaxation Response through many different techniques (including forms of meditation, prayer, or yoga), all forms were effective.

Actually, yes. According to some sources, this sleep disorder, in which the patient acts out the dreams through limb movements and talking, is very rare (reportedly fewer than 20,000 cases per year are identified in the USA). The exact cause is unknown but there are several risk factors (e.g. neurodegenerative disease, drug withdrawal, and narcolepsy). Symptoms include limb movement (e.g. arm flailing, talking and laughing, ability to recall the episode). You might like to review what the Sleep Foundation says about it.

https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/rem-sleep-behavior-disorder

Like tobacco, alcohol is one of the few substances consistently linked to an increased risk of cancer. The type of alcohol—wine, beer, or liquor—does not matter. According to several sources, drinking alcohol increases the risk of developing some types of cancer. Alcohol is a toxin, a poison, to the brain. Since I have only one brain and there are no replacements—and I would like mine to be sharp and healthy at the age of 122 years 165 days—I take an admittedly conservative approach, which is that there is no amount of alcohol that I would consider safe for my brain.

Yes, I know, there are those who say alcohol, especially wine, is good for your heart due to the resveratrol wine contains. I get my resveratrol from eating blueberries and grapes—dark purple and red ones with the skins still on them. So far there doesn’t seem to be any link to cancer from them.

Here are a couple of resources, including a monograph source you might review and then make up your own mind about how much risk you are willing to take with your brain.

[https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/content/profiles/alcoholicbeverageconsumption.pdf]

IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans. Alcohol consumption and ethyl carbamate. IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks in Humans 2010;96:3-1383. [http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol96/index.php]

There is refreshing sleep and sleep that is not refreshing. There is depression triggered by sadness due to an adverse event or natural disaster—that may be unrelated to sleep. There is depression due to an anxiety disorder or a depressive disorder that needs medical consultation and treatment. As you can see, there may be several reasons for your depression.

In relation to sleep, your brain may need more sleep or the hours of sleep you are getting may be irregular rather than regular. A recent study reportedthat irregular sleep hours can increase the risk of depression even if the total amount of sleep is adequate. Study participants who had the most variable sleep schedules scored the highest on depression tests and also had the worst moment-to-moment mood. Going to bed and getting up at regular times is also important—since irregular sleep schedules can disrupt circadian rhythms and may actually trigger or exacerbate mental health problems.

“Getting up there” at age 63? Give me a break. All things being equal, word is that 63 is the new 43 if you’re living a Longevity Lifestyle.Aging has been connected with problems of memory. However, studies suggest that generally healthy aging may not show much of this decline. Aging has also been connected with sleeping problems. One plus one may equal two, although it isn’t clear whether sleep and memory are related causally or just correlatively. Studies have shown that when memory declines with age it usually involves deep non-REM sleep also called slow-wave sleep, which is associated with learning new information. You may want to check my Blog for additional information on the impact of sleep deprivation to longevity, heart disease, cancer, and so on. And you may want to get serious about making certain your brain gets enough sleep on a regular basis.

In general, the human brain is believed to follow naturally a circadian cycle of about 10:00 pm to 5:00 or 6:00 am for sleep. Typically, the human sleep pattern is thought to occur in 90-minute cycles of non-REM (rapid eye motion) and REM sleep. These cycles are not completed balanced in composition however. The first 2-3 cycles contain more deep non-REM sleep, while the remaining 2-3 cycles are comprised of lighter REM sleep.

According to Matthew P. Walker, PhD, director of the Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School, the ratio of non-REM-to-REM sleep within the brain’s 90-minute cycles changes across the night. He explains that early in the night (11p.m.-3a.m.), the majority of those cycles are comprised of deep non-REM sleep (stages 3 and 4) and very little REM sleep.

During the second half of the night (3 a.m.-7 a.m.), the 90-minute cycles tend toward more REM sleep (the stage commonly associated with dreaming), together with a lighter form of non-REM sleep (stage 2). He also explains that there is a subtle twist on this: the earlier in the night, the greater the propensity for deep non-REM sleep, and the later in the morning, the greater the propensity for REM sleep. This means that a person who sleeps 8 hours from 9p.m. to 5a.m will have a different overall composition of sleep—biased towards more non-REM—than someone who sleeps from 3a.m. to 11a.m., who is likely to experience more REM sleep ( although the total amount of sleep may still equal 8 hours).

Although I used to keep proverbial night-owl hours, especially on weekend days, often sleeping from midnight to eight or nine in the morning. That is no longer the case. My pattern now is to be falling asleep by 10:00 p.m. and waking up in the morning naturally (without an alarm clock) between six and seven. I feel more rested and find my brain much more inclined to “write” during the morning hours. Who knew?

Develop and maintain a Longevity Lifestyle. It is no guarantee because accidents do happen. However, in my brain’s opinion, it’s the best option. Research has discovered several strategies for staying healthier and younger for longer. Fourteen of those strategies are outlined in the Longevity Lifestyle Matters (LLM Online) program available at Taylor’s website. For example:

• Make water your beverage of choice and stay hydrated. Dehydration has been linked with dementia.
• Give your brain the sleep it needs. Sleep is independently linked with longevity.
• Get a minimum of 30 minutes of challenging mental exercise every day and read aloud for 10 minutes every day.
• Get regular physical exercise as the brain has no muscles and depends on muscle activity in the body to bring nutrients to the brain and remove toxins and waste.

Not that I know of. Taste buds may replace themselves as often as every 10-14 days; it doesn’t take long to retrain them. Water is considered your most important nutrient. The lack of water can kill faster than the lack of any other nutrient. When I drink water I tell myself, “Arlene, you drink life’s most important nutrient. You enjoy the taste of pure, clean water. You feel good.” It’s your choice what you choose to tell your brain and how you choose to program your taste buds. Remember that water requires no digestion, generates electrical energy in the brain, helps keep blood and lymph fluid at desired level of concentration to reduce the risk of clotting, allows digestive juices to better do their work, and provides water for many different chemical reactions and the production of hormones and neurotransmitters. Dehydration is not part of a longevity lifestyle.

CTE stands for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Many people have had concerns for years about the potential for repetitive brain injuries connected with many differing types of sports. Mohammad Ali’s reported cumulative brain damage following years in the boxing ring is just one example. Many people are becoming aware of the connection between NFL players and football-related brain damage. A pilot study at UCLA using brain scans and former NFL players has shown signs of a crippling disease in living players. Now known as Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or CTE, it is a neurodegenerative disease linked to memory loss, depression, and dementia. ESPN reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Steve Fainaru wrote a book about football and brain injuries. And FRONTLINE produced a documentary based on their research, League of Denial. CTI, which researchers say is triggered by repeated head trauma, can be confirmed only by examining the brain after death. Not too long ago, CTE was reportedly identified in the brain of former Chargers linebacker Junior Seau, who committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest.

Thank you for your questions. Reportedly, Donald Watson coined the term “vegan” in 1944 when he co-founded the Vegan Society in the UK. He did so because, as he put it: “We can see quite plainly that our present civilization is built on the exploitation of animals, just as past civilizations were built on the exploitation of slaves, and we believe the spiritual destiny of man is such that in time he will view with abhorrence the idea that men once fed on the products of animals’ bodies.”

Yes. I have been eating vegan style for more than a decade and my health has definitely improved. In fact, my surgeon once commented that had I been vegan for most of my life, I might possibly have avoided hip-replacement surgery. Apparently, my body does not much like “dairy” products—although my taste buds used to love them—and we grew up eating a lot of dairy products (especially cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, and cheese blintzes with wild blueberries), my parents believing they were excellent sources of protein. Maybe so for calves, but not for someone with Scoliosis Syndrome. (Smile)

There are some helpful and interesting sites that explain the benefits and also provide statistics on countries that are making a shift toward veganism. Here are some, and no doubt you can easily find more.

https://veganliftz.com/veganism-on-the-rise/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Watson

 Potentially the list of factors is endless, because the reasons a person mismanages his/her weight ongoing are as unique as the person’s brain. Nevertheless, here are some factors to consider:

1. Loneliness – and the person is using food to alter the brain’s chemical stew in order to feel better

2. Dehydration with a lack of adequate water intake – so the individual eats when actually the brain/body is thirsty

3. Habits of snacking between meals or in the evening – and this increases the person’s over-all caloric intake for the day

4. Eating too fast and not chewing food well – so the individual ends up ingesting many more calories than are needed before the brain gets the signal of feeling full

5. A kinesthetic sensory preference – and the person obtains rewards through food taste and odors

6. Unmanaged emotions and feelings – and the individual is eating to self-medicate the brain’s chemical stew

7. Living inauthentically – and because of not managing brain energy effectively, the brain is exhausted and screams for glucose, so the person eats (usually high-fat and high-sugar snack-type foods)

8. Bored – and so the individual eats for something to do

9. Unable or unwilling to obtain needed physical exercise – so the person burns too few calories compared to the number ingested every day

10. A history of physical or sexual abuse – and at some level the individual wants “protective padding” in adulthood