New Brain Health Roadmap Announced

On June 10th something wonderful happened, and the media hasn't paid much attention yet. On that day, the National Public health Road Map to Maintaining Cognitive health was released by the CDC and the Alzheimer's Association. The authors proposed a set of 44 actions to reach a lofty goal: To maintain or improve the cognitive performance of all adults across America. This is great timing, given all the research and media attention that this field is getting, and the aging of the baby boomer population.

I want to first share with you the 10 top actions proposed by this report, and then provide a quick glossary to explain the key words that you will hear more and more when discussing brain health.

Top recommendations:

1) To determine how diverse audiences think about cognitive health and its associations with lifestyle factors. This work has all-ready yielded in a phenomenal report on Baby boomers' current opinion of Brain health and fitness, that you can find in the website of the MetLife Foundation.

2) To disseminate the latest science to increase public understanding of cognitive health and to dispel common misconceptions. The discovery of lifelong neuroplasticity and neurogenesis (see glossary below) has given us a new positive view upon the human brain - This is still a concept not many know of. "Use it or lose it" and "Use It and Get More of It" needs to reach all people.

3) Help people understand the connection between risk and protective factors and cognitive health. Protective factors were well summarized in the MacArthur study of successful aging: good nutrition, mental and physical exercise, stress management and social engagement.

4) Assess the literature on risk factors (vascular risk and physical inactivity) and related interventions for relationships with cognitive health. As Dr. Marilyn S. Albert at John Hopkins points it out: All the things that we know are bad for your heart turn out to be bad for your brain.

5) More clinical trials will be conducted to determine the effect of reducing vascular risk factors on lowering the risk of cognitive decline and improving cognitive function. Recent findings presented at International Conference on Prevention of Dementia are one big step in the right direction.

6) Further, more research will be conducted on other areas potentially affecting cognitive health such as nutrition, mental activity, and social engagement.

7) The last research focus is on determining the effect of physical activity on reducing the risk of cognitive decline and improving cognitive function.

8) The government will develop a population-based surveillance system to measure the public health burden of cognitive impairment in the United States.

9) Initiate policy changes at the federal, state, and local levels to promote cognitive health by engaging public officials.

10) Brain fitness will be included in Healthy People 2020, a set of health objectives for the nation that will serve as the foundation for state and community public health plans.

This initiative will help people of all ages take more control of our brain health in the same way we care about our nutrition and body health.

Now let's review some of the most relevant concepts in this field. This vocabulary will become familiar to all of us during the next years::

Brain fitness: the general state of good, sharp, brain and mind, especially as the result of mental and physical exercise and proper nutrition.

Brain fitness program: structured set of brain exercises, usually computer-based, designed to train specific brain areas and functions in targeted ways, and measured by brain fitness assessments.

Chronic stress: ongoing, long-term stress. Continued physiological arousal where stressors block the formation of new neurons and negatively impact the immune system's defenses.

Cognitive training: variety of brain exercises designed to help work out specific "mental muscles". The principle underlying cognitive training is to help improve "core" abilities, such as attention, memory, problem-solving, which many people consider as fixed.

Cognitive Reserve: theory that addresses the fact that individuals vary considerably in the severity of cognitive aging and clinical dementia. Mental stimulation, education and occupational level are believed to be major active components of building a cognitive reserve that can help resist the attacks of mental disease.

fMRI: functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that enables researchers see images of changing blood flow in the brain associated with neural activity. This allows images to be generated that reflect which structures are activated (and how) during performance of different tasks.

mindfulness-Based stress reduction (MBSR): yoga and meditation practices designed to enable effective responses to stress, pain, and illness.

Neurogenesis: the process by which neurons are created all throughout our lives.

Neuroplasticity: the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new connections throughout life.

Exciting times ahead! We should all be looking forward what science will bring us to help develop and grow gracefully as we age.

Alvaro Fernandez is the CEO and Co-Founder of SharpBrains, http://www.sharpbrains.com which provides the latest science-based information for Brain health and Brain exercise, and reviews programs such as MindFit, Posit Science, emWave, IntelliGym, Cogmed, and more. Dozens of publications, such as Scientific American Mind, CBS, Forbes, MSNBC, Seattle times, New york Post, have highlighted SharpBrains website and information. Check http://www.sharpbrains.com/hottopics

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Best Places For Your Honeymoon Vacations

marriage is a beautiful event in your life, which you take great pains to plan. It marks the beginning of a lifetime with someone you love. A fantastic honeymoon is the perfect way to start this journey of a lifetime. Be it a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle or an invigoration action packed trip, you can be sure of finding just the right destination which will make your honeymoon vacations memorable.

Hawaii has been the most popular wedding destinations in the US. The tropical panorama, immaculate beaches and a vast choice of cuisine, and activities to cater to every kind of taste, it is not surprising that Hawaii is the top choice for a honeymoon. You can enjoy the many waterfalls and fantastic views from the various islands of Hawaii, which will be fun to explore with your spouse. But of course the most romantic thing to do with him/her would be to watch the sunset.

after Hawaii, the Niagara Falls in upstate New York figure as the next popular choice of a honeymoon destination. Many choose the setting of the Niagara, which is the second tallest and widest waterfall in the world to even exchange their wedding vows. There are guided tours on boats around the waterfall and a visit to the Casino Niagara, which is just across the Falls, would be a perfect way to end the day.

florida is a place that can be perfect for just about anyone. There are numerous spots that you will love, whatever it is that you and your spouse want from a honeymoon. walt Disney world in orlando is probably the most popular of all the holiday spots of florida, where special packages are offered to those who want a romantic retreat.

It is incorrect to think that California is just about the crowded beaches and streets of Los Angeles. Should you decide to honeymoon there, then head for the undulating slopes, the mountain peaks and the charming villages of Napa Valley. California Wine Country, with its numerous wineries, which lies to the north of San Francisco, is sure to charm you with the hospitality that is typical of this place.

Las Vegas, which has been pronounced as the entertainment capital is just the right destination for those who want their honeymoon to be full of action and fun. Aside from gambling at the many casinos here, the shopping and nightlife can be quite enjoyable. grand Canyon is close by and is a popular tourist destination. Most of the hotels in Las Vegas have honeymoon packages that you and your spouse would find hard to resist.

The U.S has everything to offer to the honeymooner, be it the tranquil beaches of Hawaii, or the never-ending action of Las Vegas; be it the scenic beauty of the California Wine Country or the fun filled spots of florida.

Being interested in holidays and Spain, Johnathan Bakers is writing quite some long articles in the field. You can come across his abstracts on history of Spain at various other sources for history of Spain knowledge.

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