What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0026

1251.  Keeping you mind active by reading, doing crossword puzzles, traveling, taking classes and otherwise acquiring knowledge outside of your typical or usual experience helps to reduce the risk of aging problems;

1252.  Six of ten studies showed that women who took estrogen had a lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD).  The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, where 472 women who were going through menopause or had completed it were followed for up to sixteen years.  Women who never used estrogen during the study were twice as likely to develop dementia.  This study and others showing beneficial effects of estrogen have been contradicted by reports from the Women’s Health Initiative, which found that women who used Premarin (an estrogen made from horse ovaries) were twice as likely to develop AD as non-estrogen users.  However, the Women’s Health Initiative study did not examine the risk of AD using forms of estrogen made by the human ovary, such as estradiol;

1253.  Men who have or have had prostate cancer treatment or men fifty years and older may develop cognitive impairment due to testosterone deficiency, which can be checked by a blood test.  Symptoms including difficulty with vision not due to eye problems, difficulty remembering locations or faces or other objects of interest, breast enlargement, or a change in the distribution of body hair should alert men to check for testosterone deficiency;

1254.  There are some people you should never split a check with. . . . Watch out for people who order a few appetizers and invite you to share in them.  S/he’ll eat most of it and you’ll only have a few bites . . . and then you end up having to pay for an entire appetizer all by yourself;

1255.  Part leftover chili, part bottled, spaghetti sauce and some leftover red wine makes a decent spaghetti sauce;

1256.  Change your thinking so you start thinking like a younger person, a more fit person, a more energetic person, a healthier person, or a thin person.  Your thoughts will translate into actions, and those actions will cause your body to transform into what you have always wanted;

1257.  It is not life that makes us feel depressed, angry, abandoned, and despairing; rather, it is our thoughts that make us feel that way;

1258.  The body is never our problem.  Our problem is always a thought that we innocently believe;

1259.  Bodies don’t crave, bodies don’t want, bodies don’t know, don’t care, don’t get hungry or thirsty.  It is what the mind attaches–ice cream, alcohol, drugs, sex, money–that the body reflects.  There are no physical addictions, only mental ones.  Body follows mind.  It doesn’t have a choice;

1260.  A simple method of inquiry – the Work – to question our thoughts.  It consists of writing down bothersome, worrisome, or negative thoughts, then asking ourselves four questions and doing a turnaround.  The goal of the Work isn’t pie-in-the-sky positive thinking; it is accurate thinking.  The four questions are these: 1.  Is it true?  (Is the negative thought true?)  2.  Can I absolutely know that it is true?  3.  How do I react when I think that thought?  4.  Who should I be without the thought?  Or how would I feel if I didn’t have the thought?  After you answer the four questions, you take your original thought and turn it around to its opposite, and ask yourself whether the opposite of the original thought that is causing your suffering is not true or even truer.  Then turn the thought around and apply it to yourself (how does the opposite of the thought apply to me personally?).  Then turn the thought around to the other person, if the thought involves another person (how does the opposite apply to the other person?);

1261.  One-third of the general population are placebo responders in clinical situations relating to pain, whether the pain is from surgery, heart disease, cancer, or headache;

1262.  Belief in pain relief stimulates the body to secrete its own pain-relieving substance, called endorphins, which act in the same manners as morphine except that they are much more potent

1263.  Tell your brain what you want and match your behavior to get it.  If you mind takes what it sees and makes it happen, it is critical to visualize what you want and then match your behavior to get it.  Too many people are thrown around by the whims of the day, rather than using their prefrontal cortex to focus on what they want and then following through on their goals;

1264.  As successful athletes visualize their success before a game, you must do the same thing to harness the power of your brain for your body.  Too often, people who see themselves as fat and sick actually get their unconscious mind to collaborate on making them fat and sick.  If you see yourself as fat, your brain will continue to do what it takes to make you fat.  If you see yourself as healthy and trim, your brain will help you accomplish your goal for a better body;

1265.  To harness the power of your brain in order to enhance your physical body and health, do these four things: 1.  Clearly define the body you want.  Write it down.  2.  Spend a few minutes each day visualizing your healthy body.  3.  Put up pictures in your home or at work of when you were your healthiest.  4.  Ask yourself every day if your behavior is getting you the body you want;

1266.  Research clearly tells us that being in a loving, healthy, affectionate relationship helps you be happier, live longer, have a better body, and even help to protect you from depression and memory problems.  Having a healthy sex life is a key to having a better brain and body;

1267.  If you want to live longer, get sick less often, feel more joy, experience less pain, and have better fertility, have more sex (preferably with a loving and committed partner);

1268.  Sex reduces stress, and people who have fulfilling sex lives are less anxious, less violent, and less hostile;

1269.  Physical touch increases the hormone oxytocin, which boosts trust and lowers cortisol levels, the hormone of chronic stress;

1270.  For men, studies show that engaging in sex two, three, or more times per week can lower the risk for heart attack, stroke, and death;

1271.  Having sex three or more times a week reduced the risk in males of having a heart attack or stroke by half;

1272.  It has been estimated that the act of intercourse burns about 200 calories, the equivalent of running vigorously for thirty minutes;

1273.  According to research, making love three times a week in a stress-free relationship can make you look ten years younger;

1274.  Sexual activity in women helps to trigger the production of a human growth hormone that helps them maintain their youthful looks.  Sexual activity also pumps oxygen around the body, boosting circulation and the flow of nutrients to the skin;

1275.  Women who enjoy regular sex had significantly higher levels of estrogen in their blood than women experiencing either infrequent sex or no sex at all.  The benefits of estrogen include a healthy cardiovascular system, lower bad cholesterol, higher good cholesterol, increased bone density, and smoother skin;

1276.  Before orgasm, the level of DHEA spikes in the body to several times higher than normal.  DHEA is believed to improve brain function, balance the immune system, help maintain and repair tissue, promote healthy skin, and possibly improve cardiovascular health;

1277.  Testosterone is increased through regular sexual activity.  Testosterone can help strengthen bones and muscles, and is also beneficial to a healthy heart and brain;

1278.  Person who have regular sexual activity have one-third higher levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA), an antibody that boosts the immune system and can help fight colds and flu;

1279.  In one study it was reported that women who perform oral sex on their mates are less likely to suffer from preeclampsia, a condition that causes a dangerous spike in women’s blood pressure during pregnancy.  Plus sperm carries TGF beta, a molecule that can boost the activities of her natural killer cells, which attack the rogue cells that give rise to tumors;

1280.  A study published by the British Journal of Urology International asserted that men in their twenties can reduce by one-third their chance of getting prostate cancer by ejaculating more than five times a week;

1281.  Women who have intercourse with a male partner at least once a week are likely to have more regular menstrual cycles than women who are celibate or who have infrequent sex.  In same-sex couples, women who engaged in sexual activity at least three times per week also had more regular cycles;

1282.  Some research has shown that sexual activity throughout pregnancy may serve as protection against early delivery, especially during the third trimester (between the twenty-ninth and thirty-sixth weeks);

1283.  Through regular orgasm women had higher pain thresholds when suffering from conditions ranging from whiplash to arthritis;

1284.  Gentle pressure to the female G-spot, the vaginal “on switch” for female arousal, on the front inside wall of the vagina, opposite the clitoris, raised pain thresholds by 40 percent and that during orgasm women could tolerate up to 110 percent more pain;

1285.  During peak arousal, the painkilling center deep in the brain is activated.  Signals from this part of the brain give orders to the body to release endorphins and corticosteroids.  These chemicals help to temporally numb the pain from many different causes.  Activating this region also has a calming effect and can reduce anxiety;

1286.  A study form the Southern Illinois University of Medicine found that having an orgasm could help alleviate the pain from migraines;

1287.  Orgasms cause intense increased activity in the deep limbic pars of the brain, which settle down after sex.  Antidepressants tend to calm activity in the limbic parts of the brain as well.  People who engaged in regular sexual activity experience less depression, and orgasm frequency may be one reason why;

1288.  A Canadian study that examined the correlation between sexuality and mental health found that celibacy was correlated with high scores on depression and suicidality indexes;

1289.  After evaluating levels of sexual activity and happiness in sixteen thousand people, Dartmouth College economist David Blanchflower and Andrew Oswald of the University of Warwick in England found that sex so positively influenced happiness that they estimated increasing intercourse from one a month to once a week is equivalent to the happiness generated by getting an additional $50,000 in income for the average American.  In addition, they reported that despite what most people think, people who make more money do not necessarily have more sex.  The happiest people in the study were married people who had, on average, 30 percent more sex than single folks.  The economists estimated that a lasting marriage equated to the happiness generated by an extra $100,000 annually, while divorce depleted an estimated $66,000 annually worth of happiness;

1290.  Studies reveal that at any point in time, about 6 percent of the population will have a significant depression.  Only 20 to 25 percent of these people ever seek help;

1291.  There is often a genetic link to depression, and it often runs in families where there has been alcohol abuse;

1292.  I think the world would be a better place, if everyone was less selfish and more considerate of others;

1293.  It takes about an hour and a half to walk from the Carlyle area (in Old Town Alexandria) to the National Harbor;

1294.  Rastafarian farming is essentially organic farming;

1295.  If you leave your (red) wine out too long, it gets vinegary;

1296.  If you play with your food, go to Medieval Madness (MedievalMadness.org) in (Old Town) Alexandria.  They don’t give you any utensils so you have to eat your food with your hands;

1297.  The bouncers at 18^th Street Lounge (EighteenthStreetLounge.com) don’t appreciate it when you trick them to letting you in by wearing someone else’s pants over your shorts . . . and once inside walking around in shorts;

1298.  It irks me when people don’t pick up after themselves. . . . How hard is it to throw away your own trash?

1299.  I can say I helped Mayor (William) Euille (of the City of Alexandria) and Congressman (Jim) Moran (of the 8^th District of Virginia) pass out cupcakes;

1300.  2011 marks the 50^th anniversary of the Peace Corps;

What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0025

1201.  Having control over your thoughts and feelings is a key skill in enhancing mood and emotion.  When you allow your thoughts to run wild in your brain, you may set off a panic attack, with your heart racing, chest pain, and blood pressure spiking;

1202.  When your partner holds something warm, such as your warm hand, he or she trusts you more and feels closer to you and more giving.  Cold hands have the opposite effect;

1203.  Holding warm things may actually make people view others more favorably and may also make people more generous;

1204.  Physical warmth can make us see others as warmer people, but also cause us to be warmer–more generous and trusting–as well.  At a board meeting, for instance, being willing to reach out and touch another human being, to share their hand, those experiences do matter although we may not always be aware of them;

1205.  When holding your partner’s had, imagine warm, loving energy going from your hand to hers.  With each exhale, send warm and intentional thoughts of love and gratitude.  Do this for just a few minutes a day and soon you will begin to notice a positive difference in your relationship;

1206.  Excessive alcohol use causes red blood cells to become enlarged and inefficient;

1207.  Drinking large amounts of alcohol–four or more glasses of wine or the equivalent in hard liquor on a daily basis–raises the risk of dementia.  New research shows that even moderate amounts of alcohol have negative effects on the brain.  One study found that people who drink three times a week have smaller brains than do nondrinkers;

1208.  In a study appearing in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, researchers showed that heavy marijuana use among young adults and adolescents may affect normal brain development, interrupting an important process called myelinization.  With myelinization, brain cells are coated with a protective sheath that increases the brain’s processing speeds.  The process, which isn’t completed until about age twenty-five, starts at the back of the brain and works forward, making the PFC the last area to gain the protective covering.  This explains why the subjects in this study showed abnormalities in their PFC and temporal lobes, the areas of the brain involved with decision making, attention, executive functioning, memory, and language;

1209.  Researchers around the world have demonstrated that meditation enhances activity in the brain’s PFC, even to the point of boosting the number of brain cells.  The better your PFC functions, the more focused and energetic you feel;

1210.  Green tea is a potential energy booster.  It   has about half the caffeine as coffee, plus theanine, which helps people feel focused.  There is scientific evidence that green tea helps keep weight off, boosts exercise ability, helps muscles recover faster from workouts, and improves attention span;

1211.  People who are sleep deprived eat more simple carbohydrates than people who get adequate sleep;

1212.  When people slept only five and a half hours, they consumed an average of 221 more calories in high-carbohydrate snacks than when they got eight and a half hours of sleep;

1213.  People who consistently slept five hours or less per night had on average 14.9 percent more ghrelin (which stimulates appétit) and 15.5 percent lower leptin (which tells your brain you are full) than people who slept eight hours  night;

1214.  Cell regeneration is a process during which old, dead skin cells are replaced with fresh new cells.  This process goes on at all times within the body, but it happens more quickly at night so you generate more new skin cells while you sleep than at any other time.  As we get older, cell replacement slows down, which makes sleep even more crucial if you want to delay the thin, saggy skin that comes with age;

1215.  As we sleep, the brain regulates the body’s hormones, including androgens, which stimulate the production of sebum, or oil, in glands located in the skin.  When hormones are balanced, sebum production is regulated to help keep skin looking clear and smooth.  Hormonal imbalances can cause too much sebum production, which can lead to acne;

1216.  People who get less than seven hours of sleep a night have lower activity in the prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes, which are involved in memory and learning.  This limits the ability to pay attention, learn, solve problems, and remember important information;

1217.  Research shows us that sleep deprivation impairs motor function, which makes you less coordinated.  Reaction times are slowed.  The reduced cognitive function associated with lack of sleep means that you may not make the best decision.  Plus, you tend to feel tired faster because sleep deprivation negatively affects glucose metabolism;

1218.  Studies show that decreased motivation due to poor sleep makes you more likely to skip family events, work functions, and other recreational activities.  Social connection help keep the brain young, so missing out on get-togethers and events due to fatigue can dampen your mood and prematurely age your brain.  This can be especially troublesome for seniors because a lack of social connections and bonding can speed up the brain’s aging process;

1219.  Growth hormones are typically generated as we sleep.  If youngsters don’t get enough sleep, they may not produce enough of the hormones to fuel growth;

1220.  In a sleep study with healthy volunteers, those who got only 5.5 hours of bedtime experienced insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance–two precursors of diabetes–after just two weeks;

1221.  Individuals who had experienced stressful events tended to look older than their siblings who had led more stress-free lives.  For example, twins who were divorced looked almost two years older than their siblings who were married, single, or even widowed;

1222.  According to a 2009 study of 647 women, the physical effects of chronic stress were found to be similar to the effects of smoking, being obese, or being ten years older than their actual age.  The study looked at the association between perceived stress levels and the length of telomeres, the protective caps located at the ends of chromosomes.  The longer the caps are, the more protection they provide.  Telomeres naturally shorten over time as we age, eventually becoming so short that they trigger cell death.  In this study, the women with higher levels of perceived stress had shorter telomeres than women with low-level stress, indicating premature aging;

1223.  Short-term stress temporarily boosts immunity, but chronic stress weakens the immune system, making people more vulnerable to common ailments and serious diseases;

1224.  Exposure to chronic stress early in life makes you even more vulnerable to a depressed immune system throughout your lifetime;

1225.  Chronic stress combined with a high-fat, high-sugar diet leads to abdominal obesity in mice due to a neurotransmitter called neuropeptide Y (NPY).  The brain releases NPY directly into the fatty tissue in the abdomen.  Chronic stress stimulated the release of NPY in the abdominal fat and increased its growth by 50 percent in just two weeks.  After three months, they also displayed symptoms typically associated with metabolic syndrome, including high blood pressure, inflammation, high cholesterol, glucose intolerance, and more.  What this study shows us is that chronic stress packs on even more abdominal fat than you might experience from a high-fat, high-sugar diet alone–and it does it faster;

1226.  In Kirtan Kriya meditation, the following simple sounds are known as the five primal sounds: “sa,” “ta,” “na,” “ma,” with “aa,” the end of each sound, considered to be the fifth sound.  Touch the thumb of each hand to the index finger while chanting “sa,” the middle finger while chanting “ta,” the ring finger while chanting “na,” and the pinkie finger while chanting “ma.”  The sounds and fingering are repeated for two minutes out loud, two minutes whispering, four minutes silently, two minutes whispering, and two minutes out loud;

1227.  A Chinese study showed that people who received just twenty minutes of daily meditation training for five days showed a significant decrease in stress-related cortisol;

1228.  The Relaxation response: 1.  Sit quietly in a comfortable position.  2.  Close your eyes.  3.  Deeply relax all your muscles, beginning at your feet and progressing up to your face.  Keep them relaxed.  4.  Breathe through your nose.  Become aware of your breathing.  As you breathe out, say the word “one” (or some other relaxing word you choose) silently to yourself.  For example, breathe in . . . out, “one,” in . . . out, “one,” etc;

1229.  If you want your brain to work better, be grateful for the good things in your life.  Psychologist Noelle Nelson was working on a book called The Power of Appreciation and had her brain scanned twice.  The first time she was scanned after thirty minutes of meditating on all the things she was thankful for in her life.  After the “appreciation meditation,” her brain looked very healthy.  Then she was scanned several days later focusing on the major fears in her life.  Her frightened brain looked very different from her healthy gratitude brain and showed seriously decreased activity in two parts of her brain.  Her cerebellum had completely shut down.  The cerebellum, also called the little brain, is involved in physical coordination, such as walking or playing sports.  New research also suggests that the cerebellum is involved in processing speed, like clock speed on a computer and thought coordination or how quickly we can integrate new information.  The other area of her brain that was affected was the temporal lobes, especially the one on the left.  The temporal lobes are involved with mood, memory, and temper control;

1230.  Showing gratitude on a daily basis is one of the keys to increasing your sense of joy, happiness, and life satisfaction;

1231.  Diaphragmatic breathing, in which you direct and control your breathing, has several immediate benefits.  It calms the basal ganglia, the area of the brain that controls anxiety, helps your brain run more efficiently, relaxes your muscles, warms your hands, and regulates your heartbeat;

1232.  As you inhale, let your belly expand.  This pulls the lungs downward, which increases the amount of air (and oxygen) available to your lungs, body, and brain.  When you exhale, pull in your belly to push the air out of your lings.  This allows you to expel more air, which in turn encourages you to inhale more deeply;

1233.  Whenever you feel stressed out, take a deep breath, hold it for four to five seconds, then slowly blow it out (take about six to eight seconds to exhale completely).  Take another deep breath (as deep as you can), hold it for four to five seconds, and blow it out slowly again.  Do this about ten times;

1234.  The scent of lavender has been used since ancient times for its calming, stress-relieving properties.  This popular aroma has been the subject of countless research studies, which show that it reduces cortisol levels and promotes relaxation and stress reduction;

1235.  The present is all we really have, we can’t change the past, and that it is what we’re doing right now that shapes our future;

1236.  Caffeine disrupts a natural process that keeps stress under control.  When ingested, caffeine prevents the release of adenosine, a chemical that regulates bodily functions.  Normally, when we get stressed, adenosine levels rise to reduce the body’s response to stress.  With caffeine, however, adenosine is suppressed so your body’s response to the stress is heightened;

1237.  Laughter lowers the flow of dangerous stress hormones that suppress the immune system, raise blood pressure, and increase the number of platelets, which cause clots and potentially fatal coronary artery blockages.  Laughter also eases digestion and soothes stomachaches, a common symptom of chronic stress.  Plus, a good rollicking guffaw increases the release of endorphins, which makes you feel better and more relaxed;

1238.  It’s kind of pointless to go to the first few days of the U.S. Open (i.e., golf).  They’re just practice rounds.  No actual competition occurs;

1239.  Robbie likes jazz and blues music;

1240.  George Washington didn’t have any children of his own;

1241.  (Architect) Frank Lloyd Wright was born two years after (the end of) the Civil War;

1242.  The brain is like a muscle.  The more you use it, the more you can continue to use it.  New learning makes new connections in the brain, making you sharper and more efficient.  No learning actually causes the brain to disconnect itself.  Unlike a muscle, however, the brain gets easily bored and requires new and different challenges to stay healthy.  Once the brain really learns something, it uses less and less energy to accomplish the task.  To keep active, the brain needs a constant stream of new challenges;

1243.  Travel to new lands, especially ones filled with fascinating history and sites, keeps the brain learning and working at optimal efficiency.  In addition, going to different cultures often involves a new language, which really pushes the linguistic and memory centers of the brain;

1244.  New navigation routes enhance the brain’s parietal lobes, which are involved in direction sense;

1245.  Everyone has two apoE genes, and if one of them–or worse, two of them–is apoE4 , that person’s chances of getting memory problems is quite high;

1246.  To find out your apolipoprotein E (i.e., apoE) genotype, you can ask your doctor to order a simple blood test.  This should be done under the strictest confidence so that insurance companies or others cannot obtain the information and potentially use it against you.  It would be best to pay for the test on your own and keep it in your personal records, but not allow it to be included in your medical records;

1247.  Alcohol is a double-edged sword.  Four or more drinks a day increase risks for stroke and heart disease, while one drink every few days actually reduces these risks (presumably by increasing HDL cholesterol, which clears other types of cholesterol that cause hardening of the arteries);

1248.  Diabetes damages almost every organ, including the brain, by making blood vessels hard and brittle.  This increases the likelihood of stroke, heart disease, and hypertension, all of which increase aging problems for the brain;

1249.  People with a family history of diabetes should have an Hg A1C and fasting blood glucose test once a year after the age of forty.  Also, if symptoms of increased urination, increased thirst, or increased appetite develop, then fasting blood glucose should be checked for diabetes;

1250.  Exercising at least every three days helps protect against diabetes and a number of other illnesses;

What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0024

1151.  People who exercise consistently report a general sense of well-being that people who lead a sedentary lifestyle do not experience.  Getting your heart pumping allows more of the natural mood-enhancing amino acid L-tryptophan to enter the brain.  L-tryptophan is the precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin, which balances moods;

1152.  One study compared the benefits of exercise to those of the prescription antidepressant drug Zoloft.  After twelve weeks, exercise proved equally effective as Zoloft in curbing depression.  After ten months, exercise surpassed the effects of the drug;

1153.  Research shows that high intensity activity can soothe anxiety and reduce the incidence of panic attacks;

1154.  Canadian researchers conducted a large-scale, five-year study to determine the association between physical activity and the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia.  Physical activity was associated with lower risks of cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia of any type.  High levels of physical activity were associated with even further reduced risks.  The researchers concluded that regular physical activity could represent an important and potent protective factor against cognitive decline and dementia in elderly people;

1155.  Research has shown that in people over sixty-five, mild to moderate exercise reduces the risk of cognitive impairment and dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease by about 50 percent;

1156.  The more TV people watch, the less they tend to exercise.  People who watched two or more hours of TV a day (couch potatoes) were twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease.  In contrast, people over forty years of age who exercised at least thirty minutes per session two or more times a week reaped many protective benefits;

1157.  Australian researchers found that memory-impaired older adults who followed a six-month exercise program experienced a decrease in cognitive decline over an eighteen-month follow-up period;

1158.  Teens who were more physically fit were less impulsive, felt happier, and were more likely to do good things with their lives than their less-fit peers;

1159.  Engaging in exercise on a routine basis normalizes melatonin production in the brain and improves sleeping habits;

1160.  Although regular exercise is advised, it is best to avoid doing vigorous exercise too close to bedtime.  Try to complete physical activity about four hours before going to bed;

1161.  Regular exercise increases the chemical nitric oxide, which tells the smooth muscles in your blood vessels to relax and open, allowing blood to flow more freely throughout your body.  With consistent exercise, your blood vessels become more robust.  That helps keep blood pulsing to your heart, organs, and tissues.  This boosts the health of vital organs and reduces the risk for high blood pressure, stroke, and heart diseases–all of which have been linked to cognitive decline;

1162.  Exercise increases the production of glutathione, which is a major antioxidant in all cells.  Pumping up the levels of glutathione protects muscles and other tissues from free radical damage and premature aging;

1163.  Exercise improves blood flow to every organ in your body, so it makes sense that it would benefit your skin, which is the largest organ.  Thanks to increased circulation, greater amounts of oxygen and nutrients are delivered to your skin cells.  This encourages cell renewal and the production of collagen, the supportive protein that helps your skin from sagging and wrinkling.  It also helps skin battle back against the daily assaults from pollution and other environmental toxins;

1164.  When you are physically active, you are more likely to eat foods that are good for you, to get more sleep, and to take better care of your health in general;

1165.  When firing a shotgun, make sure the stock is firmly in your shoulder.  Otherwise, you might end up with some nasty bruises;

1166.  Running in mud really tires you out;

1167.  Exercise that requires coordination activates the cerebellum and enhances thinking, cognitive flexibility, and processing speed;

1168.  Aerobic activity spawns new brain cells, but it is coordination exercises that strengthen the connections between those new cells so your brain can recruit them for other purposes, such as thinking, learning, and remembering;

1169.  For better brain function, try a variety of activities that combine aerobic exercise and complex movements;

1170.  Make it a rule to exercise.  Don’t give yourself the option of exercising or not.  It should be a daily habit just like brushing your teeth;

1171.  The health of your skin is directly tied to the health of your brain.  It is your brain that tells your skin to produce more or less oil.  It is your brain that supervises the production of supportive collagen.  And it is your brain at the command post of skin-cell regeneration;

1172.  The same things that boost blood flow to the brain and enhance overall brain function will rejuvenate your skin and give it a healthy glow.  By the same token, many things that harm the brain also damage your skin and make you look older;

1173.  When we feel anxious or upset, our skin temperature immediately starts to become colder and we start to sweat;

1174.  Don’t bottle up your emotions or it might cause skin problems;

1175.  It is possible to study the biological roots of mental health diseases like bipolar disorder and schizophrenia by looking at certain skin cells rather than having to take tissue samples of the brain.  That’s because certain skin cells function similarly to the brain cells that are believed to be involved in these disorders;

1176.  Scans showed that scratching activated certain areas of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, inferior parietal lobe, and cerebellum.  At the same time, it deactivated the anterior and posterior cingulated cortices.  These areas are associated with unpleasant emotions and memories.  The simple act of scratching your skin changes your brain and can make you feel better;

1177.  Avoid too much alcohol, too much caffeine, or too little water.  They dehydrate the skin and make it look dull and wrinkled;

1178.  Skin cell regeneration revs up while you sleep to rejuvenate your skin.  Getting adequate sleep is a better antiaging treatment than anything you could find at the cosmetics counter.  Sleep also repairs skin from daily pollution and toxins and helps prevent breakouts by regulating the body’s hormones;

1179.  Having great sex–and a lot of it–can boost the levels of hormones, such as estrogen and DHEA, both of which promote smoother, tighter skin.  According to fascinating research, making love on a regular basis is so good for your skin, it can make you look ten years younger;

1180.  Try to get twenty minutes of good sun exposure during the day, after which you should protect yourself with sunscreen;

1181.  On average, men lose 10 percent of their testosterone every decade after age thirty, or about 1 to 3 percent each year.  As testosterone drops, there’s less blood flow to the brain, which causes problems with sexual and cognitive function;

1182.  Men with the most testosterone are the least likely to get married and stay married.  That may be why so many men tend to wait until they’re older to tie the knot;

1183.  If you want to attend the National Memorial Day Concert (PBS.org/memorialdayconcert) produced by PBS, but you want to avoid the crowds, go to the dress rehearsal held the night before;

1184.  Insulin is a storage hormone rather than a mobilizing hormone, it also stops the body from mobilizing and utilizing fat as a fuel source.  Too much insulin stops fat burning.  Eating too many simply carbohydrates, like candy, cake, or white bread, causes your blood sugar to spike, which triggers intense insulin production to remove the glucose from your bloodstream.  Once insulin has removed the glucose from your blood, your blood sugar drops, causing cravings for even more sugar;

1185.  Natural ways to stimulate the production of growth hormone include getting adequate sleep, doing intense physical activity, and eating protein at every meal, while reducing the consumption of sugar and high-glycemic carbohydrates;

1186.  People who suffer a depressive episode after a heart attack are three times more likely to die in the next two and a half years than those who do not have depression;

1187.  A study where researchers asked ten thousand men one question, “Does your wife show you her love.”  The men who answered no had significantly more illnesses and, in fact, died early;

1188.  Scientific studies report that grief triggers a storm of hormonal activity.  Stress chemicals, such as adrenaline and cortisol, are pumped into the bloodstream.  They cause the heart to beat irregularly, causing the feeling of fluttering in your chest, and they cause spasms of the blood vessels that supply the heart, also causing pain.  If the heart is already compromised by atherosclerosis, it can set the stage for a heart attack by constricting blood vessels, rupturing atherosclerotic plaques, and forming blood clots or triggering dangerous abnormal heart rhythms;

1189.  Hostility, anger, depression, loneliness, frustration, sleep deprivation, obesity, diabetes, air pollution, and chronic stress all decrease heart rate variability (HRV).  Positive emotion, gratitude, appreciation, forgiveness, holding your puppy, listening to soothing music, smelling lavender, losing weight, exercising, and eating more fruits and vegetables have scientific evidence showing they increase HRV and overall health.  Your brain’s decisions can improve your heart!

1190.  Constant exposure to stress hormones kills cells in the brain’s memory centers and also decreases HRV and heart health.  Research has found that higher self-ratings of anxiety and stress within a week were associated with lower levels of HRV.  Stress hormones may also constrict narrowed blood vessels.  Tension, frustration, and other negative emotions often led to heart monitor recordings that pointed to decreased blood flow in the arteries to the heart.  This decreased blood flow can cause a heart attack;

1191.  Grief can send stress signals to the heart, causing vasospasms and abnormal heart rhythms.  In one study, Dr. Ivan Mendoza of Caracas, Venezuela, found that when he reviewed 102 cases of sudden death in people ages thirty-seven to seventy-nine, thirteen of the deaths occurred on the anniversary of a parent’s death.  Ten of the sudden deaths occurred in men, who typically internalize their feelings, and four of the thirteen died at the same age their parent did.  Learning to deal with grief through talking, crying, processing your feelings, and correcting bad thinking habits can save your life;

1192.  Trouble with the important people in your life predisposes people to depression, anxiety, and heart problems.  There is solid scientific research that working on your relationships can help heal depression and soothe your heart;

1193.  In small to moderate amounts, alcohol is reported to be good for your heart and, some studies even suggest for your brain.  HRV is improved with small amounts of wine, but not beer or hard liquor;

1194.  Daily drinking is associated with a smaller brain, which means poorer decision making, stress, and heartache;

1195.  It is well established that chronic anger and negative emotion can have a damaging effect on your brain and your heart, while positive emotion can improve HRV and overall brain and heart health.  Focus on what you love about your life and those around you, and your heart will be healthier and happier;

1196.  In a unique study, researchers from the University of Maryland found that while watching funny movies, such as There’s Something About Mary, nineteen out of twenty people had increased blood flow to the heart.  Conversely, watching stressful movies, such as the opening scene from Saving Private Ryan, decrease blood flow in fourteen out of twenty people.  Specifically, blood flow decreased by about 35 percent after experiencing stress, while blood flow increased by 22 percent after laughing, which is equivalent to what happens after a fifteen- to thirty-minute workout;

1197.  The ability of blood vessels to expand is known as vasodilation and is a sign of heart health.  Decreased blood flow limits the body’s ability to react to physical or emotional stress and results in an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.  Past studies have found that stress hormones like adrenalin and cortisol, which are released when a person is stressed, may harm the body by suppressing the immune system and constricting blood vessels.  On the other hand, laughing causes the body to release chemicals called endorphins, which may counteract the effects of stress hormones and cause blood vessels to dilate.  In a similar manner, laughing may also boost the immune system and reduce inflammation, which is thought to increase the risk of various health problems;

1198.  Our heart beats faster when we inhale and slower when we exhale.  Most meditation and yoga techniques have us exhale slowly, which can slow our heart rate and calm our entire body;

1199.  The 2011 “Hooters Dream Girl,” Victoria Brown, works at the Hooters of Harborplace in Baltimore, Maryland;

1200.  By directing attention to your hands with warm mental images, such as putting your hands in front of a warm fire, holding a cup of hot green tea, holding your partner’s warm skin, or sitting in a hot tub, many people can actually increase the temperature in their hands and induce a generalized relaxed brain and body state;

What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0023

1101.  Some girls will ask total strangers if they want to go to a strip club with them;

1102.  Insulin increases the uptake of glucose into the liver and muscles for storage as a substance called glycogen, and it also helps store excess glucose in fat cells.  Since insulin is a storage hormone and not a mobilizing hormone, it also stops the body from mobilizing and using fat as a fuel source.  Too much insulin stops fat burning;

1103.  A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that one of the strongest associations in the spread of obesity is whom you spend time with.  The study showed that if a subject had a friend who became obese, he had a 57 percent higher chance of becoming obese himself.  That went up to a 171 percent higher chance if both friends identified each other as very close friends.  Friendship was apparently the strongest correlation, and it didn’t matter how far away geographically the friends were.  Distance did not have a notable influence on the results.  Sibling influence was also ranked high, with a 40 percent greater chance of becoming obese if another sibling was obese;

1104.  Our health is heavily influenced by many factors, not the least of which are the role models around us.  Whom you spend time with matters to the health of your brain and your body;

1105.  Researchers from China found that when people drank two to three cups of green tea per day, their DNA actually looked younger than that of those who did not.  Interestingly, the DNA of people who took multiple vitamins also looked younger;

1106.  You can visit the various embassies, during Passport D.C., throughout the month of May;

1107.  What makes a sweet tight pussy?  The answer is: One ounce of pineapple juice, a ½ ounce of Midori melon liqueur, a ½ ounce of peach schnapps and a ½ ounce of 7Up . . . shaken and strained into a shot glass;

1108.  They give shots (and some drinks) bizarre names so people say ridiculous things;

1109.  In a new twenty-year study on primates, researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison found that a nutritious but calorie-reduced diet blunts aging and significantly delays the onset of age-related disorders such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and brain deterioration.  During the two decades of the study, half of the animals that were permitted to eat freely have survived, while 80 percent of the rhesus monkeys given the same foods, but with 30 percent fewer calories, are still alive.  The restricted diet leads to longer life span and improved quality of life in old age.  The incidence of cancerous tumors and cardiovascular disease in animals on a restricted diet was less than half that seen in animals permitted to eat freely.  Amazingly, while diabetes is common in monkeys that can eat all the food they want, it has yet to be observed in any animal on a restricted diet.  In addition, the brain health of animals on a restricted diet was also better.  In particular, the regions of the brain responsible for motor control and executive functions, such as working memory and problem solving, seem to be better preserved in animals that consume fewer calories;

1110.  Restricting calories triggers certain mechanisms in the body to increase the production of nerve-growth factors, which are beneficial to the brain;

1111.  A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital found that calorie reduction–regarding of the percentage of fats, carbohydrates, or proteins in a diet–is what leads to weight loss.  Regardless of the amount of fat, carbohydrates, or protein in their particular diet, the participants reported experiencing similar feelings of hunger and satiety.  This study reinforces the concept that calorie restriction is essential if you want to lose extra pounds;

1112.  Decreasing calories doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor.  Cook with brain-healthy herbs and spices to enhance the flavor of your food and boost your brain.  Turmeric, found in curry, contains a chemical that has been shown to decrease the plaques in the brain thought to be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.  A number of studies have found that saffron extract is helpful in treating mild to moderate depression.  Sage has A-level–the highest level possible–scientific evidence for memory enhancement.  Cinnamon has been shown to enhance memory and focus and may aid in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.  Plus, cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar levels;

1113.  Restricting calories does not mean starving yourself.  Extremely low calorie intake is associated with a lack of nutrients, which can deprive your brain and body of the fuel they need for optimal performance;

1114.  Many myths and misconceptions surrounding dietary fat have led many of us to fear that eating any kind of fat is bad for our health and will make us fat.  In fact, we all need some fat in our diets.  Our brains need fat, too.  Sixty percent of the solid weight of your brain is fat.  The hundred billion nerve cells in your brain need essentially fatty acids to function;

1115.  Really low cholesterol levels have been associated with depression and violence, and sometimes even homicide and suicide;

1116.  After eating a fatty diet for just then days, rats showed short-term memory loss and less energy to exercise.  The researchers compared the performance of the rats on a high-fat diet (55 percent of calories as fat) with rats on a low-fat diet (7.5 percent of calories as fat).  In the rats with the high-fat diet, their muscles worked less efficiently, which lowered their energy levels, caused their hearts to work harder during exercise, and caused their hearts to increase in size.  The rats eating high-fat foods also took longer to make their way through a maze and made more mistakes than the rats eating low-fat foods;

1117.  One animal study that appeared in the Journal of Clinical Investigation found that eating high-fat foods, such as milk shakes or burgers, caused the brain to release messages to the body telling it to ignore the feelings of fullness that typically make you stop eating.  In this particular study, the brain switched off the fullness signal for up to three days and led to overeating.  A similar trial found that high-fat, high-sugar diets alter brain receptors in an area of the brain that regulates food intake.  Overconsumption of fat-laden, sugar-filled foods increased the levels of opioid receptors, which are lined to feelings of pleasure and euphoria;

1118.  The worst fats on the planet are referred to as Frankenfats.  These manmade fats have been chemically altered by adding hydrogen and are more harmful than natural fats.  On food labels, you will find these fats listed in the ingredients as “partially hydrogenated” oils and amounts listed as “trans fats;”

1119.  Unsaturated fats are good for your health and can actually lower cholesterol.  There are two basic types of good fats: monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.  Foods high in monounsaturated fats include avocados, olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, and nuts (such as almonds, cashews, and pistachios).  Foods high in polyunsaturated fats include safflower oil, corn oil, and some fish;

1120.  The polyunsaturated fats found in salmon and mackerel and the monounsaturated fats found in canola oil and soybean oil are high in essential fatty acids (EFAs), called omega-3 fatty acids.  Research has found that omega-3 fatty acid levels tend to be low in people with ADD, depression, and Alzheimer’s disease; low in those who have trouble thinking; and low in those who attempt suicide;

1121.  Even though your body needs EFAs, it can’t produce them itself, so you must get them through the foods you eat.  EFAs tend to be scarce in many of the processed foods and fast-food meals we eat on a regular basis.  Eat one or two servings of fish per week, particularly fish such as salmon, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids.  Much of the salmon served in restaurants and sold in supermarkets is farm-raised and contains less of the important EFAs than salmon caught in the wild.  For the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, opt for wild salmon rather than farm raised;

1122.  Adults should take 2,000 to 4,000 mg of high-quality fish oil a day (500 to 2,000 mg a day for children);

1123.  There are two basic types of carbs: complex and simple.  Complex carbs, which include fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and whole grains, get a thumbs-up.  These foods take longer to digest and are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber that promote good brain and body health.  The carbs to avoid are the simple carbs, such as table sugar, pastries, candy, sodas, fruit juices, doughnuts, white bread, pasta, and white rice.  Simple carbs are digested quickly, provide little or no nutritional value, and may promote disease and weight gain;

1124.  “Pinot gris” is the French name for “Pinot grigio;”

1125.  The color of wine comes from the (grape) skins, not the juice;

1126.  Hard cider and gingerbread coffee syrup . . . not a good combination;

1127.  Low-glycemic carbs cause only small fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which helps you maintain energy throughout the day.  High-glycemic carbs cause blood sugar levels to spike then crash.  This roller-coaster effect gives you an initial boost of energy, but then leaves you feeling sluggish and slow.  The key to good brain health is to make sure the majority of the carbs you consume are low-glycemic;

1128.  Eating low-glycemic carbs that contain a lot of fiber is even better for your brain.  Dietary fiber promotes health and can lower cholesterol, which promotes good blood flow.  Good sources of high-fiber foods include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans and legumes.  When choosing fruits and vegetables, it is best to go for non-starchy vegetables and low-sugar fruits–think broccoli rather than potatoes, and blueberries instead of pineapple;

1129.  Bread, especially white bread made from bleached and processed flour, spikes your blood sugar and boosts the natural feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain.  Serotonin helps you feel happier and less anxious.  The bread or simple carbohydrate to start a meal helps you feel better, but also more impulsive when the dessert tray comes by later on.  Hold the bread, wait for your meal, and you will be happier with the end result;

1130.  Artificial sweeteners, like aspartame in diet sodas, may be associated with arthritis, gastrointestinal problems, headaches, memory problems, neurological problems, and a myriad of other maladies;

1131.  One of the significant problems with artificial sweeteners is that they may increase sugar cravings.  The empty calories prime the brain’s appetite centers to expect something good, and when nothing comes, it wants more.  Artificial sweeteners also desensitize your taste buds, and even naturally sweet things, such as a regular portion of sugar, are not enough to satisfy you;

1132.  When you dump the artificial sweeteners, your taste buds will adapt back to normal within a few weeks;

1133.  The natural sweetener, stevia, which has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and blood pressure–lowering properties, has not been associated with negative health effects.  Xylitol and agave are other natural sweeteners.  With any of them, use sparingly, and you will be better off in the long run;

1134.  If your caffeine intake is limited to one or two normal-size cups of coffee or two or three cups of tea a day, it probably is not a problem.  But any more than that can cause problems (i.e., restricts blood flow to the brain; dehydrates the brain; interferes with sleep; can be addictive in high amounts; can accelerate heart rate and raise blood pressure; can give you the jitters; increase muscle tension; can cause an upset stomach; can elevate inflammatory markers; and can interfere with fertility);

1135.  Coffee has been shown to decrease the plaques that cause Alzheimer’s disease, lower the risk for Parkinson’s disease, and lower the risk of colon cancer and diabetes.  It may be other substances in the coffee, not just the caffeine, that are actually helpful.  A Harvard University study found that those drinking decaf coffee also showed a reduced diabetes risk, though it was half as much as drinking caffeinated coffee;

1136.  Foods that contain high amounts of antioxidants help your body and brain stay young.  Several studies have found that eating foods rich in antioxidants, which include many fruits and vegetables, significantly reduces the risk of developing cognitive impairment.  Antioxidants neutralize the production of free radicals in the body.  The body produces free radicals every time a cell converts oxygen into energy.  When produced in normal amounts, free radicals help rid the body of harmful toxins, thus keeping it healthy.  When produced in toxic amounts, free radicals damage the body’s cellular machinery, resulting in cell death and tissue damage;

1137.  Blueberries are very high in antioxidants.  In laboratory studies, rats that ate blueberries showed a better ability to learn new motor skills and gained protection against strokes.  In one study, rats that ate a diet rich in blueberries lost abdominal fat, lowered cholesterol, and improved glucose levels.  Similar studies showed that rats that consumed strawberries and spinach also gained significant protection;

1138.  It is a good idea to include lean protein at each meal to balance blood sugar levels.  Adding lean protein to snacks and meals slows the fast absorption of simple carbs and helps prevent the brain fog that typically follows consumption of sugary snacks;

1139.  Sodium and potassium are electrolytes that are involved in a variety of bodily functions.  When they are out of balance, with much higher sodium levels and lower potassium levels, they can lead to weight gain, hypertension, insulin resistance, and a depressed immune system;

1140.  A recent study found that eating twice as much potassium as sodium can cut in half the risk of dying from heart disease;

1141.  Foods high in potassium include bananas, spinach, honeydew melon, kiwi, lima beans, oranges, tomatoes, and all meats;

1142.  Dietary guidelines currently recommend getting at least 4,700 mg a day of potassium and no more than 2,300 mg a day of sodium (about one teaspoon of salt);

1143.  Going too long without eating can wreak havoc on your brain function and make your blood sugar levels drop too low.  Low blood sugar levels are associated with poor impulse control and irritability.  It can also cause emotional stress;

1144.  Eating approximately every three to four hours throughout the day can help balance your blood sugar.  Opt for low-calorie foods (i.e., dried fruits without any added sugar or preservatives, and fresh raw vegetables) and include a balance of protein (i.e., nuts), complex carbs, and good fats, if possible;

1145.  Aerobic activity that gets the heart rate up for extended periods of time boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a chemical that plays a role in neurogenesis, or the growth of new brain cells.  Research studies on laboratory rats show that exercise generates new brain cells in the temporal lobes (involved in memory) and the prefrontal cortex (involved in planning and judgment).  These new cells survive for about four weeks, then die off unless they are stimulated.  If you stimulate these new neurons through mental or social interaction, they connect to other neurons and enhance learning.  This indicates that it is necessary to exercise consistently to encourage continual new cell growth in the brain.  It also explains why people who work out at the gym and then go to the library are smarter than people who only work out at the gym;

1146.  No matter how old you are, exercise increases your memory, your ability to think clearly, and your ability to plan;

1147.  In 2005, the California Department of Education released a study that compared the relationship between physical fitness and academic achievement.  The study revealed that students in the fifth, seventh, and ninth grades with the highest fitness levels also scored highest on standardized reading and math tests.  On the other end of the scale, the students in these grades who were the least physically fit had the lowest academic test scores;

1148.  For optimal academic performance, school-age children should participate daily in one hour or more of moderate to vigorous exercise that includes a variety of physical activities;

1149.  Another study, published in Brain Research, found that physically fit thirteen- and fourteen-year-olds showed significantly greater cognitive processing ability than their couch-potato peers;

1150.  Getting your body moving also protects the short-term memory structures in the temporal lobes (hippocampus) from high-stress conditions.  Stress causes the adrenal glands to produce excessive amounts of the hormone cortisol, which has been found to kill cells in the hippocampus and impair memory.  In fact, people with Alzheimer’s disease have higher cortisol levels than do normal aging people;