That Amazing Brain

I recently took a trip to Orlando, Florida to attend a “Model Schools” conference for work. I initially agreed to attend based on the location and knowledge that we would get to go to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. In the end, I’m glad to say that the thrill of riding the roller coasters has essentially faded, but the impression that was made by a couple of the sessions at the conference have stuck. The one that impressed me the most, in fact enough to buy and read the book the presenter wrote, was about the brain and learning.

I’ve gone to conferences before that, when finished, I was little more than bored. This one though, was not boring and kind of blew my mind. In fact, based on what I’ve learned, I’ve decided that I need to make some meaningful changes to both my professional and personal life.

Yes, contrary to what many people believe, there are some educators who actually adjust pedagogy based on current research – I know, crazy.

In this blog entry, I won’t go into too much about the educational application of the research, so you may continue reading without fear of too much teacher speak.

Instead, I’m going to report on what I feel is ultimately more universally applicable – brain health. The ideas were presented by Dr. Paul Nussbaum. He is professionally a Clinical Neuropsychologist and Adjunct Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. For additional information, he has a website that presents most of the information in richer detail than I intend to offer in this entry. That isn’t to say that the information isn’t interesting. Rather, I feel that he said it well enough that I’ll let him give the explanation – especially the brain science part. The website is http://www.paulnussbaum.com/.

I’m really excited about the approach he suggests for brain health. I’m also excited about how I plan to implement his findings into my own life.

To start with, I will adopt his belief that the brain is the most important part of the human body – yes, even more important than the heart – and ought to be cared for as a primary concern. When I heard this, it seemed intuitive. Apparently, it isn’t though. I’ve noticed for a while labels plastered on everything that is “heart smart” or some other clever moniker. I’ve never seen one that is “brain smart.” That’s okay, nutrition is only one of five areas of concern for brain health.

With each of the areas, Dr. Nussbaum gives several suggestions. (Plagiarism Alert)

Nutrition
Salmon ( and other fish high in Omega – 3)
Walnuts
Colored fruits
Colored vegetables
Increase antioxidants
Eat 80% of portion served
Use utensils (the types of food you sit down and eat with utensils tend to be healthier)

Physical Activity
Walk daily
Aerobic exercise
Dance
Garden
Knit
Use non-dominant side (eg write with non-dominant hand for several minutes)
Jog
Purchase a pedometer (10,000 steps daily)
Biking
Swimming
weight training

Mental Stimulation
Read
Write
Board games
Computer based programs
Travel
Novel and complex
Develop language skills
Learn a musical instrument
Listen to classical music

Spirituality
Daily prayer
Meditate
Relaxation
Increase sleep
Learn to say “no”
Slow down
Yoga and Pilates
Attend formal place of worship
Identify body places of stress

.

Socialization
Hobbies
Join a new group
Dine with others
Do not retire (I don’t need to worry about this for a while)
Grow network of friends
Recreate and laugh
Be forgiving
Connect with family
Personal mission in life

I know, nothing earth shattering. What is impressive to me is that the things that I conventionally believed to be good are, but not in the way I thought. The exciting thing is the way that doing these things affects the brain biologically.

With that in mind, I have decided to step up my efforts in improving my brain health. I don’t have to change much. The focus just changed. I’ve created a chart that I can fill out and set a personal agenda of things to accomplish in each area of emphasis. Really, I ought to do this daily, but I’m going to start weekly.

Okay, hopefully this hasn’t been too arduous to read. I’m not sure if I’ve adequately explained everything and I’d love to discuss this further with anyone who would like on the comment section. Please ask questions along with comments.