Dear Editor, 

DO you ever think about what’s going on in the three pounds of tissue inside your skull that sits on the top of your neck? The human brain is composed of 75 per cent water and 60 percent fat. Who knew that? The human brain has 86,000,000,000 (86 billion) neurons! Crikey! The brain is miraculous!

The brain is so astounding that it gets its own annual Brain Awareness Week in March. Bravo to the brain Celebrate your cerebellum and cerebrum. Love your lobes. Nurture your neurons. The Global Council on Brain Health is a collaboration of scientists, health professionals, scholars and policy experts from around the world that work in areas of brain health related to human cognition. Shazam!

“The brain is the most complex of the human body. This three-pound organ is the seat of intelligence, interpreter of the senses, initiator of body movement, and controller of behaviour. Lying in its bony shell and washed by protective fluid, the brain is the source of all qualities that define our humanity. The brain is the crown jewel of the human body.” www.ninds.nih.gov.

Are you getting brain strain from too much stress? We only get 168 hours per week to do everything we want and need to do. That’s it. So, stop trying to squeeze so many activities into your week. “We live our lives as if they were one big emergency! We often rush around looking busy, trying to solve problems, but in reality, we are often compounding them,” wrote Richard Carlson, author of the book, ‘Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff’. Calm down your brain strain.

Are you getting brain drain from too little sleep? Study after study shows that getting seven to eight hours of sleep per night is necessary for memory, learning, and focusing. So, stop guzzling caffeine and get your zzzs. Did you know that falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury overall, particularly in older adults and young children?

Brain Check-Up

Take an Online self-assessment (no cost) by the Cleveland Clinic at www.healthybrains.org. You will get your personal Brain Health Index (BHI) Score, Individual Pillar Scores, Brain Health Guide, Memory Score, Dashboard, and Recommendation and Tips Designed For You. Your Brain Health Index is a measurement of lifestyle choices that contribute to your overall brain health. Results are based on your answers. Good news—I am not showing signs of dementia. FYI: Shopping is not considered a cardio exercise—unless you jog from store to store.  How are your treating your magnificent brain? You only get one brain in this lifetime, so treat it with safety and respect.

Regards,
Melissa Martin, Ph.D