Dr. Glasser is a clinical psychologist with more than 30 years of
experience working with families in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Currently, her main office is in Silver
Spring, MD, and she works in Rockville two afternoons a week. Dr. Glasser
specializes in therapy and assessment with children and teenagers. Throughout
her career, Dr. Glasser has specialized in issues related to ADHD and
co-existing conditions. She co-authored a book for children with Kathleen Nadeau, Ph.D., titled Learning to Feel Good and Stay Cool: Emotional Regulation Tools for Kids with ADHD (2013), published by Magination Press. For more information, visit www.JudithGlasser.com.
Enjoy!
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Enjoy!
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We all benefit from ways to
boost our brainpower. After all, the
brain controls the rest of the body. Kids need good brainpower to concentrate
in school and to learn. Teenage brains are growing by leaps and bounds. In
fact, the brain isn’t finished developing until we are in our mid to late
twenties. As we age, we begin to think about trying to minimize the impact of
aging on the brain and preventing dementia.
Here are five things we can all do to help our brains
work optimally:
- Exercise! We have all heard about the health benefits of exercising on a regular basis. However did you know that it is the single best thing you can do for your brain? In recent years it has become clear that exercise helps us manage stress. Exercising also helps us to focus and concentrate. As we age exercise can help us to maintain healthy brains and may even help prevent dementia. Find something fun you can look forward to, perhaps with a friend or family member.
- Healthy eating. I know, we all have heard about the importance of healthy eating for managing weight and cholesterol. However what we eat feeds our brains as well. Protein, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and lots of water are really good for our brains. We all benefit from eating something within two hours of waking in the morning and every two-three hours after that to keep our brains going strong all day long. Also some pesticides and food additives have been linked to causing symptoms of hyperactivity in children. Parents ask me, “Does this mean we have to go organic?” My answer is, it certainly won’t hurt and it might help.
- Essential Fatty Acids. When I was growing up, my mother used to say that fish is “brain food.” It turns out she was right! Certain fish like salmon are high in Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which promotes healthy brain function. These essential fatty acids have been found to reduce symptoms of ADHD as well as depression.
- Sleep. There have been many reports that we Americans do not get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is reportedly a big problem in reducing efficiency and mental functioning. Here are some guidelines to help you get a good night’s sleep:
a. Turn off all
screens (i.e. TV and computer) 1-2 hours before going to bed. There is a blue light in the screens that
triggers the brain to stay awake.
b. Exercise during
the day, but not right before trying to go to sleep.
c. Take a shower or
hot bath to wind down. The warmth can
make you sleepy.
d. Go to bed and get
up at the same time every day (as much as possible). This kind of routine can help you regulate
your body’s sleep cycle.
e. Remember your bed
is for sleep not for work. If you have a
lot of things on your mind, keep a pad of paper by your bed and write them
down. If you can’t sleep, get up and
read a book. But remember not to read a
really exciting one that you can’t put down! And don’t work in bed.
f. If all else
fails, warm milk and graham crackers might help make you sleepy.
5. Meditation.
Almost everyone
can learn to meditate. It is easy and doesn’t require any special equipment.
Even a few minutes a day can restore your sense of calm and peace. Meditation
has been found to improve mental as well as physical wellbeing. In addition
meditation may be an intervention with potential for helping many to learn to
deal with chronic disease and stress.
You may have to push yourself at the beginning to try these new behaviors, but once you get started hopefully you will find that you feel great. After a few months of pushing yourself, these will become new healthy habits. Good luck!
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