Making Your Brain Smarter

Who knew?

The University of Texas at Dallas has a Center for Brain Health dedicated to understanding, protecting and healing the brain.

Very impressive.

Every Tuesday this month, the center will be presenting a series of lectures... "The Brain: An Owners Guide" sponsored by The Container Store. Hors d'oeuvres and wine were lovely, as was the parting gift of a Container Store puzzle-book. Classy.

This week's lecture, "Make Your Brain Smarter" was presented by the founder of The Center for Brain Health, Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD, author of ... Make Your Brain Smarter.

www.makeyourbrainsmarter,com

Here's what I learned...
- Most of us can expect our brains to reach their peak at age 40 - then our brains begin their cognitive  decline.
- The expected decline is preventable and unnecessary.

Our left and right brains are designed to transmit data throughout all of its areas efficiently and in synchrony. Multitasking tends to interrupt the smooth transmission of thoughts, leading to brain fatigue.

A few key points from her book and lecture include...
- Take advantage of silence to think deeply and solve problems
- Perform one task at a time
- Choose two top tasks to concentrate on daily
- Avoid information overload
- Think, speak and write original ideas
- Be social
- Eat Well
- Sleep
- Engage in aerobic exercise 3-4 times a week.

Can't hurt. Might help. 

The Center for Brain Health offers ...
- Brain Health 'Physicals'
- High Performance Brain Training
- Multiple areas of research in brain-related areas (Autism, Alzheimer's, PTSD, Trauma etc) 


Next Tuesday's lecture... 
Michael Gazzaniga, PhD."Who's in Charge? Free Will and the Science of the Brain"