Semi-Daily Journal

Help in Recognizing Sandra Bullock

ncfocus tells me how I can get better at recognizing Sandra Bullock on the little airplane movie screens:

brain maintenance for dummies

This post is dedicated to Brad DeLong, but is applicable to all.

misc helpful hints, primarily nontoxic -

• Eat blueberries: "Tufts/USDA scientists say rats that consumed an extract of blueberries, strawberries and spinach every day showed improvements in short-term memory. Only the blueberry extract improved balance and coordination, however."
  
• Eat turmeric, which does all sorts of good things include keep India from getting Alzheimer's.
  
• Take ibuprofen (this could also be good for preventing/delaying parkinson's and general aging ("antiinflammatory hormone high in centenarians"))
  
• If you have insulin resistance, get it treated (eg with Metformin) - it has been linked
  to memory loss - "diabetics who get their condition under control often also see an improvement in their memory, Convit noted, a sign that reduced memory is also reversible in pre-diabetics."
  
• avoid head injuries. this is generally good advice in any case.
  
• avoid drinking water that's high in aluminum, as it's been linked with Alzheimer's disease
  
• Keep your cholesterol low? ("Cholesterol-lowering medications known as statins also play an important role in reducing levels of a strong predictor of Alzheimer's disease")
  
• sometime in the not too distant future, you'll be able to get vaccinated ("Toxic molecule may provide key for developing vaccine against degenerative diseases - Researchers find important similarity among Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's and other degenerative diseases...")