Free Ivy League Brain Development

How would you like to learn something you're interested in, and in the process of learning develop new neural connections? Would you do it if I told you it was free? Well now you can, and even at your own pace. You can take classes online for free at Ivy League schools with those "wicked smart kids." It's called open source learning. Open source learning has been available for several years and was a push by many who believe there should be no limitations, such as time or money, to an education.
It is easier than ever to take classes at Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Oxford, Columbia and many other higher learning centers at no charge. What's the catch? You won't receive a grade or a degree, however, you will receive an education that others are paying over $120,000 while not spending a dime doing it. Classes range from information technology, engineering, languages, history, geography and many more. The classes are normally streamed online (iTunes or Quicktime) and may also come in pdf format. There are several websites where you can start exercising your brain immediately, including www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses and www.wikiversity.org. Find what interests you and give it a try.

Life Expectancy Decreased with TV Habits

What are your television viewing habits? If you're like most Americans, you spend roughly 5 hours a day in front of the idiot box. That's what my dad used to call it. Don't take that the wrong way, I like my idiot box. However, researchers from the University of Queensland, Australia recently demonstrated a correlation between television viewing and life expectancy. Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, their results showed that watching one hour of TV reduces life expectancy by 22 minutes, and over your life viewing 6 hours per day can reduce life expectancy by 5 years. Compare that to smoking, in which smoking one cigarette reduces life expectancy by 11 minutes, that's the same as 30 minutes of viewing TV.
The study involved 11,000 people over the age of 25 years. They suggested it's not the TV itself but rather the sedentary experience it creates, and the opportunity for unhealthy eating habits while watching television. We've known for years that inactivity reduces life expectancy by increasing the risks for developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, obesity and diabetes. What can we do to offset this bad news?
Well, the obvious answer would be to reduce viewing habits. However, considering many people love their shows, that isn't going to be the only answer. Thanks to research out of Taiwan, we have the answer. Although it's quite obvious, the answer is to increase your daily activity. No brainer right?. A study from the National Health Research Institutes in Zhunan, Taiwan and published in the Lancet, demonstrated that just 15 minutes of exercise per day on a daily basis increased lifespan by 3 years. Lifespan increased further with more daily exercise and leveled off at 100 minutes per day. The study involved 400,000 people over 20 years old from 1996 through 2008.
If you still want to watch all your shows, try exercising while watching. Simple activities, such as performing jumping jacks, push ups, sit-ups, walking/running in place, lunges and squats are easy to do while enjoying your shows. If you happen to have a treadmill or spinning bike, set them up and work out while viewing. Remember, it's not the the television itself affecting your life expectancy, it's the inactivity. Not only will you increase your lifespan expectancy, but you will also reduce your risks of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases related to a sedentary lifestyle.
Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study, Univ. of Queensland

Omega-3s Reduce Risk to Macular Degeneration

A recent study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology demonstrated a reduced risk of age-related macular degeneration with the consumption of omega-3 fatty acid. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the primary cause of blindness in seniors. Researchers, using data from the Women's Health Study, tracked over 38,000 female health professionals for a 10 year period. They found that women who had the greatest consumption of DHA and EPA, omega-3 fatty acids, were 38-42% less likely to develop AMD. In general, their findings concluded that the women were eating canned tuna fish and dark-meat fish, one or more servings per week. Don't like to eat fish? Try flax oil on your salad, fish oil capsules or walnuts (also high in omega-3 fatty acids).

Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid and Fish intake and Incident Age-Related Macular Degeneration in Women, Archives of Ophthalmology. March 14, 2011 Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School

*Picture of the retina above demonstrating macular degeneration.

Healthy Forbidden Rice

Black rice, also known as forbidden rice, is an inexpensive rice which contains health-promoting anthocyanin antioxidants, similar to those found in blackberries and blueberries, new research from Louisiana State University indicates. Black rice was known as forbidden rice as it was served only to the royal family in China.
"Just a spoonful of black rice bran contains more health promoting anthocyanin antioxidants than are found in a spoonful of blueberries, but with less sugar and more fiber and vitamin E antioxidants," Zhimin Xu, PhD, of Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, says in a news release. "If berries are used to boost health, why not black rice and black rice bran?"
Xu and colleagues analyzed samples of black rice bran from rice grown in the Southern U.S. He says black rice bran would be a unique and inexpensive way to increase people's intake of antioxidants, which promote health.
Black rice is rich in anthocyanin antioxidants, substances that show promise for fighting cancer, heart disease, and other health problems, Xu says.
He adds that food manufacturers could use black rice bran or bran extracts to boost the health value of breakfast cereals, beverages, cakes, cookies, and other foods.
The most widely produced rice worldwide is brown. Millers of rice remove the chaff, or outer husks, from each grain to make it brown. White rice is made when rice is milled more than is done for brown rice; the bran is also removed, Xu says.
The bran of brown rice contains high levels of one of the vitamin E compounds known as "gamma-tocotrienol" as well as "gamma-oryzanol" antioxidants. Many studies have shown that these antioxidants can reduce blood levels of LDL "bad" cholesterol and may fight heart disease.
To cook black rice, soak the rice in water overnight and cook as you normally would in a rice cooker or on the stove. Black rice may be difficult to find in grocery stores and you may need to search in your local Asian market.

Reduce Stress with Matcha

Feel like you get enough sleep, but still wake up exhausted? The issue could be an excess of stress. Stress can cause oxidative liver damage, leading to fatigue. A study in the journal Nutrition found that people who were chronically fatigued due to high physical and mental stress responded positively to matcha green tea. The study found that the subject's stress was erased after drinking the tea regularly. Matcha is a finely milled Japanese green tea. Matcha green tea contains roughly 10 times the healthy nutrients of regular green tea. The tea is high in polyphenol EGCG, which repairs liver damage and protects the liver from further insult.

Weight Training Pumps Up Brain Cells

A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that people who lifted weights at least once per week saw a 12% improvement in cognitive function over a period of a year. This was compared to a group of participants who performed a less intense exercise program involving balance and toning. The second group actually saw a slight decrease in the cognitive function during the same period. The study researches stated that one should only weight lift, rather they recommended a well-rounded exercise program that benefits overall body and brain health throughout life.

Filter Your Indoor Air with Plants

According to author Richard Shames,MD, a cause of fatigue is indoor air pollution due to mold, dust, and chemicals which forces your lungs and heart to work harder. An easy fix is to put a few houseplants throughout your house or office. They can remove up to 87% of indoor pollution, especially in rooms where you spend a lot of time. NASA has also studied this and found that plants made indoor air healthier. Some of the top plants include Feston rose, Devil's ivy, Phalaenopsis, English ivy, African violets and Peace lily. The picture above is the Feston rose.