Recent Publications
Dr. Serper is currently writing "Enhance the Brain!", a column for the South Shore Senior News. For more information about the South Shore Senior News, go to www.southshoresenior.com.
October 2009:
Enhance The Brain
“Learning is a rich and essential fuel for the brain” Lynn Lazarus Serper
“Maintain Your Brain” is promoted by the Alzheimer’s Association and has become the mantra of our times. This theme is woven into brain articles in magazines and newspapers, TV medical episodes, Baby Boomer recommendations, and presentations of brain research. “Maintain Your Brain” provides helpful advice through these venues and puts forward hope and possibilities to those with healthy brains approaching their senior years.
The latest news, not yet promoted with the same fervor, is that “Maintain Your Brain” also applies to persons who are diagnosed with dementia, particularly Alzheimer’s disease, and brain injury, too! In those cases, where there is cognitive or memory loss, the brain still has lots of healthy brain cells. Why not exercise the brain cells that can benefit from healthy brain activities?
At the top of the non-medical list you will find cognition, nutrition and physical exercises as recommendations for a healthy brain. Recent research has shown that brain power increases, and brain cells strengthen when the body is provided with healthy foods, novel thinking activities, and physical exercise whether a person is working with a medical condition or not. What’s healthy for the heart is healthy for the brain and we’ve learned that the brain likes to feel cared for.
Cognition can be achieved in one’s own home by reading books and writing letters. Socialization, a component of cognition is achieved by playing board games and cards (even those that are very simple: Go fish and War are lots of fun to play with grandchildren). Reading and talking about magazine and newspaper articles will keep you engaged and up on the latest news. The Serper Method is an example of a learning activity that takes place in the home and encourages old memories, conversation and discussion. It seems that mentally challenging activities help the brain establish more brain cell connections, and even stimulate brain cell growth.
Healthy nutrition, filled with antioxidants, has been shown to increase the health of the brain. The recommendations to eat a diet of dark green vegetables, bright colored fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and an abundance of fish (omega-3 fatty acid) will protect the brain. In addition, Dr. Nancy Emerson Lombardo suggests that you spice up these foods with herbs and spices such as cinnamon and turmeric to reduce inflammation and increase blood flow.
Physical exercise is the last component reviewed here for building a healthy brain. The lovely vital nutrients from healthy nutrition and oxygen will be pumped to the brain cells. Exercise also strengthens heart muscles (actually, most muscles) and controls other diseases. It has also been reported that physical exercise supports the growth of new brain cells.
“Maintain Your Brain” at any stage of life is a health-giving approach to keeping your brain and body strong. As a support for medicine, it’s never too late to take charge of your own brain health.
September 2009:
Laughter and Health
I don't want to achieve immortality through my work; I want to achieve immortality through not dying. Woody Allen
Laughter is a universal communication and no one is immune to the body’s response to humor. It’s gender free and affects the young, old, healthy and ill. Laughter not only feels good, but also, wellbeing benefits from a good hardy laugh. Researchers explored laughter and found that parts of our brain participate in merriment. To begin, emotions are stimulated by funny situations. When we ‘get’ that the situation is funny the message goes to our emotions from our brain’s thinking, frontal lobe. From there our motor system takes over. Have you ever tried to laugh noiselessly and remain perfectly still? From the smiling mouth to the jiggling heart, lungs and larynx (voice box), laughter takes charge. The study of laughter even has its own name – gelotology.
“Why is 6 afraid of 7? Because 7 8 9."
Laughter is a social response that occurs in babies by 10 to 12 weeks of age. Often it comes about when folks tickle, express funny sounds or smile at the baby and, I’ve read, that laughter happens more often after a baby has a good bowel movement. (Did you chuckle)? For infants, laughter strengthens connections with those who care for them. As children get older, play and laughter create social connections, decrease stress, and even support the development of logic and reasoning (check out the quote above). Scientifically, it appears that children laugh an average of 400 times a day.
“Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.” -- Erma Bombeck
Recently it’s been reported that the laughter of mature adults declines to approximately 6 or 7 times a day. Yet, we hear that laughter is directly related the health of our bodies -- physically, mentally and socially. Science shows that after a hardy laugh the heart, lungs and muscles enter a state of relaxation, decreasing blood pressure and strengthening the immune system. A good guffaw can lower stress and depression. In addition, social engagements are more fun when people laugh together. Knowing this, why not look for ways to laugh?
“If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?” Abe Lincoln
Humor can be found in unlikely places. Funny quotes from politicians abound -- sometimes with humor planned and other times when unexpected goofs occur. For reference, there is a site of “funny politics quotes” on the internet. Choose the funniest and share them with others.
The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.
Lucille Ball
Surround yourself with funny people and see humor in the oddest places. Classic television such as I Love Lucy is available for DVD rentals. Norman Cousins watched The Marx brothers and laughed his way to health. It’s never too late to boost your health and your spirits or to lie about your age. Live well and joyfully for “laughter is the best medicine.”
August 2009: The Newspaper: Your Mental And Memory Friend As You Age
July 2009: Friends Are Good For You
June 2009: Self Encouragement Is A Skill We Take On
May 2009:
April 2009:
March 2009: Radio, the Brain, and 'Hearobics'
The radio has a long and productive history for communication. “Radio waves” were identified by German physicist Heinrich Randolph Hertz in 1886 (hence, the measurement ‘mega hertz’) and Guglielmo Marconi followed when he invented the wireless telegraph in 1900. Evolving into the device we know today, the radio has served as a medium for human communication in many amazing and useful ways. Read More...
February 2009
Welcome to February! The sun is crisp, the air is cold, and the snow is high on the ground – or tumbling from the sky. Living in the Northeast is an experience, never knowing what the day or next day will bring, or what or who this season might bring into your life. This February I will talk about the important role that social relationships play in keeping our hearts and brains healthy. Read More...
December 2008
Welcome back to ‘Enhance the Brain’ during this very busy December. With the hum of energy in the air, it’s hard to escape the fact that the holidays are coming. As so many of us know, the holiday season can be a mixture of joy and stress. It also provides great opportunities to bring friends and family together, but often one or two people end up with the brunt of the responsibilities. Read More...
November 2008: Enhance the Brain!
The brain is the engine of human life. Its power is with us when we’re home and when we’re away, when we work and when we play, when we’re by ourselves or with others – we’re always thinking, planning, doing, and feeling. The brain defines who we are and what we bring to the world. Read More...
