Finals Week Tips

Wrapping up the school year is like running a race; hopefully you got a good start, stayed on course in the middle, and now you are ready to finish strong! It's finals week, and that finish line is just ahead.
Here are some tips to help you finish strong:

• Get plenty of quality sleep, try to get 8 hours. Sleep helps alleviate stress, anchors what you've studied and gives you better cognitive performance.
• Eat quality brain food; whole grains, fish, nuts, seeds, fresh fruit and veggies. Healthy, light snacks between meals can help keep blood sugar stable for a long day of testing.
• Minimize your intake of processed & fast foods, sugar and pop. 
• Hydrate - 1/2 your body weight in ounces is a requirement for keeping your body and brain well hydrated.
• Keep exercising. Exercise can increase blood supply, oxygen and neural connections, it also reduces stress. Even a 15 minute study break and some kind of exercise, can rejuvenate the brain.
• As much as possible, keep a regular routine of meal times, exercise, waking up and bed times.
• Most of all, have confidence and believe in yourself!

Good luck!

The Hidden Affects of a Concussion on the Brain

Most often, the focus with a concussion is the area of the brain where the impact occurred. However, there is another aspect that causes the majority of the issues of cognitive function after getting a concussion. Bi-lateral Integration Interruption, often gets over looked or is unknown, and if overlooked can have future devastating affects on the person. 

The brain is divided into two halves, these two hemispheres are connected by the Corpus Callosum, a very thick bundle of nerve fibers, whose primary function is the transfer of information between the two halves of the brain. Much like the city of Portland has an east side and a west side, and is divided by the Willamette River, we have bridges connecting both sides.  Now imagine an earthquake taking out all the bridges except one. How would your morning commute be then?  A concussion is like an earthquake in the brain taking out or damaging the corpus callosum (bridges) so the brain can not have an efficient flow of information.  This flow of information constitutes most all our cognitive and physical abilities.  If we are not processing such things like concentration, spatial recognition, balance or reaction time efficiently, we have an increased chance for additional concussions, or even physical injuries in the future. Time is not enough to correct these issues, it takes a very specific targeted cognitive therapy.

Synergy Training Center Brain Performance and Care can help you get back to your pre-concussion abilities to be efficient and safe.

Menopause and your Brain

Medical science has finally caught up with the reality of "fuzzy thinking" at menopause. It's real, and after years of skepticism it's a relief to know it's not all in your "head"... The good news is you don't need to wait any longer to banish the brain fog that's interfering with your working memory.

Working memory is your brain's storage container for information you might need in the next couple of minutes. A weak working memory lets valuable info slide out of the container, making everyday math problems tougher, messing up your ability to grocery-shop without a list and focus in a business meeting, and much more.

Why is your working memory not working? Hormonal shifts at menopause can throw you off your mental game.  The reason: There are loads of estrogen receptors in areas of the brain (like the frontal lobe) that control working memory.  When there is less estrogen to turn these receptors on, memory degrades until the receptors adjust. With the fluctuations at menopause, the receptors often cannot adjust fast enough, and you forget your dentist appointment.

So how can you sharpen your thinking, hone your mental focus and lift that fog:

As always, the big three are important to have for a healthy lifestyle, however even more important during menopause; regular rigorous exercise, healthy diet rich in Omega 3‘s and good quality sleep.

But now there is a fourth component: Exercising your brain. When you exercise the brain you increase the number connections between the brain cells, making the connections stronger and improving blood flow in the brain regions. When you increase the number of these connections and make them stronger, it increases the ability for these receptors to adjust faster with the fluctuations of estrogen that occur during menopause.  Allowing your working memory to keep working efficiently through menopause.

Contact Synergy Training Center Brain Performance and Care on how to train and exercise your brain for help through menopause and to increase overall cognitive abilities.

Synergy Training Center Brain Performance and Care

Resource - Synergy Training Center;

Drs. Oz and Rozen Column-Oregonian Food Day 2/26/13

Spring Break Special

Like Us and Win!

WIN A KEURIG COFFEE/TEA MAKER!

March is Brain Awareness Month! Get connected and have a chance to win. It’s easy, either Like Us, ask a brain question or post a brain fact on our Synergy Training Center Facebook. You will be instantly entered for a chance to win a Keurig Brewing System.

Winner announced April 2, 2013

Get Connected about Brain Awareness and join us on Facebook!

Note: Open to residents 16 years and older of Oregon and SW Washington. Promotion ends March 31, 2013 at 11:59pm. 

A complete list of Rules is posted at 17449 Boones Ferry Rd. Ste 300, Lake Oswego OR 97035

A Brainy Menu for a Romantic Valentines Dinner

A Brain Healthy Valentines Dinner for you and your Sweetie

We have compiled a romantic menu for you and your valentine, which incorporates how simple it is to make sure you are giving your brain what it needs to perform properly. 
Each recipe includes footnotes explaining why it is a brain healthy food.

Enjoy! and Happy Valentines day...

For your Starter:

Baby Spinach Salad - Serves 2

(A beautiful plated salad to start your meal)

4 oz. fresh baby spinach³

2 Ripe Red Pears

Candied pecans⁴

Gorgonzola Cheese

Raspberry Vinaigrette 

Divide the spinach between two salad plates. Slice the pear in 1/2 in. slices and arrange on top of spinach. Sprinkle on pecans and gorgonzola to taste.

Serve with Raspberry Vinaigrette.

³ Spinach slows down the effects of age-related declines in brain function and helps protect the brain from oxidative stress. Researchers suggest that a diet rich in spinach can significantly improve learning capacity and motor skills.

⁴Pecans and peanuts provide choline, another important nutrient for optimal brain function. Choline aids in both memory and brain development.

For your Main Course:

Herb and Almond Encrusted Salmon Fillet

Serves 2

1 8 -10 oz Wild Caught Salmon Fillet¹

1/2 cup Ground Almonds² 

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 T Dill Weed

1/4 t Granulated Garlic

1/4 t Granulated Onion

2 T Lemon Juice

2 T Water

Olive Oil Cooking Spray

Place top rack on upper level. Preheat Broiler to 500º 

Place fillet, skin side down on broiler pan.

Mix almonds, parmesan cheese, dill, garlic and onion together. Spread over top of  fillet.  Spray the top of the fillet with olive oil cooking spray to help it stay in place.

Blend lemon juice and water in small measuring cup with a pour spout. Drizzle half the mixture over the almond/cheese mixture.

Broil 10 Min. or until tender and salmon flakes when tested with a fork. Drizzling additional lemon/water half way through. 

¹Essential fatty acids (EFAs) cannot be made by the body and must be obtained through diet. The most effective omega-3 fats occur naturally in oily fish as EPA and DHA. They are good for healthy brain function, the heart, joints and general wellbeing. Oily fish contains EPA and DHA in a ready-made form, which enables the body to use it easily. The main sources of oily fish include salmon, trout, mackerel, herring, sardines, pilchards and kippers. Low DHA levels have been linked to a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and memory loss.

²Phenylalanine, found in almonds, can do wonders for your mental and neurological health. Phenylalanine has the rare ability to cross the blood-brain barrier where it stimulates the brain to generate natural mood-boosting neurotransmitters called dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline. Additionally, almonds are high in riboflavin which is known to boost memory.

For your Side Dish:

Whole Wheat Cous Cous w/ Italian Herbs⁵

Cook Cous Cous following package directions.

When it is done, just before serving sprinkle some dried Italian seasoning in and fluff with fork.

⁵Whole grain is a great brain stimulator because it contains high percentage of folate. Make sure you’re eating a diet rich in whole grain breads, cereals, barley, popcorn, etc., because they can boost your blood flow to the brain. Every organ in the body is dependent on blood flow… especially the brain.

Wholegrain breads and cereals are rich in Vitamin B6, an important brain vitamin. Wheat germ additionally contains memory-improving thiamine.

For Desert:

Strawberries⁶  Dipped in Dark Chocolate ⁷

Melt dark chocolate 

Rinse and completely dry strawberries before dipping in warm, melted chocolate

Place on waxed paper to cool

Arrange on a serving plate. 

And there you go.... 

⁶ Antioxidant-rich strawberries can prevent age-related neurological declines by improving brain cell abilities to send and receive the ’signaling’ molecules. The brain uses these signaling molecules to communicate.

Remarkably, these same studies showed that the powerful antioxidants in strawberries, spinach and blueberries can improve the ability to communicate even among brain cells already showing signs of age-related damage.

⁷Dark chocolate has powerful antioxidant properties and contains several natural stimulants which increase the production of endorphins while enhancing focus and concentration. The stimulants found in dark chocolate also improve mood. It has high content of flavanols that facilitate blood supply to the brain and enhance cognitive skills. Enjoy in moderation of course...