Saturday, 26 May 2012
Thursday, 24 May 2012
This Chart is Awesome! Everyone Can Use it.
Apples | Protects your heart | Prevents constipation | Blocks diarrhea | Improves lung capacity | Cushions joints |
Apricots | Combats cancer | Controls blood pressure | Saves your eyesight | Shields against Alzheimer's | Slows aging process |
Artichokes | Aids digestion | Lowers cholesterol | Protects your heart | Stabilizes blood sugar | Guards against liver disease |
Avocados | Battles diabetes | Lowers cholesterol | Helps stops strokes | Controls blood pressure | Smoothes skin |
Bananas | Protects your heart | Quiets a cough | Strengthens bones | Controls blood pressure | Blocks diarrhea |
Beans | Prevents constipation | Helps hemorrhoids | Lowers cholesterol | Combats cancer | Stabilizes blood sugar |
Beets | Controls blood pressure | Combats cancer | Strengthens bones | Protects your heart | Aids weight loss |
Blueberries | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | Stabilizes blood sugar | Boosts memory | Prevents constipation |
Broccoli | Strengthens bones | Saves eyesight | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | Controls blood pressure |
Cabbage | Combats cancer | Prevents constipation | Promotes weight loss | Protects your heart | Helps hemorrhoids |
Cantaloupe | Saves eyesight | Controls blood pressure | Lowers cholesterol | Combats cancer | Supports immune system |
Carrots | Saves eyesight | Protects your heart | Prevents constipation | Combats cancer | Promotes weight loss |
Cauliflower | Protects against Prostate Cancer | Combats Breast Cancer | Strengthens bones | Banishes bruises | Guards against heart disease |
Cherries | Protects your heart | Combats Cancer | Ends insomnia | Slows aging process | Shields against Alzheimer's |
Chestnuts | Promotes weight loss | Protects your heart | Lowers cholesterol | Combats Cancer | Controls blood pressure |
Chili peppers | Aids digestion | Soothes sore throat | Clears sinuses | Combats Cancer | Boosts immune system |
Figs | Promotes weight loss | Helps stops strokes | Lowers cholesterol | Combats Cancer | Controls blood pressure |
Fish | Protects your heart | Boosts memory | Protects your heart | Combats Cancer | Supports immune system |
Flax | Aids digestion | Battles diabetes | Protects your heart | Improves mental health | Boosts immune system |
Garlic | Lowers cholesterol | Controls blood pressure | Combats cancer | Kills bacteria | Fights fungus |
Grapefruit | Protects against heart attacks | Promotes Weight loss | Helps stops strokes | Combats Prostate Cancer | Lowers cholesterol |
Grapes | Saves eyesight | Conquers kidney stones | Combats cancer | Enhances blood flow | Protects your heart |
Green tea | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | Helps stops strokes | Promotes Weight loss | Kills bacteria |
Honey | Heals wounds | Aids digestion | Guards against ulcers | Increases energy | Fights allergies |
Lemons | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | Controls blood pressure | Smoothes skin | Stops scurvy |
Limes | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | Controls blood pressure | Smoothes skin | Stops scurvy |
Mangoes | Combats cancer | Boosts memory | Regulates thyroid | Aids digestion | Shields against Alzheimer's |
Mushrooms | Controls blood pressure | Lowers cholesterol | Kills bacteria | Combats cancer | Strengthens bones |
Oats | Lowers cholesterol | Combats cancer | Battles diabetes | Prevents constipation | Smoothes skin |
Olive oil | Protects your heart | Promotes Weight loss | Combats cancer | Battles diabetes | Smoothes skin |
Onions | Reduce risk of heart attack | Combats cancer | Kills bacteria | Lowers cholesterol | Fights fungus |
Oranges | Supports immune systems | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | Straightens respiration | |
Peaches | Prevents constipation | Combats cancer | Helps stops strokes | Aids digestion | Helps hemorrhoids |
Peanuts | Protects against heart disease | Promotes Weight loss | Combats Prostate Cancer | Lowers cholesterol | Aggravates Diverticulitis |
Pineapple | Strengthens bones | Relieves colds | Aids digestion | Dissolves warts | Blocks diarrhea |
Prunes | Slows aging process | Prevents constipation | Boosts memory | Lowers cholesterol | Protects against heart disease |
Rice | Protects your heart | Battles diabetes | Conquers kidney stones | Combats cancer | Helps stops strokes |
Strawberries | Combats cancer | Protects your heart | Boosts memory | Calms stress | |
Sweet potatoes | Saves your eyesight | Lifts mood | Combats cancer | Strengthens bones | |
Tomatoes | Protects prostate | Combats cancer | Lowers cholesterol | Protects your heart | |
Walnuts | Lowers cholesterol | Combats cancer | Boosts memory | Lifts mood | Protects against heart disease |
Water | Promotes Weight loss | Combats cancer | Conquers kidney stones | Smoothes skin | |
Watermelon | Protects prostate | Promotes Weight loss | Lowers cholesterol | Helps stops strokes | Controls blood pressure |
Wheat germ | Combats Colon Cancer | Prevents constipation | Lowers cholesterol | Helps stops strokes | Improves digestion |
Wheat bran | Combats Colon Cancer | Prevents constipation | Lowers cholesterol | Helps stops strokes | Improves digestion |
Yogurt | Guards against ulcers | Strengthens bones | Lowers cholesterol | Supports immune systems | Aids digestio |
How to Improve your brain/memory?
How to Improve your brain/memory?
Everyone can take steps to improve their memory, and with time and practice most people can gain the ability to memorize seemingly impossible amounts of information. Whether you want to win the World Memory Championships, ace your history test, or simply remember where you put your keys, this article can get you started. Scientists believe that exercising your brain can create a ‘cognitive reserve’ that will help you stay sharp as you age.
1. Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve.
Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves that their memory is bad, that they are just not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Commit yourself to the task and bask in your achievements — it’s hard to keep motivated if you beat yourself down every time you make a little bit of progress.
2. Keep your brain active.
The brain is not a muscle, but regularly “exercising” the brain actually does keep it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills—especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument—and challenging your brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning.
3. Exercise daily.
Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental “pictures.”
4. Reduce stress.
Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain, can make remembering much more difficult. Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress.
5. Eat well and eat right.
There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine). A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants—broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example—and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain.
6. Take better pictures.
Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don’t really learn people’s names at first because we aren’t really concentrating on remembering them. You’ll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you’ll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you’re able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.
7. Give yourself time to form a memory.
Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you’re trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.
8. Create vivid, memorable images.
You remember information more easily if you can visualize it. If you want to associate a child with a book, try not to visualize the child reading the book – that’s too simple and forgettable. Instead, come up with something more jarring, something that sticks, like the book chasing the child, or the child eating the book. It’s your mind – make the images as shocking and emotional as possible to keep the associations strong.
9. Repeat things you need to learn.
The more times you hear, see, or think about something, the more surely you’ll remember it, right? It’s a no-brainer. When you want to remember something, be it your new coworker’s name or your best friend’s birthday, repeat it, either out loud or silently. Try writing it down; think about it.
10. Group things you need to remember.
Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you’ll find it easier to remember all four.
11. Organize your life.
Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks. Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so that you can remember less routine things. Even if being organized doesn’t improve your memory, you’ll receive a lot of the same benefits (i.e. you won’t have to search for your keys anymore).
12. Try meditation.
Research now suggests that people who regularly practice “mindfulness” meditation are able to focus better and may have better memories. Mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight meditation) is the type commonly practiced in Western countries and is easy to learn. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that regular meditation thickens the cerebral cortex in the brain by increasing the blood flow to that region. Some researchers believe this can enhance attention span, focus, and memory.
13. Sleep well.
The amount of sleep we get affects the brain’s ability to recall recently learned information. Getting a good night’s sleep – a minimum of seven hours a night – may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory, according to recent studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School.
14. Build your memorization arsenal.
Learn pegs, memory palaces, and the Dominic System. These techniques form the foundation for mnemonic techniques, and will visibly improve your memory.
15. Venture out and learn from your mistakes.
Go ahead and take a stab at memorizing the first one hundred digits of pi, or, if you’ve done that already, the first one thousand. Memorize the monarchs of England through your memory palaces, or your grocery list through visualization. Through diligent effort you will eventually master the art of memorization.
1. Convince yourself that you do have a good memory that will improve.
Too many people get stuck here and convince themselves that their memory is bad, that they are just not good with names, that numbers just slip out of their minds for some reason. Erase those thoughts and vow to improve your memory. Commit yourself to the task and bask in your achievements — it’s hard to keep motivated if you beat yourself down every time you make a little bit of progress.
2. Keep your brain active.
The brain is not a muscle, but regularly “exercising” the brain actually does keep it growing and spurs the development of new nerve connections that can help improve memory. By developing new mental skills—especially complex ones such as learning a new language or learning to play a new musical instrument—and challenging your brain with puzzles and games you can keep your brain active and improve its physiological functioning.
3. Exercise daily.
Regular aerobic exercise improves circulation and efficiency throughout the body, including in the brain, and can help ward off the memory loss that comes with aging. Exercise also makes you more alert and relaxed, and can thereby improve your memory uptake, allowing you to take better mental “pictures.”
4. Reduce stress.
Chronic stress, although it does not physically damage the brain, can make remembering much more difficult. Even temporary stresses can make it more difficult to effectively focus on concepts and observe things. Try to relax, regularly practice yoga or other stretching exercises, and see a doctor if you have severe chronic stress.
5. Eat well and eat right.
There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market that claim to improve memory, but none have yet been shown to be effective in clinical tests (although small studies have shown some promising results for ginkgo biloba and phosphatidylserine). A healthy diet, however, contributes to a healthy brain, and foods containing antioxidants—broccoli, blueberries, spinach, and berries, for example—and Omega-3 fatty acids appear to promote healthy brain functioning. Feed your brain with such supplements as Thiamine, Vitamin E, Niacin and Vitamin B-6. Grazing, eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large meals, also seems to improve mental functioning (including memory) by limiting dips in blood sugar, which may negatively affect the brain.
6. Take better pictures.
Often we forget things not because our memory is bad, but rather because our observational skills need work. One common situation where this occurs (and which almost everyone can relate to) is meeting new people. Often we don’t really learn people’s names at first because we aren’t really concentrating on remembering them. You’ll find that if you make a conscious effort to remember such things, you’ll do much better. One way to train yourself to be more observant is to look at an unfamiliar photograph for a few seconds and then turn the photograph over and describe or write down as many details as you can about the photograph. Try closing your eyes and picturing the photo in your mind. Use a new photograph each time you try this exercise, and with regular practice you will find you’re able to remember more details with even shorter glimpses of the photos.
7. Give yourself time to form a memory.
Memories are very fragile in the short-term, and distractions can make you quickly forget something as simple as a phone number. The key to avoid losing memories before you can even form them is to be able to focus on the thing to be remembered for a while without thinking about other things, so when you’re trying to remember something, avoid distractions and complicated tasks for a few minutes.
8. Create vivid, memorable images.
You remember information more easily if you can visualize it. If you want to associate a child with a book, try not to visualize the child reading the book – that’s too simple and forgettable. Instead, come up with something more jarring, something that sticks, like the book chasing the child, or the child eating the book. It’s your mind – make the images as shocking and emotional as possible to keep the associations strong.
9. Repeat things you need to learn.
The more times you hear, see, or think about something, the more surely you’ll remember it, right? It’s a no-brainer. When you want to remember something, be it your new coworker’s name or your best friend’s birthday, repeat it, either out loud or silently. Try writing it down; think about it.
10. Group things you need to remember.
Random lists of things (a shopping list, for example) can be especially difficult to remember. To make it easier, try categorizing the individual things from the list. If you can remember that, among other things, you wanted to buy four different kinds of vegetables, you’ll find it easier to remember all four.
11. Organize your life.
Keep items that you frequently need, such as keys and eyeglasses, in the same place every time. Use an electronic organizer or daily planner to keep track of appointments, due dates for bills, and other tasks. Keep phone numbers and addresses in an address book or enter them into your computer or cell phone. Improved organization can help free up your powers of concentration so that you can remember less routine things. Even if being organized doesn’t improve your memory, you’ll receive a lot of the same benefits (i.e. you won’t have to search for your keys anymore).
12. Try meditation.
Research now suggests that people who regularly practice “mindfulness” meditation are able to focus better and may have better memories. Mindfulness (also known as awareness or insight meditation) is the type commonly practiced in Western countries and is easy to learn. Studies at Massachusetts General Hospital show that regular meditation thickens the cerebral cortex in the brain by increasing the blood flow to that region. Some researchers believe this can enhance attention span, focus, and memory.
13. Sleep well.
The amount of sleep we get affects the brain’s ability to recall recently learned information. Getting a good night’s sleep – a minimum of seven hours a night – may improve your short-term memory and long-term relational memory, according to recent studies conducted at the Harvard Medical School.
14. Build your memorization arsenal.
Learn pegs, memory palaces, and the Dominic System. These techniques form the foundation for mnemonic techniques, and will visibly improve your memory.
15. Venture out and learn from your mistakes.
Go ahead and take a stab at memorizing the first one hundred digits of pi, or, if you’ve done that already, the first one thousand. Memorize the monarchs of England through your memory palaces, or your grocery list through visualization. Through diligent effort you will eventually master the art of memorization.
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