How often do you let other people's nonsense or things you can't control change your mood? Do you let traffic delays, poor service in a restaurant, an insensitive comment, or an interruption of your internet or cable service ruin your day? If this happens to you, as it often does to me, it means that you have too much "garbage" in your life. You are letting the "clutter", the "refuse" of day to day life distract you from what should be the focus of your efforts. I have been doing some mental and emotional housekeeping, working on reducing my obsession with trivialities that are not worth my time and effort. I have been paying a lot of attention to the amount of food I consume, weight and waist size has been the focus of my attention. I've recently learned that what I consume can not only impact my pants size, but my ability to put my pants on myself without the assistance of a team of trained professionals.

Yesterday I found an article on the AARP website: How Aging Changes The Brain that caught my attention. It gave me hope, but it also is causing me to re-evaluate my diet. In healthy people, the basic ways our brains learn probably don't change much as we age—it's just that learning may take a bit longer. But when we learn something well, it tends to stick with us just as well as it did in younger years. However there are often physical changes that take place in the brain as we age. Specific changes vary greatly from one person to the next, and may include the following, depending on their medical and psychological history:

Brain mass shrinks

Outer surface thins

White matter decreases

Chemical messengers decrease

The brain is made up of 60% fat. Several types of fat are used in the make-up of the brain two of which our bodies are unable to produce. If we do not take these fats in during our daily diets then our brain cannot work to its best. The two fats, essential fatty acids (called essential because the body cannot make them on its own) are Omega 3 which is found in linseed or flax seed and oily fish with small amounts in white fish and almonds - and Omega 6 which is plentiful in evening primrose oil and sunflower seeds and sunflower seed oil. These essential fats must come from the diet. And they must come from the diet in a balanced ratio.

When the ratio of the essential fatty acids becomes imbalanced—that is, when the omega-6s overwhelm the omega-3s or vice versa—the body experiences inflammation which can result in serious chronic inflammatory conditions. Consuming high quantities of omega-6 puts the body at risk for some of today’s most life-threatening conditions: heart disease, cancer, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, and some autoimmune disorders.

Americans consume 11-30 times MORE omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3s—mostly in the form of vegetable oils (corn, safflower, etc.) that have been partially hydrogenated. Unfortunately, these partially hydrogenated oils are all too often “hidden” in highly processed, packaged convenience foods like cookies, cakes, crackers, fried foods, fast foods, chips, granola bars, candy bars, and more.

Clearly, avoiding processed, convenience, and fast foods not only promotes better health, but it allows the body to get the most benefit from the heart-healthy omega-3s.

Many people reach very old age and are still sharp as ever. Genetics clearly plays a role in "successful aging," but how we live our lives on a day-to-day basis is also critical. To help your brain age well, you can:

Perform physical exercise (especially aerobic exercise)

Engage in intellectually stimulating mental activity

Eat a healthy diet

Maintain social connections (spending time with friends and family members, for example)

Learn to manage stress

Develop a positive attitude toward yourself and your world

You may also enjoy reading: A single bar could last through most of a double feature at the movies.

I am by no means ready to die! So, with that fact established, let's begin at the beginning: See links for all the Genesis posts to date: Genesis Through My Eyes

In my not too distant past, if I were to see a street person, a bum, sleeping in a door front or on a park bench, I would have kept my distance and perhaps shrugged my shoulders.: He had the "smarts" to ask someone where to go, I didn't

Waldo County, situated in mid-coast Maine along scenic Penobscot Bay, has genuine New England character evidenced by working port towns and quaint rural villages. Visitors are awed by the area's unspoiled beauty. From striking coastal views to sweeping mountain vistas, dramatic natural settings abound. In addition great care has been taken to preserve and refurbish numerous historic landmarks, homes and buildings. Consequently, the Maine of yesteryear is still found here.

Stumble It!

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