The Real Work of Living & Dying

This essay by Richard John Neuhaus was originally published in the February 2000 issue of First Things.

We are born to die. Not that death is the purpose of our being born, but we are born toward death, and in each of our lives the work of dying is already underway. The work of dying well is, in largest part, the work of living well. Most of us are at ease in discussing what makes for a good life, but we typically become tongue-tied and nervous when the discussion turns to a good death.

Eavesdropping on Eric Kandel & Charlie Rose: Psychotherapy as a Biological Interaction

Eric Kandel:  "One tended to think of psychotherapy and drugs as working in very different ways. One is talk therapy and the other is biological. And now it's clear, from Helen's (Dr. Helen Mayberg) studies and other people's studies, that psychotherapy works on the brain. It is a biological treatment."

Charlie Rose: "So the psychotherapy produces a biological change in the brain..."

EK: "Lie a biological treatment. When you and I have a conversation, it changes our brains. It's a biological interaction.... In addition, the value of psychotherapy, I"m going to say something that's a little bit provocative -- it's the therapy but it's also fundamentally the consistent, the supportive, and the healthy relationship the individual giving the psychotherapy provides..."

Eric Kandel & Charlie Rose: The Brain Series

Eavesdropping: Dr. Helen Mayberg on Self-Connectedness & Depression

"You can actually study intense personal sadness and map it... you can actually do that same thing in people who are depressed. And actually look at the differences between being depressed and being situationally depressed and being sad. There are areas of the brain that are different.

And what just struck me -- it kind of was a lightbulb moment for me now -- from some of our data, that the part that differs is in an area of the frontal cortex that is responsible for the self-connectedness.

And in depressed people, when they are currently depressed, and they get sad, that area of the brain doesn't come on as it does in healthy people who are experiencing a past episode recollecting a sad event..."

Dr. Helen Mayberg on Charlie Rose: The Brain Series




Self-connectedness and depression.  It makes so much sense. And the fact that there is a location in the brain that lights up when we feel connected to ourselves is fascinating!  So the question that occurs to me when I see a depressed patient is: what, exactly, is being depressed in this person?  If it is in fact a connection to the self -- to the very core of one's being -- then the key to resolving a depression is finding your way back to a feeling of connection to your innermost sense of yourself.

Easier said than done, I suppose.

What is the Mind, Exactly?

"The mind is a series of functions carried out by the brain."

Eric Kandel, Nobel Laureate on Charlie Rose: The Brain Series

Did You Know? Fun Facts About the Brain

"My brain: it's my second favorite organ."

Woody Allen in Sleeper (1973)

The brain may be Allen's second favorite organ, but it is by far one of the most interesting aspects of the human body.  Here are some fun facts about the brain that you may not have known:

1. The brain is made up of 77-78% water, 10-12% fat, 8% protein, 1% carbs, 2% soluble organics, and 1% inorganic salt.
2. The average adult brain weights about 3 pounds.
3. Brains can stay alive about 4-5 minutes without oxygen.
4. Your brain is about 2% of your body's total weight but uses 20% of your body's energy.
5. The energy used by a brain is enough to light a 25 watt bulb.
6. Results from cognitive testing show 30% of 80-year-olds perform as well as young adults.
7. The left hemisphere of the brain (the side that processes language) has 186 million more neurons than the right side (the side that processes emotions).
8. It takes 10 seconds to lose consciousness if the supply of blood to the brain is stopped.
9. 750-1000 ml of blood flow through the brain every minute. That is equal to about 3 full soda cans.
10. There are about 100 billion neurons in the human brain, about the same as the number of stars in our galaxy.

What are you doing to take care of this magnificent organ today?

What's Your Snore Score?

The American Sleep Apnea Association publishes a quick quiz to check your snore.  Take it here or follow this link to their website:  http://www.sleepapnea.org/resources/pubs/snorescore.html

1.  Are you a loud and/or regular snorer?

2.  Have you ever been observed to gasp or stop breathing during sleep?

3.  Do you feel tired or groggy upon awakening, or do you awaken with a headache?

4.  Are you often tired or fatigued during the wake time hours?

5.  Do you fall asleep sitting, reading, watching TV or driving?

6.  Do you often have problems with memory or concentration?

According to their website, "If you have one or more of these symptoms you are at higher risk for having obstructive sleep apnea.  If you are also overweight, have a large neck, and/or have high blood pressure, the risk increases even further."

You should discuss your symptoms with your primary care physician and request a sleep study to determine whether or not you have sleep apnea.  This could be the most dangerous condition you don't know you have!

The Dangers of Untreated Sleep Apnea

State Representative Robert Donatucci died in his sleep on November 9, 2010, of sleep apnea. Although there were suspicions that Mr. Donatucci had sleep apnea, when he went for a sleep study, he didn’t like the CPAP mask he had to wear so he did not complete the test. Sadly, this decision may have cost him his life.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common breathing disorder that occurs when the muscles in the back of your throat relax, causing your airway to narrow or close. When your airway closes, breathing is stopped momentarily. A person with sleep apnea may make a gasping or choking sound as they begin to breathe again. These apneas can occur up to 30 times or more every hour. When your breathing becomes shallow or obstructed, you often move from a deep sleep to a lighter sleep state. This interferes with a good night’s sleep, resulting in excessive sleepiness during the day.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include: daytime sleepiness; excessive loud snoring; a dry mouth or sore throat upon awakening; a morning headache; problems with memory, attention and/or concentration; irritability, depression, or mood swings; or insomnia.

According to Inland Empire Sleep Solutions, “Obstructive sleep apnea affects more than 20 million Americans and can lead to hypertension, heart attack, stroke, depression, muscle pain, fibromyalgia, morning headaches, and excessive daytime sleepiness.” Research suggests that adults with untreated sleep apnea are almost 50% more likely to die prematurely than those who sleep normally.

Interesting Facts About Alzheimer's Dementia

From the Alzheimer's Foundation of America (www.alzfdn.org):

Alzheimer's disease is a slow progressive brain disorder that results in the loss of memory and other cognitive functions.  This disease eventually leads to death.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia.

It is estimated that 2.4 million to 4.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease and the incidence is rising as our population ages.

The prevalence of Alzheimer's disease doubles every five years between ages 65 and 95.

A rarer form of the disease, known as early onset Alzheimer's, can affect people as young as in their 30's.

Alzheimer's is the 7th leading cause of death in the US.

Do you know the early warning signs of Alzheimers?

Free Cleaning Services for Women Undergoing Chemo

Cleaning for a Reason

      If you know any woman currently undergoing chemotherapy, please pass the word to her that there is a cleaning service that provides FREE housecleaning - once per month for 4 months while she is in treatment. All she has to do is sign up and have her doctor fax a note confirming the treatment. Cleaning for a Reason will have a participating maid service in her zip code area arrange for the service. This organization serves the entire USA and currently has 547 partners to help these women. It's our job to pass the word and let them know that there are people out there that care. Be a blessing to someone and pass this information along.http://www.cleaningforareason.org/

Great information. You may not know someone going through chemo, but someone on your email list might. Please forward!

How to Prevent a Concussion

One of the most effective ways of keeping your brain healthy is to prevent injury in the first place.  

A concussion is a brain injury caused by a bump, blow or sudden jolt to the head. Concussions can range from mild to severe and can interrupt the normal functioning of the brain.

There are several ways to prevent a concussion, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

-- Wear a seat belt whenever you drive or ride in a motor vehicle.

-- Buckle your children safely in your vehicle by using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt, depending on the recommended safety practice for your child's age and weight.

-- Wear a helmet whenever you ride a bike, motorcycle or use any other recreational type vehicle

-- Wear a helmet when you play a contact sport such as soccer, football, hockey, lacrosse or boxing

-- Wear a helmet when your use roller skates or ice skates

-- Wear a helmet when you play baseball or softball

-- Wear a helmet when you ride a horse

--  Wear a helmet when you ski, sled or snowboard

--  Use the right protection for any sport you participate in and follow the safety rules.

There are many signs and symptoms of a concussion following a blow to the head, including:

-- Difficulty thinking clearly

-- Feeling slowed down

-- Difficulty concentrating

-- Difficulty following a conversation or directions

-- Answering questions slowly or repeatedly

-- Feeling dazed or stunned

-- A headache

-- Nausea or vomiting

-- Clumsiness or balance problems

-- Dizziness

-- Blurred vision

-- Feeling tired all the time or having no energy

-- Sensitivity to light

-- Sensitivity to noise

-- Numbness or tingling

-- Irritability

-- Sadness

-- Increased emotionality

-- Nervousness or anxiety

-- Sleeping more than usual

-- Sleeping less than usual

-- Trouble falling asleep

-- Drowsiness

If you notice you have any of these symptoms, call your doctor.  Describe the injury and the symptoms and make an appointment to be seen right away.

Most people only experience the symptoms of a concussion for a brief period of time.  However some concussions can lead to long term problems.

Caffeine May Be Good For Your Brain

A new study from the University of North Dakota School of Medicine suggests that "a daily dose of caffeine blocks the disruptive effects of high cholesterol that scientists have linked to Alzheimer's disease."

The caffeine protected the blood brain barrier (BBB) from the effects of cholesterol.  The BBB is a protective device that prevents microorganisms from the body's circulation system from entering the brain.  Earlier studies showed that cholesterol breaks down the BBB, allowing contaminants to enter the brain.  A leaky BBB occurs in many different disorders, including Alzheimer's dementia.

According to researchers, caffeine protects the BBB by keeping the junctions tight, preventing unwanted microorganisms from entering the central nervous system.

Starbucks should be elated...

Participate in a Study at the Center for Brain Health in Dallas

The Center for Brain Health at the University of Texas in Dallas is actively looking for patients to participate in research studies.  Here is some information from their website:


http://www.brainhealth.utdallas.edu/index.php/research/participate

Click on the study title for additional information.

If you have questions about our current studies or would like to be added to our list for future studies, please contact Carol Lee at 972.883.3275 or carol.lee@utdallas.edu.

Studies

Teen Brain Injury and Repair Program

The Effects of Physical and Mental Exercise on the Aging Brain

Working Memory Decline in Healthy Aging

Social Awareness in Young Adults with Autism, Schizophrenia, TBI, and Others (Ages 17 - 40)

Social Awareness in Pediatric Populations with Autism, ADHD, TBI, and Others (Ages 7 - 16)

Overemotional Reactions in Male

Anatomy of Gabrielle Gifford's Injury: Scientific American

The bullet that sheared through US politician Gabrielle Giffords's brain set up a cascade of neurological events.

By Erika Check Hayden

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is resting in a medically induced coma. But her brain is undergoing a frenzy of activity in an attempt to heal itself from the trauma she suffered on Saturday, when she was shot in the head in Tucson, Ariz., by a gunman who also shot 19 other people, killing six. Although Giffords's recovery could take years, it is possible that she could one day return to politics, doctors say.

"Do I think she could return to work as a Congresswoman? Yes," said Arthur Kobrine, a neurosurgeon in Washington, D.C., who treated Jim Brady, the White House press secretary who was shot in the head in 1981 during an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan. "But possible isn't the same as likely," says Kobrine.

Read more: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=anatomy-of-a-brain-injury

Playing Games to Boost Your IQ

With the aging of the Baby Boomers, improving the functioning of our brains to ward off dementia and cognitive decline has been gaining in popularity as of late.  While there are no guarantees that anyone can successfully stave off dementia, studies have shown that challenging your brain can help to maintain brain health as we age.

The ability to reason and solve novel problems is called fluid intelligence.  This type of intelligence is important in a variety of mental tasks and is an important factor in the ability to learn new information.  In our increasingly more complex world, it is also related to success in life.   A new study by researchers at the University of Michigan claims that "training on a demanding working memory task" can translate into more points on your IQ score.  And, as they say, "The harder you train, the more you gain."

One of the online games used in the study is dual-n-back .  N-back is a working memory task that involves remembering either auditory or visual stimuli that are presented within a particular time frame.  The "dual" refers to the auditory and visual stimuli when they are presented together, making the task more challenging.  Working memory is the ability to hold information in short term memory while simultaneously performing an action on it.  A common everyday example is remembering a telephone number while you dial it.

Although skeptics claim there is no way to raise your IQ, the game is challenging and fun.  Try it yourself and see what happens!


http://dual-n-back.com

The Effect of Brief Stress on Your Memory

A new study from UC Irvine School of Medicine suggests that short term stress -- defined as that lasting less than a few hours -- can have a negative impact on the communication of neurons in the hippocampus, an area of the brain associated with learning and memory.

Researchers discovered that short term stress involves molecules called corticotropin releasing hormones (CRH) which interfere with the way the brain processes and stores memories.

They hope to develop a drug that can be used to block CRH and effectively eliminate the damage to the brain caused by acute stress.  However learning to manage stress naturally is probably a more effective way of protecting the brain.  Meditation, deep breathing and yoga have all been found to reduce levels of stress without resorting to pharmacology as many medications have unwanted side effects that can have their own adverse consequences on health and well being.

Stress & Aging: Take The Rahe Stress Test

According to Dr. Robert Sapolsky, PhD, of Stanford University, high intelligence and the ability to socialize predispose humans and primates to stress-related diseases more than other animals. Non-life threatening stressors (worrying about money, relationships, keeping the boss happy) trigger the release of stress hormones. Over time, these neurochemicals can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, and GI disorders. Prolonged stress also has a detrimental effect on memory, learning and judgment. New research suggests that chronic stress may actually cause DNA to age faster. However, Dr. Sapolsky believes that the way a person responds to stress is important.

Learning to control your own levels of stress, is a key factor in healthy aging and may make the difference between a life burdened with chronic illnesses and a life of health.  However, learning to identify sources of stress is the first step in making any lifestyle changes.

Take the online Rahe Stress Test at Mind Tools to see if your lifestyle is leaving you vulnerable to stress-related illness:

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS_82.htm

Are you surprised by the results?

Take a Walk - It's Good for Your Brain!

A very simple way to improve brain function is exercise.  We all know it's good for our bodies but research suggests it's actually good for our brains as well.  Exercise can improve memory, concentration, and abstract reasoning and may actually delay the onset of dementia in some older adults.  The reason is exercise improves circulation throughout the body (yes, your brain is part of your body!) which nourishes neurons or brain cells and helps them to work better.  One study showed that exercise encourages the growth of new neurons or brain cells in the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memory and new learning.

So the next time you want to do something good for your brain -- take a walk!

Simple Changes to Keep Your Brain Healthy: A Podcast

Keeping your brain healthy is of the utmost importance in healthy aging.  For tips on brain health, listen to my podcast:  www.kphealthcast.com/mp3files/BrainHealth1.mp3

The Lulumon Manifesto: How to Be Fully Alive Every Day!

Here is some inspiration from a surprising source, lululemon athletica:

The Lululemon Manifesto

Drink FRESH water and as much water as you can. Water flushes unwanted toxins from your body and keeps your brain sharp.

A daily hit of athletic-induced endorphins gives you the power to make better decisions, helps you be at peace with yourself, and offsets stress.

Do one thing a day that scares you.

Listen, listen, listen, and then ask strategic questions.

Write down your short and long-term GOALS four times a year. Two personal, two business and two health goals for the next 1, 5 and 10 years. Goal setting triggers your subconscious computer.

Life is full of setbacks. Success is determined by how you handle setbacks.

Your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.

That which matters the most should never give way to that which matters the least.

Stress is related to 99% of all illness.

Jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.

The world is changing at such a rapid rate that waiting to implement changes will leave you 2 steps behind. DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW!

Friends are more important than money.

Breathe deeply and appreciate the moment. Living in the moment could be the meaning of life.

Take various vitamins. You never know what small mineral can eliminate the bottleneck to everlasting health.

Don’t trust that an old age pension will be sufficient.

Visualize your eventual demise. It can have an amazing effect on how you live for the moment.

The conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. Choose a positive thought.

Live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that flows over the water, Vancouver will do nicely.

Observe a plant before and after watering and relate these benefits to your body and brain.

Practice yoga so you can remain active in physical sports as you age.

Dance, sing, floss and travel.

Children are the orgasm of life. Just like you did not know what an orgasm was before you had one, nature does not let you know how great children are until you have them.

Successful people replace the words “wish”, “should” and “try” with “I will”.

Creativity is maximized when you’re living in the moment.

Nature wants us to be mediocre because we have a greater chance to survive and reproduce. Mediocre is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and will give you a lousy life.

Do not use cleaning chemicals on your kitchen counters. Someone will inevitably make a sandwich on your counter.

SWEAT once a day to regenerate your skin.

Communication is COMPLICATED. We are all raised in a different family with slightly different definitions of every word. An agreement is an agreement only if each party knows the conditions for satisfaction and a time is set for satisfaction to occur.

What we do to the earth we do to ourselves.

This list is from lululemon athletics:  http://www.lululemon.com

The Dangers of Untreated Sleep Apnea

State Representative Robert Donatucci died in his sleep on November 9, 2010, of sleep apnea. Although there were suspicions that Mr. Donatucci had sleep apnea, when he went for a sleep study, he didn’t like the CPAP mask he had to wear so he did not complete the test. Sadly, this decision may have cost him his life.

Obstructive sleep apnea is a common breathing disorder that occurs when the muscles in the back of your throat relax, causing your airway to narrow or close. When your airway closes, breathing is stopped momentarily. A person with sleep apnea may make a gasping or choking sound as they begin to breathe again. These apneas can occur up to 30 times or more every hour. When your breathing becomes shallow or obstructed, you often move from a deep sleep to a lighter sleep state. This interferes with a good night’s sleep, resulting in excessive sleepiness during the day.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include: daytime sleepiness; excessive loud snoring; a dry mouth or sore throat upon awakening; a morning headache; problems with memory, attention and/or concentration; irritability, depression, or mood swings; or insomnia.

According to Inland Empire Sleep Solutions, “Obstructive sleep apnea affects more than 20 million Americans and can lead to hypertension, heart attack, stroke, depression, muscle pain, fibromyalgia, morning headaches, and excessive daytime sleepiness.” Research suggests that adults with untreated sleep apnea are almost 50% more likely to die prematurely than those who sleep normally.