Beauty and the Brain

Veronica and Betty.  Daphne and Velma.  Why does it seem that we've received the message that one can only be pretty OR smart?  You're either the beauty in the friendship or the brains.  Why can't I have style without immediately coming across as shallow?  Or nerdy if I am preaching about why we shouldn't use plastic bags?  Well, I beg to differ!  I have friend upon friend who are the epitome of what a modern day woman should be and yet we are forced to look up to Victoria Secret models.

My sexy is with my tongue, not the cup size that's hanging out of my dress.  I read.  I listen.  I absorb.  I explore.  I question.  I use what's in my head to earn respect.  I push the envelope and I always encourage other women around me to do the same.  Speak up for yourself but still be kind to others around you.  Advocate for the underdog.  Don't let others expectations ruin you.  Instead, show them how beautiful it is to be yourself.  Let people see that woman CAN possess both beauty and brains.  Learn a new hobby.  Teach your brain new tricks.  Don't be afraid to let your sense of humor come out.  Life is far too important to be taken seriously.  Rewire those negative messages.  Make your brain acquire new neuronal synapses as you motivate and remind yourself why you rock!

DPG rockin' the climbing wall at OC Fair

Your brain functions in a pattern everyday because it has strengthened particular neuronal connections that fire automatically after a period of continued use.  Let's say something negative flashes across your mind immediately after looking in the mirror.  It's not that you actually told yourself to think that, it's that you've conditioned your mind to produce that answer every time you look at yourself nekkid.  Reverse that message and you'll find you surprise yourself.  Your brain is the THE most powerful tool you own.

Guess dress, Mossimo cardigan, Forever 21 clasp bracelet

I was listening to NPR the other day (yes, I'm one of those) and they were interviewing a neurologist about the powers of the mind.  They asked him to pinpoint the very part of our brain that did this or that the best.  His answer was that the brain is like a symphony.  You can go to the concert hall and you can listen and you can be awed by the groups of cellists or bassoonists but at the end, every part of that symphony existed as it did because of each instrument that contributed to the greater whole. It all hits you at the same time but in different, equally important ways.

a lovely, larger than average noggin, Salvador Dali painting

HOW TO GIVE YOUR BRAIN SOME LOVE:


1. BRAIN TEASERS, CROSSWORD PUZZLES, SODOKU, FOLLWING CURRENT EVENTS, READING BOOKS, LEARNING A NEW TRADE OR LANGUAGE:
Do something that challenges your normal pattern of thought.  Being uncomfortable is your body's response to not having strong neuronal synapses in that area of the brain.  You are forcing it to make new ones.  Think about all the fun new people you will meet and how interesting you will feel. Oh you're a Master Sommelier? How funny, me too!


2. VOLUNTEER AND TRAVEL:
There is no way we can truly appreciate what we have without seeing what others live without.  Wants and needs can become black and white suddenly.  See how other people live their lives.  It may just humble you a teeny tiny eeny beeny isty bitsy bit.  It's important to know we are all connected somehow to ensure we never feel hopeless.  It's almost impossible to be depressed while helping someone else more in need.

Volunteering on a health trek in Vietnam; Buff headwear

3. GREEN TEA:
It fights free radicals in our body. Drink it!  There is an enzyme in it that they believe fights Alzheimer's.  Just don't do it if you're pregnant as it's properties act in a splicing mechanism to new developing DNA i.e. a fetus (not good!)  But good if you aren't pregnant and wanting to fight cell damage or potentially cancerous cells.  Also avoid it while eating a meal high in iron.  Green tea can inhibit iron absorption and it's best to just keep the two separate to avoid anemia.


4. NUTS, SEEDS, BLUEBERRIES & BROCCOLI:
You're doing well if any of these or all 4 are in your diet.  Act like a rabbit and munch.


5. OMEGA FATTY ACIDS:
 I think I've began drilling it into your head (literally) how important fish oil and and the omega fatty acids that accompany them.  You can also find smaller amounts in flax and chia seeds  Omega fatty acids are high in DHA, a fatty acid that is found in high concentrations in the gray matter of the brain.  It is essential in the transmission of brain signals.

my old kitty, Smee promoting Omega-3s

6. KEEP FAT OFF YOUR BELLY:
The fat around your inner organs is much more metabolically active than other types of fat right under the skin.  It's pumping out toxic substances and is very potent.  Fat in the abdomen is the most dangerous kind and they are linking it more and more to Alzheimer's, in fact 3.6 times greater for people with larger bellies.  Belly fat is in close proximity with major organs and is oozing noxious chemicals, stoking inflammation, constricting blood vessels and triggering other processes that damage brian cells.


Got all that? QUIZ TIME! No, not really. But if you've gleaned anything from my rambling, it is this: Care for your brain and it will care for you for many years to come!

And if you've been loyal enough to make it to the end of this posting, I want your shoes!  No, I don't want to steal them.  I want photos of your favorite pair!  Flats, pumps, platform, wedges, soccer cleats, I want them all!   I will be doing a section once a week on exercise and diet and would love to showcase those lovely tootsies that keep us moving!


Send all photos with your first name to aphiluvaoe@aol.com.