EILEEN ADLER

Neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Dr. Job LaPook, CBS News chief medical correspondent shared a lively conversation on the television program, Sunday Morning that aired on January 3, 2021.

Dr. Gupta simply stated, "I've had a longstanding love affair with the brain."

He proclaims that there are things we can do, lifestyle choices, that slow down the progression of dementia, quite possibly reversing it. Activities that stimulate the brain are great, but he cautions us those repetitive behaviors, no matter how vigorous, do not compare to building change into your activities.

Get out of your comfort zone, try forced exercise, change it up because our brains like variety. Think of these exercise choices as the buffet of life and choose something you have not experienced before—you just might like it! The key here is that our bodies were built to move.

Is that glass half empty? Without exercise, we may begin to believe that. Ant hill-sized challenges may become Mt. Everest that we believe we cannot climb. Not true! A walk is one step at a time.

If you are feeling, woe is me, it may be that you need to move. And who does not have stress in their lives? Are you a flight or fight or freeze person? Your body needs to move because exercise is a stress reliever.

Dr. Gupta told Dr. LaPook that a great thing to do is to take a brisk walk with a close friend and as you walk, talk about your problems. This may be that elusive silver bullet: both of you are moving helping your bodies, sharing a social connection, and helping your brains. Dr. LaPook summarized this: empathy, kindness, and compassion. 
 

video directions for the Knitted Brain Hat
Pattern for the Knitted Brain Hat