Gifts for Parents

I was home last weekend and had a great time hanging out with my family. While home, I also realized that my parents could benefit from some brain fitness. It is not that they are declining – it is that they want to maintain their mental quickness and stay sharp. With that in mind, I came up with a couple recommendations that would be ideal presents for parents.

My dad was in the Navy (stood right next to the cannons), was a drummer all his life, and is in his late 60s. Not surprisingly, he doesn’t have the best of hearing. The obvious choice for him would be Posit Science’s Brain Fitness Program since it combines auditory processing and memory skills. The program improves the quality and quantity of the information your brain absorbs from your ears through six computer-based exercises that improve auditory processing speed, sound discrimination, sound precision, sound sequencing, auditory working memory, and narrative memory. In short, it helps you distinguish sounds better and faster.

My mom is the ultimate multi-tasker; she always has a million things going on at once and hates it when she forgets something. I am planning to get her CogniFit’s MindFit so she can have a great overall brain workout. MindFit will work on reaction time, visual search, time estimation, naming, memory, auditory short-term memory, hand-eye coordination, planning, and spatial orientation. Phew! That was a mouthful. It also has a wide variety of fun games to play that work these different skills so you won’t get bored! Definitely another plus for my mom.

Obviously not everyone’s parents are the same, and each brain fitness software program provides a unique brain workout. They have been scientifically tested and proven to work different parts of the brain. The Brain Coaches are here to help you figure out what fits you (or your parent in this case) best.

Boost Your Brain by Learning a New Language

Brain fitness can come in many forms. Social interaction and brain games have both been deemed helpful in boosting your brainpower. As it turns out, learning a foreign language is also a stellar way of improving brain function. As we mention in Brain Fitness Tips, teaching your brain to hear and process new sounds and configurations forms new connections in your brain.

I may be a bit biased since I majored in Spanish, but learning languages can be really fun. Not only will it prepare you for an amazing trip, but it also opens up doors to new cultures. And I have made so many friends by speaking another language! In my experience, learning a language that is written with completely different characters – like Mandarin Chinese – adds an additional challenge. Not only are you working your word skills, but you are also stimulating your memory and visual perception skills as you strive to recall certain characters and their meanings.

The Ultimate Chinese (or Spanish, Italian, or French) is great for the beginner or someone returning to the language after years without speaking it. It offers 40 lessons and 8 hours of recordings that help immerse you in the language. Then take a trek to Chinatown and see what you learned!

Mother’s Day All Year Long

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there! As great as it is to celebrate them today, they should really be celebrated more often, especially given the amount of hard work they put in on a daily basis. From my experience, when moms come in the store they tend to gravitate to a few different things. Below are those items that will keep my mom happy throughout the year – not just on Mother’s Day!

The book, The Female Brain, by Dr. Louann Brizendine covers the female brain as it goes through different life points like puberty, motherhood, and menopause, as well as the emotional states like love, feelings, and sex. This may be a good pick for a guy who wants to figure out the ever-elusive female brain, but also extremely interesting and insightful for mothers who may be able to relate to many part of the book.

For some reason, it seems like there have been a lot of mothers buying crossword books for themselves lately. With that in mind, you should check out the Little B&W Book of Crosswords. The handy book will let mom take some time for herself by immersing in the crosswords from the king of crosswords – The New York Times‘ Will Shortz. The book is also pretty cute and durable, which adds brownie points.

On The Dot tends to be a hit with mothers as well. I think this is because you can play solo or with up to 4 people, making this a great game on your own or with your family! The goal of the game is to line-up the dots on the four transparent squares so they match the card that you pull from the deck. On The Dot is a great game for working those visual perception skills!

Lastly, I would suggest “The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain: The Surprising Talents of the Middle-Aged Mind” for all the mothers out there who feel like their brains just aren’t what they used to be. Did you know that research has shown that brains are at their prime between their early 40s and late 60s? Scientific American gives a great review of the book and explains that brains, “like certain French cheeses, get better with age.” The author, Barbara Strauch, also recently wrote a fascinating piece in The New York Times about training the aging brain.

We’ve added some new games to the mix!

I am happy to announce that the stores and website are now incorporating new products that are a total blast. Some highlights include Name Chase, Cyclone puzzle, Wise Alec, Magna-Tiles, Kwizniac, Baffle Gab, Pentago Multiplayer, Square Up!, and Dizios.

My two favorite games that we recently added to our collection are Word on the Street and Zertz. Word on the Street challenges your word skills as you play a sort of tug-o-war with the opposing team for letters. For each turn you turn over a category card and start the timer. The team must decide on a word that satisfies that category and move the appropriate letters over one space per use before the time runs out! Then the other team pulls a card and tries to do the same. The first team to claim 8 letters off the board wins. We just played this at the Spring party and it was a hoot.

Zertz is an intriguing critical thinking game with a board that changes as you play. There are 4 ways to win: by obtaining 4 white marbles, 5 gray marbles, 6 black marbles, or 3 marbles of each color. Each turn, you either jump a marble to claim it or you place a marble on the board and remove a black ring. By removing a black ring (which is what forms the board) the game continually changes, making it quite interesting. Give it a try!

Brain Games in the Sun

As summer approaches, I always like to spend more time outside. Luckily, we recently added three fun games to our collection that work your coordination and are perfect for the outdoors.

First of all, the Gibbon Slackline gives you the chance to test your circus skills. Learn how to tightrope walk by tying the slackline to two stationary objects (like between two trees) and then step onto the line. Walking or just keeping on the line works your core muscles and improves your balance.

Myachi is also a great game for the outdoors! The Myachi Original Hand Sack combines the fluid hand motions of martial arts with the full body coordination of action sports. You can use any body part you want, except NO PALMS ALLOWED! This game can be played in a group or solo. Doesn’t it bring you back to the days of hackie sack? Well this time you have to focus on the upper body coordination.

Finally, last but definitely not least, Ogosport Sport Disc is an absolute blast! Use the mini trampolines to bounce one of the included balls back and forth. This definitely works your hand-eye coordination since the mini trampolines can launch the balls far, so you have to be able to control them. I am dying to give this a whirl outside!

Brain Myths: Debunked!

Brain Myth #1: The brain doesn’t make new brain cells.
Fact: Wrong! You can create new neurons and synapses by exercising your brain. The 100 billion neuron cells in your brain process and transmit information, but with stimulation (i.e. brain fitness) these neurons can also continue to grow through neurogenesis. In fact, studies have shown that the hippocampus (where memories are created) and the olfactory bulb (scent-processing center) produce new brain cells.

Brain Myth #2: We only use 10% of our brain.
Fact: Nope! We actually use 100% of our brains. Famous author William James said, “The average person rarely achieves but a small portion of his or her potential,” which led to this misconception. His comment incorrectly evolved to the belief that most of us “only use 10 percent of our brain.”

Brain Myth #3: Memory loss or decline is inevitable as we age.
Fact: Many individuals stay sharp into old age. Genetics are part of the equation, but preventative lifestyle measures can also make a big difference. For instance, if you exercise both physically and mentally, eat well, socialize, manage your stress, and have a positive outlook on life, studies have shown that your brain will be better off in the long run. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that memory decline can start as early as age 30, so it is best to enact these lifestyle adjusts sooner rather than later.

For tips on keeping your brain healthy and fit, see our Brain Tips. If you have other questions about the brain, leave a comment and we can address them in later posts.

Food for the Brain!

Eating the right foods is also an important component of keeping your brain healthy. Studies have shown that certain foods have shown to be beneficial for your brain. Here are some foods that are brain boosters:

Fish (cold-water fish)
Soy
Colorful and citrus fruits
Berries (blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries)
Cruciferous and leafy green vegetables
Chocolate
Nuts
Seeds
Whole grains
Pulses and beans (lentils, lima beans, green beans)
Sage
Curry
Tea
Eggs
Calcium-rich foods (yogurt, cheese, milk, etc)
Iron-rich foods (red meats, liver)
Carbohydrate-rich foods (stick to starches and sugars – legumes, grains, fruits, veggies)
Supplemental herbs
Organic and plant oils
Water

For information on how these foods affect your brain, visit our Brain Fitness Tips.

When I was younger, my mom made me delicious salmon with whole grains and calcium-rich foods. It sounds crazy, but it is super delicious. Here is the recipe so give it a try!

Ingredients:
Filet of salmon
Plain yogurt
Mayonaise
Whole grain bread crumbs
Oregano
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix yogurt and mayo so it is 3:1 (mostly yogurt). Place the salmon on a greased baking pan and cover the top with a thin layer of the yogurt mixture. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the yogurt mixture, covering it. Season with oregano and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes or until fully cooked.

Let me know what you think! You can always do simple things to give your brain a boost by chowing down on blueberries or indulging yourself with some chocolate.

Party Games

My favorite thing to do when I have people over is to break out a game that gets everyone involved. Last month I was at my friend’s birthday party and turned around to find the game Set sitting on the bookshelf. A few friends and I immediately broke it out and even attracted a crowd! It was such a blast.

I have compiled a few other suggestions for games that are great for groups:

Kwizniac is a trivia countdown game we just got in that works your memory skills and is loads of fun. The idea is that as clues are being read aloud, you are trying to guess the person, place, or thing as quickly as possible. The clues get progressively easier, so the faster you answer the more points you receive. This could also be a fun game for long car rides.

I am a huge fan of Perpetual Commotion. This high-speed game challenges your coordination and strategy skills as you race to get rid of your cards the fastest by adding them to the piles in the middle. I brought this to a friend’s house last week and hilarity ensued!

Smartmouth is an entertaining word skills game where you try to come up with a word fastest. The trick is to think of a word that begins and ends with the letters quickly revealed during each round. I challenge you to do 10 rounds of 4-letter words, then 5-letter words, then 6 and so on.

Well, hopefully this will help get you come up with fun things to do at your next birthday party or get-together. I would love to hear of fun group games that you all play as well. And trust me, we have many more suggestions if you would like to learn about more games!

April Fool’s Day

I had fun with the St. Patrick’s Day post, so I decided I would also do a fun history one for April Fool’s Day! Here are some interesting historical facts about the origins of the day of jokes and shenanigans…

- Many scholars believe April Fool’s Day originated from the change to the Gregorian calendar enacted by Charles XI in 1582 in France. This switch moved New Years from the last week of March to January 1. Those who rebelled and continued to celebrate New Years on April 1 (the last day of the week of festivals for the New Year) were called “April Fools” and subject to ridicule as well as being sent on “fools errands” (for example, sent invitations to fake parties).

- The tradition of April Fool’s Day spread across the continent and eventually across the world, however, it takes different forms in different cultures. For instance, in Scotland the day is called Taily Day and it is the originator of the “kick me” sign; in England, jokes are only played in the morning and in fact it is bad luck to play them past noon; and in Portugal, it is celebrated on the Sunday and Monday before lent by throwing flour at friends.

- One of the hoaxes to go down in history was played by the BBC in 1957. It aired a report on an early spaghetti harvest in Switzerland complete with video of peasants pulling spaghetti from trees. Hundreds of people called the BBC asking serious questions about the harvest and how to get a spaghetti tree.

If you are a fan of these types of posts, you should check out History of the World. It is a hysterical telling of history that points out interesting facts you probably have never heard about before. This book is a real page-turner.

Employee Favorites: Books

If you have been in a Marbles lately, you may have noticed the “Employee Favorites” blurbs all over the store. As Brain Coaches, we were polled about our favorite books and games and then all of us wrote up something short about why we liked the game/book and how it what it is about. We always love suggesting new, fun ways to challenge your brain and a book is a great place to start! Here are some of our go-to choices for books:

Ryan: Mozart’s Brain and the Fighter Pilot
Richard Restak has combed through a fascinating blend of science, literature, music, history, and sociology to find great tips for increasing learning capacity, pushing the limits of memory, and understanding how our mind works.
Invigorating my passion for creativity and intelligence bu using examples from outliers like Aristotle, Salvador Dali, Timothy Leary, and Hermann Hesse; Richard Restak has written the kind of book that compels me to write in the margin and dog-ear the pages.

Paulette: Build Your Power Vocabulary
I love this book because I enjoy learning the origins of words and why we use them. I find this to be a key component in helping me remember new words and incorporate them into my vocabulary. There are chapters on ways to improve spelling and pronunciation, the roots of words, words that are commonly misused, specialized words, and words that we borrow from other languages. The book also includes exercises at the end of each section that almost feel like games. This is a great book for people who love words or for people who just want to strengthen their vocabulary.

Emily: Play
This book shows how essential play is in everyone’s life and how we can get it back. As a parent I thought it would be about how to help my children in play and reinforce my belief that we need to incorporate more into their daily life (and it is). However, it also argues that adults, parents in particular, need to prioritize some play time too. The opposite of play is not work, but depression. When we stop playing, we start dying. Brown has some incredible research to support that in order to be successful in life you must play. Have fun!

Rachel: Brain Rules
The 12 principles outlined in Brain Rules are presented in a very interesting way that is easy for anyone to understand and often very funny. The author, Dr. John Medina is also a professor and a lot of the book discusses how we learn, and more so, how we should be taught. This book is separated into segments that each discuss parts of the brain, how they work, and how they differ from person to person. Brain Rules is cleverly written combining science with real life experience and ideas for the future.

Come visit us and we can tell you even more about our favorite things to do!