Keeping Your Body Healthy and Your Mind Sharp

Getting my daily fill of the New York Daily News this morning, I came across the following article published by Reuters:

“Researchers find link between weight gain and loss of mental skills”.

It’s focus was primarily on older women who they claim should maintain a low weight to keep their reasoning, memory and over-all mental skills high.  According to Dr. Diana Kerwin of Northwestern University in Chicago, she and her research team found that obesity in and of itself is “an independent risk factor for cognitive performance”.  Kerwin also stated, "Even if you do have normal blood pressure and you're not diabetic, it still should be something that's looked at as an independent risk factor for your brain health."

This reminded me of the “Nun Study”, where researchers gathered long-term data on over 600 nuns living in Minnesota. They found that 21 percent of the participants had lesions and plaques in their brains, which are key markings of memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease. However, they lived their lives with no outward signs of Alzheimer’s or dementia.  They also discovered that these nuns had happier and more positive outlooks on life, were better linguistics and had better dietary and exercise habits.

Now I'd like to see the same research conducted on obese men and aging priests.  In the meantime, lay low on those potato chips and sharpen your mind by eating healthy, staying active and empower yourself, focusing on your well-being.