Eat, Love, WhatsApp (12 ways to protect your brain)
It’s not WHAT you do, but HOW you do what you do that either makes you stupid or wise. Choose wisely!
One day, I was 17, I think, I was visiting my grandparents, when suddenly my grandfather started talking to me as if I was a 5-year old, calling me by my father’s name… I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew that something went terribly wrong.
Within months he didn’t recognize anymore his grandchildren and 2 sons, then he forgot who he was, and then he lost control of his body.
I don’t remember what was worse – my fear or my pain, but what I do remember – is that it was all too much and I stopped visiting him all together.
A couple of years later he died… after spending his last years as a walking body, without brain, communication or personality.
Today, I experience it all over again, watching my powerful (and quite young) mother-in-law losing the battle to Alzheimer’s – while her brain is melting away like a candle.
For years now, I am training myself, mentally and emotionally, to deal with getting older – losing my eyesight, my hearing, my ability to speak, my legs and arms…
I often visualize – how I deal with illness and disability… it is a challenging and often fun exercise… finding solutions, feeling that if the moment comes and I go blind or get cancer… I will survive and even thrive.
But each time I’m thinking of getting dementia – I feel like being transported directly to Panic Land…
There are 47 million people today suffering from dementia. And science predicts that within 30 years dementia will become a global epidemic claiming over 135 million victims.
Scary numbers.
But there is good news…
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (as most other age-related illnesses) can be prevented (or at least postponed in decades) by living a healthy lifestyle, starting early enough…
Dementia doesn’t start when we notice the first signs of forgetfulness. By that time the disease has been eating our brain for 10 to 20 years…
I don’t know about you… but I refuse to give in to the fear that one day I’ll forget who my daughter is or to go to the toilet when I need to…
So, I spent the last years researching dementia… until I identified the 3 most promising strategies to prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s:
- Get your brain exercised… the right way. Every day.
- Reduce your calorie intake… the right way. Twice a week.
- Move your body AND brain… the right way. Every day.
I recently wrote an article introducing the first strategy… getting the brain exercised… the right way… it’s called Neurobics.
The cool thing about Neurobics, is that you don’t need to dedicate special time, find a special place or use a special equipment. Actually, the best Neurobics exercises use our everyday, regular activities (with a little twist) to exercise our brain and make it dementia-proof.
If you’re over 40 years old… the best time to start dementia-proof your brain is TODAY.
Not when you’re 70 or 60 years old, not next year, not tomorrow.
The sooner you get into the habit of exercising your brain using Neurobics, the better.
And the cool thing…
Neurobics does a lot more than dementia-prevention.
It improves memory at any age, it makes you smarter, it builds your problem-solving “muscles”, it enhances creativity and emotional IQ, and maybe best of all… it takes no time, space or special equipment and… it’s FUN!
During the Be Happy and Healthy workshop I lead with Dr. Roy Martina, I shared (for the first time ever) my all-time favorite Neurobics Exercises – 12 in total.
I shared how to exercise your brain in daily life, and we practiced some of them during the workshop itself. It was so much fun.
We even got to talk about Neurobics sex… which is both fun and good for your brain 😉
Unfortunately, only 200 people had a chance to participate in this LIVE Neurobics session, while EVERYONE (especially if you’re over 40) should have been there…
So… we decided to take this session from the recording of the weekend workshop and make it available to you, for 72 hours only – as an online video course… in a special “thank you deal” for being part of our online community.
If your brain is important to you, I suggest you pick one of the 12 Neurobics exercises each week and play with them.
All the 12 Neurobics exercises are fun to do, and most of them simply add a twist to your normal daily activities – transforming routine into fun and excitement – and at the same time, exercising your brain.
I’m actually working on developing new customized Neurobics exercises to transform mind-numbing routines we do every day, into dementia-preventing exercises, and I would love to get your input for these exercises…
So… let me know, in the comment box below, what are some of the ‘special’ routines you do regularly… (I’m looking for routines that are beyond the common ones like… how you brush your teeth or how you drive to work).
Teach me (us) your special, unique, quirky routines and I will send you all the information and the extra-special, limited-time (72 hours) offer for the 12 Best Neurobics Exercises online video course.
Looking forward to hear from you, and helping you beat the dementia and Alzheimer’s statistics.
Live fully, be awesome,
Nisandeh Neta
PS. In the 12 Best Neurobics Exercises online video course, you will find out how to eat, make love and WhatsApp (among others) to make your brain dementia-proof.
Hi Gerdy, Hopefully this course can still be accessible.
During the busy live Young Kids, Work and setup company you need routines but still sometimes you forget somethings in this routine. So i think Neurobics is a great thing to start with. Thank you.
Hi Gerdy, i might be a bit too late, but i would love to see that recording about neurobics.
I start the day with an Isalean Shake, which provides me with all nutrients and only 250kcal.
I do a 3-5 minute plank exercise and then i go on my morning walk to my meditation stone, enjoying the beautiful landscapes and great mountain air of Andorra, where i live and work.
Then, listening to motivational speeches or interesting podcasts, i walk back to my office, after a short meditation and some sips of yogi tea on my meditation stone, and get ready for my working day.
Aah….hahaha…i forgot….i take a shower in between plank and walk ;-), starting with warm-hot and finishing cold……brrrr, but energizing!
I’ll get up go to the toilet, get dressed, do my hair and makeup. Somewhere in between I’ll dress my four years old daughter depending on her mood. Then I’ll make my breakfast, bring away my daughter to school and eat my breakfast in the car to safe time.
De commercialisering van het goede en gezonde leven heeft grote vormen aangenomen en bedient zich van onzichtbare marketing technieken via de sociale media .
Maak je eigen programma aan de hand van de oudste vormen van geloven en leven in de kloosters of de beoefening van yoga door Yogi Ramacharakain de zeventiger jaren of luister naar jonge oude mensen met veel ervaring en je kunt aan de slag
When I wake up around 7 am I do stretching my body and legs for 15 minutes and after that, I do a Merkaba meditation for 30 minutes than I do breakfast.
I practise also the 5-2 diet and lost in the first 6 weeks 5 kilogram, I went from 80 kg to 75 kg and felt many benefits there lost one size in clothing and become more flexible it feels great, thank you so much for this insight.
Warm regards.
I eat vegan. In the morning I start with exercising in bed, turn the ankles and wrists around to loosen the toes and fingers. Face the fear and go twice a week to the stable to work with horses, huge animals, they keep you focused. Besides the usual walk every day, I bike most of the time. I still have a car, hardly use it.
I got rid of the tv and make puzzles, brain puzzles and jigsaw and sudoku. Besides I keep in touch with people I feel social with and can discuss with. Discussions keep your brain alert. My biggest not healthy is 85% chocolate.
But the best is, I do not fear, the fear is devastating to your mindset and gives bad energy.
I start my morning on a different time each day, which is a good base to avoid a morning / daytime routine.
I write, cut vegetables, more with my left hand. Wake up a 5 am every morning and do The Miracle morning routine together with my wife. Meditate, read, write, affirmations, visualizations, moving all 10 minutes. I do Qigong movements, breathing exercises and go for a walk in nature. Do the plank and other fun fitness movements. Crawl as a reptile over the floor, high stand to the wall with legs up head down.
I enjoy.
I try to go for a walk every workingday during lunchtime, the days I don’t succeed I pay for it during the afternoon.
Every morning when I am walking with my mother (who has dementia and is living with us) I am walking a part backwards or sidewards or – when i’m sure no one is coming – with my eyes closed, singing or whistling and walking rhythmically . Dancing (a real dance) and moving my legs and arms in the same time but going in a different direction. When I’m brushing my teeth I’m often do it standing on one foot and moving my other leg up and down in all kind of directions wich makes it really difficult to keep balance. I’m grateful for all the exercises we got from you Nisandeh
and it wil be a great help to have them on video, not only for ourselves.
I started playing bridge, go often to the gym and do yoga. Try to eat as healthy as possible and make every puzzle I see in magazines.
Dementia is a blessing, that can lead you right to the One you are in essence.. The ego fears it, because the mind controle looses its grip. But the soul, our timeless being, enjoys and can fulfill its goal at the end of life on earth.
I have seen that with my mother. By loosing the false self, we are led to our true being, Amazing Grace! What a gift at the end of our life!
Good to loose this fear of the ego, the false self, it’s just a trick of the monkeymind. Dementia will lead us home, what more do we want?
This is a very interesting and relaxing way to see it.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Bernhard, do you share this kind of experience or recognition? We are so busy striving to avoid our fears, instead of dealing with reality, … that can lead us far beyond. And why being afraid to lose our mind/ego, while that’s not who we are in Essence? We can never get lost.
In my work I explain my clients with a paper and I try to read upside down (isn’t going perfectly yet)
I can write backwards (I mean you can read it in the mirror) easily. and sometimes (not regular) do it just for fun.
I’m left handed, 3 times a week I try to do things right handed.
I use a daily, half an hour morning and evening routine. My goal with it is to raise my energy level and to evenly balance my energy throughout my body. In order to achieve this I use a combination of meditation, muscle relaxation and visualisation excersises, breathing technique and various tao healing excersises. Actually the excersises are a combination of eastern and western relaxation and energizing methods. This combination works for me because it keeps me energized and focused during the day and helps me to relax and fall asleep at night.
Very interesting to read all of this. It is a good reminder. Sometimes I start with an exercise and then it fades away. However a few:
Weekly I have my Qui Qong group in the park, we walk backwards around a small lake. we’ve received very funny reactions about this.
Brushing my teeth with my left hand.
Recently, I do exercise on the internet a few times a week, with making an IQ test.
Playing accordeon ( cannot change left and right hand, but the coordination is a challenge)
I have walks in my town, and change regularly the route. Which is fun as I discover new businesses, houses and even people.
We eat raw food three times a day (green smoothy or juice in the morning, salad for lunch and a different raw vegan salad for dinner, sometimes followed by delighted raw sweets of cake we make. As snacks, we love raw chocolate or homemade delicious raw potato chips or other dried and seasoned vegetables or fruits. As a family with three little children, we as busy and sluggish parents immediately noticed the huge difference in our own and our children’s mood and physical health after starting this diet on and of 7 years ago and went 100% raw this year. We and our children never get sick anymore and are so energetic in a relaxed way.
We strive to eat as clean as possible, don’t use regular toothpaste but use ionic toothbrushes without toothpaste or homemade toothpaste, and the same goes for other things like deodorant, shampoo etc. All self-care products are homemade and natural. It’s as much work as going to the shop and buying the regular stuff, but a million times more nourishing for our bodies.
I read new literature about my work in holistic healthcare and everything related every day to keep me informed, up to date and not get sluggish and into automatic pilot. I want to vibrate and find out new things to work with daily. This keeps me alert and excited about my work and passion for health. In every corner of my house books lay to be read. I read about 6 books at a time, for every mood a different book, but always books that take me on a mind challenge.
To relax and give the mind (and body) a break after long days of work, we enjoy playing with our children, parrots, and dog, excercise intensive hot (Bikram) Yoga and go for long dog walks every chance we get.
With this routine, we thrive and feel great
Good idea to read upside down or do things left handed. As a tai chi teacher I do have to practice the form both right- and leftsides AND mention right as left vv
I can’t think of exciting routines during my day. It is very normal what I am doing. I am always very possitive in my contact with people. On mails, telephone and in person etcetera. This way I get very possitive reactions back. It makes a great difference.
Every morning I try to remember what I should do. Not only using my phone-agenda, but also first thing -with a cup of coffee- activating the brains and writing it down on a todo list for that day. When ready I check my agenda for -eventually- missing pieces..
Every morning I start with the 5 Tibetan Rites, do my 200 breaths of joy and meditate. Just before I eat my first bite of dinner, I spend a minute or two thanking for 5 things that day I am grateful for.
Before I go to bed, I think of 5 things I like about my boyfriend.
to prevent dementia, Ayurveda teach us an important daily habit.
Using GHEE on a daily basis. Ghee goes through our brain tissue and keeps our brains oiled. Ghee is also getting ama (toxins) out of our tissues. So good to use every day 😉
One of the routines I to do is mixing things up. For instance, as a right handed person I use my right hand to hold the tooth brush to brush my teeth. Sometimes I would just use my left hand to create a different experience. There are often a lot of small things one can do during the day to do things differently.
A marvellous heap of ideas smashed my whole idea of getting to bed early, which is: a routine changer.
To be more serious about this wonderful expedition of gravings and routines I can add some to it.
Random of course to be stylish: my morning first things are to speak out 3 things to be grateful about (if the color grey of the day takes me away); sing my special short Freddy Mercury “it’s a beautiful day”; if I don’t have to rise by flash I get in V shape and count to 50 breathing deeply. This on your bottom with hands and feet up.
Oowh yeah chew as long as the food is liquid is most important also your drinks. My mother passed this summer and was simply not into any of this tips for a better digestion… it also has a lot to do with what also is mentioned as lessons to go through. I could not do more than gave her a relaxing foot massage. Consider it as a fact that there is a connection between brain fitness and soluble food… which lots of older persons get nowadays because it’s easy to eat/ fill-up. Our brains need to be oxygenized and I know a product called Evergreen which is so tasty (peppermint oil) and beautiful green (chlorophyll) you had ever seen. All the best You all in all the coming transitions, I did like this comments very much and a routine crashed…
When I don’t forget.. I do one thing each morning with my left (not dominant) hand. Like teeth brushing, close zipper, etc.
WOW, these comments are a true treasure trove of habits, knowledge and ideas! I understand Nisandeh has nothing against discipline, but encourages to make small changes permanently to our good habits in order to prevent our brain from going into routine mode.
My good habits: after getting up I do stretching and weight exercises for 30 minutes. I go running in the forest three times a week, the other days I either cycle or walk for at least 30 minutes. For breakfast I eat lots of fresh fruits together with supplements. Realizing the importance of nutrition for maintaining good health, an important habit is to study a lot about the body’s functionalities, food and threats to our health. I grow my own sprouts and make kefir and kombucha drink.
Vitamine pills and reading (fast reading) a book (bizz stuff) every morning. I read and write upside down every day and found some new exercises for the cerebellum (small brains for movement coordination and language processing). Also mindgames everyday, puzzles, etc.
Every morning I set my intentions and meditate. When I go downstairs I lit a little candle on an altar-like spot where there’s pictures of people who are important to me. At night, when I go to bed I say thanks for all the small and big good stuff that there is in the world.
I start my day with a theespoon of Active Manuka honey UMF 10+ to stimulate my immune system. Before starting my work I go for a good walk with my dog, not any more in a hurry but with focus and enjoy the walk.
I try to eat pure food, unrefined and products of the season. I love to cook with these natural products and sharing my experience gives me happiness.
How nice to read all of your routines and good habits.
As a mother of three small children keeping my energy levels right is a must.
Therefore I squeeze one lemon in a glas, add peper and apple vinegar and drink it in the morning. After that i make a green smoothie with vegan protein powder..
Eating lots of veggies with healthy protein feels good too.
Also taking some short breaks during the day helps to calm my non-stop thinking.
Playing with the kids, laughing and teaching things that may help them in life are on the agenda every day.
Also i like to keep developing myself by reading books, attending seminars like the one’s from open circles and i like online programs.
And of course walking and working out at the gym helps my body stay energised.
Good sleep also helps.
Thanks Nisandeh for your unstoppable inspiration!
Best wishes Petra
I don’t have a daily routine . I check my mobile, try to congratulate everybody in my FB whith their birthdays, check my wattsap. I also read sections from positive books, watch positive video’s daily, play Bold moves from Oprah Winfrey (without bying any lives) , Sometimes I meditate, I Pray ( whenever I feel like it, during the day. I say thanks during the day to show my appreciation, whenever I feel grateful. Most of the time I sleep with Brainwave music, it calmes me down.
I need to do something more with healthy food and Drink more water.
I smile a lot to my self and I enjoy to smile to people I meet. I say hello to people I come across when walking outside.
I have a big picture of my little granddaughter in my bedroom with a big smile on her face. Seeing that, makes me also smile and feel good.
Then I use my Psio for the morningsession ( 5 minutes )
I’ll take a shower, ending with icecold water. sometimes eating breakfast. I try to walk every day and change my route once in a while.
I like dancing en sometimes use my trampoline to jump.
Hi all. I am impressed by the nummer of healthy routines listed here. Experiences in the past turned me more into a person that avoids routines when possible. I prefer to go to a new city instead of visit the same again. And I eat every day another breakfast, lunch or dinner just what I prefer at that moment.
But I like to use my brains: solving cryptogram, all kind of number-puzzles, play games with friends, develop material to teach mathematics to smalle children, study psychology to better understand autism.
And I alsof like to use my body: walk in nature at least once a week, swim to empty my head, and bike to all places in the city.
I am juist retired, and I feel more active and inspired than ever.
Thanks Nisandeh to remind me.
I start my day with an eleven minutes meditation and with sun salutations. After that I’m physically and mentally ready for the day. I also drink warm water to start up and before I go to bed. To save time in the morning I prepare my breakfast in the evening; oat, seeds, fresh fruit in a shaker. In the morning I’ll mix this with kefir and eat/drink it on my way to work. I follow yoga sessions three times a week and one spinning session.
Every day in the morning, I walk with my dog for 30-45 minutes. Only when it rains, I reduce it to 10-15 minutes.
Get up at 5:15 to do my workout , than 30 minutes of listening to brainwave, walk the dog (3 times a day), make breakfast for my kids and green smoothie for me, write down my daily intentions, gratitude, and goals at the end of the day 15 minute meditation….
My day starts with several routines like breathing excercise, a body scan, a moment of appreciation and intent, fysical excercises on nice upbeat music and meditation. I run 2 or 3 times a week. A pressed lemon in hot water is the first thing I drink before breakfast.
I am curious about the tips you have for us! Especially for the brain.
My morning routine is having the same breakfast each day, muesli, fruit and yoghurt, while reading the newspaper. It gives me time to relax befor starting the day.
I know I should change my breakfast more often and vary with the ingredients but I never get to it since this is such an easy and healthy breakfast. Your article gives me another boost to change my morning routine more often!
I have 5 active, creative, sensitive kids at home age 9-22 years old. Never a dull moment at our place;)
I train my brain to have peacefull thoughts and be honest and authentic to myself and my kids and husband. Years ago I noticed my negative thoughts by waking up. At first I dove so to speak for the cloud of thoughts above my head and ran to the bathroom to avoid them. Later on I didn’t notice them anymore and I start my day with whatever comes to me. It is all oke.
As a person who has eyes and ears everywhere, for me it is key to give my brain some peace and rest at times through meditation and just BE not DO all the time.
Tot keep up without 2 children, aged 17 and 15, you have to stay allert. I try to help them doing their homework. Also I excercise by riding mg mountainbike regularity.
Well, I do not have a specifique routine. Maybe drinking a cup of coffee when I get out of my bed. Because it is not my favorite part to get up early in the morning, but I have to….. I start my day with coffee. Today it is the frist day to break through this habit and I did not drink any coffee. And surprise: I feel good and not tired at all. Maybe time to also change some other habits?
Thanks for the reminder to read this post! I have and here are some of my routines!
I recently started going to the gym. It’s a women only gym: hart for her. I have never even considered doing fitness, and now I happily go three times a week! It does me a lot of good. The muscles I have been developing make me feel like cycling a lot more, and like dancing. I feel so much stronger, also mentally,
Something else: I am a Bars facilitator and I teach people the Bars, a wonderful process to let go of debilitating thoughts and habits, which gives peace of mind and body. And every time I give the Bars, I also let go of issues.
Also, I love going to the Bruno Gröning Vriendenkring (Circle of Friends), healing on the spiritual path. I detach myself from any form of disease and hand it to Bruno Gröning or the universe if you will, for transformation. It keeps me healthy and happy!
Perhaps it’s not about what I do and what everybody else does.
Maybe it’s what we don’t do, what matters.
When I come up with a new idea, I schedule some time to completely work out a business plan. It’s just for fun and I can always decide to pick the best one for the future, otherwise I would never finish anything. But it’s pretty much my favorite puzzle as it gives you new challenges and goals while it allows you to learn completely new facts and technologies.
Every once in a while I try to live somewhere else. It keeps me alert to changes. It gets me out of my daily routine. It’s time to move on when a routine kicks in. This is about after 3 months.
I train my brain with games, Tetris and Sudoku are one of them.
Just ding completely different things that I wouldn’t normally do, like forinstance, taking a different walking route, helps me push out “boring” stuff.
I wonder if consciousness also goes away when the brain does.
Can this be measured?
Each morning writing 1-3 ‘morning pages’ and 3 yin-yoga exercises for a good start of the day. Keeping my brain and body happy.
With two Children my routine have to be structured.
So in the morning I help my children to dress up and to eat, and in the evening I prepare dinner for them and bring them to bed.
I maintain a healthy lifestyle and try to keep my day interesting and challenging. My morning ritual I change regularly, I have times where I put music on and dance while doing my thing, or meditate, or doing some yoga exercises.
As a coach and trainer I step in every session as if it is the first one even when I saw my client already several times. So that I am open to what at this moment needs to be said and done.
Reading all comments it inspires me to be even more conscious about my rituals and challenges.
I am curious to hear neurobics exercises, Nisandeh and Vered, I wish you so much strength in your process with your mother. I know all about it, my mother had 10 years dementia before she died. It’s a heartbreaking and also heart opening process. Much love to both of you.
Every morning I drink half a squeezed lemon in warm water and later on I drink a mix of some olive oil, ground black pepper and some curcumin powder to stay healthy. As for brain training I solve many various engineering problems every day, 7 days a week. Some small, some large, always different.
I’m very inspired of all the comment I have read.
To see in what small and creative things you can change your routines.
Not one day of the week is the same for me, never bored, just challenged. Allthough enough routines to look at.
I also like to share my experiences with making music with people who have demantion.
With 3 other musicians we played music with 8 participants in 8 sessions.
Starting with an inprovisation on a melody me made specially for these sessions. Then a wellcomesong. Inviting the people to sing or to hum with us. Then a long session where alle the participants (8 in the group) can explore a rithmical small instrument and the musicians react on it with improvisation. Trying to get a ‘communication’ without words. The sessions ends with again playing the first melody.
There are allways carekeepers present and sitting in the circle.
The know the participants from daily live. They where surprised what was the impact of the music on the participants; more openess, relaxation, more communication and showing emotions.
Important for me was to see the impact on that moment and sometimes the next week also seeing that there seemed to be a different starting point.
But still, better doing everything to prevent demention.
I start every day with yoga and meditation.
My mother had Alzheimer and I saw her loosing her mind slowly….The bad thing about it was she realised. She died this year in januari. 82 years of age. She stopped eating. I have deep respect for her. I have fear of alzheimer but let not get it to me…live my life have fun and do my braintrain exercises. In the morning doing my toe exercises in the shower. Can you wiggle your toes? In the evening I do exercises while brushing my teeth standing on one leg brushing right handed and visa versa. I started lady styling Latin dancing learning patterns. Everytime its different and FUN. Same..same bur different. I teach Pilates and do the exercises everytime in a different way..same..same but different. Give challenge to my selve and my members.
For exercise my brain i started over a year ago to attend a choir and we sing only african songs and i play a instrument djembe bongo it teach me to use other parts of my brain with the diferent ritems at the same time. And important for me; as i notice a routine i chooce to change it. I saw in standing up after my morning yoga that i stand up with my right foot i change it in left. Doing this change randomly
Oh and by the way i stopped with my bussines and i am greating a new one;
‘Open Ogen UniVersie
I just started to train my brain by studying Psycology. Our brain is like a muscle, use it or loose it!
You should check science on the effects of radiation from cellphones and wireless routers on the brain and developing Alzheimer and Dementia.
I thank God for every day that I live. I excercise my body, I go to the gym 3 times a week. I like to meet new people during networking, and enjoy by being alert and positive. I love my family and be thankful for every day I live. My both parents having Alzheimer so I am curious about your videos and tips.
I start writing every day among other things, that I’m grateful for my physical and mental health. I eat healthy, try to make a walk every day and go to a fitness center 3 times a week.
Ola! What I do in order to hopefully stay fit for a long long time, is doing the amazing liver and galbladder flush to clean, quite a bit of healing Tao, and some braintraining to activate my memory. And having fun with playing a lot of tennis.
I have a lot of routine things, one of them is to start the day with drinking 4 gram vitamine c organic in handwarm water and there after a glas of cold water with a little spoon Natrium Bi Carbonaat (Baking soda) – Dr Mark Sirus wrote that book – and stay in the now the hole day long, wich not always happen -:). Have nice now everybody, Thx Nisandeh, greetz Frank
Nothing of above tips and suggestions really helps against brain waisting illnesses.
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There seems to be two major things that goes wrong in the brain: The lack of sulfur and a self poisoning by aluminium chloride.
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Aluminium chloride comes mainly from deodorants, vegetable greases and medications. Stopping with the use of “healthy” vegetable oils, butter and so on helps instantly. Animal greases in all forms will stops the brain downgrading but it will not repairs the damage, only sulfur can do that partly.
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The lack of sulfur can be stopped by eating kilos of garlic and unions but better you take it in the form of MSM crystals, a tea spoon a day.
I also heard, actually from a health professional, that Aluminium pans are connected to alzheimers.
Now we don’t use these anymore. Well, only when camping 😉
Yes it scares me also very much to get alzheimer or dementia. In 2008 when I was 50 years old I started a new study at the university religious studies, for 4 years. After that I could remember myself much more. I am always interested in new things, and try to read en to learn about them. Now it is Gnosticism and the Power of meaning (the book of Emily Esfahani Smith).
My routines are: every morning I devide a small peace of meat (rosbief) in little parts and give this to my two cats. And then I make two small boxes with food for the rest of the day.
I am looking forward to your ideas.
Every morning I start with reading a daily lesson and a chapter in ‘A Course in Miracles’.
Then I do one hour yoga or, if I have other plans for the day, later in time I walk for an hour in the park nearby. I’ve always been a journalist, now I am officially ‘retired’, but I still like writing columns, articles and interviews, so I do that (voluntairy, not paid) for a monthly magazine, that I created together with some friends, meant for the people who have, just like we do, an ‘allotment’ (volkstuin) in a garden-park, where we work (and often stay, sleep & live) from April until October. The articles are very much appreciated and it creates a lot of fun for ourselves (the writers and graphic designer)!
At this moment I am also experimenting with vlogs…
Next to Sudoku to train brain, I do daily positive visualising telling my brain I am grateful for my healthy and ever young body and how I will be 98 in a happy, healthy and flexible body every day.
Everymorning I wake-up without any alarm at around 5 o’clock. I have different businesses
I deal with. I puzzle a lot (crypto’s), do research on a lot of of issues like health, technics, environment, politics etc. As I work from home I don’t have stress, or it must be possitive stress. I don’t care how people think of me (wich causes a lot of stress for most people.)
I sing, play music. I don’t like to throw broken things away – I try to fix everything and sometimes that needs a lot of thinking because sometimes you can;t get spare parts anymore because of the age of the item. In 90% of my efforts I succeed.
All and all I’m living a happy life – together with my wife.
I have learned during the revalidation traject, that you can change the neurological connections in your brain through focus and changing the way you think and feel about things, pain etc.
Every day when I have pain I welcome the pain and focus on the happy things of the day. I love to make ceramic, because I can focus than and I am working with my hands and I come in a flow. I also do a lot of affirmations and every evening I think of the happy things that I did during the day. I try to live healthy and I feel happy about the things I can do with my disability. Also I try to do my daily things in a different way. For instance drive a different way to my work and see the beauty of that way.
I like to learn new things every day.
I love to walk with my dogs. I love to sing and to travel and explore new cultures.
I’m over 60 now, both my parents died after having suffered from dementia (Alzheimer’s & Parkinsons). I’ve developed a habit where I try to make at least 3 people smile each day, where ever I come across them, on the streets, in the supermarket etc. Makes me & myself happy too 😉
Helping mu daughter with maths exams. And I use vitamine E, hennepzaad olie , chia zaad, lijnzaad and coconut oil.
I do yoga once a week (and extra when needed), play hockey twice a week and do a course every year. Last year it was about gardening, this year I want to learn how to give massages! But I also think my daily routine can use more brain training and selflove so would love to see how!
I start my day with a source list. ( from the Avatar course) It’s a very powerful exercise to create a clear mindset and set my intention for the day. I do this with a fellow buddy on skype, coaching each other. And I do this preferably outside, walking the dog.
Dancing is also very important for me. Together with my husband and little baby we dance as much as possible 🙂
Thank you for the 3 tips in your post, some of which I am unknowingly doing!
Every day I write in my gratitude journal and include 1 or 2 new things I’ve learned that day – today I wrote your 3 tips.
I read and love to learn new thoughts and ideas which I love to share with others.
Walking briskly for minimum 10 minutes every day and longer walks, when not time pressed.
Cutting sugar from my diet as in cakes, puddings, any sweet drink, daily (except on special occasions and then it’s limited).
Increasing water intake is next on the list
I am pursuing new career paths despite having “retired”; an idea I don’t entertain.
Prayer and being positive plus other values are very important. And my beliefs.
Some of these are old habits and some are newer.
I like your idea of changing things around and will start to put into practice as it is very easy to stay in old routines.
Teaching what I have learned over the years from you and Vered – I am implementing in my business and personal life – 1 step at a time. In my personal life – because of autism I have to do these changes very slowly. Making is new healthy routines. Finding a balance what I need – what the family needs is quite difficult for me.
Teaching it to employees and interns is for me also a memory exercise – and presenting exercise – this is more rewarding and therefore I focus at the moment on this.
Your blog and all the comments made me realize that I don’t have a daily routine to take care of me. I hope your video will give me ideas!
What I do:
– learn every day – whenever I have a question immidiately I start looking for an answer – If I could not remember.
– Changing habits all the time: I do that with my little personal things but large items do not work in a household with autisme – they need structure and routine.
– Drinking water / liquids before breakfast.
– Do the stop and go exercise.
– Walk everyday a different route
– brushing my teeths then with left/right – on 1 or two feet – sitting down etc.
etc.
I pray to God every morning, I read the bible every morning. Then I meditate on a text.
Exercise my tongue then my body. Have a 15 minute jog with my son. Drink 2 glasses of 350 ml warm water before the exercise and after.
Take a shower and get on with the daily activities. Cooking, Husband, children and going to work.
I do the steps in 180 degrees of rotation, up and down and I go out with my dog and play with her
I work at home in my own business (design) so no stress to be on time! In summer I wake up a little by little by morning daylight and in winter-time with the wake-up-light! No action need to switch on hard light on clock.
Stretch en wake-up for an hour an than go out to shower-get dressed slow.
I play/train golf left and right handed (switch brain) at pause moments in my backyard.
I make art at night an give one day (no matter the day in the week from 7 days) a workshop in compose collages from things around us!
Waking up early every day and start my day with meditation and spiritual study. Connect with the highest energy coming from the Source.
Actually, I think I don’t do enough. Sure I love puzzles, but I don’t make a conscious choice every day to train my brain.. So please learn me how to!
I take my daily dose of essential oils .. they are a great support for maintaining health next to a healthy lifestyle. And nature is known for giving great support for health- it is capable of beating degeneration.
I try to skip most chemicals as well (hairdye, make up, etc etc).
And I reduce stress by quitting my current job. Stress I found is one of the worst actors for a long healthy life.
We are planning to do a handmassage event in Elderly homes in Holland with essential oils on worlds Alzheimer day. Some oils have great effects and support to clear your mind
I am living and working in Morocco for 5 years now. My father is very sick. I visited him. He has dementia. But its getting worse fast now.I was shocked how he was. I staid 2 months to take care of him. It is so sad to see this man; my father . Once such an strong and intelligent man……I just arrived back in Morocco. Thinking of him every day
Dear Peter, I do feel with you to see your father suffering from Dementia. Till now there has been told that once you have Alzheimer or Dementia it only can become worse. That was till now!!!
I have followed a series of interviews regarding “Awaking from Alzheimer” of authority medical doctors who are all involved in Alzheimer and Dementia and who all say: with changing your daily food and your further lifestyle like exercise etc it is possible to reverse from Alzheimer and Dementia. One Doctor, Dr. Breseden has a program with now 10 patients who all suffered from Alzheimer. 9 out of 10 are making really significant progress in reversing from Alzheimer. His next program he will do with 100 people. More information about it, you will find on the internet.
I personally do believe what I have seen in the different interviews. You also can look at Dr. Perlmutter. He is demanding that the food choice is dramatically important. He has written some books regarding this subject. see for “Grain Brain”, “Brain Maker” and “Grain Brain whole life plan” I have not read them, but he mentioned in the interview, try to google to the interview
Peter I hope you can help your dad with this information tremendously
Good luck!
Liefdevolle groet,
Hindrik Jan Tilma
Morning routines:
Walking with my dogs and than we all get breakfast!
Greetings to all
I start the day with a 20 minute meditation. I try to make 10,000 steps daily. Read a lot, eat healty, hardly any meat. I end the day by counting my blessings. That last makes me a grateful person
I have a healthy lifestyle and I excercise my body a lot, but I think I neglect my brain….dementia scares me a lot and in times of stress because I forget a lot and I firstly think of dementia before I realize that i’m just too stressed.
I Swim in nature water as long as possible (the length varies during the year. In winter short, in the summer long) That wakes me up and gives me instant happiness. To get warm again a do the 7 min bootcamp.
I live near the water line and walk or run as Much as possible along the water.
One of the ‘special’ routines I do regularly is dancing, in between work. Different music, different moves all the time.
Also I go outside whenever I can for a short break.
Both routines I experience as refreshing for my head- body and mind.
There is always the element of fate, whether you get dementia or not. But to postpone the effects or to lengthen the prestage, cognitive reservation is key. Therefore challenge yourself as much as possible, both physically and mentally. It creates new neuropaths. (The more the better)
Reflex integration will strengthen these neuropaths.
I have been in the darkest place, due to a virus that not only tackled my body but also my brain. Two years of not having the energy to do anything, and (worse for me) not being able to even remember what happened a couple of hours ago. Brain fog they called it. I worked my way back by re-integrating my reflexes and strengthening the myeline layer around it. My brain and body now have a better connection than ever before!
Being a musician requires me to study my new and old chores everyday. Also when I go to rehearsals to practice with either the choir or orchestra I’m always pondering and finding solutions about how I can make rehearsing more interesting, so my students can learn faster and remember everything better. Beside that I love learning new languages. Two years ago I started learning Portuguese en this summer I started learning Spanish. Never a dull day!
I am working on modeling, which is a faster way of learning. That way I can learn a language or how to play a musical instrument faster than it usually takes. I mention these two because I remember Nisandeh saying that learning languages and musical instruments are 2 ways of stopping dementia.
Before sleep I take some time to play and wrestle with my son. It resets both our brains from serious thoughts.
Since I am 15 years old I do fitness excercises 3 – 5 times a week during an hour, and I walk an hour a day. I study every day. I am a massagetherapist; I read about everything concerning the human body. I receive massages on regurlar base. Skincontact is very important to me.
Every morning I and my special other are having a 7 minutes work-out with an app. I feel the whole day the energy and strength in my body only by doing this little time consuming routine. Something I picked up from one of your workshops
I reset my brain by walking my dog.
Each morning I start with 1/2 to 1 hour meditation, drink 1 to 2 glasses of water and have an oatmeal breakfast with banana and spices. Being a piano teacher, I train my brain daily in non-routine exercises for both hands. For fun and educational purposes I regularly switch hands, playing the right hand part with left and vice versa. Or combine both hands of an easy piece, while playing the collaborative part with the other hand. I also like to solve cryptograms, especially the ones broadcasted on radio.
Every morning I do my special exercise. And when it is possible I do it outside. Then I walk for at least half an hour before breakfast. I try to do my meditations, sometimes in a group and sometimes I do it on my own.
My memory was not always the best, but at least my short term memory works always perfect!
I try to walk different ways with my dog every day. If I dó walk the same way I try to focus on different things to see. When cooking meals I figure out different ways to make it in stead of the “usual way”. Since my weekend with you and Roy I am more aware of trying to do things different anyway, write with my left hand and other tips you gave there. It really works to get other routines so I change them again when it rally is anothr routine, that way I keep changning things and that reeally is fun.
My daily routine in the morning is walking with the dog and see every tree, flower, bird around. I listen to the sounds of the day. I stretch my limbs, and breathe deeply. I throw sticks for the dog and we are really happy . Nothing spectacular , but it is a promise of the coming day.
Heavy shit, Vered. I had a routine when my demented mother was in the nursing home. After every visit I drove home (1,5 hrs driving), I sung and cried in the car, with all the stupid ballads I could find on CD. By the time I was home, I felt OK again.
In the last years of her life she called me ‘nurse’, so I acted like a nurse. At the very end of her life she was also afraid of me, maybe because I have dark eyes. The last months I only walked behind her wheelchair so she could’t see me, it was the saddest thing ever.
But hey, the 83 years before she was the smartest, sweetest woman on the planet, so I choose to be only sad in the car back home.
I wish you well, and will read Neurobics
Special thanks for the WTF 100 days challenge until 1st of january. My challenge?
Every day I FINISH or ARCHIVE a project. IN the weekend in my house, during the week in my office, computer or archive. Sometimes it takes an hour, sometimes it takes all day. It works so well for me! My office and house are becoming emptier and emptier. Just like my head. Love it, needed it. Really grateful for this challenge!
Hi Ria,
I agree Dementia is robbing our loved ones from who they were.
However, what I’ve found out, in my last visit to my mother is, that somehow those secret qualities of them that before they might have hidden and were, for some reason ashamed of, start to appear and it’s nice to meet the NEW person they become.
My mother was always a strong, opinionated person who ALWAYS had something to say and criticize anything and anyone. Now days she is only complimenting people and seeing good and beauty in people and events. Obviously not all the time, but the majority of the time that is what she is expressing.
This is such a great change and I do my best to focus on those moments and see the beauty of the process.
Thanks for your care and interest, Ria
Dear Vered, I just have replied to the story of Peter de Leeuw. Might be this info might help you to investigate further in awaken from Alzheimer and Dementia.
I woold love to get your mother reversed from Dementia and I believe it can!!!
Met lieve groet,
Hindrik Jan Tilma
In the morning I start with drinking 2 glasses of water (in addition with bach/californian flowers) then I meditate (transcendental meditation) for about 20 minutes (repeat this also before evening meal) and I finish that with setting my intentions (Even if I don’t know …) – then I do the oil pulling before having a ‘instant’ made shake with some power herbs. I started since a week to do physical exercises again for 45 min. to an hour each 2 to 3 days. On this basis I listen to a guided meditation (this month : I am in balance) while having a massage on my andulation mattress. For my brain I am studying new stuff (about numbers and planets ;-)) that helps me going with the energies of life. Consciously I try to break the routine of doing the ordinary things (like cleaning or shopping) another day or to do a day of voluntary work every week of every two weeks. Before falling asleep I look back at my journey being grateful for what I learned and for the people who are in my life …
To write daily a report, helps me to work on goals which I want to reach. This helps me as well for the awareness where I want to go in life.
This means for me to live as healthy as possible.
Today I have had a run at the end of the day. This helps me on different emotional ways to find what I really want to do.
To find the balance between my ration and my feelings, I can be more stable at the 20 seconds when I need it for my Amygdala hyjack.
My daily habits are: start the day with cup of warm water, a light breakfast and walk the dog.
Every day since learning how to as a child: I read a few chapters in a book, often 2* a day + bedtime
8/10 days I challenge myself to learn something new, at the moment Spanish. Could be a lesson, few pages in a Spanish book or watch a Spanish movie/tv series.
Before bedtime I always do 3 series of 8 brocades (Qi Gong exercise) to make sure my joints and back are well stretched to enjoy a good nights sleep. In bed I always do some reading before going to sleep.
And start my working day by editing my bullet journal to prioritize my tasks and make sure that I spend my time & efforts to reach my goals.
I have taken up a new study, Brain Gym. Because of shoulder problems I have my left hand to take over several tasks, while I am right handed. Challenging at times. I watch what I eat and exercise.
My morning routine:
When I go downstairs, I put the kettle in to heat the water for my breakfast.
In the waiting time I dance on the music of Faudel: je veux vivre.
I love Biodanza.
Which brought my body and mind into movement
My special routines:
– Meditate every morning with the app ‘insight timer’
– Writing down what I’m grateful for, my successes and my daily intention in the app ‘grid diary’
– Playing Wordfeud every day about 15 minutes
– I run twice a week and dance three times a week (Argentine tango and biodanza)
My Morning Routine: when I wake up I connect to mother earth, be grateful, make an Intention for the day and meditate before I get up. Then oil pulling, 2 large glasses of hot water, and go for a walk with my Dogs.
The routine I made since 8 months is to start in the morning with a Biodynamic drink with 81 Vegetable and Herbs. And I notice a lot of improvement in my body, (mijn verbeeldingsvermogen te boven (way more than I ever imagined) although I thought I was already totally healthy. My daily work is also my hobby and a nice challenge for my brains and creativity, luckily without a stressed part. I always like to read your blogs, for new input how to get rid of some of my routines I don’t like.
Since 2002 I eat all my warm meals with chopsticks instead of with knife and fork. This way eating takes double the time, so I chew better. And I find it more fun to do.
I read most of the comments. Gives already nice perspectives to try different. I actually have not many routines. Wished to have some more. At work, I work with routines. In private I take live as it comes and makes the best day ever.
The brain routine I have is to make every challenge into a plan.
Having a lot of challenges during my work to change things. This gives me the vibe to continue and change.
I always stretch when I wake up and protect my energy under the shower with visualization.
Trying new food from time to time and sometimes I try to eat with chopsticks, to train my muscles.
For fun, I try to write with my left hand instead of right.
As I help my daughter with her schoolwork I train old information back.
And a tip for those who have a problem reading. Train your eye muscle every day by stretching your arm in front of you and look at the point of your finger. Move THE finger to your nose slowly an follow it with your eyes.
Do that 3x 10 session a day.
Your accommodation muscle will stay in better condition. And use light by reading.
Every day I do one thing I never did before ánd which scares me a little. And I challenge my everyday routines. So one day I eat macaroni for breakfast, the other day yoghurt with fruit and muesli.
That kind of stuff. Really love it.
Recently I moved from a large house to a smaller house. Especially in the bathroom and kitchen I ‘miss’ things. I have to look for them because I put them somewhere else and a lot of stuff didn’t come over anyway.
Every morning I put on my socks standing on one leg as long as possible. Left leg goes alright but right leg (which has an ankle without cartilage) stays quite a challenge.
Before I fall asleep I take one thing in mind to change the next day and write that down. Next morning I (try to) remember what it was, read the paper to check and implement that day.
I start my day listening to one of my favorite meditations from Joy or Roy and after that, I drink a cup of herbal tea.
Then I do some morning exercises to be ready and enjoy a new day…
I do several things you learned my at HHWW with Roy Martina and you. E.g Thai Chi toothbrushing on one leg. Funny and good to train my legs and balance. Also, I challenge my self to do or learn stuff I would otherwise never accomplish. Got my motorbike license because of that. Read upside down or change breakfast. Can you recommend a brain trainer game app? Would love to do this instead of my 5-minute free time a day candy crush…:-)
1) While shaving I read a sentence that I wrote on the mirror which makes me say that I wake up and smile, knowing that I have 24 hours before me during which I want to live every moment fully and to look at everything with compassion.
2) Four times a day I get a mindfulness message on my smartphone which, after some 5 seconds pause used for a conscious breath, offers me a thought for reflection.
I only have a daily routine in the morning. Waking up and directly come into the “child pose”, stretching my hands and foots. Then go out of the bed and drink a cup of hot water with ginger and kurkuma. Then I meditate for 30 min. Then I go outside for a walk for 45 min. on the heathland and do some energy exercises and yoga. Then start my working day and do one task that has priority and then I follow the flow.
Sometimes I read a book in a foreign language, just for the fun of it. Now I realize this also has a purpose. It keeps my mind alert.
I started oil pulling. I am doing one time a week a 2-hour meditation session. Last year I did a lot of sports and it also made me really tired. Now I want to bring it back to at least one time a week a muscles group lesson, and the rest is optional to not pressure myself too much. In my work there is also a lot of physical work, that is the reason I want to bring the sports a little bit backward and invest in other ways in my wellbeing like meditation and improving the balance in my body.
For the last 35 years, I have been researching and working with routines.
I read the blog post and all the comments that were given till now and I would like to contribute to the clarity of what is a routine and how to deal with that.
My definition of a routine is a state of attention that repeats in the same way in similar situations. We, as a human being, tend to routinize our thoughts, actions, emotions and bodies and when we do that, we lose our ability to participate fully in life, in the here and now. We send a representative instead of participating fully.
I think that most humans suffering comes from these routines and from the fact that the older we get there is less of who we are and more of the routine structures that we built and practiced over the years. It’s not only contributing to dementia, but also most chronic conditions from back pains to migraines to anxiety and depression are caused by living a routine life. As I see it the real reason to become a routine making machine is to avoid the fear and pain that are constant for living creatures and thus cause the conditions mentioned before.
The way I found to work with routines is not to break them, change them, improve them or find the right ones, but to play with them. To become awake while practicing the chosen routine, so that my attention will be fully there and when my attention is fully there, there is no routine – I am alive.
Every day I try to see the world through the eyes of my daughters. They’re 4 & 5 years old – and get along with them in their imagination and creativity. More scientifically proven tips are welcome 😉
Thats so sweet!
Never a change this please!
Every morning I play in my bed with my 3-year-old son. Every morning I wake up I am looking forward to seeing and play with him. Couldn’t think of a better way to start my day:)
I have a lot of routines like:
In the morning:
Tabata 4 minutes
Oil pulling
Healthy breakfast
Meditation
It’s a balance between building the routines and keep away from the automatic pilot.
Therefore I change the order of the routines. I use various meditations with various lengths.
For breakfast, I vary between various smoothies, oat milk with muesli and dried fruit, fasting.
After 14 years I started playing volleyball again. This is not as repetitive as long-distance running.
This week we started with Spanish lessons, so now I can learn some new words every day, and then at different times of the day.
My way to keep my brain alert is to change my routines regularly. Put the bed in a different place, reorganize the cupboard, change the place of the furniture. Drive different ways to places and change my working spot so I have to think where everything is….
I try to walk every day and do some yoga. Besides that reading is something I really, really like the best way for me to relax and learn.
Sometimes I practice making breakfast or lunch with my eyes closed.
Or I practice remembering what I want to buy fro the supermarket without writing it down, by making it into a riddle or a song.
Every morning I do exercise, hula hoop, and others, outside.
Then I drink 2 glasses of law water, for breakfast, I eat seeds and dry fruit, I write in my diary and under the shower, I do my intention for the day. So the day is starting with a good feeling! I love the Life, and so it is.
I love to start the day with learning something new.
At the moment I’m learning to play electric guitar.
I do the exercises to get better and try something new every day.
Besides starting the day with a hobby is fun, I also tackled the reason not to do it every day, since it was always the “least important”.
I’m already a happy person by nature, but this is really a great start of the day.
Extra energy for the Frogs that need to be eaten first 😉
During this year I started a lot of new healthy routines. For example every morning before breakfast I stretch, drink 800 ml water, go outside and take a few really deep breaths, I do running on the spot to get my heartbeat up. In the afternoon I do skating or walking (always the same route – I should change that).
Question: To prevent dementia do I also have the change routines that I started recently (this year) or do routines only cause problems after 20 years (as I understood from your blog post). From Roy, I learned that it takes 100 days to establish a routine.
Good question, Nicole.
Routines are not bad… they have their place and benefits.
However, when you’re following a routine for 20 years or 20 days, your brain doesn’t need to be present, attentive or aware. That’s a recipe for a sluggish brain.
So, from brain health point of view, change, disrupt or shift any routine… not in order to create another routine, but in order to bring awareness and attention to what you’re doing.
Hope that answers your question, Nisandeh
I do a specific meditation on my important choices and look intuitively at what becomes obvious to do.
There is my daily life not one moment that is the same as the other. As I am a very free spirit, I try always to be in touch with my inner child and what it needs at that moment. The more I listen to her the healthier and happier I am. There is never a dull moment in my life! Much different than my husband who looks at the clock If it is time to eat or to go to bed, takes a bath on Saturday and on Sunday an egg for Breakfast. As I see also my 87-year-old mother slipping away from me in dementia, we connect not by name but through the love of our hearts, and that happens as soon as I come in, we look at each other, connect deep and hug each other, and I feel her trembling body…., the base of every child in us that needs unconditional love, safety, security and a lot of hugs. The frustrations, anger, and fear of life that made our relationship not a happy one gets now a new transformation as she has let go and is now thankful and loving and…as a tear falls, I have the mother now I never had. And why, because she has left her head and now sees, hears and talks from inside the child in her. So How important that we follow our heart in all what we do. Love to you all, Wendy
Since I don’t have a high-low desk anymore, I use a box instead to put my keyboard and mouse on to be able to do my work standing upright. Sometimes I even balance on one foot and then on the other one.
I drink every morning hot water with fresh lemon juice.
Before I lunch I go for a 30-minute walk (or longer). If that is not possible I take a 30 minute-walk before dinner.
On a regular basis, I listen to different kind of health summits to learn something new.
In the beginning of the evening, I eat a piece of 75% chocolate and afterward some nuts and fruit.
I walk 3 times a day with my dog in the woods. During the walk, I exercise my brain/mind, body and spirit with positive mantras about health, motivation, and wellbeing…
Why living in fear? I live the best I can and have a good connection with the non-physical. You cannot control live. Since I don’t control live anymore I am a lot happier.
No matter what, my morning routine is to start on my empty stomach, the day with my special morning drink: half a cup of warm water, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, slice of fresh ginger, a little black pepper (makes the turmeric much more effective) and a freshly squeezed half a lemon.
When I can I will visit my mother in her nursing home. She has Alzheimer, now noticeable for 5 years. And she is always happy to see me or my sister. But even happier when she sees my husband or brother in law ;-)). It is a very painful process and scary disease, but I try to follow her, how she is in that moment. I can have plans, but her state of mind is leading.
So yes, I am very interested in your eat, love, WhatsApp…..
Hi Gigi,
Your morning drink sounds great. It is great for your body, however for your brain it will be vital if you keep changing your habits so your brain will be fit also.
Have a magical day! Vered
I’m right handed but sometimes I eat, I drink, etc…. left handed to switch my brain.
I do meditation. I eat what my body asks, mostly very healthy food.
My special routine is reading my email every day (first thing in the morning) and try to get an empty inbox every day.
Hi Jos,
Starting the day with reading your email as the frist thing in the morning is like inviting disasters into your home as the first thing of the day…. However for this blog post the importance is not about WHAT you do but HOW you do it.
Even reading your email can be done differently… choose a different place to read them each time. Choose which ones you open first and which one last (not according to how they arrived…) etc… Play with it, that’s the idea that would allow your brain not to get stuck on a routine..
Have a magical day! Vered
Every morning I drink 2 glasses of warm water and I give food to the cat (sometimes she has to wait for it a little bit longer), In the evening I brush my teeth. A lot of other helpful habits are not that regular and routined. And probably I have a lot of other routines I don’t even remember now. This blog makes me more alert and I thank you all for the contributions.
My laptop always attracts me whenever I see it. It feels like I have to be productive every minute of the day.
Even at night, when its quiet around me, I feel I have to work, make a planning or whatever.
I often forget to have lunch and don’t realize I ‘m hungry till late in the afternoon.
Doesn’t sound good, I know!
I really have to make some changes to stay healthy, both mentally and physically.
I picked up cardiovascular boxing (yeah), in each exercise is an option to count and measure progress. Discovered a way to handle what is holding me back the most, blockage by undirected thinking causing stress. I need to descent in my body and move away from the head.
I found each punch releases something like stress factor or I can add a new element like a goal and talk about it to my self while doing it and affirm it at the same time. Also, mindfulness/meditation during my traveling is emptying my brain and body with buildup (miss)thoughts (of any kind)…Why not combine physical and mental. Find combinations that work….walking, running, swimming, boxing, singing….
Why? I like the idea my lists of having to achieves every day is very short and fun.
How about doing all this with others and have fun and laughing a lot, would be brilliant.
Absolutely, Linda.
One of the best ways to not get stuck in routines, is to do them with other people. Just the conversation and engagement will force you to do things differently.
However, with company (at least this is my experience), it’s harder to stay aware and pay attention to the small things we do, and then we miss the point.
So… yes… get social, but stay attentive…
Make it a great day, Nisandeh
Every morning I do meditation, yoga, exercises for (or rather against) my hernia, exercises to boost my self-confidence and a brain exercise. All together it takes more than an hour, which I often find very long. When my thoughts wander off and I do the exercises on the automatic pilot, I don’t enjoy them; sometimes it is even a struggle to finish the exercises. When I do them full-heartedly, I feel very good.
That’s the great advantage of Neurobics, Joost.
These 12 exercises I’m sharing in the video do not take even a minute of your day, as they’re build on activities you do anyway.
They’re also not boring, because you take the more “boring” activities you do regularly, and add a tiny twist to them, that make them new and exciting.
Hope you’ll enjoy them, Nisandeh
My neurobics is variation in food and movement. I will turn 60 next year and feel alive and be kicking like I am 35.
I never eat the same, I change my meals every day and feel what my body asks for. My sense for what my body needs foodwise has improved since I started the 5:2 fasting.
What keeps me sharp, alive and kicking is my Nia Technique practice. As a black belt Nia teacher, I teach classes 5 times a week. I deliver a one-hour body movement variety adventure full of joy, beautiful music, and intense conditioning. I never do the same, using different movement styles, like martial arts, yoga, and dance styles, blending it all together. Nia is good for body, mind, emotions, and spirit. It’s a very good integration for left and right brain, by using your body in a healthy way.
Spring last year I started with the goal of walking 10.000 steps each day. I know, 10.000 is just a round number and the app I’m using is not always accurate, but still. When I started, I just measured for a few weeks and came to an average of 5.600 steps a day. Quite a way to go to reach 10.000 steps. But the process of getting constant feedback helps a lot, so last year my average improved to 8.500. This year, I’m easily over 10.200.
Besides helping me physically, my evening walk is also a kind of meditative moment and balances me mentally as well and improved my sleep.
So, an attainable goal and a standard iPhone app with constant feedback helped me get here.
Great exercise for your body, Paul.
Not so great for your brain.
As a long-distance runner I’m having a similar problem. Walking or running requires very little brain activity (it’s mostly putting one foot after another), especially if you compare these to sports that require major brain activity like (American) football, soccer, basketball and rock climbing…
So, while walking, try to change your movement as much as you can, involve other body parts than just your legs (move your arms in all directions, play with your fingers, make faces,…), try walking backwards and with your eyes closed sometimes (when absolutely safe, or with a partner)…
All these will get your brain active and “sweating”…
Enjoy it, Nisandeh
Since I am still parttime working as an organizational psychologist, being 61, I have to use my brain and I do keep on track with newest developments. I don’t plan my activities every day, only if I have to. I was learning Turkish, but switched to Portuguese, because this is the land where I want to get old. When I wake up, I start reading the news and doing some brain games. I’ll try to do things outside my comfort zone and became a mystery shopper. I know I have to train my body more because I am lazy and keep procrastinating. My routine is too much sitting, writing and watching Netflix. Love to travel, but I am still afraid getting dementia.
Oh, I am really glad to read this. I always feel like I should stick to a certain routine but I don’t manage to stick to it a lot. Always finding something else more interesting. So I am glad that I can now do it now with peace of mind, for the sake of a healthy brain 🙂
Hi Sylvie,
That’s your ROUTINE – never sticking to one… Try sticking to one… The idea is that we all have routines. Nothing wrong with them (especially if they are healthy and supporting you).
The problem is that even a NON-routine is a routine, because your brain is wired to NOT do. That creates a certain pathway in your brain which allows you to do it.
If you keep using it for 20-30 years it prevents you from developing other pathways, which send s a message to your brain that you are done growing… That’s the first step down the road to dementia…
Therefore what we suggest is just changing whatever it is that you do to something DIFFERENT… even small things… Hope that helps you…
Have a magical day! Vered
Although I’m already 67 and accomplished quite a lot, I feel I still a lot needs to be done before leaving this lifetime. I learned from the Eastern philosophy that death is only a moment of transformation; it’s not an end. I still keep on creating my business for I like to help people and I do not intend to stop with it very soon. Besides this, I still learn every day to become a professional photographer and being able to play the guitar and entertain others. Learning new things is just a daily routine. I also try to maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep my day interesting and challenging.
Oh, what an eye-opener to realize that I have a few routines indeed that maybe aren’t good for my brain health in a long way…
– I regularly go to bed around 23.00
– when I wake up en just before going to sleep I like to play brain games
– I daily make a to-do-list for tomorrow (I don’t want to forget things…)
– I finish my chores always because I don’t want to forget to do it later…
I think I really should make a change in these habits to keep my brain healthier….
I am curious to your Neurobics activities, Nisandeh!
I take a shower every morning and I do my exercise than under the shower because otherwise, I am so stiff that it is harder to do.
I train my brain by writing workshops and study every day, also to write a good workshop (for relaxing, setting goals, living your life the way you want). I’m reading more and more about healthy food and eat better than 1 year ago (also feeling better)
I sing in a choir and that gives me a lot of energy. In my workshop I always dance and everyone is dancing with me and they love it!
I workout in the gym at least twice a week.
I connect both hemispheres while I am on the bike, by alternating touching my left leg with my right arm and touching my right leg with my left arm.
And while I am studying I change between sitting and standing position ( walking and Reading Doesn’t work for me ).
Ivenes
I’m reading a lot about morning routines lately, and all the stories tell how great morning routines are for your day. I must admit that the only morning routine I have is that I take a cold shower every morning. I’m doing that for a couple of years now. Furthermore, I’m not in the situation to build up any routine because my wife and two children force me every day to adjust my plans. Every morning is different because their habits differ every day. So, every morning I have to be creative and create workarounds, but although I’m not always happy with it, I appreciate it very much because it forces me to be adaptive and creative. I believe that this helps me to keep my mind flexible and young.
Hi Harry,
Morning routines are GREAT, only when you keep CHANGING them otherwise you get fixed and rigid brain on them, which stops your brain from growing and developing. This is the first step down the road for Dementia…
However, you have routines more than just in the morning, you have routines in the way you drive to work (or walk/bike to work). in how you sit, in the way you answer the phone, in how you respond etc…
The idea is to CONSCIOUSLY try doing it in a different way, this would force your brain to develop in a new pathway which would immediately allow it to grow…
Try it out and have fun with it… In the video session, Nisandeh describes his top Neurobics exercises – and you can see there – how he is USING his NORMAL routines to train his brain…
Have a magical day! Vered
What I like to do is test to improve my intellectual skills. I plan to learn the Danish language and to play the drums (African drums ). Because I will end a part of my business at the end of this year I will create time to do more new things and make my life a lot happier.
Hi Rita,
Don’t know if you’re open for feedback, but since you shared in public, I hope you’re ok with me giving you a tip…
When I read your comment (above), your whole communication is about the future “I plan to this and that”, “I will create more time…”
This is a very strong and sabotaging routine that MANY people practice, and it’s a brain killer.
Because the brain knows that ther is no tomorrow (there is only now), so thinking in future tense doesn’t challenge the brain in any way…
Something to look at… Nisandeh
I’m learning to play golf and my golf pro has broken down the golf swing in 12 different movements.
When I’m training, I execute these 12 movements in super slow-motion and try to engrain the correct position/feel for each one.
By executing the movements slowly I can program my mind and body to move precisely, later I can add speed and perform the movements while remaining in control.
That’s the best way to become good and efficient in what you do (in this case – playing golf), but in the long run, when you become really good – it’s actually bad for your brain, as it will start swing on autopilot.
Our brain grows the most when we’re beginners, and least when we become pretty good at something. When we become extremely good at something – the brain starts growing again, in order to develop subtleties…
But most people get stuck in being good at things, which is where our brain goes to sleep (and finally die).
Make it a great day, Nisandeh
What I do in my daily work as a massage therapist for over 30 years is to never fall into a routine, even if I see a client for the 99th time. Focus, see, feel, listen and sense if it were the very first time. It helps me to be inventive and creative with my skills and more inspired throughout the session. And not being too tired in the end. This could count for all professions don’t you think?
Also, this focus helps me in relationships; trying to leave out routine when it comes to being in contact.
I love the inspiring comments people write here. I think I can increase my focus on physical activities and more mental input variation. Also, the ways for relaxation are unlimited…
This is fantastic, Erica.
I wish everyone would learn to do their work this way.
Thank you for sharing, Nisandeh
My daily routine starts immediately after waking up and before I step out of bed.
I sit straight up and for at least 10 minutes and max. 1 hour I close my eyes, wait and watch.
And whatever goes through my body, heart or mind, I notice, wait, observe and nothing else.
Sometimes there are lots of thoughts, sometimes there are a lot of emotions and feelings, sometimes all is quiet. Whatever it is in the moment, I sit, wait and watch. Then after 10 minutes to an hour, I open my eyes, step out of bed and start my day.
This I do every day.
During the day on random moments, I point my finger to myself, place my hand on that spot and give extra attention to the area where my hand is resting. Again, regardless what’s going on in my head, all I do is wait and feel for 1 to 10 minutes.
I do judo and karate blindfolded as an exercise. Especially with a partner, this stays difficult, because you do not know what the other is doing (also blindfolded). I guess you could also do this dancing or with a ball (get the paintings and precious vases out of the way).
Volunteer with people with dementia, explanation below. Or for people with severe mental disability (I also did that – in some regards easier and in some regards harder).
On people with dementia: I volunteer at a home for people with dementia and I do not have a loved one with dementia, so this gives me a different perspective on the topic I realized. All these people have their own personality. Not the personality they had when they did not have dementia. And I understand this breaks your heart if you know this person from before. It is possible to make a real connection with them, albeit for a fleeting moment. Just the last time there was this woman who I spend lots of fun hours with, but is now going deeper and deeper into dementia. So all I can do for her now is just look deep into her eyes and open my heart. And when I do this with a loving intention, there is a click – and yes this is very short, and yes it shows because I see her eyes change and she starts talking (gibberish as she had done as long as I know her), so if you are family this is not what you want. But I can see how it makes her happy, and that is, of course, all I am there to do.
What I just want to say is: do not discard these people, they are people and deserve our love and support. You make them happy, they make you happy (because I can tell you it is a happy feeling if you can make the connection – at least as a volunteer). We need more volunteers for these people that can bring some moments of joy into their life. This also lifts a small portion of the burden of the family, for which it is just too much.
Just being with them and loving them is sometimes all they need. And I know how difficult this is with people that are nothing but angry. Stay loving and with an open heart, I have seen anger melt away.
And it is an exercise in patience and being loving and kind and I think good for your brain.
Hi Elske, It is beautiful what you are doing with those people with Dementia, especially the practice of just BEING WITH them and being present, it is a magical aspect.
Having come back now from my mother who is sinking deeper and deeper into her Alzheimer I can definitely say that there is beauty in the process and that there is a lot to see in the process that is blessed and magical. I could see a lot of beauty and positive things that are taking place with my mother due to the process. I have learned to focus on that and not on the sad part…
However, that is not the way I would like to grow old. I wish to grow health, and with vitality ad with a fresh brain. I think today we know so much more about the brain that it would allow us to do that. The only challenge is what hold us back, which is our routines.
We have so many routines in our lives that limit our body and especially our brain. It creates pathways in our brain that we keep on using on automatic mode (thus routine) and stops our brain from developing new pathways which would allow the brain to stay young and agile.
That’s the reason we keep saying – CHANGE your routines… make it DIFFERENT… Even the small ones – getting out of bed on the other side, or walking differently etc…
Hope that clarifies it… Have a magical day! Vered
I am happy to hear this!
And yes, by all means, of course for those that still have the possibility: do everything to prevent it! I completely agree with what you are saying. Good to have that clarified.
Hi Vered, i once read somewhere ( I think it was in the biography of Elizabeth Kubler Ross) that dementia is a way of starting to digest your life before dying. Already you’re letting go of the people and circumstances in the now, and you go back to the childfase.
walnuts and tumeric are my attempts at staying healthy and 15 minutes of exercise a day. But whenever I get the chance of giving one of my workshops (one is called ‘Omgaan met microaggression’) I get such a tremendous, incredible boost from sharing what I really believe in and helping people to stop judging and start appreciating others and living in harmony with them, that I think every workshop improves my chances to grow old healthy. I am now asked to give these workshops at some universities each year, as students are really enjoying them and find them valuable. I wonder if ‘speaking your truth to help people’ is how this felt to you and Nisandeh. That just feels so good, it HAS to mean a new lease on life. Speaking your truth to help others MUST be the healthiest exercise on earth! Do you not agree?
My habits:
I am quite fuzzy with my habits and I must admit that quite a few of my habits are pretty dull making, comfort zone like habits.
I have a few habits that I could explore and include more change and excitement:
I picked up playing the Ukelele recently and that is quite some fun.
I walk up and down the stairs in the morning to get myself a glass of warm water with lemon.
I meditate in the morning and I sometimes do yoga and sometimes dance or sometimes do the 7-minute workout.
I regularly include a practice called Inquiry with another person, I do it a few times a week, taking time to self-examine what is going on or following a tread of interest in what is happening in my life, speaking about it for 15 min and them listening to the other.
I try once in a while a dive in the cold water to wake myself up.
I make porridge in the morning with berries and chocolate nibs, seeds and green powder.
Here are some of my routines that I do daily in the same way:
-Eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time
-Making lunchboxes for the kids
-Bringing the kids to school
-Reading the news and check my email on my phone in the morning
-Doing groceries and lots of time buying the same things
-Bringing the kids to bed and read them a story
-Watch tv in the evening
-Sleep on the same side of the bed
-Doing laundry every day
-Drinking Coffee in the morning
I’m curious for your tips to break with the routines and use neurobics to make the daily patterns more fun and unpredictable.
We made a little surprise-game:
Every day, my partner an I make a little change in the way something is placed in the living room, bedroom or kitchen without telling the other. Fun is to find the change.
I tune into ‘source awareness’ every morning and go with the flow that stems from that.
On the other hand, I make lists of what I think I should do, only to find myself not finishing the list, since flow directs me elsewhere…
Interesting conflicting habits/routines, that work out though, since, in the end, everything gets done in its own right time…
Reina – even making a to-do list every day becomes a routine that weaken the mind, as it’s automatic…
Try play around with it.
One day, consciously – make a choice to have only 1 big item on your to-do list, and commit to complete it.
Another day, write down 25 small actions and commit to do all of them.
Sometimes, have no to-do list and see how your Brain deals with it.
And in other, maybe create to do list for a specific area only (family or business or cooking or play…)
The idea is NOT to fall into a routine, but consciously choose each time, what you do…
Hope that helps, Nisandeh
I like routines!
So this is a hard one for me…
I try to walk every day for at least 30 min (that’s what our Dutch specialist says Dr. Erik Scherder) and in my walks, I go different ways.
I like your tip about eating breakfast 30 days different…that will be a hard one for me. And we are planning to go traveling with the kids for 6 weeks, so that will be perfect for breaking all our routines 🙂
We all like routines, Yildiz.
That’s how our brains are wired – to use the least amount of energy possible. And routines do just that – they’re using the least amount of energy to think…
It’s good, on one side, as it makes our life very (energy) efficient.
But the long-term price for the brain is huge…
So, don’t throw away your routines… use them… by shifting them, even a little, your attention and awareness is required, your brain is engaged and “sweating” and you protect it from dementia…
In the video session, ondescribe my top Neurobics exercises – and you can see there – how I’m USING my NORMAL routines to train my brain…
Success, Nisandeh
1. I start with writing the daily page in in my gratitude book. 2. Do some physical exercises 3. Then always end the showering with 1-minute cold water. 4. Have healthy breakfast. Looking forward to “the new 12”
My first routine I recently started the day with is to know the day and date. It sounds crazy, but I was used to not knowing these until I took a look in my agenda to find out what’s in it for today.
I start the day making a smoothie with all kinds of ingredients that seem to help you to stay healthy. Besides different kinds of fruit and vegetables, I add kurkuma, pepper, ginger, linseed and coconut oil to it. At least once a day I do the 5-minute writing workout which I learned from the writing lessons on Bizkaizen. While doing this my brains start tingling.
A few times per day I practice movements inspired by Ido Portal. I puzzle, walk at least 3/4 of an hour, improvise on the piano and practice new beats and techniques behind my drums.
Reading this blog I realize that my life is full of daily routines (when you do the activity, how you perform it, where you do it and even who is doing it). Also because with young children you want to structure your life as much as possible. This starts from waking up till going to bed. Nice thought how to make this more ‘dynamic’ to prevent dementia and still keeping the structure (for my kids). By the way, what is the impact of Neurobics on kids? My new daily routine is listening every morning (at home / during public transport) to podcasts/videos of inspiring, energetic and high performing people to get 30 minutes good ‘brain food’.
Eelke – Neurobics is amazing at any age.
Kids love it. Kids come to this world without routines, and they’re most alive when they’re not stuck into them.
It’s us (grownups) that want them in routines, not because it’s good for them (no matter what the popular books will tell you) – but because it’s good for us.
Regularly exercising Neurobics keeps kids in their natural creative, intelligent flow… so, yes, please, do all the 12 exercises with your kids.
They’ll love it today and will thank you in 40 years…
Make it a great day, Nisandeh
(As a second post) My father ( 88 yrs) is a musician, his whole life. He is the perfect example of active brainwork. He still makes compositions ( written by hand…). So his brains are creative active the whole day ( and every time on a different level). Besides that, he walked a lot, his whole life ( sometimes the same way, but still) so he is in an excellent vitality shape.
My daily routine starts with getting up, drinking some water, get breakfast, read my e-mail and start working. Sometimes I skip this routine by going for a walk or running/swimming, twice to three times a week.
Great you guys share it.
My stuff:
– Drinking warm water
– go to bed early enough at least 3 times a week
– the best: have a walk in nature regularly
– eating less or when I manage No sugar
– Get or give hugs
– Meet friends and family
– Do a cryptogram puzzle
– Eating, talking loving with my girlfriend
You could say: spent time on the small things in life
My routines are: waking up at 6.30, stay in bed for a few minutes. Take a shower, make a smoothie, breakfast, bring kids to school by bike, walk through the garden, observe, taking pictures, meditate. Start to get ready for a group or client:)
I play piano and often learn new pieces. Playing together and singing is also exciting and refreshing, like my cold start of the day in our outside swimming pool, summer and winter.
Very good Hans de Leeuw 🙂 I am doing the same by playing the piano.
I start each day with a healthy breakfast.
I eat as much as possible healthy food.
I am trying to do some exercise every day. This is my challenge.
I ask myself and my client’s questions so I and they can find a solution for a problem.
I play daily a word game.
Hi Marjanne,
Great to see how many of your routines are healthy ones. Unfortunately our brain, in order to keep it healthy and growing does not make a difference between healthy routines and non-supportive ones.
We need to keep on changing whatever it is that we do. Even the smallest change will shift something in our brain and will force it to develop a new pathway, which is what we want our brain to keep on doing, in order to keep in strong and healthy.
So try each day to do a different healthy breakfast (just change one ingredient and that would make a difference). Try different types of healthy food, do different exercises (that would prevent it from being boring and would motivate you to do more of it…) etc…
Make it a magical day! Vered
My routine I realized is party directed by my cat! In the morning he wakes up before me and asks for food. So I get up, go to the toilet, give food on the way back, and go back to sleep. Then I get up at the time I want to, have a cuddle with the cat, then open the cat door for my cat so he can go out and then start my day. Usually, I clean a bit first, have breakfast, then a shower and then start thinking about the tasks for my business. It also happens that I start the computer, first check what is going on, and then do my morning routine with business already in my head. I always feel a bit bad about starting the computer already before breakfast, but it is actually a shift in my routine. I change table sides and vary a bit more with breakfast since I read about the brain exercise and changing your patterns. A nice one should be going out for a walk when the sun shines and have a shower and breakfast when back. That is a stronger routine breaker. The small things actually don’t seem to puzzle or surprise my brain.
– In the morning: workout (seven) or dancing (with or without music).
– I’m learning to play the piano, I practice almost every day.
– Read every day something new.
– Write thoughts, ideas in a book, also my “to do’s”.
– When I have to concentrate and it doesn’t go well, I pay attention to my body. There I can find an answer.
– Listening to my brain training.
– …
I switch on the coffee machine and play ‘Make me smile’ from Cockney Rebel. I used to water my plants on that song, now it just makes me smile. When in my house in SA I stare for ten minutes over the ocean, look at the light, Table Mountain, try to spot dolphins or whales.
Whenever the fear of an age-related health problem pops up, I make sure it does not become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I take a sunshower every day, enhances Vit D production, which is good for the gut which is good for the brain. I do my facial training, ‘kampong-, cobra-exercise’ and ‘kneipse güsse’ cold water application. and last but not least eduction permanent.
In the morning I meditate on three things I’m thankful for and I plan my day. I read my bible and meditate on what I read and speak out loud about it to the spirit of me. In the evening I meditate again on three things to be thankful for, I look back on what went wrong and what I learned from it. And I look for the things that were a win of the day.
A few years ago my father slowly slipped into dementia. He died two years ago. What I still remember is the going back in time modus, the disconnection of emotions. I too am afraid of going that way because my grandmother also had it. So I start my day by doing stretching exercises, I drink lots of water and green tea, I eat a little chunk of pure chocolate every day and I observe people: what do they (really) say, what do I hear, what do I feel. When I eat, I taste the food, I smell the food…. I use my senses, that’s what I saw with both my father and grandmother: they lost all sense and connection to life. And a hug a day also keeps the disconnection away……
Inspiring, Thank you for sharing.
My daily ‘routines’ are:
*I take some time to read or listen to something inspirational, in the spiritual realm or just to be still and noticing, leaving the ego shatter for what it is for a while / not taking it seriously.
*I take some time to walk, either in the woods or in town, as long as I can walk, just for the experience of walking (i enjoy the feeling of walking on my barefoot style shoes, very much J)
*Sharing/communicating with my partner about inner things that matter that day.
Hi Anne,
Although it’s immensely valuable to read/listen to something inspirational/spiritual – this routine keeps your brain in its comfort zone.
Try to mix up some totally different input – like religious texts that you are totally unfamiliar with or against, make sure to mix input from sources you totally disagree with, opinions that are opposite to yours, etc…
You get extra credits if you actually try to find the beauty and wisdom in those texts or audios.
It’s not about converting your belief system – but about stretching your brain to think, ponder, and develop new pathways…
Just a suggestion. Make it a great day, Nisandeh
I use kurkuma in food because I was told in India nobody suffered from Alzheimer.
I swim 3 times a week and have a yoga app.
My diet habits could improve though.
Use a smaller plate at dinner.
These are my ways trying to be as healthy as possible. Last but not least distract my brains and learn new things or skills, although the latter becomes more difficult as I grow older, it takes more effort.
Karin – in this article I wasn’t focusing on developing good habits or condemning bad habits.
It’s about the fact that any habit/routine has its advantages (efficiency mainly) and huge disadvantages to the brain.
So, don’t look so much for the good habits, as much as to keep shifting routines as much as you can.
For example, healthy eating is essential – but you want to keep changing what you’re eating and eating once in a while something that is BAD for your body, can be actually really GOOD for your brain as it forces it to think new thoughts and handle new challenges…
Just my 2 cents, Nisandeh
Very recently, scientists discovered that the brain – like the rest of our body – has a lymph system. The lymph system’s function is to get rid of waste in our body. Just like in the body, the brain’s lymph system can get clogged up, so the lymph fluid doesn’t move anymore and congestions start to increase even further. Science is now looking at dementia because this malfunctioning of the lymph system could be the cause of this disease.
Interesting enough, lymph malfunctioning is mostly caused by bad diets, like we have here in the west. Most food we eat is acid-forming and when the lymph system gets an overdose of this and cannot move the acidic waste out of our body, the lymph system itself is in severe danger and starts to malfunction.
Ways to prevent this? Eat healthily: lots of fresh and pure vegetables and fruit, reduce protein intake, reduce grains, and forget about all ready-to-eat prepackaged foods. Lymph is also moved by exercise, yoga, sauna and cold showers.
Since I started learning this, I started bicycling daily to work instead of taking the car. I swim twice a week and take a sauna afterward. I take yoga classes at least once a week and start the day with 15 minutes of meditation, 5 times a week. Getting rid of the TV, which I did 12 years ago, is also a very good way to prevent sitting around too much.
I do crosswords (puzzles) and wordfeud during the day. And I am learning new languages. My exercises are in the gym ( every time different) and outside ( every day or walking or biking)
Hi Rens,
Thanks for that valuable information. It is great to see that actions you’ve taken that are surely going to contribute to a healthy long life.
However, when it comes to our brain even doing HEALTHY routines would not support our brain. The best way is to make sure that you keep on CHANGING what you do in those healthy routines you described above.
Change the days that you are cycling, swim in different days, swim in different places, swim differently. Meditate in different times of the day, do different types of meditation etc…
The idea is that you DON’T get stuck on routine no matter whether it is a healthy one of a non-supportive one
I do difficult crosswords every day, exercise 3 to 4 times a week and watch my diet. It is scary though because sometimes I can’t remember someone’s name (even if I have known them for ages!)
I take cold showers and start to sing immediately! My life force wakes up.
I join yoga and walk them with the dog.
BUT…..
My brain is chaotic, forgetting, pressuring…
Looking forward to some nice tools!!!!
Great routines Annemieke – cold showers and singing.
Now keep changing/shifting them every time…
Different times for showers and singing, different duration of cold water, sometimes have the cold water at the end, sometimes at the beginning, sometimes sing loud, sometimes soft, sometimes hard rock, sometimes opera (you don’t need to know the words or sing on cue), sometimes dance while you’re singing, sometimes do bodydrumming…
The only thing that matters is change. Change. Change…
Make it a great day, Nisandeh
I start with making breakfast with my two eldest kids (3 and 5 years), we make oats with apple.
Great breakfast for the body, Matthias…
Not so great for the brain, to have exactly the same every morning.
Be creative (your kids would love it) – try to change something each morning – maybe a different fruit, maybe sometimes cold, sometimes warm, eat sometimes on the dinner table, sometimes in the kids bed, sometimes picnic on the living room floor…
Make a commitment for 30 days – never to repeat the same breakfast, the same way, and see how “sweaty” your brain gets.
Enjoy, Nisandeh
Esch morning I draw a card from my Open Circles stack or from the LSU cards we made in 2014. Then I write for ten minutes about my ‘intention of the day’. Thank you so much for this daily inspiration
Oh yes, my biggest fear is also dementia. I have close family that suffers/suffered from the disease and it is real life unworthy and ‘hell’. I know they say ‘be active, train your brain’ – they all did despite the fact that they got the disease.
I wish I had ‘special routines’ that are healthy haha (I definitely know some unhealthy ones) but unfortunately can not add any. But I am really interested in getting more tips/ ways to improve my life. Sorry I can not add value here 🙂
Marjolijn – you have hundreds of routines you use all the time.
Everything you do more than twice in the same way is a routine.
How you walk, for example, is a routine and as such – totally automatic.
Why don’t you take 5 minutes, right now, and walk around the room or in the street, in a different way. Maybe raise your knees high, or skip every third step, or put your hands above your head while walking, or clap, or sing, or snap you fingers while walking, or mix them all together.
It’s not going to be very efficient – BUT – it will require your attention. You won’t be automatic/machine anymore, your brain will sweat and you’ll win a little battle with dementia.
You can do that with EVERYTHING you do – see the 12 Nurobics exercises in the video (you got the link to it, after we approved your comment)…
Enjoy shifting your routines, Nisandeh
I do word puzzles when I am on the toilet. 😉
I understand the question a bit different than the rest. Is the question what boring everyday routines do you do often that could be spiced up a little?
If yes. I’d say.
– Making breakfast.
– Bringing the kids to bed and brushing their teeth.
– Calling my parents.
– Shopping.
– Doing the laundry.
– Using the same question and ask how was your day?
– Or, how was school?
If no, sorry 🙂
And stay awesome
It’s a perfect answer, Maarten.
Any routine we have (boring or not) makes our life more efficient, yet makes our brain lethargic and weak.
My idea is to find ways to use our existing routines, and by shifting them a little every time – create a great workout for the brain.
Thank you for your contribution, Nisandeh
I study a language every day with an app, doing yoga exercises and sun salutations every day!
First one is I’m learning to play piano now, which is great for my hand coordination and training the brain to use my left and right hand independently. Another ‘routine’ is actually getting out of routine and do things in my house that are normally ‘not done’. Like dancing on the dinner table or climbing onto a cabinet to see how the room looks like from that point of view 🙂
????climbing the cabins for a different view? Great one! Made me smile!
I start every day with a cup of coffee.
Change the way you drink it; another cup, another brand, another spoon, other milk, iced or decaf.. ????
I used to do brain puzzles every day, using a special app on my phone. But after a while, I got a little bored doing them, so actually, I’m looking for another, fun, routine! My only routine is ending my shower with cold water, to really wake me up.
I do strength training and functional training and study a lot to keep my brains active. It’s been shown in studies that isometric exercises help with making new pathways in the brain. I also eat mostly whole food plant based. That’s been shown to be preventable and even reverse early Alzheimers. My business is getting people with dementia to exercise.
I never had a routine, but since I have been to Italy to the Oracle training from Joy and Roy, I set my intention for the day before I come out of bed and reflect the day before I go to sleep.
I am just doing this for a few days now.
Monique…
It’s important that we are aware of our routines.
We all have over a thousand routines we do regularly – from the way we brush our teeth, to the side of the bed we sleep on, to the way we sit on a chair when we work, to the way we walk, to the words we use in certain situations, to the order we wash our body when we shower, to the things we eat for breakfast, to the same way we drive to work, etc, etc, etc…
If we’re not aware that almost everything we do is a routine, there is no way for us to take action and change them…
Hope that sheds some light… Nisandeh
I swim 2 to 3 times a week in the morning before breakfast. It helps me clear my head and get new ideas.
Great workout for your body, Erwin.
Here are a few suggestions how to make it also a great workout for your brain:
1. Change the hours of the days when you swim (sometimes early in the morning, sometimes late at night, etc…)
2. Once in a while limit one (or two) of your limbs when you swim (like swimming without using right arm, left leg, etc…)
3. Try, sometimes, to swim with your eyes closed
4. Play with your breathing (a few strokes without taking a breath, and then a few strokes when you breathe really hard and fast)
5. Instead of swimming the length of the pool – play around – sometimes the wide of the pool, sometimes in circles, sometimes swim one length, get out of the water, walk to the other side, and swim again…
Just some ideas… Enjoy, Nisandeh
I did all kinds of fun swimming in the (small) swimming pool in a hotel a few weeks ago. I enjoyed myself with this secret activity (I was on my own and it was around 10 or 11 p.m.). Now I discover it was also a brain work-out: double pleasure 🙂
I use the 7-minute workout. And take a minute cold shower at the end of my warm shower each day.
I do Yoga twice a week, weekly I take a spinning lesson and once a week I try to play golf. Every morning I drink a glass of citrus water en eat fruit salad for breakfast and a cup of tea, I meditate and do some visualizations!
My daily routine is half an hour yoga (yoga with Adriene), energy management meditation, walk or take the bike for shopping or just to be outside or in nature. I have a few offline and online puzzles. And as an entrepreneur, I have to be present. Often I take my clients for a walk when we are coaching.
LIfe is short. Too short to spend the last years in a crumbling body. At the age of 58, I took on kickboxing.
I drink Astragalus thee every day and combine it with collagen to give my body more elasticity.
The new thing for me is oil pulling ever since the happy healthy seminar in Bunnik. Not only my mouth feels way cleaner and healthier, the 20 minutes exercise of the facial muscles is starting to show en has a rejuvenating effect+
every evening and morning (getting into or out of bed) I do the Roy meditation;). That too makes me feel more empowered. So thank you and see you in December.
In the morning I do a few minutes of meditation, including a breathing exercise. I always end my shower with cold water for at least a minute. In the evening I write down my successes of the day and the things I’m thankful for.
I still study to keep up with new knowledge concerning my profession as a nutritionist on a daily basis. It’s fun and relaxing!
Good morning! My routine is: first stretching my body, roll a few times around in my bed and then pushing myself out of bed..to wake up my body (and mind) than its time for action…
Since a few months, I use a brain workout app on my phone. And a habit app to remind me to do the brain workout every day.
I hope your exercises are more fun!
I begin my day with 20 minutes of meditation, I walk 2 times a week and I do one hour of pilates in the week as well.
There are two routines that I do regularly to ‘stretch’ my brain muscles.
The first one, like Rob is saying, is playing scrabble on my phone. It’s easy to find someone to play with, and it requires strategic thinking to be the winner at the end. As you improve your skills, so do opponents the computer chooses for you to play against.
The second one is a technique I got taught over 15 years ago. It’s called “Context-free Problem Solvers”. It’s an exercise that helps strengthen the right hemisphere of the brain to the left, and the left to the right – therefore finding creative ways to deal with unusual problems.
Though I don’t do this often enough, it’s still fun when I do it – and somehow it really makes a difference in how I go about through the day.
Each and every morning I first do my jumping exercises on my mini trampoline for 20 minutes, then have breakfast and I check my bank-accounts and keep track of them in a spreadsheet. After that I hit the shower and apart from appointments I have, I go with the flow.
I realize that until now I haven’t a routine to do exercises to avoid dementia. So I am really interested in exercises. There is one routine I started several months ago to improve my health and that is oil pulling: first thing I do in the morning.
I just started to learn a new language.
Every morning, 20 minutes of yoga and 10 minutes of doing exercises on a professional mini trampoline. This causes to awake my mind, all my muscles and regenerates billions of my body cells.
I read every day something new. Or I read something I knew about to refresh my memory and try to link it to something else in my life.
I start my day with drinking half a liter of water and some sodium bicarbonate, after dehydrating during the night and to balance acidity. And after 1 hour I break the fasting (breakfast) with a small piece of dark chocolate (90%). The flavanol in it is good for the brains. And chocolate is good for many other things like your heart and your mood. And maybe more important: It gives me a good excuse to eat a very tasty product!
Enjoy
Bert
I make an extreme sudoku on my phone every day and try to do it faster, breaking my record. At first, I started out at the moderate level, but now I can get most of the extreme sudoku puzzles solved in 3 minutes. And it’s always nice if I break my personal record!!