The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness: How to Optimize Brain Health and Performance at Any Age

My mother died from complications of dementia. So did my best friend's dad. I have a dear friend with a (mild) TBI and I thought this was something we had to accept as part of life as we age or if you have head trauma- unlucky you. The book helped me understand that it doesn't have to be that way. There are things we can do every day to improve out memories and keep dementia at bay, and improve brain function even after an injury. I was happy to discover I was already doing some of the "right things": Moderate alcohol consumption, (yay! Red Wine!) a, a regular aerobic exercise at least a few days a week, a consistant sleep schedule.The book was laid out in such a way that you could skip around if there was a particular topic that you want to focus on or readable cover to cover. I confess, I skimmed over some of the interviews.Phew- no need to waste my money on supplements that have no benefit. I love yoga and my practice has fallen away in the last few years, so this has been another incentive to pick it back up- yoga is a meditative practice and that helps to boost memory and cognition. Other sggestions from the authors: I work at home so I could use more face- to face social interaction. My work requires analysis and is challenging and full of variety so that is another advantage. The breakdown of what is helpful and what isn't helped me feel like at least I have some control rather than trying to keep up with the latest headline touting this or that latest finding or "cure". I may still have issues with dementia later in life, just hoping that if I do as many of the right things as possible I can postpone/minimize the effects for as long as possible. Overall I enjoyed and recommend it.

With the growing occurrence of degenerative brain conditions in modern society, such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, comes an increased awareness and interest from people of all ages, in the preventative tools available to help slow the ageing process and improve general brain health and cognitive function. This book takes a no nonsense approach to the topic, offering a truly refreshing outlook on brain health and empowering readers with both the skills and knowledge needed to assess and improve their own brain performance.I have to admit I laughed when I first read the statement, "Brain fitness...much more than crossword puzzles and blueberries", but in actual fact it isn't a laughing matter. It is this very statement, I believe, that best highlights the feeling so many of us have about the meaning of brain health and fitness - confusion.All too often this confusion is caused by media entities trying to benefit from a selling headline, but this text casts out the would be profiteers and looks in-depth at the scientific research and studies - studies that have uncovered many interesting aspects about how the brain functions and the importance that neuroplasticity has throughout life. It also highlights the complementary nature of both physical and mental exercise in stimulating, understanding and improving cognitive performance; and then presents this information in an easy-to-understand manner for audiences of all ages and levels to enjoy, learn and adapt from themselves.The topics covered are divided into nine easy-to-follow chapters (listed below), with the content of each growing on knowledge obtained in the previous.1. Start with the brain in mind2. Be a coach, not a patient3. Mens sana in corpore sano (A healthy mind in a healthy body)4. You are what you eat and drink (to a point)5. Oh, the places you'll go (Structural benefits of mental change)6. Oh, the people you'll meet (Benefits of social engagement)7. Manage stress, build resilience8. Cross-train your brain; and finally,9. How to be your own brain fitness coachPersonally, coming from a family that recently discovered the effects of Alzheimer's first hand, I jumped at the chance to read The SharpBrains Guide. Like so many other individuals and families in similar situations, I was hungry for knowledge, and I wanted more than the surface 'facts' the ongoing media coverage was providing me - I wanted facts and research studies that I could understand and put to use in my everyday life. One of the simplest learnings I have taken away from reading this text is the definition of neuroplasticity - which the guide defines as "rewiring the brain through experience". I have a lot of experience, both positive and negative with this subject, but I plan to draw upon my own experiences, focusing on improving and better understanding my own neuroplasticity, so that I may help others around me to also improve their cognitive understanding and brain fitness.Without a doubt in my mind, I find this guide to be one of the clearest and most relatable texts I have read to date on the emerging, and constantly evolving subject of neuroplasticity; and taking a 'use it or lose it' approach, it drives home the ultimate message to all readers, even if you only choose to read snippets - that "brain fitness matters for life, and throughout life". I would recommend this book to my family, friends and colleagues 100%.

This book is a readable and thought-provoking introduction to the field of "brain training" or more broadly "brain fitness." The authors clear away a number of misconceptions about brain fitness, and provide thoughtful guidelines for keeping your own brain well-nourished and robust at any age.They identify three primary aspects of 'brain fitness' including: promoting growth of neurons ("neurogenesis"), enhancing the connections between neurons ("neuroplasticity"), and keeping the brain active to stave off the harmful effects of aging or disease (building "cognitive reserve"). They also identify other factors in brain health including nutrition, oxidative damage and how to minimize it, and maintaining vascular health. The main body of the book consists of short chapters on activities or lifestyle changes that the reader can adopt to promote all these areas of brain fitness. A large number of topics are discussed including exercise, sleep, stress reduction, lifelong intellectual enrichment, computerized brain training programs, endeavors that involve novelty, variety, and challenge, the Mediterranean diet, supplements, social engagement, and meditation. Overall, an excellent - detailed yet readable - overview of how to optimize your brain health.I also enjoyed the authors' debunking of a number of common misconceptions about brain fitness, including the idea that taking Gingko Biloba and doing a daily crossword puzzle will stave off Alzheimer's disease. Turns out that to develop the "cognitive reserve" that preserves brain function, you need novelty and a variety of challenges because that's what prompts the brain to create new synaptic connections ("neuroplasticity"); there is little gain in terms of increased brain fitness to doing your one millionth crossword puzzle, for example.Finally, the authors do a great service to readers by emphasizing throughout that different people have differing needs and priorities according to age and life circumstances, so everyone's brain fitness program should be somewhat individualized. Consider: an elderly person wanting to preserve "working memory" and processing speed; an adolescent diagnosed with ADHD; an adult in mid-life coping with an overload of stressful demands. All these individuals have different priorities and the authors suggest individualized strategies for brain fitness.A major plus of this book is that the authors are careful not to make claims unwarranted by the current state of research. They are not trying to sell you a dietary supplement or computer program and therefore they come off as unbiased in their recommendations. They also include interviews with brain experts at the end of each chapter; these interviews help to reveal the extraordinary breadth and scope of current brain fitness research. Another book that I found very enjoyable and informative on the topic of understanding your own individual brain and maximizing its effectiveness is David Rock's "Your Brain at Work."

The book is well structured and covers most (if not all) aspects of keeping your brain fit. I truly enjoyed reading it.The only downfall is that the book doesn't provide some figures or at least a sense of magnitude. For example, the book describes that watching TV is the only activity that decreases cognitive ability, but it fails to describe by how much - is it a tiny bit or a significant decrease? Another example is how a good diet can help the brain - again, by how much? Does it influence 5%, 10%, 30%?Other than that I recommend the book as it gives a lot of material for you to improve the way you manage your brain.

I think the important word in the title of this book is GUIDE. It provides a lot of information - and not just on brain training/fitness, but on considering what you need and how to analyse the appropriateness of media headlines, detailed information and industry recommendations.This book may not tell you EVERYTHING you want to know, but it'll give you an excellent grounding and give you plenty of other directions/options to consider. I'm off to start my own research right now!

I haven't read this just a quick paragraph and it's really worth it.

Not finished. Little chatty. Good for the layman or casual read.

Fantastic book, really worth getting and reading. it really demystifies lots of things about the brain.