Time to get my brain in training!

Welcome to Natasha in Oz! Thanks for coming to visit me today in my little corner of the world Down Under!

Last night I received my Daily Tip from Dr Weil in my in-box and the subject of the email was "3 simple steps to preventing Alzeimhers." Since today is 3 or more Tuesday I thought I would share Dr Weil's 3 tips. 

Dr Weil suggests that if we want to be protected against age-related cognitive decline (scary language he uses!!) we should:

1. Get 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
2. Develop healthy habits like not smoking, drinking only in moderation, being social, managing stress and being more positive.
3. Keep an active mind by enjoying crossword puzzles, mind games and perhaps even taking some classes.

These are all simple ways we can save our brains and I love the idea that all of those games that I play online are actually good for me.

Here are 3 of my favorite games/sites.

1. Play with your mind.com - this site is full of brain games, mind exercises, eye-hand coordination games and so much more and it is free to register and play. They have so many games like

or

and

2. Have you got a Nintendo DS? If you don't have one, can you steal one from your son, daughter, grandchild or a next door neighbor?

If so then you can play Dr Kawashima's Brain training game!

This game features activities designed to help stimulate your brain; like solving simple math problems, counting people going in and out of a house simultaneously, drawing pictures on the touch screen and reading classic literature out loud.

The first time you play you take a series of tests and get a score that determines your brain age.

By using Brain Training for just 5 minutes a day I have already reduced my brain age! This game is fantastic!

3. I love the Good Housekeeping site-I go there daily but not just for recipes and decorating ideas. I also love their games! They have brain teasers, Mah jong, Sudoku and my favorite, Gridlock.

In this game you have to clear a path for the yellow car so it can move out of the driveway on the opposite side of the game area. Be warned though, once you get started it is hard to stop playing!

If you haven't got time to check out these sites why not have a quick game of sudoku! This is my favourite version that I play on my iphone. The App is free and the game is fantastic!

There's so many things we can do to get our brain fit and healthy!

Well, I am off to go and have a quick game of Gridlock!

Best wishes and happy brain-training, 

Natasha In Oz 

If you look at the anatomy, the structure, the function, there's nothing in the universe that's more beautiful, that's more complex, than the human brain.

Keith Black (quoted in Discover magazine, April, 2004)