June 2012
1 post
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“We describe that the deleterious consequences of unhealthy dietary habits can be...”
– ‘Metabolic syndrome’ in the brain: deficiency in omega-3 fatty acid exacerbates dysfunctions in insulin receptor signalling and cognition
May 2012
9 posts
1 tag
Black Bean Brownies with a Kick!
I’ve made a few version of black bean brownies now, and I can report truthfully that you’d never know there were beans in them. If you like your brownies fudgy textured, these are for you. (I personally prefer the chewy side of things, but haven’t yet succeeded there. The health benefits of these are worth it, though!)
This 101 Cookbooks recipe is the most recent recipe...
2 tags
“Inflammation is partly regulated by the hormone cortisol and when cortisol is...”
– How Stress Influences Disease: Carnegie Mellon Study Reveals Inflammation as the Culprit
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Salmon (or Tuna) Stewed With Lentils
A fish recipe summarized from Ferran Adrià’s beautiful cookbook, The Family Meal. I make it with tuna rather than salmon, but the original says to use salmon. I’ve made this 3 or 4 times now, including for family holidays, and it gets great reviews.
Salmon or Tuna Stewed with Lentils (For 2):
salmon (or tuna) steaks
parsey sprigs
olive oil
fish stock (1.75 cups)
canned...
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The Alzheimer's Gene Weakness
New research findings suggest how the ApoE4 Alzheimer’s gene leads to brain plaques. If you’re new to the topic, having one or two copies of the ApoE4 variant renders you magnitudes likelier to have Alzheimer’s. (You can get tested for the gene variant on a site like 23andme.com, as I did.)
The precise behavior of ApoE4, as opposed to the behavior of the non-threatening ApoE3...
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Blueberry Almond Muffins for Brains
I based this recipe off a few almond-meal muffin recipes, especially So Good and Tasty’s Cherry Almond Muffins. I’ve made them twice now, and yum!
1 cup almond meal
1 cup oat flour
1/4 spelt flour (you could replace the oat/spelt with others of your choice)
1/2 tsp. xanthum gum (replacing gluten)
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup flax seeds
...
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Bacteria and You: Dirt, Guts, Cats.
A handful of interesting articles about bacteria affecting your mood or behavior, making me wonder who is really in charge here.
Probiotic bacteria changes behavior in mice: for the “gut-brain axis” fans,
The bacterial menu changed the levels of signalling chemicals in the rodents’ brains, and reduced behaviours associated with stress, anxiety and depression.
Source of...
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Rosemary Oil and Concentration
Apparently aromatherapy isn’t all in (someone else’s) heads — cognitive performance went up in a study of the benefits of smelling rosemary oil during work tasks:
Plasma 1,8-cineole correlates with cognitive performance following exposure to rosemary essential oil aroma
I’ve now tried this myself, actually, and I think I do get more done in more focused bouts with a...
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Welcome / About This Tumblr.
My family history is lousy with depression, Alzheimer’s genes (ApoE4) and expression, diabetes, high cholesterol, general health issues related to inflammation and crabbiness. The older I get (and the older my parents get), the more I feel I have reason to pay a lot more attention to this.
I’ve been collecting links on brain-related research for a while now, and I stepped it up a lot...
