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The Effect on Chess on the Brain

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 19:47:33 GMT

🎓✨ Congratulations to Our Outstanding Alumni! ✨🎓

Fri, 17 May 2024 17:57:38 GMT

OSU's Center for Social Innovation Grads!

We are thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the incredible alumni of the Center for Social Innovation at OSU-OKC on their remarkable achievement of obtaining their degrees!

Today marks a significant milestone in your journey—a testament to your hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to academic excellence. Through countless hours of study, perseverance, and personal growth, you have demonstrated resilience and determination in pursuit of your dreams.

As alumni of the Center for Social Innovation, you embody the values of innovation, compassion, and social responsibility. Your passion for making a positive impact in your communities and beyond serves as an inspiration to us all.

We applaud your achievements and celebrate this momentous occasion with you. Your success is a reflection of your talent, ambition, and boundless potential. May this graduation be just the beginning of a fulfilling and rewarding journey ahead.

Remember, as you embark on new adventures and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead, the Center for Social Innovation at OSU-OKC will always be here to support and celebrate your continued success.

Congratulations 2024 graduates! We are immensely proud of each and every one of you.

Antwan Warren
Courtenie Jackson
Corri Patterson
Jennifer Murray
Kacee Green
Kyra Beer

The CFSI Team
Ariel Moore
Ryan Blackwell
John Standfill

Brain Integration Therapy...physical therapy for your brain!

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 23:35:39 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

Why Brain Integration Therapy?

God designed learning to occur in a specific way: when a new task is learned, such as riding a bike, driving a car, learning to track the eyes from left to right in reading, or learning the orientation of letters or numbers, the left, concentrating brain hemisphere is engaged. After a short time of practice, these processes are supposed to transfer into the child’s right brain to be stored in the automatic hemisphere so he or she can now think and track his or her eyes at the same time, think and write at the same time, or think and hear sounds at the same time.

When this transfer isn’t easily made between brain hemispheres, the child becomes overwhelmed with the learning task and begins to get behind in reading and writing because of the effort involved in a process that should take very little effort if both brain hemispheres were involved. This can appear as dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, auditory processing dysfunction or more mild processing problems in reading, writing, and hearing.

These hemispheric connections, which appear to be absent or “disconnected” can be encouraged to reconnect by using specific body exercises that cross the midline of the body. When these short, daily exercises are combined with the more powerful once-a-week Brain Training, these vital connections are slowly, progressively made each week. By using this process, parents and teachers see the learning process (elimination of visual and writing reversals, remembering phonics sounds, etc.) become easier after just a few weeks. However, it is important to continue this process for at least 3 -6 months, so that the gains are not lost.

This inexpensive but very effective home therapy has been used by parents across the country for the past 20 years. We at Child Diagnostics will be here to answer any of your questions and guide you through this process so that you will see the same improvements in learning that we have seen for many years.

Dianne Craft

diannecraft.org

How Dance Can Provide Positive Benefits For Those With Parkinson's

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 22:12:46 GMT

Find out how dance supports physical and psychological wellbeing. This blog will describe the health benefits that dance can provide for every individual, with a specific focus on those with parkinson's disease.

A Comprehensive Guide To Staying Safe In The Summer

Mon, 14 Aug 2023 21:30:55 GMT

New Paragraph

What Is a Clinical Exercise Specialist?

Wed, 24 May 2023 20:33:24 GMT

Just What Do You Mean, "Wellness?"

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 23:02:35 GMT

Why Understanding Wellness Is So Important

Wellness seems to be a bit of a buzzword in certain circles. Some may even be able to note where wellness has become an entire movement. People everywhere keep dropping the word in various situations and contexts. So, what’s the big deal?

What is Wellness ?

Well, it really all starts with how we define wellness . According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness is “the active pursuit of activities, choices, and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health.” Initially, modern physicians began to take the route that it is possible to focus on self-healing and preventative care that is more natural and holistic rather than focused with the aid of pharmaceuticals to treat specific problems. Their idea of wellness, therefore, is that it is a daily practice that leads us to live our best and most functional lives.

However, we must understand that wellness isn’t just about eating the right things and getting enough exercise. Because of its focus on holistic health, it includes multiple interdependent dimensions. According to researchers, 8 identified dimensions include physical, social, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, vocational, financial, and environmental (Stowen, 2017). While it is not natural to “balance” these dimensions by devoting the same exact amount of time and energy to each, we must be careful not to neglect any of them. In other words, we must strive towards living a life where we do put the right amount of energy towards all aspects.

The Wellness Continuum

Wellness also isn’t the same thing as health. Health is a passive state of being. We understand health usually in terms of the presence or absence of disease or illness. In other words, if we are not sick, we consider ourselves to be in good health. However, wellness is more of an active process that we must actively engage in. It creates a focus not just on living our lives each day pain or illness free, but on thriving in all that we do. Thus, wellness is commonly understood to be a continuum where illness is on one far end and optimal wellness is on the other.

According to physician John Travis (1972), this is referred to as the Illness-Wellness Continuum. On the illness side, there are levels that move from the beginning stages of simply poor health in general to the development of a disease. The wellness side, however, moves from good health with regular exercise, good eating habits, and wellness education towards an optimal state of wellness that is continuously developed with active practice. In other words, we can move on this continuum by either falling backwards towards an unhealthy lifestyle that leads to disease, or forwards towards an optimal state of wellness .

Furthermore, we must pay special attention to the middle of the continuum. Travis refers to this as the Comfort Zone. Midrange is usually a good thing. We learned this early on from Goldilocks who thought Baby Bear’s things were the best, neither too hot nor too cold and neither too hard nor too soft. Naturally, we tend to want to be in the middle. The continuum explains this by showing that the middle is where we consider ourselves to be most comfortable in life. If we stay in that zone, we can be in decent health with no major disease or illness immediately plaguing us. However, there is so much more for us to experience! We simply need to step out of that Comfort Zone and experience what it feels like to live a life of optimal wellness to understand that the middle is really subpar.

Additionally, it is key to remember that since wellness is understood as a continuum, we can be moving towards optimal wellness and feeling the wonderful effects no matter where we are at the start of our wellness journey. We can reach optimal wellness by taking just one small step today!

Habits

When we talk about pursuing wellness , we cannot ignore that it is a daily practice. According to research (Stowen, 2017), what we have routinized takes up about 40 % of our day! This testifies to the power of habits to change our lives as routines are simply habits that we have incorporate into our day. And, when we talk about expending energy on our wellness dimensions, it just so happens that habits take less energy than other activities, which typically require more focus and attention to complete.

The only downside to habits is that they can be tough to form. The want or desire to do something regularly is not the same as harnessing the energy to actually do it consistently until it becomes a regular, routinized habit. However, there are some things we can do to help us form the healthy habits we wish we had:

1) Schedule it. Try scheduling your new activity into your day. Putting it on a planner or even setting an alarm on your phone each day can give the push needed for follow through.

2) Stabilize it. We need consistency and stability in completing the activity for it to be a habit, but it can help if we simply have consistency in when it is done. Choosing the same time each day (or on the same day and at the same time for weekly activities) can improve our chances of establishing a new habit quickly and efficiently.

3) Stack it. If 40% of our day is made up of habitual routines, we have plenty of habits we are successfully completing already. Simply pick a habit on which you can build or stack your new habit.

For example, washing our hands after using the restroom is a habit all of us already have and do without much thought. Perhaps after a handwashing we can incorporate an exercise or two from our customized BIT program. Another habit may be to go to our favorite chair to sit down for a short rest throughout the day. Stack onto that a new habit to drink more water by ensuring that you have a full glass of water each time we make a move there with the intention to finish the glass before we get back up. We’ll be fully hydrated all day long before we know it!

References:

https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness/

Stowen, 2017 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ar ticles/PMC5508938/

Travis, 1972 https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Illness-Wellness-Continuum-Source-John-Travis-1972_fig4_342770547

National Anti-Boredom Month

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 21:35:27 GMT

Pamela Redline

July 2022

July happens to be National Anti-Boredom Month. Okay, you may be wondering, “Is there really a month that has been set aside for something as silly as bringing awareness to avoiding boredom?” Well, there is, and it is not as silly as you may think.

As a kid, most of us have complained to our parents about being bored only to get a reply to go clean our room or go outside do something. The thing is, we can be doing things and still face boredom. It’s more a matter of whether or not we are being appropriately stimulated mentally. This can happen when we are too routinized or busy doing things each day that are not actually challenging.

According to brain health researchers, boredom perilously combines feelings of “restlessness and lethargy” (Kim, 2021). In recent years, researchers have begun to study boredom as a trait in which individuals may be predisposed. This means that boredom can be chronic rather than just a single incident in time. As a trait, one may be born prone to boredom or become prone due to circumstances such as experiencing a traumatic brain injury.

But what does this even matter? Well, findings from many studies have concluded that if you are plagued with chronic boredom, you have a higher risk for mental health issues as well as dysfunctional behaviors. Interestingly, in a study where people were put into a room for quiet time, which researchers believed would help them be calmer and more peaceful, many participants actually suffered from extreme boredom. Amazingly, many chose to experience mild physical pain via an electric shock rather than experience the mental pain of boredom.

Besides being an uncomfortable feeling, we naturally wish to escape, chronic boredom can be quite detrimental in a few areas of our lives:

Mental Health: Studies have shown that experiencing chronic boredom can increase levels of anxiety and depression ( Washington State University, 2019 ). It can be easy to confuse depression with boredom. However, boredom is characterized by feeling a lack of fulfillment that stems from a desire to be mentally stimulated. It can lead to focusing on the negative of the self or a sense of sadness that characterizes depression.

Dysfunctional Behaviors: Studies have also shown that experiencing chronic boredom can lead to impulsive behaviors because decision-making is drastically affected ( Weir, 2013 ). Certain behaviors such as drug or alcohol abuse may be the first thing that comes to mind. However, dysfunctional behaviors can be a plethora of poor life choices ranging from binge eating to walking out on a job because something upset us.

Traumatic Brain Injuries : Research indicates that individuals who have experienced traumatic brain injuries often experience a significant increase in how often they feel bored. Experts believe this may be due to damage done to the orbitofrontal cortex ( Kim, 2021 ). This part of the brain signals reward values from sensory input, so injury can damage the connections ( Rolls, 2004 ). For example, an activity someone used to find pleasurable may no longer produce feelings of enjoyment and leave the individual with feelings of boredom with the activity.

As always, once we note a problem that can be disastrous to our mental, physical, and cognitive health, we look towards what we can do to prevent the harmful effects. Researchers have looked at the neurological science behind boredom by measuring brain waves both before and the moment when boredom sits-in ( Weir, 2013 ). In essence, they found the most tedious tasks that people couldn’t help but be bored while completing, assigned them to participants, and monitored their brains.

They expected to find a difference in brain waves between people who were prone to chronic boredom and those who weren’t. But this wasn’t the case! Instead, the neuroscientists discovered that when put into a bored state, individuals who were prone to boredom began to respond by activating the right side of their brain. Individuals who were not chronically bored, on the other hand, activated the left side of their brain. In other words, people who are prone to boredom can learn to successfully cope with boredom – by activating the other side of their brain!

While many popular articles claim the left-side of the brain contains the more logical and analytical thought processes while the right-side holds the more creative aspects, neuroscience leads us to a much more complicated relationship between the two sides of our brain ( Lombrozo, 2013 ). Often, both sides of the brain must work together. For example, language is processed on both sides of the brain. Yet, each side holds a distinctive role. According to research, “The left side processes grammar and punctuation while the right processes intonation” ( Lincoln, 2020 ). In terms of understanding space, the right side of the brain is usually at work; however, the left-side of the brain activates when an individual thinks about a specific object in a specific place.

When activating the Left-Side of the brain there are activities that can help us when we find ourselves bored. Relying on technology and turning towards our screens for video entertainment to cope with boredom may be activating the right side of our brain and providing us with a feeling of escape without actually coping with the problem. However, picking up a book and reading, or even reading items like this blog online, can help activate our left hemisphere. Additionally, planning for meals or creating grocery lists may also be the mental stimulation we need to activate our left sides and cope with boredom.

ADVICE: Don’t get bogged down on trying to figure out which side of the brain is activated with a certain activity. The key in learning to cope with boredom is finding what challenges you and stimulates you mentally!

References:

Kim, 2021 ( https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/boredom-mental-health-disconnected/2021/07/16/c367cd30-9d6a-11eb-9d05-ae06f4529ece_story.html )

Lincoln, 2020 ( https://www.wondriumdaily.com/solving-the-mystery-of-the-left-brain-and-right-brain-myth/ )

Lombrozo, 2013 ( https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2013/12/02/248089436/the-truth-about-the-left-brain-right-brain-relationship )

Rolls, 2004 ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15134840/ )

Washington State University, 2019 ( https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/07/190708140109.htm )

Weir, 2013 ( https://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/07-08/dull-moment )

Men's Health Month

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 19:39:13 GMT

Pamela Redline

June 6, 2022

To coincide with Father’s Day this month we are honoring the men in our life by celebrating National Men’s Health Month. If you are a man yourself, or a female with a close male loved one, this blog topic may seem to strike your interest. However, we will be talking about age-related cognitive decline, which can apply to anyone as they age. What interests us specifically this month is the certain aspects of cognition have been shown to decline more rapidly in men than women ( McCarrey et al., 2016 via ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ). We will be focusing on these aspects today.

Cognitive decline happens naturally as we age. This isn’t something to fear though as we can work towards a mild decline in a slow progression that does not drastically affect our daily lives. What we note here are the areas in which men typically have steeper declines. According to the research, these areas include 1) mental status, 2) perceptuomotor speed and integration, and 3) visuospatial ability ( McCarrey et al., 2016 ).

Mental status refers to the abilities such as language, recall, recognizing time and place, and calculation. The study shows that the decline of these abilities for men as they age is much steeper than that for women.

Perceptuomotor skills refer to an individual’s perceptual or sensory skills as they connect to motor skills. For example, movements that are rapid or sluggish (timing), movements forward or backward (direction), and movements such as tapping a heel to the ground (spatial awareness) are examples of perceptuomotor skills. Thus, for men, there is a steeper decline in the overall connection between the perceptual and motor skills (integration) as well as the speed related to such movements.

Visuospatial ability refers to the ability to make connections between what is seen when looking at an object and knowing where said object belongs. A prime example would be a jigsaw puzzle. The visual is what a single piece looks like in comparison to another piece (what is seen), and the spatial is knowing how to connect the pieces (where the pieces belong). Thus, the study above shows men have a steeper decline in such abilities as they age.

Now that we understand the forms of cognitive decline, let’s take a look at what we can do to help minimize or slow down the natural decline we face as we age.

The first seems obvious, but we must mention that staying mentally active is crucial. The Harvard Medical School recognizes six mental activities that can help you keep your brain active: “reading, writing, doing crossword puzzles, playing board or card games, engaging in group discussions, and playing music.” If you cannot play and instrument and do not have one, you can still learn about music! There are many websites available to you. For example, Musicca.com offers free online lessons on how to read music as well as the basics in playing piano.

A second falls a bit in line with the first as some of the fun mental activities involve others. Social interactions benefit humans on many different levels. However, in terms of cognitive decline, research has shown that depression will speed the progression (health.hardvard.edu). Interacting with others may be a way to stay mentally engaged, but it can also stave off loneliness, which is often connected to experiencing depression.

A third way to slow cognitive decline is to ensure you are living a healthy, active lifestyle. Exercise itself has been shown in various studies to improve cognitive function. However, medical professionals warn that issues such as diabetes and obesity can have major effects on your brain health. Specifically, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels are known to decrease cognitive function.

Additionally, sleep habits should be high on everyone’s priority list. Every parent knows that children need plenty of rest before school in order to be at their best mentally. Yet, we seem to forget this as we age. We may not be heading off to learn at school each day, but even the elderly need 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. It just so happens that we need to pay more attention to our sleep habits as we get older, and our sleep is interrupted by needing to use the restroom in the middle of the night or not feeling like we can stay in bed when we “can’t sleep any longer.” It is actually erroneous to believe that it is because we are getting older that we tire out too quickly and have to take naps. Often, we drift off in our comfy chairs during the afternoon hours simply because we have bad sleep habits and are not getting enough quality sleep at night.

Finally, diet can also drastically affect one’s propensity to suffer from cognitive decline more rapidly and/or at an earlier age. In fact, medical professionals state that “diets high in fruits, vegetables, and fish have been shown to improve cognitive function, while also being good for the health and wellbeing of your body in general” (Core Medical Wellness). An article from the Harvard Medical School reaffirms this notion and claims that a Mediterranean-style diet is extremely beneficial in slowing cognitive decline in individuals. Interested in giving it a try? Check out these easy and delicious recipes for beginners: https://www.everydayhealth.com/mediterranean-diet/easy-mediterranean-diet-recipes-beginners/

Be sure to also check out the blog from our sister company, Redline Exercise Rx, as they celebrate the designation of June as National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month and provide more information on how you can incorporate these wonderful foods into your diet!

References:

https://coremedicalwellness.com/combating-cognitive-decline-older-men/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4783196/

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/protecting-against-cognitive-decline

Stress Awareness Month

Mon, 11 Apr 2022 13:02:48 GMT

Pamela Redline

April 2022

April has been designated Stress Awareness Month. Let’s take a moment and evaluate our lives.

Have you been feeling down in the dumps a little more lately? Would someone describe you as a hot-tempered because of your high irritability levels? Are you experiencing anxiety, depression, or sadness for no apparent reason? There are many reasons and causes for moodiness and other emotional afflictions, and today we are going to talk about one possible culprit: stress. Take a moment to reflect on the kinds and amounts of stress that may be in your life.

Stress can come from all directions including our relationships, our employers, our work environment, and/or our finances. In fact, a recent report by the American Psychological Association found that the greatest factor of stress Americans face right now is the national inflation. Some stressors we can control, like committing to too many projects or allowing ourselves to put too much on our plates at one time. However, others we simply can’t, like the rising inflation rates. Unfortunately, many of the stronger stressors in our lives are those which we have no influence over.

So, what can we do? Well, we must first recognize where our stress is coming from. Consider making a list of your own stressors. Physically writing them down can help you recognize the smaller stressors without solely focusing on the bigger ones. Secondly, we must acknowledge the fact that our bodies are equipped to handle stress. It can help us become more alert and energized. However, when stress piles up (yep, the smaller stressors really are important too!) or when it remains to where we experience chronic stress, then our bodies start to fail. This includes our mental state.

This month here at Brain Builder Pros we will be focusing on how stress affects our mental health and cognition, and the many ways in which we can cope when experiencing excessive amounts of stress. Take the first steps today by evaluating your body. Are you physically feeling your stress? Some of the common symptoms include:

headaches
dizziness
shaking
trouble sleeping
digestive problems
general aches and pains
muscle tensions
a feeling of pressure in the chest

While it is impossible to eliminate stress, with the proper tools we can manage it. You have already taken the first step if you have identified your stressors, small and great. Do you struggle with the “too much to do and too little time” problem? Begin to conquer the stress stemming from feeling overwhelmed by acknowledging the positive things you have done or what you have accomplished today. If you haven’t gotten to your entire list, stop thinking about all you have left to do and take a moment to celebrate what you have done. It’s a little thing, but if you consciously devote simply 5 minutes of focusing only on the positives, your body can have a moment to relax and allow the stress to fade.

Another thing you can do is check back in for our next installment as we continue to discuss stress and stress management this month.

References:

https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2022/march-2022-survival-mode

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11874-stress

Water and Cognitive Function

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 17:28:49 GMT

Pamela Redline

March 24, 2022

What did you have for dinner last night? Does it take you longer to remember things? Have you recently put you keys somewhere and were unable to find them later?

In previous blogs, we shared the scientific knowledge that water accounts for up to 60 % of our body. However, when we consider our brain separately, the USGS ( a branch of the US Department of the Interior ) points out that our brains are a whopping 73% water! Just imagine the impact of a brain that is in constant dehydration. Rather than thinking in severe cases, imagine the impact of chronic mild dehydration.

You may not notice the little memory lapses every day, or you may attribute your experiences to aging. However, studies have shown dehydration will affect a multitude of brain functions such as memory, processing rates, and even focus ( Hearn & Hearn, 2022 ). This is why children and adults with attention deficit disorder can benefit from improving their water intake as many are shown to be insufficiently hydrated. Additionally, it helps explain the connection between dehydration and dementia in aging adults.

It is said that the cells in our brain require twice as much energy as other body cells to function properly. The brain requires energy to produce neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are what send the messages from your nerves that tell your body what to do, whether it be to recall a memory or to move your arm up and down.

So, if we need high levels of energy for the brain, how do we get that energy? Yep, you guessed it. Water is arguably the best way to get the energy our brain needs.

Dinking enough water each day is critical to our brain health because our brains do not have the ability to store water. Last blog, we challenged you to drink an extra glass or two of water each day. Today, we ask you to kick it up a notch by focusing on the timing of our water intake to ensure you are drinking throughout the day. We challenge you to begin your day with 16 ounces of water. This means trying to drink pure water the moment you wake up, before any coffee, tea, or juice. We know this is a habit that will help you thrive!

References – For more information, check out these websites:

https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/water-you-water-and-human-body

https://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/water-and-brain.html

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22513-neurotransmitters

Water and Brain Health

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 15:52:39 GMT

Pamela Redline

March 3, 2022

Continuing our Water Dare series, let’s talk cognitive functioning. When we connect dehydration and cognitive functioning, we are talking about effects such as slower reaction times and lower accuracy. Hearing these words, we may be thinking about sports and other physical activities or exercise. However, it actually extends to all aspects of life.

Consider the importance of reaction time when you’re driving down the highway or even downtown to the grocery store. Tasks relying on memory and attention, such as the ability to recall where you left your car keys, will be affected. What about the implications towards slowing down your decision-making and problem solving when daily stressors arise? All of these are examples of times when we need our cognitive functioning to be at its best.

In a recent analysis, two researchers in medicine and exercise found that dehydration will hinder brain health by slowing down our cognitive functioning. In other words, drinking a sufficient amount of water has been shown to keep our brains functioning efficiently. Most research has focused on the effects of full dehydration, meaning there is a loss of at least 2% of body water. As minimal as that may already seem, mild dehydration is classified as a loss of only 1-2%. The analysis referenced above provided scientific evidence that even mild dehydration would cause these problems to arise!

Drinking a sufficient amount of water each day is crucial for quality of life. Make the change with us! In our last post, we challenged you to begin keeping track of how much water you are currently drinking. Today, we challenge you to step onto the path of improving your brain functioning by consciously drinking an extra cup or two of water each day.

Interested in delving into the physiological effects of dehydration? Click Here to read the blog from our sister company, Redline Exercise Rx.

Quick Blurb: Did you know that mild dehydration occurs within the body when there is a water loss that is as small as 1-2%?! So, what happens to your brain when dehydration occurs? Slower reaction times and lower accuracy. Read this week’s blog to learn what this means for you and your cognitive wellness.

References: Wittbrodt, M. & Millard-Stafford, M. (2018). Dehydration impairs cognitive performance: A meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 50, 2360-2368. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000001682

The Water Dare

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 19:46:49 GMT

Pamela Redline

January 2022

Causes, signs & symptoms of dehydration headaches

“The body requires the proper balance of fluid and electrolytes to function properly. Every day, your body loses water through daily activities, such as sweating and urinating, and typically you make up for that loss naturally with the foods you eat and fluids you drink. But sometimes, this balance can get out of whack due to diarrhea, vomiting, fever, or extreme sweating.

An imbalance of fluid and electrolytes in the body can result in a dehydration headache. When your body is dehydrated, your brain may temporarily contract or shrink from fluid loss. This causes the brain to pull away from the skull, causing pain and resulting in a headache. Once rehydrated, the brain plumps up and returns to its normal state, relieving the discomfort.

The headaches can be relatively mild or as severe as a migraine, and the pain may occur at the front, back, side, or all over the head. Typically, there is no facial pain or pressure, and there is not often pain in the back of the neck.”

https://www.southsidepainspecialists.com/is-dehydration-the-cause-of-your-headaches/

There is a new year on the calendar. People everywhere are making resolutions. I personally don’t think I need to wait until a new year begins to make changes in my overall health and well-being. We, at Totall Wellness, and their sister companies, Redline Exercise Rx, and Brain Builder Pros, invite you to join us in “The Water Dare”. We are reading everything we can get our hands on about the healing power of water and natural salt. Keep checking in with us as we will continue to share the exciting information we are not just reading, but ingesting!

We call this “The Water Dare” because we dare you to make the change! Read the information! Get immersed in good health.

Come on in! The water’s fine!!!

We're on this 'rock' for a short time

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 16:32:20 GMT

Pamela Redline

September 29, 2021

My mother is a published writer of exceptional folk poetry. She has a sense of humor that won't quit. At 85 ½ years of age, she is an example of aging well and making every day better than the last. One of the ways we connect intergenerationally is to tell share dumb jokes with one another. Our dad died two years ago. He had a crazy sense of humor as well. You've all seen the poster, "Dad jokes rule..." Well, my Dad's jokes did and now we miss him and his dumb jokes. But the time we shared with him and the jokes we have shared live on and we continue to repeat his "dumb jokes".

We are all on this "rock" for a short time and we never know when our time may end. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, "Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why we call it 'The Present' - Eleanor Roosevelt: Inspirational & Motivational ... a Quote - Wide Ruled Lined (Quotes for Kids) Paperback - July 30, 2020 by Notebooq Design (Author)

Struggling Learner Certification and Brain Builder Pros, A Great Team.

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 15:00:55 GMT

"After two years of study, Pam has received her certificate from The Dianne Craft Right Brain Learning Program".

What does that mean to you?

She has completed course work in the study of brain integration therapy and brain training. The course was designed by Dianne Craft, Founder and President of the Dianne Craft "Right Brain" Learning System

"Dianne has over 35 years of experience teaching bright, inquisitive children who are struggling with learning because of a "glitch" in the processing of information (sometimes referred to as a learning disability). She teaches to the problems of these children, often including hyperactivity or attention/behavior problems with a unique way: to find the "solutions" to the problem(s), rather than to compensate for the problem.

She received her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary and Special Education from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota in 1966 and a Master's Degree in Special Education from the University of Northern Colorado in 1990.

Her long-time passion is discovering the reason why children struggle with learning and behavior. She began her quest for the latest brain research concerning learning disabilities and their causes, with the belief that God has many solutions available that were previously little or unknown to both parents and teachers alike. She has traveled extensively to glean these bits of knowledge and began applying new techniques to struggling learners.

Dianne Craft Right Brain Learning System was created and Dianne began teaching the workshop "Brain Integration Therapy" in 1988. She has taught it to children, educators, psychologists, speech therapists, and occupational therapists. In 1993 she began teaching these life-changing concepts directly to parents so that they could also work with their children.

During the process of studying the brain and children's learning, she created two more popular workshops: "Teaching Strategies for the Right Brain Child" and "The Biology of Learning (Behavior)." She has also taught these classes throughout the five-state region around Colorado.

She retired from teaching in 1997 after 25 years of working with bright and struggling learners but wanted to continue working with kids, so she started a private consulting firm, Child Diagnostics, Inc. https://diannecraft.org , in 1997. Her inspiration was the unique, and proven method that she has developed to diagnose the cause of learning problems and it would be well served by teaching it to the parents of struggling, bright learners. The program not only consists of exercises to perform with children but also nutritional interventions.

She became a nutritionist after realizing that there was another important puzzle piece to these struggling learners. In 1999 she became a Certified Nutritional Health Professional (CNHP) by Trinity College of Warsaw, Indiana. If a child's biochemistry is upset and his nervous system is not responding correctly, it can make it look like he has focusing problems, auditory processing problems, and even dyslexia.

She lives Centennial, Colorado and continues to run the Dianne Craft "Right Brain" Learning System with my granddaughter, Cassie Moore. They are a great team and they have so much fun working together and creating more products and services to help our students, parents and teachers feel successful." https://diannecraft.org/ I came into this program because of a loved one who suffered a brain injury. It's a long and rather interesting story as to how I found Dianne and her wonderful program. As a Medical Exercise Specialist, I specialize in post rehabilitation/post injury programs. There are far too many people who need continuing care after discharge from therapies but their insurance benefits has run out. Our team of professionals are then brought on board to provide the wellness continuum to address this need.

Physiological healing is very important but the neurological component cannot be overlooked. The entire brain and body must be addressed for total healing to take place. After implementing the Dianne Craft programs to my loved one and seeing the immediate and profound healing response, I was amazed. Dianne and I communicated often about the success of the person I was caring for. She told me I would be a great addition to the "Craft Healing Team" so I began my educational journey. It has been 100% successful with the clients I have worked with.

I have been able to successfully apply the Right Brain Learning System to clients who have been diagnosed with autism, Asperger's, traumatic brain injury, and brain tumor recovery. In addition, this program has changed the lives of my cients with strokes, PICS, and poly pharmacy. I have learned A LOT! This program is simple and very effective. Like any healing program, it takes effort on both sides - the client and the practitioner. But it will change your life. I also apply the techniques to each of my clients as part of their medical exercise and personal training programs. Blending together the neurological with the physiological has made me a much more capable practitioner but the greatest benefit is seen in the immediate results my clients have experienced in their lives.

I invite you to contact me for more information about life-changing, healing modalities to help you or your struggling learner.

Pam Redline, MES, OES, SLC, CPT, GFI

September Is National "_________" Month

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 14:08:34 GMT

Pamela Redline

September 2021

When I research the plethora of articles and information available for my monthly blogs, I search for a specific theme to spotlight aspects of the specialty care we offer at both Redline Exercise Rx and our co-company, Brain Builder Pros. When I seek out the juicy tidbits I want to share with you, the fun begins. This month I thought I would share the many organizations that have adopted September as their national month and attempt to tie a few of them into my blog and pop ups that will add a pinch (1/16 teaspoon) of encouragement or a dollop (a heaping tablespoon) of humor to your life. https://nationaltoday.com/intergeneration-month/#:~:text=The%20Intergenerational%20Foundation%20launched%20Intergeneration,and%20American%20Association%20of%20Museums .

One of the titles included in the list this month is National Intergeneration Month. Of the many wellness services offered to our clients, our main objective to help them set goals so they can remain in their homes, heal and then maintain health, and then age in place as their lives continue on its dynamic course following their retirement. The second we are born, we begin to age. Think about it! Why wait until we are 65 to plan the remainder of our life. Why not plan our "3rd Act" now? A dynamic plan to keep our mind, body, and spirit well and fit needs as much planning as our education and your career. https://www.3rdactmagazine.com/ Check this out.

Start now to "make your past self jealous" https://www.dovechocolate.com/our-chocolate?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0PecoaLp8gIVthkGAB12fAy9EAAYASAAEgKbCvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

It is no wonder this theme resonates with our companies. This month, I will address Intergenerational month in both of our websites but I will focus on different sub-themes. Redline Exercise Rx began in 2003 to address post injury and post rehabilitation injuries for physiological injuries. Brain Builder Pros began in 2019 to address post injury and post rehabilitation injuries for neurological injuries. Here is an easy way to remember what we do...

Broken and injured bodies? Redline Exercise Rx Broken and injured brains? Brain Builder Pros

Neurological Wellness Programs

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 16:13:24 GMT

Pamela Redline

August 13, 2021

Brain Builder Pros , a neurological wellness program, couples brain integration therapy with a proven cognitive wellness coaching program to offer very effective and proven healing programs. BBP, as we affectionately call it, is also available to our clients who seek a more extensive neurological healing focus. As the protocols are built into our activity programs to maximize your success, BBP can be included in your program.

Redline Exercise Rx (Prescription) has a legacy of building wellness programs since 1992. We work with individuals of all ages and with many different diagnoses. We also have a corporate wellness extension of our business called Totall Wellness. https://www.redlinerx.com/wellness . Totall Wellness was created to build corporate and business wellness programs to assist employers reduce cost of health insurance by assisting to create a culture of health, where health and wellness promotion is a valued part of the normal work day environment.

Brain Tumor Action Week

Wed, 05 May 2021 14:28:35 GMT

Brain Builder Pros was started because a person very close to the Redline family was diagnosed with a life threatening brain tumor. Though the tumor itself was benign, it was diagnosed as malignant because, if left unaddressed, their loved one would face certain death. Invasive brain surgery was not an option but a life-saving measure. Since that time both Ralph and Pam Redline have dedicated themselves to habilitation, rehabilitation, treatment and education of clients with all types of brain injuries. Post brain tumor rehabilitation is one of the major care programs they provide. They stay current in their field of study, continuing to learn and apply the most scientifically sound modalities to each person they have the pleasure of aiding on their wellness journey.

http://www.whathealth.com/awareness/event/braintumour.html

Broken or injured brain? We are here to help. Contact

Pam@BrainBuilderPros.com to continue your journey to brain recovery.

Enriched Envrionments

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 17:22:37 GMT

Pamela Redline

April 19, 2021

“Surround yourself with “enriched” environments, and your brain will benefit.” So much so that, as I learned watching the fascinating documentary My Love Affair with the Brain: The Life and Science of Dr. Marian Diamond, it can even physically expand. The term used to describe the phenomena: plasticity.

Autism

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 16:15:06 GMT

Pamela REdline

April 5, 2021

Autism “Many studies implicate inflammation of the white matter of the brain as a common thread in children diagnosed on the Autism spectrum. However, one very unique aspect of fish oil, is its affect on the gaze aversion that afflicts so many children with autism. The rods in the retina of the eye are very responsive to the supplementation of DHA. Dr. Mary Megson, a developmental pediatrician in Richmond, Virginia has found that the reason that children with gaze aversion will seem to look away from a parent’s face is because, when looking directly at the face, all they see is a white block. Thus, they use their peripheral vision to at least get a glimpse of what they are looking at. With proper amounts of naturally occurring Vitamin A and D in Cod Liver Oil, this gaze aversion disappears, or is greatly reduced. Dr. Megson states strongly that it is important that synthetic Vitamin A in the form of retinyl palmitate not be used. 5 Interestingly enough, I have found this also to be the case in the children in my consultation practice who come to me with gaze aversion. I have always found that with the proper amounts of DHA, for which I use a specific Cod Liver Oil, the gaze aversion is eliminated or reduced by 85 percent. In fact, in the Autism Conferences at which I speak, I have “before and after” pictures of children with Autism, showing the lack of gaze aversion after giving this vital nutrient. Besides affecting gaze aversion, parents report increased socialization, speech, bladder control and sensory processing after even a short while of this supplementation. It has also helped many children struggling with ADHD, Dyslexia, and Bipolar.”

https://diannecraft.org/autism-aspergers/

Cog Wheels of Brain Health: Stress Management

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 19:27:45 GMT

Winning Brain Health Habits: Cog Wheel #4

By Pamela Redline, Medical Exercise Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Mind and Body Health Coach

“Stress fills our daily life. It is the basis of ambition, motivation, and action. We experience stress when things are not as we want them to be. Stress is beneficial when it moves us towards positive activity and can be resolved. Stress becomes harmful when it is prolonged and unrelieved and when we feel powerless to address it.

Stress is generally considered good and useful when a person deals well with a short-term crisis, or even learns from the experience and masters new skills. In situations where the stress is precipitated by a cognitive or physical challenge, such as writing a report for work or performing in a sports competition, meeting the challenge gives people a heightened sense of accomplishment, mastery, and power.

Many risk factors damage the brain by disrupting our normal stress response. In order to understand how to minimize the damage done by risk factors, we need to understand the basic mechanisms of chronic stress. We cannot hope to eliminate all stress from our lives, but we can learn to manage our stress response and minimize the damage that it causes. (Patterson, 2019)

“No matter your age, your brain is incredibly plastic. This means that the physical structures of your brain, the hundred billion brain cells and the gazillions of connections they make, are constantly changing their shape and their function. They respond to what you experience and how you interact with your external environment. They respond to how you treat your internal environment. You can shape and strengthen your brain by making smart choices that actually stimulate positive plastic growth, while minimizing damage and negative change. One of the causes of cognitive decline and dementia is the end result of unaddressed chronic stress caused by myriad insults and injuries that accumulate over the years. If not identified and addressed, this aggregation of damage will eventually overwhelm the brain’s ability to function properly. Some of this damage is inevitable with age. But, much of the damage can be avoided; much can be repaired. ” Dr. Gene Cohen, Psychiatrist , and pioneering gerontologist.

For more information about the CogWheels of Brain Health, contact Pam Redline at pam@brainbuilderpros.com or call her at (405) 888-0502. Please feel free to text “COGWHEELS” to the same number.

Cog Wheels of Brain Health: Social Engagement

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 18:36:32 GMT

Winning Brain Health Habits: Cog Wheel #3

By Pamela Redline, Medical Exercise Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Mind and Body Health Coach

“Positive social engagement”, the third essential cog wheel, “is critically important to our happiness and the health of our brains. Human beings are social creatures who thrive through cooperative interaction with each other” like the cog wheels working together. “Feelings of isolation and rejection are experienced like physical pain and cause chronic stress with all of its associated damage.

We thrive when we interact and cooperate with one other. Human brains grow and remain healthy (positive brain plasticity) when they are able to take advantage of the collective wisdom and cooperative support of other people. Positive social interactions keep us happy, healthy and mentally stimulated.” The reverse has also been proven true, “negative social interactions can lead to both physical and psychological distress.” (Patterson, 2019) “Research has made it clear that isolation and the feelings of loneliness, ‘predict morbidity and mortality,’” (Cacioppo, 2011). Negative social experiences trigger many related physical illnesses in addition to overwhelming psychological challenges.

For more information about the CogWheels of Brain Health, contact Pam Redline at pam@brainbuilderpros.com or call her at (405) 888-0502. Please feel free to text “COGWHEELS” to the same number.

Cog Wheels of Brain Health: Mental Stimulation

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 15:39:34 GMT

Winning Brain Health Habits: Cog Wheel #2

By Pamela Redline, Medical Exercise Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Mind and Body Health Coach

All eight cog wheels of brain health are intricately linked in a combinatorial (Patterson, 2019) process with one another to promote total brain health. They all have several factors in common. Each wheel requires well-planned, creative, novel, specific and challenging activities in order to be completely effective.

The second essential cog wheel vital to brain health is mental stimulation. “Just as we need to exercise our bodies, we also need to give our brains a workout. Any level of mental exercise is beneficial for your brain. But the more effort and exertion that is put into the mental activity, the better the results. The more we challenge our mental capacities with novelty and complexity, the more stimulating and beneficial the mental exercise will be.”

How can we stimulate our minds? Here are a few ideas. “Cultivate curiosity. Learn, read and be creatively curious. Seek mental stimulation that is novel, new and different. Seek activity that mentally challenges you and then master it. Engage in meaningful mental activity that stimulates your emotions and invigorates your motivation. Try creative and complex activities that require use of multiple cognitive functions, engaging all of your senses and include movement. Take regular mental breaks, about every 30 minutes, to give your mind a rest.

In addition to stimulating the brain, brain health is also promoted by learning to control brain function and regularly give our brains a chance to rest and restore.” (Patterson M. C., 2019). Taking time to rest our brain with focused relaxation and mindfulness, living in the moment, and meditating, all promote improved attention and greater ability to avoid distractions while focusing on what matters most at that moment. Too often our minds are rushing from one item on our list to the next activity or future engagement, more by habit than forethought. It is of great benefit to rest our mind.

For more information about the CogWheels of Brain Health, contact Pam Redline at pam@brainbuilderpros.com or call her at (405) 888-0502. Please feel free to text “COGWHEELS” to the same number.

Cog Wheels of Brain Health: Physical Exercise and Purposeful Movement

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 18:12:31 GMT

Winning Brain Health Habits: Cog Wheel #1

By Pamela Redline, Medical Exercise Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Mind and Body Health Coach

The first article in this series was an introduction to the eight essential CogWheels of total health and wellness. This article will address the first of those vital CogWheels, physical activity and purposeful movement. It takes well-planned, specific activities addressed in a combinatorial approach (Patterson, 2019) to gain and then sustain brain and body wellness.

The “combinatorial” approach has two implications that are pertinent to total brain and body health. Exercise and movement are essential but must be complemented with effort to address the other CogWheels as well. We must engage in a combination of different types of physical exercise and movement (aerobic, strength, flexibility, posture, balance) to get the full benefit. Activities that combine multiple types of physical activities are the most efficient. Because our bodies are amazing even a small amount of change for good, will provide immediate results.

What is really amazing is that we can choose an activity to work on a specific region of our body. For example, muscle strengthening, no matter our age, will produce increased muscle strength and size while also increasing the efficient use of oxygen. Walking increases stamina and endurance and decreases excess body fat. These activities notably reduce blood glucose and A1C levels while benefiting blood pressure. A key point of the combinatorial approach is that the body works as an integrated system and, consequently, we need to exercise the full range of muscles in our body.

Coordinated hand movements are fine motor skills repeated in activities such as feeding ourselves, playing an instrument, needlework, cooking, using a writing implement, brushing our teeth, buttoning a shirt, or putting on makeup. Gross motor skills also show immediate benefit from targeted activities such as walking, running, moving from sitting to standing, moving from a bed to wheelchair, or on and off the commode. In short, the success of every activity of daily living (ADL’s), whether large or small is sustained or enhanced by well planned, meaningful and focused activity.

A large portion of the brain is devoted to movement. So, physical exercise and purposeful movement stimulates portions of the brain that are devoted to movement. Whether a master or novice, engaging in activity immediately benefits the brain function of both fine and gross motor skills.

Science has proven activity to be of great benefit. Research has also proven that inactivity is a deficit.

[“Science and experience have proven a core truth about human health and wellbeing – the more we move the healthier we stay and the better we feel.”] With the constant changes in health care, it is vital that we take charge of our own aging to plan our best decade yet. In the words of MINDRAMP founders and coaches, Michael Patterson and Roger Anunsen, “Our bodies are made for meaningful action. Action is life! Body and brain cannot remain healthy and effective unless they are stimulated by purposeful movement. Beware of the sedentary life.”

For more information about the CogWheels of Brain Health, contact Pam Redline at pam@brainbuilderpros.com or call her at (405) 888-0502. Please feel free to text “COGWHEELS” to the same number.

Cog Wheels of Brain Health: Introduction

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 15:35:39 GMT

Winning Brain Health Habits

By Pamela Redline, Medical Exercise Specialist, Personal Trainer, and Mind and Body Health Coach

As a Medical Exercise Specialist I daily see people in all stages of health and wellness challenges. Some are in the post injury/post rehabilitation phase of healing and in need of professionally supervised programs to help them along their wellness continuum.

Not all clients fit this category, however. Many I work with want to address the oncoming train of cognitive decline that is inevitable with aging if allowed to progress uninterrupted. These proactive people want an aggressive plan to prevent the decline that is certain if it is not arrested and reversed. They know that brain health is the key to taking charge of our own cognitive health and wellness continuum.

In the absence of injury or illness the effects of physical, mental, and cognitive decline will affect us all if not assertively and positively addressed head on. Often symptoms of illness or injury are multi-layered. As with the wellness continuum, there is a disease and injury continuum as well. We can become easily overwhelmed by illness and injury and the need to treat pain while navigating through side-effects of post-surgery and supporting medications. All of this, in addition to the altered activity and life style occurs when we are not at our best. It can greatly affect our mind, body and spirit. Whether we digress into poor health or progress to wellness, we are directly and strongly affected by the choices we make. A plethora of scientific research is readily available to support that brain and body health are intricately linked. Recognizing risk factors and how to address and even reverse them is vital and it is possible.

It takes a combination of well planned, specific activities, a combinatorial (Patterson, 2019)] approach to overall health and wellness to positively overcome the illnesses and injuries that affect our physical and psychological health. A combinatorial approach includes eight different but tightly linked cognitive (cog) wheels that beautifully work together for total wellness. As with all cog wheels in any well-oiled machine these work at peak efficiency when each cog wheel is optimally functioning. The reverse is also true. If one cog wheel is dysfunctional, all other wheels will be directly affected. The longer the cog wheel is left unaddressed, or in disrepair, the less effectively the machine will work.

Research shows that we all possess the power to improve every aspect of our health by taking charge of our brain health and craft our own future.

The articles in this series will address each of the eight cognitive ‘cog’ wheels that are vital to the complete health and wellness continuum.

For more information about the 8 cog wheels of total brain health, please email Brain Builder Pros, pam@brainbuilderpros.com . Or you may also call or text us at (405) 888-0502.

Age is just a Number

Mon, 12 Oct 2020 22:58:39 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

Just because you are 60+, it doesn’t mean you should be suffering from chronic pain. Targeted exercises can relieve you of pain and enable to lead an active life. This can slow the aging process and help relieve other signs of aging.

Treating Injuries with Tape

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 22:56:39 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

Kinesiology tape, also known as kinesio tape, is a stretchy, elastic tape that is almost identical to human skin. It can help you treat a wide range of sports injuries and control inflammatory conditions.

Physio during Pregnancy

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 22:53:36 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

Your pregnant body goes through a lot of changes in a short period of time. Physiotherapy can help you with a thorough assessment of your posture, pelvis, pelvic floor and abdominals, and give you pointers on how to get feel like yourself again.

Treating Swimmers

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 22:51:54 GMT

Blog posts are a great way to get recognized within your community and share your voice. Here are the top 10 reasons you should love writing blog posts.

While swimming remains one of the most injury-free sports around, swimming injuries do happen, due to repetition and other factors. Treating injuries early, before they become serious, is critical for ensuring that you can continue doing the sport you love.