That's Fit

Smarts: most of us think we have them but surprisingly, few really do. Although it's true that your intelligence is in good part determined by factors out of your control (like genetics and whether or not your parents let you eat lead paint chips as kid), it's also true that you have more control over your brain power than you probably think. All kinds of daily decisions affect how well your brain works and how "smart" you are, including everything from what you eat to how you act to what exercises you choose for your workout. Are you maximizing your mental potential? If your coffee cup is too big or you often try to multi-task while working out you probably aren't. The following is a list of a few of the ways you can make the most of what you've got in the smarts department (don't worry, they're all pretty easy!).

Moms: Pat yourselves on the back this Mother's Day for your ability to influence your kids in the healthiest of ways. Did you know you have the power to nurture your kids in a manner that might change their nature? You can also boost your little ones' IQs, conquer their stress, and ensure they get sick less often? You are a force to be reckoned with. Scientifically speaking anyway.

It's the strong mom-and-baby bond science is linking to smarter, healthier, happier children. Consider this: Nurturing mommy mice can actually change their pups' genes for the better with a whole lot of nurturing. Chances are human moms can do the same thing. Dads play a part too, but it's mom who generally has a more lifelong effect on kids, Mice studies also tell us that nurtured babies outsmart babes who are neglected by their moms, and pups who are snuggled by momma grow into less anxious, more self-assured adults.

Studies of moms and babies conclude that kids of very attentive mothers make friends more easily and get sick much less often.

I often ask moms of happy, well-behaved teenagers for advice. I figure if I stock up on strategies for the next few years, by the time my boys tumble in teen-hood, I'll know just what to do. Most moms feed me the same line: They love their kids unconditionally, they say, and they spend as much time with them as possible. Seems like a solid plan to me. I'm glad science agrees.

According to a recent study, babies who were breastfed exclusively for at least the first three months of life scored higher on IQ tests at age six than children who weren't breastfed exclusively. Previous research has shown that breastfed babies had enhanced thinking, learning, and memory abilities.

Researchers aren't exactly sure what the link between breastfeeding and IQ is. It could be a nutrient in breast milk -- perhaps the amino acids or cholesterol that's found in breast milk but not in formula. Or it could be the attachment-inducing act of breastfeeding.

The researchers of this study recommend breastfeeding exclusively for at least three months, though six months to one year may have added benefits.

Does your head spin every time you think about what you should or should not be eating to get this or that result? With so many dieting fads, scientific breakthroughs and general rules of thumb, getting a proper nutrition can leave you nibbling on a piece of cardboard. But if you're interested in good 'ol nutritional facts, check out this "IQ Test" of health to learn a few new things if you didn't already know them!

For example, do you know which nutrient Americans receive less of than any other? It's vitamin E, and over 90 percent of us don't get enough of it in our diets. Almonds and other leafy green vegetables are a good source for this missing element.

True or False: Fat-free dairy foods contain less calcium than the full-fat variety... Itching to know the answer? That statement is false! In fact, according to the quiz, less fattening versions of milk contain 30 milligrams more calcium. Why? Because fat doesn't contain this nutrient and when taken out, the volume of calcium-containing milk goes up! Check out the full article here for more questions and answers.

Here is the perfect excuse for you to use the next time your boss gives you a hard time for making small talk with co-workers instead of finishing that budget analysis ...

A recent study, led by Dr. Oscar Ybarra, found that chatting with others help us to store and sort information. In effect, according to Dr. Ybarra, these little conversations actually make us smarter.

In the study, Dr. Ybarra and a team of researchers had a group of college students discuss social issues before taking a test to measure mental acuity. They found that these students scored much better than students who were not told to speak to each other before the test.

So, as I said before, you now have the ultimate excuse for chatting up your co-workers. If your boss gives you a hard time, just tell him or her that you're busy making yourself smarter!!

I know, I'm springing this quiz on you with no prior warning. You had no time to prepare or study and for that, I apologize. But that's the whole point of this little test, to determine just how off-the-cuff savvy you are about a few health matters. Are you ready? Here goes.

True of False: The term "fat free" means a food contains no fat.

True or False: Feed a cold, starve a fever.

True of False: White sugar and brown sugar have the same nutritional value.

For the correct answers, click below.

Are IQ tests the best way to determine intelligence? For a standardized way to get everyone on the same playing field, I suppose it is the best method yet. But, according to researcher Rex Jung, we need to understand how the brain works by studying how it is put together so we know why it unravels for some of us.

Jung went through mountains of neuroscience literature looking for studies that analyzed reasoning and measures of intelligence. What he concluded after studying the studiers was that scientists need to look at intelligence in a more systematic way rather than as a whole.

Do the brains between two people differ from each other? Sure they do, and sometimes in massive ways. Biologically speaking, there is little difference, but when it comes to the "wiring," there can be fundamental differences. Measuring intelligence using a method that doesn't account for all this bias, in turn, can be a road to nowhere. But, hey -- it's the best we have at the moment.

Fluoride is an amazing compound. Since being added to our community water supplies, the occurrence of tooth decay has dropped as much as 40 percent in some places. But considering fluoride is now a part of the water which we use to cook, clean and eat with, skeptics are saying too much of a good thing is bad.

Of course, skeptics can find fault in just about anything we use regularly nowadays. A group called the Fluoride Action Network is waging a crusade against fluoride, citing that too much can actually hurt your teeth (discoloration called fluorosis). In an attempt to scare away the public, they even cite studies which show how excessive amounts of fluoride can cause reduced thyroid activity, IQ deficits, premature puberty and... bone cancer?

It's in your toothpaste, baby formula, soda, juice, and cooking, but is fluoride something you should be scared of? We've been consuming the compound in our water for over 50 years now, so in other words "No." I cannot imagine why fluoride would be an issue now after being used for so long.