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If the Sunday Times crossword gives you a severe inferiority complex (or panic attack), try giving it the old college try after a 20-minute jog. Aerobic exercise does a body good, but ongoing research suggests that it's a boon for the mind as well, reports The New York Times.

It's been 10 years since the Salk Institute in California found that exercise stimulates the production of new brain cells, but the real questions are: What kind of exercise should we be doing and how much and how hard do we have to go?

According to a preliminary study published in the American College of Sports Medicine, aerobic exercise has a larger impact on reaction time, accuracy and memory compared to resistance training. In fact, resistance training seems to have no effect on cognition at all.

As you probably know from the day you forget to bring your waterbottle to the gym, even mild dehydration can affect athletic performance. But were you aware that not drinking enough water can also affect your cognitive ability?

Water is vital for optimal brain function, as the dehydrated brain causes the release of cortisol. This stress hormone, which is also linked to an increase in fat storage and muscle depletion, can negatively affects the brain's capacity to store and create information.

Though the jury is still out on whether it's necessary to drink the previously suggested eight glasses a day, you'd do well to still drink at least half that amount. Your body and your brain (which are made up of 70 and 75 percent water, respectively) will thank you for it.

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Creatine has long been a favorite supplement of weightlifters and professional athletes alike. Unlike dozens of other so-called fitness performance enhancers, which have never actually produced data to substantiate their oftentimes outlandish claims (gain 15 pounds of muscle in a half an hour!!), creatine has stood up time and time again during clinical testing.

More and more research is also being conducted on this naturally-occurring substance and, in particular, how it may benefit more than just your muscles. Creatine, it seems, may also benefit your brain.

Mounting evidence shows that creatine supplementation may improve memory and enhance overall brain function. A recent study out of the University of Sydney found that the relationship between creatine and cognition "underline a dynamic and significant role of brain energy capacity in influencing brain performance."

Disclaimer time: be sure to check with your doctor before using creatine or any nutritional supplements. Though certain supplements may offer benefits to some, they can sometimes be harmful to others.

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Freeze! Now, moving only your eyes, take a look at your posture as you sit and read this post. Are you sitting upright? Are you slouched? Are you leaning to one side more so than the other? Chance are, whatever your current position is, it is also the way you sit most of the time during other computer activities. This may not be so much of an issue of most of your day is spent mindlessly watching YouTube clips. But, if your goal is to be productive -- which, at least ostensibly, is also your boss' goal for you -- you may want to realign yourself.

If you happen to be the person who found themselves sitting properly, then bravo to you. Feel free to stop reading now and to carry on with your day. If, however, you're a bit of a slouch, know that you are decreasing blood flow to your brain by compacting your spine and compressing arteries. This, in turn, deprives you of a little something called oxygen, which ultimately impairs mental capacity.

A great solution for the "office chair slouch" is to replace the chair altogether. In its place, try sitting on Swiss ball. Not only will it help ensure proper spinal alignment, but it will also force you to work your core muscles in order to remain seated (and not fall off the ball and make an utter fool of yourself).

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There are many known benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, including, but not limited to, improved brain function, reduced risk of heart disease, improved vision, and helping to maintain a healthy immune system. There are also many known sources of omega-3; from many types of fish to dark green vegetables and walnuts. What isn't as readily known, however, is that there are actually three components of this healthy fatty acid: EPA, AHA, and DHA. For this post, we'll focus on the last of these three.

DHA, or docosahexaeonic acid ... so, let's stick with DHA, offers many health benefits all on its own, which is why it has grown to become a popular nutritional supplement. DHA plays a particularly crucial role in brain development and function. DHA has been shown to ...

• Impact the brain's structure and signaling systems;
• Promote nervous system development and optimal memory function;
• Prevent age-related memory decline; and,
• Its deficiency may be linked to a number of psychiatric disorders, such as depression.

As mentioned, DHA is available in supplement form, but this is not necessary if you are already eating a diet rich in omega-3.

Everyone's favourite celeb doctor, Dr. Oz, has some great advice on how to healthify your life, and now he's offering advice on how to improve your mind too. Here are some tips:

• Teach people. You're far more likely to retain information if you have to teach it to someone else.
  
• But don't just teach -- learn. You should never stop learning. Why? People who are willing to learn throughout their lives have better memories. In short, use your brain or lose it. So take a class, pick up an informative book, watch a documentary or take up a new hobby!
• Think about thinking. Instead of doing everything on auto-pilot, think about what you're doing, and notice what's going on around you.
  
• Take care of your body. You brain can only be as healthy as the body that sustains it. Eat well. Exercise. Get lots of sleep. It will all pay off.
  

Want to know more? Click here.

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Carbs might be bad for your waistline, but it's thought that they might be good for you're brain, or at least that's what this article seems to say. In a study involving people who followed a high-fat/low-carb plan and those who followed a high-carb/low-fat plan, those in the latter group were the ones who showed improvement to their cognitive processing when given a series of tests.

But other than that, researchers found few other differences between the two groups -- their moods were about the same, and members from both groups were still losing weight.

What do you think of these findings? Me, I'm surprised that mood wasn't more of a factor -- I've heard of low-carb diets causing massive mood swings.

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There's lots of talk about doing good things for your heart, but there's another organ that you should be particularly concerned: Your brain.

A book called The Brain Diet by Dr. Alan Logan, N.D focuses on keeping your brain healthy, and brings up some shocking facts about the state of our brains these days, including:

• All mental health disorders are on the rise
• Hardly any of us are getting enough Omega-3, which is important your brain
• Cell phones and cell phone towers have a growing link to brain problems
• Blueberries can help improve cognition and behavioral problems.

For more info on the Brain Diet, check out this post on Diet Blog or, better yet, read the book!

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We could all use more brain power to work with (I know I could!), and as we get older that issue seems to be more and more important. Physical fitness is an important part of staying mentally sharp, but there are lots of other things that have also been shown to help. Here are 10 things you can do to boost your brain power!

• Lifelong learning
• Specialized computer programs
• Social interaction
• Stimulating daily activities
• Reducing chronic stress
• Getting enough sleep
• Getting enough exercise
• Taking care of your emotional health
• Getting good nutrition

Pretty much everything on this list are things you're probably already trying to do for other health reasons, but it just goes to show how such a complicated system like the human body really is interconnected, and that it has amazingly simple needs: just take care of yourself!

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Earlier this week two articles were published on the same day both regarding migraines, so what do you want first: the good news or the bad? Well I can't hear you so we'll just start with the bad news: migraines may put you at increased risk for having a heart attack. And then the good news! Migraines may help boost your memory.

The fact that migraines and heart disease are linked is not a completely new idea, although doctors and scientists are still trying to uncover if it's related to inflammation or genetics or what exactly. But the memory thing, well that's a surprise. Researchers originally went into the study, which started back in 1993, expecting to find that migraines caused cumulative brain damage over time, not brain protection.

Just goes to show you never know what to expect.

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Make no mistake: mental health is just as important as physical health when it comes to aging. I took a class on aging when I was in university and the message was simple – use it or lose it. That applies to both your muscles and your mind.

So how do you achieve a healthy mind? There are many ways, but one of them is by performing mental exercises, such as crosswords and suduko. I'll admit, I'm not a crossword connoisseur, and usually forgo the exercise in the interest of time, but if I have a bit of a break on a Sunday morning, I just might try it out. How about you?

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All the running, sit-ups, push-ups and biking in the world won't help exercise every part of us. Our bodies? Sure. But what about exercise for the brain?

Research says that exercising your brain can prevent Alzheimer's and just plain adds to overall fitness. So why not try these five easy brain exercises to keep your memory sharp, add new things to your brain's repertoire, play mind games and add a little humor to your life. Your brain will thank you for it.

The fun part about these brain exercises is that they are well rounded. Some are simple, like recalling conversations to help your memory skills. I love the idea about adding new activities to your life. This interested me, not just because it exercises my brain, but because it keeps everything about life fresh and fun. Some suggestions are moving furniture around and talking to someone new that you tend to see in your daily life (like a librarian). Along those lines of just spicing up your life are things like taking a dance class or reading a book in a different genre than you would normally read.

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