Stop thinking about dieting and exercising. Just do it. Because the more you think, the more you eat, the more you weigh. This goes for thinking about any topic, by the way, so turn that head of yours off and watch the pounds melt away.

Really? Some researchers think so, now that they've determined that the stress of heavy thinking causes overeating.

Fourteen college students were put to the test. One group relaxed in a sitting position, one group read and summarized a text and the other group completed a series of memory, attention and vigilance tests on a computer. After 45 minutes at their respective tasks, the students bellied up to a buffet. Here's what happened: The students consumed 203 more calories after summarizing a text and 253 more calories after the computer tests. Yet each session of intellectual work only requires three calories more than the rest period. Why so much spontaneous eating then?

Source

Endurance athletes are some of the most disciplined, dedicated people. Tap into that mojo by learning how to think like they do.

Source

Bad news for your intellectual types: Thinking hard makes you hungry and often leads to overconsumption of calories, according to this post on Diet Blog.

In a recent study, researchers asked participants to engage in one of three activities -- sitting still, reading and writing, and performing a series of tests. Afterwards, they were treated to an all-you-can-eat buffet and how much they ate was measured. The study found that compared to those who sat still, participants who spent the time reading and writing ate 23.6% more and those who performed the tests ate 29% more.

To be honest, I expected opposite results, because it seems like those who sat still would be hungrier merely out of boredom. What about you?

Source

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!).

Source

Source

Source

I do some of my best thinking on the treadmill. I happen to have one at home and whenever I hop on for a power walk or run, my mind starts working. Sometimes, I plot the course of my day as the miles tick by. Sometimes, I watch my kids play in front of me and marvel at their passion for pirate ships, dragons, and Lego creations of all kinds. Other times, I generate items for my ongoing to-do list, I dream up ideas for stories I can write -- like this one -- and when I'm feeling really reflective, I count my blessing on that treadmill.

My treadmill is more than an exercise apparatus. It's a location that is all my own, reserved not only for the fine-tuning of my body but for the fitness of my mind too. I never knew that piece of equipment, purchased more than seven years ago and still going strong, would be such a great investment. Now, I know.

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.

Source

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.

Source

You've probably heard that the brain consists of two distinct lobes -- the right and the left. The right is responsible for imagination, feelings and creativity, while the left is responsible for logic, details and facts. Want to know which lobe is dominant for you? Go to this link, look at the picture of the dancer and focus on which way she is turning. Is it clockwise? Or counter-clockwise?

If clockwise is your answer, you use your right brain more often. If you saw her moving in the other direction, you use your left. If you look really hard and focus on the dancer, you can see that she changes direction.

For me, she was turning counter-clockwise, which means my left lobe is more dominant -- therefore I'm more logical. What about you?

Source

People make jokes about how it hurts to think, or that it's so exhausting sometimes it's just not worth it, and although we all laugh it turns out there may actually be some truth to those comments! Thinking too hard can actually make you tired.

It all comes down to the fact that our brains need glucose to work, and that when we concentrate we use up glucose faster than when we don't. And the older you are (keep in mind this was done with rats so take it with a grain of salt) the longer your glucose levels take to bounce back up to normal.

So now you can say how tired you are from thinking all day, and when people laugh just look at them, "I'm serious, man."

Source

The times in my life where I've lost the couple of extra pounds I've been carrying around have all times where I've been too busy to bother with thinking about my weight. It's unfair but true -- when I don't think about calories or the size of my clothes or how much fat I am burning off, I am able to lose weight. I think it comes down to the simple fact that when I think of food and calories, I get hungry. When I'm to o busy to think about food, I only get hungry when my body demands some fuel. Do you find the same thing?

If you want to lose weight without trying, that's the way to do it -- by being busy and not thinking about it. But you can't just turn your brain off, and you can't control what you think, but here's a suggestion: Think about other things, if possible. Don't let food control your thoughts unless you're hungry. Sound simple enough?

Source

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!

Source

Pro soccer players might be making lots of money but the price is their brain health, a new study shows. College-age soccer players have exhibited a degree of brain shrinkage throughout their playing years, particularly in their grey matter, which it's thought controls thinking and memory. The damage is particularly exaggerated in the anterior temporal cortex, which not surprisingly is where players hit the ball with their head. Soccer also carried a risk of multiple concussions, and multiple concussions can lead to potentially serious brain damage over time.

I doubt there's much we can do to convince pro soccer players to give up their lucrative salaries, but there are things we can do to protect ourselves, such as not hitting the head with your ball and

Source