Brainfood by Sasha Scheherzade

Music - Even the smallest amount of musical training early in life may result in big cognitive benefits later. Research from Northwestern University showed that the longer a participant had played a musical instrument in childhood, the faster their brain responded to sound — even though most of the participants hadn’t picked up an instrument in decades. Recognizing sounds quickly helps us with daily functions like picking conversation out from background noises, and it’s a good indicator of cognitive ability as we age. Did you learn a musical instrument as a child?

Get Moving - Any activity that gets you up and moving may also protect against depression, according to a new review of 30 different studies. The researchers found that even 20 minutes per day of a light activity like gardening could make you up to 63% less likely to develop depression — the leading cause of disability in the world. This research may help explain the link between wealthy nations, which tend to create more sedentary lifestyles, and the risk of depression. What physical activity keeps you healthy and happy?

Sunshine - How much sunshine you get during the day can affect how well you sleep at night.
A 2013 study found that people who work in offices with windows slept an average of 46 minutes longer than their peers in windowless offices. Workers exposed to sunlight during the day also tended to get more physical exercise and reported an overall higher quality of life. Luckily, you can counteract a windowless workspace by getting an extra dose of sunshine in the morning; past research shows that exposing yourself to early morning sun is linked to sounder sleep at night.

Coffee - Do you start your day with a cup of coffee or another caffeinated drink? You may be protecting your brain from memory loss, or even helping to stave off Alzheimer’s disease. In animal studies, mice given the equivalent of 3 cups of coffee were able to form new memories more quickly after a trauma than uncaffeinated mice. And in an even more promising 2012 study, older adults with mild cognitive impairment who regularly drank coffee were far less likely to progress to full blown Alzheimer’s disease than those who didn’t. Past studies have also shown that daily coffee drinkers have reduced risk for developing Type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer!

Eat Healthy - Eating a healthy diet in middle age could lower your risk of developing dementia years later, according to a new study. Researchers tracked the eating behavior and health of study participants for 14 years and found that those who ate diets rich in healthy food like vegetables, berries, nuts and fish showed an almost 90% decreased risk of dementia! Even those with a family history of Alzheimer’s were able to delay the onset of disease with a healthy diet.

Tidy Up OR Mess Down - Is your workspace messy or organized? Two new studies show there may be advantages to both. In one study, participants were told to fill out a decoy survey in either a messy or organized office. After 10 minutes, they were offered a choice of an apple or a candy bar. Those who spent their time in the tidy office were more than twice as likely to make the healthy choice of the apple. But in a second study, participants who spent time in a messy room came up with significantly more creative solutions to a problem than those who spent time in an organized room. What do you think? Would you rather be healthy and organized, or messy and creative? 

Be Happy! - Being happy is linked to better health and even a longer life -- but not all types of happiness are created equal. New research from UCLA found that people who reported high levels of hedonic happiness, which is related to personal pleasure, showed more activity in inflammation-causing genes and less activity in genes responsible for producing antibodies that attack viruses. But those who reported high levels of eudaimonic well-being, the kind of happiness that comes from helping others and having purpose in your life, showed heightened activity in genes related to a strong immune system response. Though most of us enjoy both types of happiness during our lives, this research suggests that helping others and living a meaningful life may lead to a healthier life as well.