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SM

SMMaintain Your Mind




Maintain Your Mind

What’s Inside:Brain-Boost Challenges . pgs. 2, 10, 11

Word Workout ..............................pg. 2

Keeping Your Brain Young ...........pg. 3

Brain Health Habits Self-Check .............................. pgs. 4, 5

The Best of Maintain Your Mind ............... pgs. 6, 7

Self-Prescribe Your “Daily Vitamins” ...................pg. 8

Make Up Your Mind in the Months Ahead ...................pg. 9

Welcome to the sixth and final newsletter of MAINTAIN YOUR MIND.

Congratulations on attending to part of your body that you may have

previously ignored—your brain! When people think about wellness

and staying fit, they generally think from the neck down. But maintaining

the health of your brain also plays a critical role in almost everything you

do, from thinking, feeling and remembering to working, playing and

even sleeping.

In MAINTAIN YOUR MIND, you’ve learned the best and most up-to-date

information available to help you make your own decisions about your

brain health. Try to apply this information from Feed Your Brain, Unwind

Your Mind, Train Your Brain and Sharpen Your Mind into your daily decisions

and routines. The combination of a brain-healthy diet, stress manage-

ment, physical activity and mental stimulation with social engage-

ment is more effective than any of these factors alone.

Week 6: Your Best Brain

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Train Your Brain

Take Control of Your Brain

Feed Your Brain

Unwind Your Mind

Sharpen Your MindMaintain Your Mind

Maintain Your Mind

Maintain Your Mind

Maintain Your Mind

Your Best BrainMaintain Your Mind

Maintain Your Mind

This Week’s HEADlinesThis final issue of MAINTAIN YOUR MIND offers a review of the past five weeks and encourages you to find

new ways to achieve Your Best Brain. Your Best Brain isn’t just about lowering your risk for cognitive decline and

other brain-related disorders. Your Best Brain is mentally fit, emotionally well and contributes

to an optimal quality of life, now and in the future.

BRAIN-BOOST CHALLENGE I Complete this Magic Square with numbers from 1 to 9. Each horizontal, vertical and diagonal must add up to 15.

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5

4

(Answers on page 11)

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While middle-aged and older adults may be

most concerned about their brain health,

MAINTAIN YOUR MIND has acknowledged

that interventions to reduce risk factors and

promote brain health are best when started

early in life and should play a key role at any

age to keep the brain young. The good news

is there’s a lot you can do to help keep your

brain healthier as you age.

Science is unlocking many of the mysteries

of the brain, but researchers don’t have all

the answers yet. There are some risk factors

that you can’t change, such as head injuries,

a history of seizures, genetics and a family

Keeping Your Brain

Younghistory for

memory problems,

dementia and Alzheimer’s

disease. However, the opportu-

nities for what you can change for

your best brain are greater. Eating fresh

and wholesome foods, being active, not

smoking, managing stress, stimulating the

mind, engaging in positive social relation-

ships and managing conditions, such as high

cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes, are

all ways to keep the brain healthy, happy and

young. An added bonus—these same oppor-

tunities can keep your body young too!

“If I had to live my life again I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once a week; for perhaps the parts of my brain now atrophied could thus have been kept active through use.” — Charles Darwin (from Autobiography, 1887)

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Train Your Brain


Feed Your Brain

Unwind Your Mind


Maintain Your Mind

Maintain Your Mind

Maintain Your Mind


Maintain Your Mind

How Are You MAINTAINING YOuR MINd?Before considering Your Best Brain for the

future, it’s a good idea to determine what

you’re doing to MAINTAIN YOUR MIND now.

In the first week’s newsletter, you learned

about the importance of brain health and

how to Take Control of Your Brain. You also

completed an assessment of your lifestyle as it

relates to the promotion and preservation of

your brain health. Now is an excellent time to

reassess your lifestyle and determine how and

if this information has changed it since you

started MAINTAIN YOUR MIND.

DIRECTIONS: Consider your habits, lifestyle

and daily routines over the past five weeks—

have they changed? Select the rating that

best describes how frequently you do the

following activities. Total your score to see if

your grade has improved. Keep in mind that

this is an informational assessment and in

no way covers every lifestyle practice that

promotes brain health. It is simply a broad

overview to assess where you are today and

what changes you have made since partici-

pating in MAINTAIN YOUR MIND.

HOw TO SCORE 4 = Always 3 = Usually 2 = Sometimes 1 = Rarely 0 = Never

Brain Health Habits Self-Check SCORE

HOw FREQUENTLY DO YOU:

Walk or bike for exercise daily (about 30 minutes)?

Do Tai Chi, yoga and other activities daily (about 30 minutes)?

Participate in strength or resistance training (2 to 3 times per week)?

Play sports or games that require strategy and hand-eye coordination?

Maintain a healthy body weight?

Control chronic conditions, like high blood pressure or cholesterol?

Limit your intake of foods high in fat and cholesterol?

Avoid smoking and tobacco use?

Eat several servings of fruits and vegetables daily?

Eat cold water, fatty fish like salmon, halibut, mackerel and tuna?

Eat some nuts, like walnuts, almonds and pecans?

Cook with extra virgin olive oil (in moderation)?

Drink green tea?

“Unplug” from technology, like cell phones, pagers and PDAs?

Maintain an optimistic outlook?

Get adequate sleep to feel rested and energetic?

Volunteer in community groups?

Join bridge clubs, square dancing clubs or other social groups?

Travel or take a vacation?

Participate in activities, such as dancing, gardening or knitting?

Read more than the news on a daily basis?

(Continued on the next page)

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Brain Health Habits Self-Check SCORE

HOw FREQUENTLY DO YOU:

Do crosswords or other puzzles or play board games?

Play a musical instrument or listen to classical music?

Speak more than one language?

Change your daily routine, like drive alternative routes to destinations?

Eat a meal with family, friends or co-workers?

Engage in personally meaningful activities, such as causes close to your heart?

Attend lectures, seminars and plays?

Take classes about things that interest you to expand your learning?

Engage in a hobby?

Pray, meditate or focus inward?

Engage in stress management practices?

Use your non-dominant hand?

Spend time with people that challenge you?

Learn new words to expand your vocabulary?

(Continued from the previous page)

SCORING

A = 126 to 140Your habits, lifestyle and daily routines pass

the test to promote cognitive health and

emotional well-being. Keep up the good

work! How can you improve even more?

B = 112 to 125Your habits, lifestyle and daily routines need

work and may potentially contribute to less

than optimal cognitive health and emotional

well-being. Select two options that you

would like to gradually improve.

C = 98 to 111Your habits, lifestyle and daily routines need

a lot of work and may be major contributors

to less than optimal cognitive health and

emotional well-being. Select four or more

options that you would like to gradually

improve.

D = 97 or lessYour habits, lifestyle and daily routines do not

make the grade and may have a significant

impact on your cognitive health and emo-

tional well-being. Select six or more habits

that you would like to gradually improve.

Compare your results with the assessment that you completed in Week 1. How are they similar or different? Did you improve at all? To make further improvements, what will you do and where will you begin? (Use the space below to record your thoughts.)

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Feed Your Brain

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Maintain Your Mind

The Best of Maintain Your MindMAINTAIN YOUR MIND has guided you in adopting ways to take control of your brain

health. In achieving Your Best Brain, the following offers the best of the past five weeks to

Feed Your Brain, Unwind Your Mind, Train Your Brain and Sharpen Your Mind.

FEED YOUR BRAIN

The foods you choose can help your brain

perform at its peak and protect you from

brain-related disorders and diseases.

1. Include an abundance of fruits and

vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts

and seeds in your eating plan every day.

2. Eat fish or other seafood two times per week.

3. Speak with your health care provider about

whether taking an Omega-3 fatty acid fish oil

supplement is right for you.

4. Drink plenty of water.

5. Eat blueberries and other fruits and vege-

tables full of antioxidents.

6. Enjoy a bit of

dark chocolate

on occasion.

UNWIND YOUR MIND

Stress and depression management boosts

emotional well-being and stimulates the

growth of new brain cells that improve

long-term memory.

1. Set aside a defined period of time to “unplug”

from your cell phone, computer and other

electronic devices daily.

2. Do your best to develop regular sleep and

wake times.

3. Participate in positive social experiences

with others.

4. Volunteer your time for a worthy cause.

5. Each night, write down three to five good

things about your day.

6. Engage daily in relaxation techniques,

such as deep breathing, to reduce stress

hormone levels.(Continued on the next page)

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The Best of Maintain Your Mind (Continued from the previous page)

TRAIN YOUR BRAIN

Regular exercise can positively influence

memory and sharpness of thought in addi-

tion to delaying or reversing age-related

declines in brain function.

1. Participate in activities that leave you feeling

breathless—in a good way! At least 30 min-

utes per day of moderate cardio exercise is

optimal, but anything, even just a short walk

around the block, is better than nothing.

2. Don’t resist resistance training. Shoot for 30 to

40 minutes per week.

3. Try a new activity one time per month—

anything that gets your body (and mind)

moving. Review the list from Week 4 to help

you choose.

4. Take five minutes, three times per week, for

Superbrain Yoga.

5. Play a game of ping pong or other strategy

activities that involve hand-eye coordination.

6. Walk out your door and keep going for as

long as you are able.

SHARPEN YOUR MIND

Engage in mentally-stimulating activities to

reduce the chance of cognitive decline and

improve concentration, attention span and

mental processing speed.

1. Limit time watching television.

2. Regularly change your daily life routines to

activate new pathways in your brain.

3. Learn about something that interests you.

4. Play a weekly game of Scrabble, Sudoku or

bridge or do a daily crossword puzzle.

5. Spend time with people who challenge you.

6. Read a book that stimulates or challenges

your brain and discuss it with

someone afterwards.

Your Best Brain: Looking to the FutureAchieving Your Best Brain isn’t an effortless endeavor. It requires a commitment of time, energy and thought. In return, Your Best Brain can offer greater focus, improved concentration, quicker men-tal processing speed and enhanced emotional well-being. By striving to achieve Your Best Brain, you may also:

• Make lifelong friends when you join

a club.

• Find that you love walking or running

when you “walk out your door.”

• Meet local farmers when shopping for

produce at a farmer’s market.

• Realize a new passion, skill or talent

when you try a new hobby or activity.

• Find more time for relating to your

spouse, partner or children when you

“unplug” from your cell phone.

These returns don’t just con-tribute to the health of your brain. They also contribute to the quality of your life.

Train Your Brain


Feed Your Brain

Unwind Your Mind


Maintain Your Mind

Maintain Your Mind

Maintain Your Mind


Maintain Your Mind

Self-Prescribe Your “daily Vitamins” While this campaign is coming to an end, your commitment to your brain

is just beginning. During the past several weeks, you received suggested “daily vitamins” for your brain. Now, in looking

to the future, you have the opportunity to define your own. Consider what you have learned and

prescribe your own daily vitamins for the week.

Think Twice About Managing Chronic ConditionsChronic conditions, like heart

disease, high blood pressure and

type 2 diabetes, have been tied

to declines in cognitive function

or increased Alzheimer’s disease

risk. It’s important to develop an

action plan for treatment and

self-care to keep these conditions

well-controlled. Work closely with

your health care provider to:

· Control type 2 diabetes.

· Lower high blood pressure levels.

· Lower high blood cholesterol

levels.

· Maintain a healthy weight.

· Exercise regularly.

· Eat a healthy diet.

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Achieving Your Best Brain requires more than daily vitamins for a week. It requires a plan for the future that includes the many ways

you can Feed Your Brain, Unwind Your Mind, Train Your Brain and Sharpen Your Mind in the months and years to come.

Using the following as a guide, reflect on each of the topic areas from MAINTAIN YOUR MIND, and describe the actions you will take

to achieve Your Best Brain in the next month, and in three to six months.

There you have it…your plan to maintain your mind and

achieve Your Best Brain in the months

ahead. Re-visit MAINTAIN YOUR MIND

again and again, and share your knowl-

edge and the newsletters with family,

friends and co-workers. Their lives (and

brains) may benefit, too.

There is much more to learn about

the relationship between lifestyle and

brain health. While the research is still

in its infancy, it is clear that a health-

promoting lifestyle not only improves

the body, but it also benefits the brain

in a number of ways. To keep up-to-date

on the latest developments related to

brain health, visit these Web sites:

· Dana Foundation - www.dana.org

· National Institute on Aging -

www.nia.nih.gov

· National Institute of Mental Health -

www.nimh.nih.gov

YOUR BEST BRAIN… IN THE NExT MONTH.

Feed Your Brain1.

2.

Unwind Your Mind1.

2.

Train Your Brain1.

2.

Sharpen Your Mind1.

2.

YOUR BEST BRAIN… IN THE NExT 3 TO 6 MONTHS.

Feed Your Brain1.

2.

Unwind Your Mind1.

2.

Train Your Brain1.

2.

Sharpen Your Mind1.

2.

Make up Your Mind in the Months Ahead

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Train Your Brain


Feed Your Brain

Unwind Your Mind


Maintain Your Mind

Maintain Your Mind

Maintain Your Mind


Maintain Your Mind

Whether on the Web, on the phone or

at work, there are many convenient and

accessible wellness resources to help you

reach your goals and “have a greater hand

in your health.”

• On the Phone. Speak confidentially with a

specially-trained Health Coach 24 hours a

day, 7 days a week by calling Blues On CallSM

at 1-888-BLUE(2583)-428 for the answers and

support you need.

• On the Web. Log onto your Member Web

site (check your Member ID card) and click on

the “Your Health” tab. Select the link “Improve

Your Health” to enroll in online programs or

choose “Preventive Care” to explore other

available program options on wellness and

healthy lifestyles.

• Additional Resources. Call the Member

Services phone number on the back of your

Member ID card for additional resources or

to find the wellness program that is right

for you.

Where Our Health Plan Members Can Go for More Help

BRAIN-BOOST CHALLENGE II Continue to work on finding your best brain by doing this and other mazes, games and

activities in the future. Here’s to Your Best Brain!

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Train Your Brain


Feed Your Brain

Unwind Your Mind


Maintain Your Mind

Maintain Your Mind

Maintain Your Mind


Maintain Your MindACROSS

1. The scientific term for “the process of thought.”

2. A get-away that’s good for the brain.

3. People who do not get enough of this are at a higher

risk for thinking problems and even depression.

4. These non-nutrients are found in foods and have

health-promoting properties that may also help

extend the life of brain cells.

5. The brain includes a _________ and subcortex.

6. What you can do to help relax.

DOwN

1. The term for risk factors you can change.

2. Something you should do every day to unwind your

mind by “turning off” technology.

3. A type of fat that promotes brain health.

4. The stress hormone that hinders the brain.

5. Taking up this hobby is good for the brain.

6. Things you don’t want to ever forget.

Answers to Brain-Boost Challenge I

from page 2.

BRAIN-BOOST CHALLENGE III See how much you’ve learned to MAINTAIN YOUR MIND by doing this crossword puzzle.

4 5 6

7 5 3

4 5 6

Copyright © 2010 Highmark Inc. All Rights Reserved. Highmark is a registered mark of Highmark Inc. Blue Shield and the Shield symbol are registered service marks of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans.Maintain Your Mind is a service mark of Highmark Inc.Blues On Call is a service mark of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.The material contained in this Newsletter has been selected to provide general background and useful information regarding cognitive health or “brain health.” It is not intended to be complete or tailored to your specific needs, or to diagnose or treat medical conditions, and does not replace medical advice or medical treatment. You should discuss the information, facts and tips with your doctor, who is always your best resource for determining if you are at an increased risk for a condition. If you engage in physical activity, it may have injuries and health risks associated with it. You should confirm with your doctor that physical activity is appropriate for you. If you experience any pain or discomfort, call your doctor. Highmark Inc. does not endorse any product or service, and does not provide medical or legal advice or medical treatment.

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