brain health Archives - IDEA Health & Fitness Association

Eating more nitrate-rich veggies can improve brain health

By Matthew Kadey, MS, RD / June 18, 2024

What’s a nitrate and why do you need it? Eating more nitrate-rich veggies can improve brain health. Find out which vegetables are best.

Exercise for Brain Health and Dementia Risk

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / March 20, 2024

Exercise, even at moderate levels, is linked with maintaining brain health and size and reducing dementia risks as people age.

Embracing the Future: Top 5 Projected Fitness Trends for 2024

By Madeleine McCormick / December 31, 2023

Now that 2023 is over, let’s explore the top five future fitness trends that will shape the fitness industry in 2024 and beyond.

High-Sugar Food and Brain Activity

By Matthew Kadey, MS, RD / December 5, 2023

Researchers have demonstrated that foods with high sugar and fat content such as sweets and fried foods alter our brain activity.

What Is Your Gut Telling You About Your Nutrition?

By CarolAnn, MS, NCPT, CPT / June 30, 2023

We are often told to “listen to our gut” to guide us in making wise decisions. Our gut, often referred to as the “second brain,” is not just responsible for digestion but also plays a crucial role in our overall health and well-being. Nutritional choices affect gut health and can be taught to clients with…

Brain-Breath Connection

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / January 3, 2023

Researchers analyzed human and animal imaging that showed the brain-breath connection and how breathing influences the brain.

Alcohol and Brain Function

By Matthew Kadey, MS, RD / December 13, 2022

There is a negative association between high intake of alcohol and brain function. Now, scientists have uncovered a potential culprit: iron.

Exercise and Brain Health

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / September 13, 2022

Exercise promotes brain health, but the exact mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. New research reveals more.

Running Benefits for Brain Health

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / July 5, 2022

Investigators now have new insight into how running benefits brain health, movement and cognition by examining dopamine levels.

Beetroot Juice Helps Blood Vessel and Brain Functioning

By Matthew Kadey, MS, RD / May 2, 2022

A team of researchers investigated the effects of adding nitrate-rich foods like beetroot juice to the diet of older individuals.

New Insight: Exercise and Brain Health

By Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA / February 28, 2022

New research findings indicate that physical activity benefits brain health, particularly for older adults.

Flavonoids = Brain Food

By Matthew Kadey, MS, RD / December 6, 2021

Flavonoids, found in many colorful fruits and veggies, act as antioxidants in the body and can protect our brains from oxidative damage.

Enjoyable exercise can lift mood and improve neuroplasticity in adults.

Exercise Boosts Neuroplasticity, Helping Depression

By Kate Watson / August 12, 2021

In studying physical activity’s effect on depression, researchers from Ruhr-University Bochum in Germany found that exercise simultaneously lifts mood and boosts neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change. It is neuroplasticity that lets us adapt to challenges and learn new processes. With its key findings, this research provides further evidence that physical activity benefits the brain. The…