50 Compelling Brain Facts

"The brain gives the heart its sight. The heart gives the brain its vision." - Kall

By Patrick Driessen
Achieving success in something often depends - to a large degree - on how smart and fast you use your brain power! Thus understanding, training, expanding and nurturing your brain capacity might help you to succeed more often.

Over the last week I did a little ‘brain test’: I asked 10 adult friends and 10 children (10-16 yrs) to tell me everything they knew about their brain. Funny enough most of them really struggled trying to answer my ‘simple’ question. Most of the answers I got were quite general and could be qualified as ‘no-brainers’... My test audience admitted that they were lacking in-depth knowledge and facts about our brain.

To help all of us to increase our knowledge and understanding of our brain, please find below 50 compelling and proven facts about our mysterious brain:

1. You btteer bleivee it your biarn is clever, jsut try and see if you can raed tihs, most likely you can. Tihs is bcuseae the mind deos not raed all lteters, only the word as a wlhoe aoccdring to rscheearch at Cmabridge Uinvresity. – Great isn’t it? According to the research, as long as the first and the last letter of a word are in the right place, it doesn’t matter if the rest of them are jumbled up: most people will still be able to read and understand the text.
2. One human brain generates more electrical impulses in a single day than all the world's telephones put together. Every thought and pattern of light, sound, movement, smell and sensation is converted into a sequence of electric pulses, which is received and translated by your brain.
3. Your brain needs a continuous supply of oxygen. A 10 minute loss of oxygen will usually cause significant neural damage. Cold can lengthen this time, which is why cold-water drowning victims have been revived after as much as 40 minutes — without brain damage.
4. Your brain uses a fifth of all the blood in your body. It needs it to keep up with the heavy metabolic demands of its neurons. It needs not only the glucose that is delivered by the blood, but of course, the oxygen too.
5. Your brain uses 20% of the oxygen that enters your bloodstream. The brain only makes up about 2% of our body mass, yet consumes more oxygen than any other organ in the body, making it extremely susceptible to damage related to oxygen deprivation. So breathe deep to keep your brain happy and swimming in oxygenated cells.
6. Your brain feels no pain. There are no nerves that register pain within the brain itself. Because of this, neurosurgeons can probe the brain while a patient is conscious. By doing this, they can use feedback from the patient to identify important regions such as those used for speech or visualisation. Although the brain itself does not have pain receptors and cannot feel pain, that doesn’t mean your head can’t hurt. The brain is surrounded by loads of tissues, nerves and blood vessels that are plenty receptive to pain and can give you a pounding headache.
7. The cerebellum is sometimes called the “little brain” and weighs about 150 grams (a little over five ounces). Found at the lower rear of your brain. Your cerebellum enables you to maintain posture, to walk and to perform coordinated movements. It may also play a role in your sense of smell.
8. Not gray, but pink! Your brain isn’t the firm, gray mass you’ve seen on TV. Living brain tissue is a squishy, pink and jelly-like organ thanks to the loads of blood and high water content of the tissue. So the next time you’re feeling dehydrated get a drink to keep your brain hydrated.
9. An elephant's brain is huge; about six times as large as a human brain. However, in relation to body size, humans have the largest brain of all the animals, averaging about 2% of body weight. A cat's brain weighs about one ounce, a little over 1% of body weight. I wonder if an ant has a brain. They’re quite clever, I think.
10. The brain is much more active at night than during the day. Logically, you would think that all the moving around, complicated calculations and tasks and general interaction we do on a daily basis during our working hours would take a lot more brain power than, say, lying in bed. Turns out, the opposite is true. When you turn off your brain turns on. Scientists don’t yet know why this is but you can thank the hard work of your brain while you sleep for all those pleasant dreams.
11. The human brain cell can hold 5 times as much information as the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Or any other encyclopaedia for that matter. Scientists have yet to settle on a definitive amount, but the storage capacity of the brain in electronic terms is thought to be between 3 or even 1,000 terabytes. The National Archives of Britain, containing over 900 years of history, only takes up 70 terabytes, making your brain’s memory power pretty darn impressive.
12. New connections. Every time you recall a memory or have a new thought, you are creating a new connection in your brain.
    
13. On average you have about 100 billion neurons. Pity they’re not always in action. However, you'll be happy about that after reading the next item.
14. You loose approximately 85,000 neurons every day of your life. Fortunately, this goes unnoticed due to the superfluous supply of neurons with which we are endowed; and the fact that even after three years this loss adds up to less than 1% of the total.
15. Recent research proves that your brain continues to produce new neurons throughout your life. Scientists refer to this as brain plasticity or neuro-plasticity. It has also been proven that neuro-plasticity increases in response to stimulation.
16. Dream! Scientists say the higher your I.Q. the more you dream. While this may be true, don’t take it as a sign you’re mentally lacking if you can’t recall your dreams. Most of us don’t remember many of our dreams and the average length of most dreams is only 2-3 seconds–barely long enough to register. Most people have an average of 4-7 dreams each night. Five minutes after a dream, half of the dream is forgotten. Ten minutes after a dream, over 90% is forgotten. Write down your dreams immediately if you want to remember them.
    
17. Create associations. Memory is formed by associations, so if you want help remembering things, create associations for yourself.
    
18. When you are stressed, feeling hostile or angry, your brain releases a chemical known as Cortisol, which inhibits learning. So to learn effectively, you will need to be stress free within a stress free environment.
19. Laughing. Laughing at a joke is no simple task as it requires activity in five different areas of the brain.
    
20. Food and intelligence. A study of one million students in New York showed that students who ate lunches that did not include artificial flavors, preservatives, and dyes did 14% better on IQ tests than students who ate lunches with these additives.
    
21. Music. It is proven that music can synchronise your brain waves, improve your mood and help you to learn more efficiently. Music lessons have shown to considerably boost brain organization and ability in both children and adults.
22. Boredom. Boredom is brought on by a lack of change of stimulation, is largely a function of perception, and is connected to the innate curiosity found in humans.
    
23. Brain size at birth. At birth, your brain was almost the same size as an adult brain and contained most of the brain cells for your whole life. A newborn baby’s brain grows about three times its size in the first year. (FYI: Your brain stopped growing at age 18).
    
24. Yawning keeps your brain cool. It is thought that a yawn works to send more oxygen to the brain, therefore working to cool it down and wake it up.
25. Stimulation. A stimulating environment for a child can make the difference between a 25% greater ability to learn or 25% less in an environment with little stimulation. So this investment has a high return on the learning investment!
26. Reading aloud stimulates child brain development. Reading aloud to children helps stimulate brain development, yet only 50% of infants and toddlers are routinely read to by their parents.... Missed opportunity!
    
27. Every brain has a soundtrack. Its tempo and tone will vary, depending on mood, frame of mind, and other features of the brain itself. When that soundtrack is recorded and played back - to an emergency responder, or a firefighter - it may sharpen their reflexes during a crisis, and calm their nerves afterward.
28. Working memory stores 7 digits. It's no accident that telephone numbers in many countries are seven digits long. Our working memory, a very short-term form of memory which stores ideas just long enough for us to understand them, can hold on average a maximum of seven digits. This allows you to look up a phone number and remember it just long enough to dial.
29. Physical illness. The connection between body and mind is a strong one. One estimate is that between 50-70% of visits to the doctor for physical ailments are attributed to psychological factors.
    
30. Blinking. Each time we blink, our brain kicks in and keeps things illuminated so the whole world doesn’t go dark each time we blink (about 20,000 times a day).
31. Reading faces. Without any words, you may be able to determine if someone is in a good mood, is feeling sad, or is angry just by reading the face. A small area in the brain called the Amygdala is responsible for your ability to read someone else’s face for clues to how they are feeling.
    
32. Decision-making. Women tend to take longer to make a decision, but are more likely to stick with the decision, compared to men, who are more likely to change their mind after making a decision.
33. Tickles. You can’t tickle yourself because your brain distinguished between unexpected external touch and your own touch.
    
34. Baby talk increases their vocabulary. A study showed that when mothers frequently spoke to their infants, their children learned about 300 more words by age two than did children whose mothers rarely spoke to them.
    
35. 3 = the weight of your brain in pounds (1.360777 kilograms). Albert Einstein's brain may have been smaller than yours, because he was smaller than average. There is a general correlation between body size and the size of our brains. (FYI: Your skin weighs twice as much as your brain).
    
36. 273 Kilometer per hour: Nerve impulses to and from the brain travel as fast as 273 km/170 miles per hour. So if you have ever wondered how you can react so fast to things around you or why that stubbed toe hurts right away; it’s due to the super-speedy movement of nerve impulses from your brain to the rest of your body and vice versa, bringing reactions at the speed of a high powered luxury sports car.
37. 4 to 6 = the number of minutes your brain can survive without oxygen before it starts to die. No oxygen for 5 to 10 minutes will result in permanent brain damage. Don’t test it!
38. 8 to 10 = the number of seconds you have before losing consciousness due to blood loss.
39. 10 to 23 = the number of watts of power your grain generates when you’re awake (that’s enough to turn on a light bulb!). Don’t save your brainpower to much, it will fuse!
40. Information travels at different speeds within different types of neurons. Not all neurons are the same. There are a few different types within the body and transmission along these different kinds can be as slow as 0.5 meters/sec or as fast as 120 meters/sec.
41. 75%-80% of the brain is water.
42. 160.000 KM / 100,000 miles: total length of blood vessels in one human brain. If they were stretched out, they would circle the earth more than four times.
43. 1.000 to 10.000 = the number of synapses for each neuron in your brain.
44. Each person has about the same number of brain cells at birth as in adulthood, but those cells grow, reaching maximum size at about age six.
45. Using brain imaging data, it is possible to tell whether a person is thinking about a face or a place.
46. Bilingual brains. Children who learn two languages before the age of five alters the brain structure and adults have a much denser gray matter.
    
47. Your brain is composed mostly of fat and needs the right kind of that fat as fuel so that it can function efficiently. This is why oily fish or fish oil containing Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is so important in the diet; your brain needs it to run smoothly, but cannot produce it. Especially the Omega-3 fatty acid is an important ingredient for optimal brain function: It is a rich source of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a fatty acid that is found in high concentration in the gray matter of the brain. DHA is instrumental in the function of brain cell membranes, which are important for the transmission of brain signals. By making cell membranes more fluid, Omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA, improve communication between the brain cells. Hence the healthy advise to take food & supplements containing Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.
48. Brain Bank. Harvard University maintains a Brain Bank where over 7,000 human brains are stored for research purposes.
49. Thoughts. The average number of thoughts that humans are believed to experience each day is 70,000.
    
50. Keep exercising your brain, because mental activity stimulates the creation of new neurons throughout your whole life. For useful insights and tips, please read Boost Your Brain Power!.

When you have finished reading about these fun facts, please take this short brainpower quiz and see how much you learned about the human brain.

"Ideas must work through the brains and arms of men, or they are no better than dreams." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Warm regards & success,

Patrick

3D Brain Circuits

As you might know or have seen by the number of stories about it on this blog; I'm facinated by the human brain!

Especially because there is still so much to explore, discover, research and develop about the brain. The more we learn about our brain (e.g. how it functions, how to increase the volume of it, how to create an artificial brain, how to improve brain functions, how to boost it, how to integrate brain power with new technology, how brain music works, how to create robots with human brains, how to get the best out of it), the bigger the impact it will have on the advanced development of medical science and technology, which in the end will impact all of us as soon the new technology is being applied in consumer products & services.

So what is the brain? The brain is a black box. A complex circuitry of neurons fires information through channels, much like the inner workings of a computer chip. But while computer processors are regimented with the deft economy of an assembly line, neural circuits are impenetrable masses. Think tumbleweed.

The latest compelling brain development I heard and read about is a new '3D-type' of technology developed by the Harvard Medical School's Department of Neurobiology. They have developed a cool new technique for unraveling our complex brain masses. Through a combination of microscopy platforms, researchers can crawl through the individual connections composing a neural network, much as how Google crawls Web links.

"The questions that such a technique enables us to address are too numerous even to list," said Clay Reid, HMS professor of neurobiology and senior author on a paper reporting the findings.

The cerebral cortex is arguably the most important part of the mammalian brain. It processes sensory input, reasoning and, some say, even free will. For the past century, researchers have understood the broad outline of cerebral cortex anatomy. In the past decade, imaging technologies have allowed us to see neurons at work within a cortical circuit, to watch the brain process information.

But while these platforms can show us what a circuit does, they don't show us how it operates.
For many years, Reid's lab has been studying the cerebral cortex, adapting ways to hone the detail with which we can view the brain at work. Recently they and others have succeeded in isolating the activities of individual neurons, watching them fire in response to external stimuli.
The ultimate prize, however, would be to get inside a single cortical circuit and probe the architecture of its wiring.

Just one of these circuits, however, contains between 10,000 and 100,000 neurons, each of which makes about 10,000 interconnections, totaling upwards of 1 billion connections -- all within a single circuit. "This is a radically hard problem to address," Reid said.

Reid's team, which included Davi Bock, then a graduate student, and postdoctoral researcher Wei-Chung Allen Lee, embarked on a two-part study of the pinpoint-sized region of a mouse brain that is involved in processing vision. They first injected the brain with dyes that flashed whenever specific neurons fired and recorded the firings using a laser-scanning microscope. They then conducted a large anatomy experiment, using electron microscopy to see the same neurons and hundreds of others with nanometer resolution.

Using a new imaging system they developed, the team recorded more than 3 million high-resolution images. They sent them to the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center at Carnegie Mellon University, where researchers stitched them into 3-D images. Using the resulting images, Bock, Lee and laboratory technician Hyon Suk Kim selected 10 individual neurons and painstakingly traced many of their connections, crawling through the brain's dense thicket to create a partial wiring diagram.

This model also yielded some interesting insights into how the brain functions. Reid's group found that neurons tasked with suppressing brain activity seem to be randomly wired, putting the lid on local groups of neurons all at once rather than picking and choosing. Such findings are important because many neurological conditions, such as epilepsy, are the result of neural inhibition gone awry.

"This is just the iceberg's tip," said Reid. "Within ten years I'm convinced we'll be imaging the activity of thousands of neurons in a living brain. In a visual circuit, we'll interpret the data to reconstruct what an animal actually sees. By that time, with the anatomical imaging, we'll also know how it's all wired together."

"How the brain works is one of the greatest mysteries in nature," Prof. Reid added, "and this research presents a new and powerful way for us to explore that mystery!"

For a verbal explanation of the research by Prof. Clay Reid on video, click HERE.
For a YouTube video about untangling the brain, click HERE.

Amazing to know that one of our vital organs is still a big mystery to science!

Warm regards,


Patrick

STOP Losing Your Hair!

By Patrick Driessen

"A hair on the head is worth two on the brush." - Irish Proverb

As you might know, I always like to share my lessons learned, experience and insights to help others succeed. So here are my hair loss tips!

Yes, I also was suffering from losing my hair and getting a bit bald on my scalp.... Runs in the family... Getting older and a busy lifestyle took their toll on my scalp as well: emotionally I was suffering... I don't want to get bald!

Based on my own experienced on how to prevent or even stop losing my hair, I can hereby reveal the secret ingredients, which you'll need to stop losing and even start growing the hair on your scalp again!

On the advise of several friends of mine (two are GP's) I started taking Propecia pills and using a special hair gain lotion. The result is that I now dare to reference this process as it is also working for me: I stopped losing hair and I started gaining more hair!!! After 3 months I do not have empty or thin hair area's on my scalp anymore!

What is it and how does it work?
1. Propecia, Finnacar or Proscar (Finasteride) pills (for men only) are the only once-a-day pill for the treatment of certain types of male pattern baldness (androgenetic alopecia). Finasteride acts in the body to significantly lower levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by inhibiting the type 2 5 Alpha Reductase enzyme which is responsible for the conversion of testosterone into DHT. High amounts of DHT contribute to prostate enlargement as well as hair loss in individuals with a genetic pre-disposition to it.

For more information on Propecia, please see:

• http://www.propecia.com/finasteride/propecia/consumer/index.jsp
• For all information on Finasteride, please see the Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finasteride

2. Minoxidil Topical Application lotion: Minoxidil is used to stimulate hair growth and to slow balding. It opens up the hair veins and enables hair growth. In combination with Finasteride it has the highest effect. It is most effective for men whose hair loss is recent. Unfortunately Minoxidil has no effect on receding hairlines.

Why use both?
A clinical study has shown that a combination therapy of Minoxidil and Finasteride (Propecia, Finnacar or Proscar) shows great promise in the treatment of hair loss. It may potentially become the main stay therapy in this condition. Please see: http://www.regrowth.com/hairloss-remedy/remox/promox-study.cfm

How and how often to take?

1. You take one Propecia (1mg) or one Proscar/Finnacar (1.25mg or 1mg) pill once a day. Preferably take on an empty stomach (officially Propecia and Proscar can be taken with or without food) with a glass of water or grapefruit juice. Grapefruit juice contains substances which inhibit certain digestive enzymes that break down Finasteride thus boosting (more or less doubling) your bloodsteam uptake of the drug.
2. Every morning and every evening you drop 1ml of Minoxidil Topical lotion on your dry scalp and just lightly rub it in. It's that simple and easy!

How long to take it?
The advise for a long lasting result is to take both for at least 12 months.

What are the risks/side effects?
Risks and side effects will differ per person, so always make sure you consult your GP, doctor or another qualified medical specialist first. My own experience with side effects:

1. My GP told me that when taking Finasteride pills there is a risk of getting a lower libido and decreased sex lust…. Fortunately, so far that did not happen to me. I've not experienced any negative side effects. OK, just one: some hair started growing on my chest… For known side effects, please see: http://www.propecia.com/finasteride/propecia/consumer/possible-side-effects/
2. Minoxidil Topical lotion may cause side effects like: scalp itching, dryness, scaling, flaking, irritation, or burning. If it happens than most often in the early stage after start of using the lotion. Personally I have not experienced any negative side effects so far.

What does it cost?

1. Monthly doses of Propecia (Finasteride, MSD) pills is approx. $80. Cost-conscious customers usually buy Proscar® or Finnacar® (Finasteride) and cut the 5mg tablet into fourths (1.25mg) or even fifths (1mg) therefore getting all the benefits of Propecia at a dramatically reduced pricetag. If you cut Proscar or Finnacar into fourths (1.25mg) you only need 3 boxes to save your hair for the entire year! Compare that to 12 boxes of Propecia and you will realise that Proscar or Finnacar is the cheapest way to save your hair and your save your bank balance. For more info, please see: http://hairloss.cyberatlantis.com/proscar.php
2. If you manage to buy the lotion online or at a discount pharmacy the price per box with 3 to 5 bottles of 60ml will vary between $129 and $249. It just depends on what kind of brand/packaging it has…..I shopped around and found a package with 5 bottles (enough for 5 months) for $129. The average cost per month for 1 60ml bottle of lotion will be approx. $25.

How to get it?

1. Propecia, Finnacar or Proscar pills can be obtained with a prescription from your GP. For Propecia pills, please ask your GP for repeat prescription of at least 6x or 12x (1 per month).
2. Minoxidil Topical Application lotion can be obtained at most drugstores (again; my advise is to shop around for the best price. It could save you $50-$75 per package!). The Minoxidil Topical lotion I'm using is Hair A-Gain. See: http://www.keypharm.com.au/products/what_is_hair_a-gain.php

Other tips?
Yes, these are proven ones as well (at least for me):

1. Stop using fancy shampoo's. Just use baby shampoo! The best you can use is the Johnson & Johnson: 'Johnson's baby shampoo plus conditioner' (red/pink bottle). It is scientifically proven to be less harmful to your hair.
2. Stop washing your hair every day. Just wash your hair bi-daily, which will be less harmful to your scalp and your hair.
3. Stop using gel, spray or foam to model your hair. Start using men's hair wax, hair paste, or hair creme to model your hair. The difference is that gel, spray's and foams will often affect your scalp and can also negatively impact the quality of your hair. Wax or hair creme will "sit" on your hair and will not touch your scalp, nor impact the hair veins or quality of the hair.

"Experience is a comb that is given to you, when you have already lost you hair." - Giorgos Zambetas

I hope my experience helps you as well, as it works well for me!

Thanks, warm regards & success,



Patrick Driessen

© Patrick W. Driessen. All rights reserved.

Change Begins With Choice!

“Whatever you want in your life, the key to your success is to transform your thinking, emotions and behaviour!” - Patrick W. Driessen

By Patrick Driessen
A new year, a new beginning, a new start....of what? Of CHANGE! At least, if YOU choose to change! Because you yourself have the choice to change your positive self-direction, your habits, your skills, your thinking, your emotions, your friends, your income, etc. etc. The late well-known author/speaker/mega-coach/mentor Jim Rohn has written the following wise advise about your choice to change.

Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all! Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year.

We can also do nothing..... We can pretend rather than perform. And if the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence. The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of the good life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth!

We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness, success and joy into our daily lives.

And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree!  

YOU have the ability to TOTALLY transform EVERY area in YOUR life - and it all begins with your very own POWER of CHOICE!

Make this a Positive & Fruitful Day... unless you have other plans!

Thanks, warm regards & success with your change process,



Patrick

Drink Healthy Champagne!

By Patrick Driessen

"I had taken two finger-bowls of champagne, and the scene had changed before my eyes into something significant, elemental, and profound.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald

"I only drink champagne when I'm happy, and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone.
When I have company, I consider it obligatory.
I trifle with it if I am not hungry and drink it when I am.
Otherwise, I never touch it..... unless I'm thirsty!" - Lily Bolloinger

My Life Lesson #37 is: ‘Drink Champagne for no reason at all’. The history behind this life lessons is that I was fortunate enough to be raised by parents who celebrated most occasions with Champagne and I inherited this habit from them. I love to open up a bottle of good Champagne at any kind of occasion. Because my Champagne intake is very regular (though limited in volume), years ago my mother gave me a pillow with the following quote on it: “Champagne spoken here!”. This is still true!

I really enjoy the smell, taste and feeling of Champagne and…. I have always know that a flute or two a day can be very healthy. Healthy? Yes, very healthy indeed! I have written an article about 'The Benefits of Red Wine for Men', but limited consumption of Champagne is healthy for both men and women!

About two thousand years ago various French’s monks - who developed and improved the Champagne production process - already had proof for the health effects of Champagne. Mireille Guilliano who is the former CEO of Clicquot, Inc. (the U.S. subsidiary of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin) and author of the #1 bestseller French Women Don't Get Fat, believes that many of Champagne's health benefits are due to its trace minerals such as magnesium, potassium, zinc, and lithium (a natural mood regulator).

In 2007 researchers from the University of Reading in the UK suggested that two flutes of Champagne per day may be good for your heart, brain and blood circulation. They also found that drinking Champagne everyday (in moderation, of course) improves the way blood vessels function.

According to their study, Champagne increases the availability of nitric oxide (a molecule which controls blood pressure). It is able to do this because it contains polyphenols, plant chemicals from both red and white grapes used in the production of Champagne. So when you drink Champagne, the polyphenols are absorbed into the circulation where they cast their magic on our vascular system (slowing down the removal of nitric oxide from the blood). With higher levels of nitric oxide in the body, the blood flow is increased and it helps to decrease both blood pressure and the likelihood of blood clots.

The study also concluded that Champagne may help protect the brain from the injuries common with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, and stroke. Their discovery was that the group of neuron cells penetrated with Champagne extracts demonstrated a significant amount of protection against damage, while the group of neuron cells left alone was not able to fight off destruction. The reason for this, they concluded, was that caffeic acid and tyrosol, antioxidants found in polyphenols, contain anti-inflammatory characteristics. This keeps them from responding to injury and damage. Caffeic acid and tyrosol also possess the ability to remove toxic chemicals, expunging them from a person’s body. Both of these factors work together to help Champagne “top off” our well being.

These findings have now led to further investigation of Champagne’s influence on health and human lifespan, with a specific interest on its influence over aging. In the past, Champagne has always been thought of a drink you want in hand during times of glee. A spirit with a sparkling personality, Champagne seemed to find itself permanently fermented in a celebratory role. But, as more and more research is performed, Champagne has a chance to turn over a new leaf in medical science. With members of the health and science community raising its rank, Champagne is the new wine champion!

What kind of Champagne to drink? The best is the original and genuine French Champagne. However, Italian Prosecco, Spanish Cava and method champagnoise from countries like France, South Africa and Australia also have a healthy impact on your body.

How much to drink? When it comes to Champagne a maximum of two glasses (125ml each) is advised. Drinking too much of any form of alcoholic drink is bad for you - according to the Foods Standards Agency and various scientific studies, women can drink up to three units of alcohol a day and men up to four without a significant risk to their health. A unit is half a pint of standard strength beer or lager, a 25ml measure of spirit or a 125ml glass of wine. Now most bars and restaurants serve it in much larger glasses, so you better estimate your own intake!

The possible side-effects of Champagne. The feeling of light-headedness when drinking Champagne is because the bubbles mean you both inhale and drink alcohol. It may also be absorbed more quickly because the bubbles help the alcohol enter the blood. Champagne bubbles, together with the alcohol, can weaken the valve between the stomach and oesophagus, which could lead to reflux and heartburn. Especially when drinking more than two glasses of Champagne you could suffer from this possible side effect.

The calories. With our increased focus on how many calories we consume per day, our focus on liquid intake is often forgotten. The calories of a glass of champagne are 93 per 125ml glass. Compared to: white wine calories = 93 per 125ml glass / red wine calories = 85 per 125ml glass / Beer = 170 per pint.

When you celebrate the end of this challenging year or any kind of occassion with a glass of cool Champagne, you can have a very healthy toast! Cheers!

"Champagne, if you are seeking the truth, is better than a lie detector. It encourages a man to be expansive, even reckless, while lie detectors are only a challenge to tell lies successfully.” - Graham Greene

Thanks, warm regards & success,


Patrick

The 7 Disciplines for High Performance

“Over-seriousness is a warning sign for mediocrity and bureaucratic thinking. People who are seriously committed to mastery and high performance are secure enough to lighten up!" - Michael J. Gelb

By Brian Tracy
There are seven disciplines you must develop if you want to achieve all that is possible for you. You can learn these disciplines through practice and repetition until they become automatic.

1. Goal Setting
Every morning, take three to five minutes to write out your top goals in the present tense. Get a spiral notebook for this purpose. By writing out your ten goals at the beginning of each day, you will program them deep into your subconscious mind.
This daily goal writing will activate your mental powers. It will stimulate your mind and make you more alert. Throughout the day, you will see opportunities and possibilities to move more rapidly toward your goals.

2. Planning & Organizing
Take a few minutes, preferably the night before, to plan out every activity of the coming day. Always work from a list. Always think on paper. This is one of the most powerful and important disciplines of all for high performance. Remember: "A Goal Without a Plan is Only a Dream…" If you dream of achieving great things in life, planning for making them a reality on paper is vital to your success!

3. Priority Setting
The essence of all time management, personal management, and life management is contained in your ability to set the proper priorities on the use of your time. This is essential for high performance.

4. Concentration on your Highest-Value Activities
Your ability to work single-mindedly on your most important task will contribute as much to your success as any other discipline you can develop.

5. Exercise & Proper Nutrition
Your health is more important than anything else. By disciplining yourself to exercise regularly and to eat carefully, you will promote the highest possible levels of health and fitness throughout your life.

6. Learning and Growth
Your mind is like a muscle. If you don't use it, you lose it. Continuous learning is the minimum requirement for success in any field.

7. Time for Important People in your Life
Relationships are everything. Be sure that in climbing the ladder of success, you do not find it leaning against the wrong building. Build time for your relationships into every day, no matter how busy you get.

Action Exercise
These 7 disciplines will ensure that you perform at the highest level and get the greatest satisfaction and results from everything you do. Study these 7 disciplines and then make a plan for how you can incorporate each of them into your daily life! It will help you to succeed faster and better!

“It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises but only performance is reality!” - Harold S. Geneen

Actions 4 Happiness

By Patrick Driessen

"The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet." - James Openheim

After I published my blog post about What Makes You Really Happy? I received many responses from people who informed me it was a real eye-opener for them and in many cases they had concluded they were after things which would NOT make them happy…. I also received a lot of requests for additional guidance on how to become happier and more successful.

Below you’ll find a broad overview of actions which you can take to increase your own happiness. Success guaranteed! You can’t go wrong with any of these and I’m sure they’ll help you to become more successful and happier in each and every area of your life!

• Have Meaningful Goals
  People who strive for something significant, whether it’s learning a new craft or raising moral children, are far happier than those who don’t have strong dreams or aspirations. As humans, we require a sense of meaning to thrive. Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning. Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable. Click here for guidance to help you decide what you want. Click here to help you with dreaming and goal setting.
• Build Valuable Relationships
  Now more then ever we can really claim “It’s a small world”, because thanks to new technology and social media networks, it has become fairly easy to build relationships with other people around the globe. As long as you make sure you turn your new relationships in valuable relationships, they’ll make you happier! Click here for more information on how to use social media to expand your network.
• Smile Even When You Don’t Feel Like It
  It sounds simple, but it works. Happy people…see possibilities, opportunities, and success. When they think of the future, they are optimistic, and when they review the past, they tend to savor the high points. Even if you weren’t born looking at the glass as half-full, with practice, a positive outlook can become a habit. Click here to learn more about smiling.
• Say Thank You Like You Mean It
  People who keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis are healthier, more optimistic, and more likely to make progress toward achieving personal goals. People who write “gratitude letters or emails” to someone who made a difference in their lives score higher on happiness, and lower on depression, and… the effect lasts for weeks!
• Maintain Your Brain
  Our brain is where all our experiences, learning’s, emotions, etc. are being turned into….HAPPINESS! The better the condition of your brain, the larger its capacity to turn your emotions and experiences into happiness! Daily intake of apple juice, almonds, whole wheat, Omega3 (fish oil), vitamin-B Complex, enough sleep and various brain exercises will all help to boost your brain power. Click here for more info on how to maintain your brain.
• Savor Everyday Moments
  Pause now and then to smell a rose or watch children at play. Study participants who took time to “savor” ordinary events that they normally hurried through, or to think back on pleasant moments from their day, showed significant increases in happiness and reductions in depression.
• Avoid Comparisons
  Comparing ourselves with others can be damaging to happiness and self-esteem. Instead of comparing ourselves to others, focusing on our own personal achievement leads to greater satisfaction. 
  
• Bake Your Own Bread
  Satisfying, rewarding, healthy and easy to do: bake your own bread. With your own bread machine you can wake up every morning with the smell of fresh baked bread, which makes you happy and will make you smile. Click here for information on how to do it.
• Put Money Low on the List
  People who put money high on their priority list are more at risk for depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, according to various studies. Research findings hold true across nations and cultures. The more we seek satisfactions in material goods, the less we find them there! The satisfaction has a short half-life; it’s very fleeting. Money-seekers also score lower on tests of vitality and self-actualization.
• Coach Your Own Health
  People who successfully manage the health of their body and mind are more balanced, more successful and happier! A combination of the right nutrition and liquid intake, exercise, relaxation, and regular health checks will result in the best possible and happiest health. To learn more about how to coach your own health, click here.
• Take Initiative at Work
  How happy you are at work depends in part on how much initiative you take! When we express creativity, help others, suggest improvements, or do additional tasks on the job, we make our work more rewarding and feel more in control.
• Make Friends and Treasure Family
  Happier people tend to have good families, close friends, and supportive relationships. But it’s not enough to be the life of the party if you’re surrounded by shallow acquaintances. We don’t just need relationships, we need close ones that involve understanding and caring.
• Make Love!
  Yes, it’s no surprise that lovemaking boosts your happiness levels!
• Get Out and Exercise
  A Duke University study shows that exercise may be just as effective as drugs in treating depression, without all the side effects and expense. Other research shows that in addition to health benefits, regular exercise offers a sense of accomplishment and opportunity for social interaction, releases feel-good endorphins, and boosts self-esteem!
• Give Hugs
  Hugs stimulate oxytocin, the “love hormone”; spreading a feel-good boost.
• Keep a Gratitude Journal
  Writing about what you are thankful for both helps retrain your brain to be more optimistic and positively impacts your health!
• Give It Away, Give It Away Now
  

  Make altruism and giving part of your life, and be purposeful about it. Helping a neighbour, volunteering, or donating goods and services results in a “helper’s high,” and you get more health benefits than you would from exercise or quitting smoking. Listening to a friend, passing on your skills, celebrating others’ successes, and forgiveness also contribute to happiness. Those who spend money on others create much greater happiness than those who spend it on themselves! For example: Spending time on teaching, coaching, mentoring and guiding others to succeed is most rewarding and satisfying and really makes you happy!

If you follow these proven 'Actions 4 Happiness', I am sure it will also enable you to become more successful, increase your happiness and enhance the quality and quantity of your life!

A good question to ask yourself is: will having more success make you happy, will being happy make you more successful, is it both or somewhere in the middle? For you to find out!

"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier. The way it actually works is the reverse. You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want." - Margaret Young

Make this a Positive & HAPPY day....unless you have other plans!

Thanks, warm regards & success,

Patrick Driessen