Gene Morphis ' View

Lee Ann Womack had a giant hit in 2000 with a song called “I hope you dance” written by Mark Sanders and Tia Sellers. Lee Ann, Mark and Tia were on to something. There is ample research supporting the role exercise has in overall health. Further, there is substantial additional research that informs us that we can grow a bigger brain by learning new activities that involve concentration and fine motor skills, such as learning to play the guitar or woodcarving. Professor Agnieszka Burzynska and a team from the University of Illinois in Urbana performed a study on older adults to see if dancing had any effect on brain health. The test group, which consisted of older adults, was split into three groups. One group maintained their current activities; most of them were sedentary. The second group performed light stretching exercises, and the third group began to take dance lessons and dance. The good news is that the dancers showed real, measurable improvement in the area of the brain...

Author Peter Andrey Smith titled his  article  on the relationship of the brain to the intestines, and, in particular, the tiny creatures that live in our intestine beautifully: “ The tantalizing links between gut microbes and the brain ”. If the human brain is the frontier of medical science, the  microbiome , those tiny creatures that live in our intestinal tract, is Jupiter. The linkage between what goes on in the gut and the brain is indeed tantalizing, and the subject of research worldwide. There are over 1,000 different kinds of those things living inside us. There are hints that having the wrong mix of gut microbes, or the absence of any particular type, is linked to asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies, depression, Alzheimer’s disease and more. Further, antibiotics, illnesses and other factors can deplete the population. Here are seven things we can do to help keep our little creatures happy and healthy. Eat the right stuff. There is evidence...

Today I was interviewed by noted podcaster Kelsay Yerian for her Cover the Topic podcast. In the second of a three-part interview series, we discussed investing in start-ups, a little about venture capitalists, e-commerce, retail winners and losers, and the beginnings of www.bigbrain.place. www.bigbrain.place offers a variety of games, puzzles, aromatherapy, books on meditation, gourmet coffee and sleep accoutrements- all grounded in research indicating that they are good for brain health. You can listen here or catch it on ITunes. http://coverthetopic.com/episode-38-interview-with-gene-morphis-part-2/