I recently offered free copies of my new book on brain health in return for a review. Guess what... over 70% of the respondents were women. A surprising result...? No not really!
Compared with men... Women are more willing to ask for help and not afraid to admit if they don't understand something. Women like to do research, gather information and get to the facts. Women are less likely to require instant solutions and more prepared to do 'what it takes' to get the result they want. All-in-all women seem far more sensible and courageous than most men when it comes to confronting and addressing health issues!.
Having said all that, are women right to be more concerned about brain health than are men? I think the answer is Yes!
Brain size... Brain size is an important consideration when identifying the risks of mental illness in women as they age. The average brain size for women is smaller than that of men, yet both exhibit similar cognitive abilities. An explanation offered for the similarity in mental performance is the fact that cells in a woman's brain are more densely packed in the area of the brain responsible for processes like judgement, planning and certain types of memory..
However, as the years pass women shed brain cells at a faster rate than men so that in old age there is little difference in brain cell density. but the disparity in brain size remains - which may reflected in the greater incidence of mental health issues in women.
Of course, one of the most important factors could be that women live longer than men and that allows more time for neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's to develop.
Other factors... But there are other factors that are just as powerful and much more immediate. These include the reality that women are more likely than men to suffer sexual and physical abuse, experience problems in marriage and with children, be affected by reproductive issues and have to endure poverty. All these experiences can give rise to stress and it is well known that prolonged stress causes significant damage to the brain.
But the effects don't stop there... The pressures that women experience not only give rise to stress but can also compromise a woman's ability to take action to protect her brain health through initiatives such as exercise, regular harmonious sex, routine deep sleep, career development and self-improvement programs. Little wonder that according to the National Institute Of Mental Health, women are affected twice as often as men by most forms of depression and anxiety disorders and nine times more often by eating disorders.
So what can be done...? Plenty! Recent brain research has shown that if you take action to improve the condition of your brain cells and strengthen the connections between them, you can greatly reduce the chance of mental decline occurring or, if it has started, you can work to slow its progress … perhaps even reverse it! Just imagine, for the rest of your life, greeting each new day - each new challenge - each new venture with boldness and confidence.
Recent studies show that exercise can improve the performance of the brain by boosting memory and cognitive processing speed. Further, scientists have discovered that the human brain is not only capable of renewing itself, but that exercise speeds the process
However, there are other factors that are just as important. These include: posture, breathing, adequacy of sleep, sexual activity, reduction in stress levels, directly challenging the brain and the acuity of one’s senses. When exercise is combined with these factors in an integrated program the benefits to brain health are compounded. One such revolutionary program is called ”How To Rewire Your Brain” which you can get for FREE!
You can get a copy of the groundbreaking brain health program ”How To Rewire Your Brain” FREE at www.womenbrainhealth.com
