08 Feb

Posted at 08:00h in Article, Depression, Food, Psychology
Depression during the cold winter months is common for northern countries, particularly in the northern United States and Canada. Clinically, low vitamin D levels have been linked to depression. Researchers have found that vitamin D supplementation may ameliorate the symptoms of depression, particularly in young adults. Since many people nowadays spend more time inside and not enough time outside, getting enough vitamin D is getting harder to do. Here are some ways to get more vitamin D daily to either help with your patient’s depression or your own seasonal blues.

08 Jan

Posted at 08:00h in Adults, Article, Food, Health
In the US, millions of Americans struggle with maintaining a healthy weight. In young adults, impulsivity and inefficient inhibitory control are key risk factors for engaging in unhealthy and uncontrolled eating habits. Impulse and inhibitory control are part of executive functioning which occurs in the frontal lobes of the brain with connections to other key brain regions, such as the limbic system. Training executive functioning in addition to helping your clients adapt to other healthy lifestyle behaviors such as exercising regularly, practicing good sleep hygiene, and not purchasing processed foods may be effective in helping your client lose weight.

30 Dec

Posted at 08:00h in Article, Health
Every year, people make New Year’s resolutions such as: going to the gym, eating better, hanging out with family more, spending more time exploring new ideas, or learning a new skill. While 2021 will be a new year for sure, but it doesn’t mean that people cannot set goals to improve their lives. While many people focus on their bodies, they forget about their brains. Here are some cognitive goals you can help your client work on in 2021 either in person or through telehealth.

18 Dec

Posted at 08:00h in Article, Food, Healthy Aging, Therapy Tips
The holidays mean it's time for some delicious holiday meals. However, many holiday favorites are loaded with extra sugar, fat, and carbohydrates that can leave us feeling sluggish. While food quantity choices rely on satiation, thirst, and hunger levels, there are cognitive skills that you can teach your client to make wiser food decisions and stay healthy over the holidays. In this blog post, we discuss some cognitive strategies to help your client achieve those goals.

19 Oct

Posted at 08:00h in Article, Healthy Aging, Highlight
Many activity directors and nursing home staff seek ways to provide services for their elderly clients. One important service that needs to be offered for elderly people is cognitive training. Cognitive training has been researched for its potential benefits for improving cognitive, psychological, and physical health in elderly people. In this blog post, we show you 4 reasons why you should provide your elderly clients with cognitive training.

14 Oct

Posted at 08:00h in Health, Ted Talk, Video
Lisa Mosconi is a neuroscientist, director of the Weill Cornell Women’s Brain Initiative, a neuro-nutrionist, and author of Brain Food and the XX Brain. Dr. Mosconi conducts extensive research on Alzheimer’s disease and women’s health, brain health and diet, and prevention medicine. She has published scientific papers since 2003, written several books, and has been featured in Psychology Today, Forbes, NBC, and CBS. 

25 Sep

Posted at 08:00h in Article, Social Cognition, Therapy Tips
One of the greatest challenges in cognitive rehabilitation therapy is helping your client connect their practice of cognitive skills to their daily life. This is where bridging comes in. Bridging is the process by which therapists and clients work together to reflect upon a client’s cognitive processes and by using simulated real-world situations to apply learned cognitive skills. Some situations a therapist may simulate for their client to apply learned cognitive skills include planning a dinner party, making plans to attend a social event, and applying for a job.

07 Sep

Posted at 08:00h in Education, Social Cognition, Ted Talk, Video
In 1996, Vialet launched Playworks with two schools in Berkeley, California. Currently, the organization brings play and physical activities to children across the country, with offices in 23 cities. With a staff of 700, this year Playworks will reach 900,000 students through on-site coaches, professional training, and consultative partnership, serving 1,800 schools and youth-serving organizations. This organization helps to make sure that students are given the chance to play. We love this TED talk because Jill covers the exact reason as to why playing needs to be an active part of every student and human's day.