How stress can shrink your brain. All this week, a pair of eminent neurologists specialising in Alzheimer’s are sharing cutting- edge research with Mail readers and revealing how lifestyle tweaks can help fend off the disease. Today, they show how avoiding stress and learning to meditate could boost your brain . There's no doubt that many of us are more stressed than ever before. Thanks to the rise of smartphones, we’re never far from our emails — meaning too many of us take work home with us.

Then there are all the other stresses of modern life: never getting to the end of your to- do list, worrying about family, money, friends, work and so on. It can be easy to shrug off that missed appointment or lost wallet as the inevitable consequence of having too much to do and never enough time. But those mental blanks and foggy- headed moments could be an early warning sign that stress is damaging your brain. Scroll down for video Mental blanks and foggy- headed moments could be an early warning sign that stress is damaging your brain. In fact, stress management is a critical and often misunderstood aspect of a brain- healthy lifestyle.

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Regardless of your degree of risk of developing dementia, stress reduction is crucial to overall health and happiness. Together, as a neurologist husband- and- wife team, we run the prestigious Memory and Aging Center at Loma Linda University in California. We have dedicated our careers to finding a cure for Alzheimer’s and after decades of research and clinical experience we believe we have found a scientifically- backed way to reduce your risk — and keep your brain sharper for longer. All this week in the Mail we have been serialising this personalised lifestyle plan, based on our book, The Alzheimer’s Solution, which focuses on five key areas that can really make a difference: diet, exercise, sleep, stress and brain training.

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Today, the focus is on stress, and specifically on finding ways to unwind. Some forms of stress are, in fact, good for your brain — if the stress helps you pursue some kind of long- term goal (such as studying for a degree). This kind of purposeful action actually bolsters brain reserves, making you stronger and more resilient. Watch Auto Recovery Online Facebook here. But many of us now live our lives in a state of unrelenting, uncontrolled stress. THE DAMAGE CAN START IN CHILDHOOD It is possible that much of the microscopic damage to the brain which can culminate in Alzheimer’s actually starts in early childhood.

Coca-Cola to shrink the size of Coke cans to 330ml - so will the price be cut too? Coca-Cola is shrinking the size of its cans by almost 10 per cent in multipacks.

Stress, poor nutrition and lack of exercise could start damaging the arteries that supply oxygen to the body and brain from a young age. Studies show that children who have a tough time early in their lives do tend to be at greater risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol later in life, all of which, as we have shown, increase the risk later in life for developing Alzheimer’s.

Neglect and emotional abuse sustained at a young age have been associated with memory deficits in adulthood. Sports- related head trauma (even repeatedly ‘heading’ a football) is another risk factor that studies show could predispose children to developing cognitive problems in adulthood. A process called ‘myelination’ by which the neuron’s connections are coated with a protective fatty membrane called myelin (to ensure effective communication) starts before the age of five and continues into your early 2. This is one of the natural processes which helps the brain develop resilience in the face of later traumas — so children really do need a good, strong lifestyle foundation to ensure this process happens efficiently. Stress has been shown to significantly affect growth in developing brains, and lower cognitive resilience in childhood (i. This is the worst possible kind — if you don’t own it and you didn’t choose it and you feel there’s no end to it in sight.

Stress like this puts the body in overdrive and subsequently increases the level of stress hormones (such as cortisol). These affect blood sugar levels and cause damaging long- term problems such as anxiety, depression, disrupted sleep and depressed immune function, which then makes us more vulnerable to infections — and all of which increase our risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Stress affects each of us differently, but our brains are particularly vulnerable. Studies show chronic stress decreases levels of the crucial protein responsible for the production of new brain cells. It puts the brain in a state of high inflammation, causing structural damage and impairing its ability to clear harmful waste products. Uncontrolled stress initiates a hormonal cascade that taxes the brain on many levels.

It even changes the structure of the brain, destroying cells and effectively shrinking it. If you were to look at the brains of people with Alzheimer’s, even early on in the disease process, you’d see evidence of chronic inflammation in the form of special proteins (called cytokines and chemokines) that rush to the site to support the immune system by attacking foreign substances.

You’ll also see small cells (called microglia) that rush there to help with the clearing of waste and damaged brain cells. The problem is, under stressful conditions, these microglia can become so responsive in clearing waste that they start to harm neurons (the cells of the nervous system) and their supporting structures, resulting in both cell death and structural damage. This is why stress, and the chronic inflammation that it induces, is widely considered to be a main factor in the development of Alzheimer’s. Studies have also shown that chronic stress can quite literally shrink your brain. A single stressful event is enough to destroy brain cells — very often in an area called the hippocampus, which controls memory. When the hippocampus is damaged by cortisol, the region struggles to regulate the body’s stress system.

This results in the secretion of even more cortisol, a vicious cycle that in turn damages more cells. Everyone, whatever the state of their brain health, will benefit from unwinding and de- stressing. This factor alone could be enough to significantly reduce your risk of getting Alzheimer’s, and if you already have a dementia diagnosis, should ease your symptoms and improve your focus and memory. To work best and have the greatest impact, the process of unwinding or de- stressing, just like the other four lifestyle factors in this series, should be personalised to you. A WALKING BREAK FOR YOUR MIND For ultimate cynics who can’t bear the thought of sitting cross- legged — and probably spend too much time sitting anyway — or those who are already struggling with cognitive decline, walking meditation is powerfully effective and very simple. Just going for a walk can be a powerful meditative activity that allows the brain to rest and restore. Stick to the same route and work to minimise distractions and interruptions. Starting at one point and ending at another creates a sense of regimented activity — which forms the groundwork for meditative thinking. When you walk a familiar circuit the problem- solving part of your mind can go offline which helps you instantly feel more relaxed.

Walk at an easy pace. Feel the ground beneath your feet, the tensing of your leg muscles and the swing of your arms. If you find your attention wandering, label your steps — one, two or left, right — to keep your head clear. Turn to your free magazine which was given away in Saturday’s paper (if you don’t have one, call 0. We encourage our patients to work towards eliminating, as much as they can, any situations in life that make them feel stressed, and taking steps to avoid the difficult and awkward relationships that make them uncomfortable. We urge them to make sure they give themselves time in each day to relax (this is very important!) and to find a way to reduce the constant distractions of mobile phones, computers and TV (you might think this is just background noise, but it can put your brain in a permanent state of unrelenting alert).

Coca- Cola to shrink the size of Coke cans to 3. Watch Teen Wolf Online Ibtimes. Coca- Cola is shrinking the size of its cans by almost 1. Can sizes have been reduced from 3. New Zealand. Coca- Cola Oceania spokesman Keith Mason said research showed people preferred a smaller size. Coca- Cola is shrinking the size of its 3.

The price of 2. 4- packs of Coca- Cola cans will be reduced as a result of the size shrinkage‘We know from consumer research.. Mr Mason said the decision to reduce the size of the cans was also due to concerns regarding sugar intake. Watch Online Watch Vigilante Full Movie Online Film. He said the price of the cans would be dropped as a result of the smaller size.

Coca- Cola Amatil spokesman Patrick Low said there were no plans to reduce cans in Australia yet. Both 3. 75ml and 3. Coca- Cola cans are sold in Australia, and Mr Low said he believed the 3. New Zealand due to the size of beer cans across the Tasman. Coca- Cola said their decision was also due to concerns regarding sugar intake.