Bened Life - Brain Food

Keeping a Healthy Brain As You Age
As we get older, a lot of things about our bodies change. People generally start losing bone density after 40, and loss of muscle mass accelerates after 60. The brain also goes through changes. The volume of your brain starts decreasing naturally as you get older, and the speed at which your nerves conduct impulses slows down.  How much your memory and cognition change as you age is different for everyone, but it’s a simple fact of life - just like needing reading glasses, or getting thinner skin. When it... Read more...
Neuralli Cognition+ Strains and Cognitive Health
Aging is a natural process that none of us can escape, but we can take proactive steps to help us continue to thrive as we age. This includes keeping our brains healthy.  Neuralli Cognition+ is a probiotic that contains clinically-studied strains shown to support healthy brain and body aging. If staying mentally sharp is a top concern of yours, read on to learn about the science that supports the use of probiotics like Neuralli Cognition+ in promoting cognitive health.  What is Neuralli Cognition+? Neuralli Cognition+ is a healthy aging probiotic... Read more...
What to Know about Neuralli Mood
The probiotic + postbiotic duo for stress An impending deadline, a major project, a wedding, demanding responsibilities, even a big athletic goal – life can really dial up the stress at times. These stressful events put your brain and body on high alert, which can take a toll on them both. When life gets challenging, finding ways to mitigate the effects of stress on your body and on your mind is crucial. Introducing Neuralli Mood. Neuralli Mood is a probiotic + postbiotic blend designed to support a healthy stress response* by... Read more...
What are the Best Memory Supplements?
As we get older, it’s natural to start thinking about brain health, memory, and trying to protect ourselves from cognitive decline. The good news is that there are plenty of nutrients, plants, probiotics, and more that can contribute to helping preserve cognitive function as we age. Omega-3 fatty acids Omega-3s are a family of nutrients known as polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs for short. These “healthy fats” are extremely important to your brain health, and research suggests that deficiency may be detrimental.   A round-up of 9 different placebo-controlled studies suggests... Read more...
Involuntary ASD Aggression: Taming a Dysregulated Nervous System
by Melody Tien Grewal “My Autistic nervous system is easily overloaded. With dyspraxia too, my body may get aggressively responsive sometimes. When my aggression happens, it should be labelled dysregulation in a perfect world, after the dysregulated nervous system that causes it. "But let’s face it: having a 250-pound man scream and run at you is scary, both for me and the person trying to calm my body. Giving this kind of action the red-colour label it needs is important so Autistics can get the help we need to demyelinate... Read more...
Dance for Parkinson’s Disease
By Alissa B Daschbach MA FF EMT “Dance is for everybody.” Mark Morris Some days you may be tired or unable to put one foot in front of the other. The day is weighing down on you like you are Atlas, carrying the world on your shoulders. But, you know you can’t let go, because the world will fall, and take you with it. So, you know you have to keep moving. You tell yourself, don’t stop moving.  But, what if you thought: “Never, ever stop dancing.” What Is Dance... Read more...
Remember Who We Are: A Dance for PD Instructor Speaks
By Alissa B Daschbach MA FF EMT For an introduction to Dance for PD® (Parkinson's disease), please see Dance for Parkinson’s Disease: Evidence-Based Benefits. One Dance for PD® community in Pune, India came to be because of a remarkable dancer, choreographer, and artistic director Hrishikesh Pawar. Here we feature an interview with Hrishikesh and his story about the power of dance for Parkinson’s disease.   Who is Hrishikesh Pawar? Hrishikesh Pawar, born in Pune, India in 1983, is the most passionate dancer I know. His love for dance and desire to... Read more...
Why Is There an Increase in Autism Diagnoses?
Autism diagnosis rates are increasing across all age groups, but it isn't an epidemic — it's a sign of progress. There have been so many positive changes over the last 2 decades regarding awareness, access, and how society is finally recognizing the full autism spectrum.  Autism has become a frequent topic of discussion across social media, in healthcare conversations, and even in mainstream news. The increase in visibility can make it seem like autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has suddenly become more common or even trendy. While prevalence numbers have increased... Read more...
Nonspeaking and Nonverbal Autism: What’s the Difference?
“Nonverbal autism” and “Nonspeaking autism” are often used interchangeably to describe the same challenges. But which term you use can matter.  It’s very common for people on the spectrum to experience speech delays, issues with expressive language development, and other communication concerns. But what does that mean? What does it look like, how do we talk about it, and what accommodations or treatments are available? What is nonspeaking autism? “Nonspeaking autism” is when an Autistic person experiences difficulty, delay, or inability in speech and cannot rely on speech alone to... Read more...
The Best Gifts for Autistic Children
Here’s a comprehensive holiday gift guide for kids ages 12 and younger with sensory processing differences, including gifts for Autistic kids. It is curated based on safety considerations, sensory needs, fun, and expert recommendations, and my own experience as an Autistic person, parent, educator, and elementary school employee.  This guide is designed to help loved ones, families, caregivers, and therapists choose fun, functional gifts for Autistic children and those with other sensory sensitivities. My hope is that this will be the go-to resource for caregivers, educators, and therapists looking for... Read more...
Introducing Neuralli Cognition+
(Note: This product is currently only available in the USA and Canada) “I know I walked in here for something … Now, what was it?” Short-term memory is what allows us to remember why we walked across the house into a new room, instead of standing there confused. It helps us remember how much flour to measure out for a recipe, seconds after reading the instructions. It’s the reason you can recall a person’s name for a sentence or two of conversation after you learned it. Neuralli® Cognition+ is a... Read more...
How Do I Know If I Need Probiotics?
Whether you’re scrolling through social media, talking to friends and family, or simply shopping at the grocery store, you most likely have come across the idea that probiotics can help you feel healthier.  Many people decide to take a probiotic hoping to improve their gut health because of an underlying GI issue, like occasional diarrhea or constipation, or irritable bowel syndrome.  But, did you know that some probiotics can benefit your health outside of your gut altogether?  Certain probiotics, for example, have been shown in clinical studies to influence mental... Read more...