IQ Adult is about enlarging your mind.

Whoo, it's been a long time since the first post but there's been a death in the family. That sort of thing can't be planed for, as far as timing goes. Anyhow, I can get back to a routine again, hopefully. This was intended to be updated every Friday.

While on the housework side of things; there was a problem with email, so if you sent anything, I didn't get it. This doesn't sound good on a site dealing with inteligence and better mental functioning. Ah well.

Being an eternal optimist, I can only say it shall be better. Mistakes are part of life so when they happen, learn what went wrong and remember the right way to do it. Definately don't blame yourself for a stuff-up.

Your self respect and attitude are major forces in your life. More about that in coming weeks.

Did you read up about Ginkgo? Are you using it?
It's taken as a pill because the natural product is not readily available, but Omega 3 fatty acids are easy to get in abundance. so what are they, what do they do and where do we get them?

Omega 3 is found in some vegetable oils and mostly in fish like Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel, Herring, Anchovies and Sardines. There are 3 types of Omega 3 - ALA, DHA, and EPA. For general purposes, that's all you need to know. These fatty acids are important for the brain, heart, eyes and nervous system and help reduce inflammation in joints.

The main benefit seems to be in assisting the heart and therefore the brain (memory) because of better blood flow. It has a calming effect with mood. Clams, mussels and flax (linseed ) oil also contain it. Interestingly eggs and meat from free-range animals contain higher amounts than just grain fed animals. Kiwi fruit also has a high level and even Cannabis Sativa has it in reasonable amounts. That doesn't mean you should chew hash for health; eat fish.

Now we can't talk about Omega 3 without Omega 6. It's because they act together and should be in the correct proportions. Ideally that is about 4 parts of Om3 to 1 part of Om6.

Omega 6 comes from raw nuts, seeds and vegetable oils and is good for healthy blood and tissue mending. So it's good for the skin too.

Now let's put this information together and get thoroughly confused.

For better mood, memory, tissue repair and blood flow we should take Fish Oil supplements and use peanut oil or sunflower oil. Right? No. Those oils are deficient in Omegas.

The only reason you need fish oil capsules is if you don't eat any of the fish mentioned; don't eat nuts, seeds or vegetables and live on grain fed beef exclusively. It doesn't matter if you fry it in sunflower oil (low in Omegas). You're not getting essential fatty acids.

Remember the ideal ratio is supposed to be 4 to 1. Well somewhere between Canola and Soybean oils is good, but to confuse things, Olive oil is 13 to 1 and generally plays a large part in the diet of the least heart disease prone European people on the planet; those on the Mediterranean diet. So are the recommendations valid?

Next; if blood flow is so essential to mental wellbeing and a healthy heart, why not just exercise? It's because we need to eat right and exercise. Nutritionists tell us we don't need supplements and the pill people say there's heavy metals in our fish doing us harm. Who's right?

Remember we were told to eat fewer eggs because of cholesterol, then told the opposite. Coffee is bad for you and then it's good. Alcohol is the devils' brew but a glass or two of red wine is healthy. Pork is riddled with bad bacteria, eat grapes to lose weight, vitamin C stops colds, Noni juice for something and snake oil for something else.

What has this got to do with learning? We must treat ourselves holistically. Our physical health is important to our mental health. Try to study while you have a headache; it's useless. Can the Omegas help with mental functioning? Yes. But so can a sensible diet that includes a variety of foods in balanced amounts. Vegetarians tend to be smarter. Is it because they don't eat meat, or is it because they're smarter, that they don't eat meat?

Carnivores, particularly those who eat a lot of red meat tend to be more aggressive. Vegetarians tend to be more peaceful, not to be confused with weak. Some of the most powerful animals are vegetarians,- elephants, giraffe, gorillas etc. It certainly makes more economic sense to grow crops rather than cows. But this doesn't mean to leave meat. Eat a variety of foods.

You ARE what you eat. Your body and brain are made from what you put into your mouth. Remember this next time you want to chomp on junk food. It's putting dirty oil in the engine.

Most of us should eat less. Eat a light breakfast and have small amounts during the day, according to your body type and level of activity. Sitting at a desk does not require much energy so do not eat much. A hearty meal is for a physical laborer. A big meal at night, when all you'll be doing is watching TV, goes down the toilet or is stored in the body as fat .

Are you carrying extra weight? Get real. Look at your energy input and output. Sluggish in thinking? What type of food and drink are you consuming?

Being fresh and clean after a shower, being in a good mood after a laugh, settling into "discovery time" (not "study time") routine are all beneficial to learning. So is your environment. Studying in a cramped, untidy room with noisy or visual distractions is self defeating.
That is for next time.

To get in touch personally email Jay Ross

As a legal disclaimer, I've got to say this is for entertainment only and no responsibility whatsoever will be taken for use or misuse of this material.