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6A Daily News – Tuesday, August 27, 2013 Vitality health & fitness Try video games to boost memory, agility By Relaxnews Good news for gamers: a new British study finds that some video games can help to train the brain to become more agile and improve strategic thinking. Scientists from Queen Mary University of London and University College London recruited 72 female volunteers and measured their "cognitive flexibility," described as a person's ability to adapt and switch between tasks and think about multiple ideas at a given time to solve problems. Two groups of subjects were trained to play different versions of a real-time fast-paced strategy game called "StarCraft" in which players have to construct and organize armies to battle an enemy. A third of the group played life simulation video game "The Sims," which does not require much memory or many tactical skills. All the volunteers played the video games for 40 hours over six to eight weeks and were subjected to a variety of psychological tests before and after. Findings showed that subjects who played "StarCraft" were quicker and By Gabriella Boston The Washington Post more accurate in performing cognitive flexibility tasks than those who played "The Sims." "Previous research has demonstrated that action video games, such as Halo, can speed up decision making but the current work finds that realtime strategy games can promote our ability to think on the fly and learn from past mistakes," said researcher Dr. Brian Glass from Queen Mary's School of Biological and Chemical Sciences. "Our paper shows that cognitive flexibility, a cornerstone of human intelligence, is not a static trait but can be trained and improved using fun learning tools like gaming." The evidence, announced Wednesday, was published online in the journal PLOS One. Research published earlier this year in the same journal found that playing video games may prevent and even reverse deteriorating brain functions such as memory, reasoning and visual processing. The University of Iowa study of hundreds of people age 50 and older found that those who played a video game were able to improve a range of cognitive skills and reverse up to seven years of age-related decline. Volunteering could add years to your life By Relaxnews Volunteering to help others doesn't only feel good -- it can also improve your mental health and help you live longer, according to a new study published Fri- day in the journal BMC Public Health. In a review of 40 academic papers by the UK's University of Exeter, researchers found that volunteers had lower self-rated levels of Especially if your business is Pouring, preparing or serving PROMOTE YOUR PARICIPATION! Make sure your business is part of the official promotional Program for Red Bluff's annual "party of the year." depression and high levels of well-being and life satisfaction, although findings have yet to confirm this in trials. Volunteers were a fifth less likely to die within the next four to seven years than average. Volunteering is thought to be especially good for the physical health of older people, by encouraging them to stay active and spend more time outside the home. But young people experience benefits as well: a separate US study published earlier this year in the journal JAMA Pediatrics linked volunteering with improved cardiovascular health in high school students. Motives behind volunteering include wanting to "give something back" to the community, but if volunteers felt they weren't "getting something back" in return, then the positive impact was more limited, the researchers explained. An estimated 22.5 percent of people in Europe devote some of their free time to volunteering, compared with 27 percent in America and 36 percent in Australia. Head researcher Dr. Suzanne Richards said: "Our systematic review shows that volunteering is associated with improvements in mental health, but more work is needed to establish whether volunteering is actually the cause." "It is still unclear whether biological and cultural factors and social resources that are often associated with better health and survival are also associated with a willingness to volunteer in the first place." A separate study from Carnegie Mellon University in the US announced in June found that volunteering can improve heart health by reducing blood pressure. Oh Snap! The Daily News wants your photos: Cute kids, Adorable pets, Inspirational sights, Any shot you think readers would enjoy Sponsored by the Downtown Red Bluff Business Association and the Tehama County CattleWomen. • 13,000 pre-event household Distribution via newspaper & mail. • Published online 9/13-21 at www.redbluffdailynews.com • Detailed "pull out" Downtown Beef and Brew serving locations Map included inside. (Premium ad spaces available!) • …and much more! You might just see it in the Daily News Send pictures to editor@redbluffdailynews.com or drop off at 545 Diamond Ave. in Red Bluff. Include a caption. Tehama Family Fitness Center Its not too late to reach your fitness goals this year! Hot August Membership Specials! Advertising Deadline: FRIDAY, AUGUST 30 For rates, details and space reservations: DAILY NEWS TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Call your Daily News Advertising Representative TODAY! The body needs fuel to perform. But what fuel? And when? These are the questions many of us ask ourselves as we get ready for a long run or finish up an hour in the weight room. "You wouldn't expect your car to run on an empty tank, right? Same thing with your body. If you want to perform well, you have to fuel well," says Mansur Mendizabal, a fitness trainer and owner of www.mansurtraining.com. This means giving your body the carbohydrates and protein it needs. Pre-Workout Early-morning workouts present challenges beyond just dragging yourself out of bed. If you have less than an hour before your workout, you will have to eat something that is easily digestible and high in carbohydrates. And, of course, make sure you hydrate. "If you are working out early in the morning, maybe you have a banana before the workout, since the body has used up most of the glycogen stores overnight," Suzanne Girard Eberle, sports nutritionist and author of "Endurance Sports Nutrition," says. "A sports drink may even be appropriate." But to some, eating a meal early in the morning just doesn't feel right. For them, nutritionist Kristen Ciuba recommends splitting breakfast in two: eating half of it before working out and half after. Think peanut butter on half a slice of whole-wheat toast before working out and then the other half afterward. "Time it so you are eating at least 30 to 40 minutes before the workout and then 30 to 40 minutes after the workout," she says. But if you have more time, full meals — which balance carbohydrates, protein and fat — are the best preparation for any physical activity, Girard Eberle says. In other words, if you can swing it, eat a full meal two hours or more before working out, she says. That's what Mendizabal does. He works out at least 90 minutes a day. Some days are devoted to cardio (running, swimming or biking) and some days he does strength training. And a couple of times a week he combines cardio and strength. But no matter what the workout looks like, he fuels the same way. "The only difference is that when I run, I have to wait longer between eating and exercising. But I still eat the same breakfast," he says. That breakfast often looks like this: toasted wholewheat bread with almond butter, Kashi GoLean cereal with fat-free milk, a banana and coffee. For hydration on long runs and bike rides, Mendizabal also will take water with Nuun (electrolyte) tablets. "I don't like Gatorade. It has too much sugar," he says. Mendizabal, who weighs about 165 pounds, estimates that he consumes a little more than 3,000 calories a day, spread out over three meals and three snacks. "My snacks can be anything from a yogurt to a protein bar — but I don't really like those — if I am running short on time between clients," he says. "But I always try to get something with protein, especially after the workout." Post-Workout After a workout, the muscles are repairing, and it's important to help that process along by supplying the body not only with carbohydrates, but also with protein, Girard Eberle says. "If you can time it so you are eating a well-balanced meal within 30 to 60 minutes after working out, that would be best," she says. If not, go for a snack that has some carbs and some protein. And rehydrate, particularly in the heat. For workouts lasting longer than 90 minutes, she recommends using sports drinks or GU, a sports nutrition gel high in carbohydrates that endurance athletes often use during long-distances rides and runs. Eat Smart So what if your main goal is to lose weight and get stronger? Is all this talk of 3,000-calorie days, snacks, sports drinks and GU going to work against you? Not necessarily, says Ciuba. It's important to create a calorie deficit (in other words, consume fewer calories than you expend), but that doesn't have to be done within the same hour or two that you are working out. "Try to spread your calories throughout the day," she says. "Be careful of the total, but don't cut out the snack before or after the workout." In other words, if your daily intake is 1,500 calories, then you could have 400 calories per meal and two snacks of 100 to 150 each, she says. Most people tend to eat most of their calories at night and few if any in the morning. But if you work out in the morning, fuel then, and cut your portion sizes in the evening. "Your goal is you want to burn more calories by working out as hard as possible," Ciuba says, adding, "To work out as hard as possible, you have to make sure your body is ready." Respecting People. Impacting Business Get the rest of the year for only $169 and couples only $269! Call us. And get back to work. Back to school student membership special RED BLUFF What your body needs before and after a workout 3 months for $89 Troy's Bar Seminar August 10th 10:00-12:00 25 $ per person Learn how to perform the Clean and Jerk and other Crossfit movements. With Strength and Conditioning Specialist Troy Lalaguna Tehama Family Fitness Center 2498 South Main St. Red Bluff • 528-8656 www.tehamafamilyfitness.com News tip? Call 527-2151 Call us any time for: • An extensive network of recruiting sources • Testing and training • Experienced recruiters • Full-time employees • HR expertise and support services • Temporary Workers • Evaluation hire • Carefully screened candidates • Dedicated service PHYSICIAN REFERRAL A FREE SERVICE PROVIDED FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE 1-888-628-1948 530-527-0727 243 So. Main Street www.expresspros.com www.redbluff.mercy.org