The final season of Game of Thrones is right around the corner. Looking back, we can learn a lot from the characters we will soon leave behind.
Sansa Stark – Take Charge of Your Life
Sansa spent most of the show being a pawn in other people’s plots. She watched her father’s execution, was tortured by her former betrothed, was married off to Tyrion, shipped off to be Littlefinger’s puppet, watched Littlefinger push her Aunt Lyza through the Moon Door, and was married off to Ramsay, who treated her like a dog.
But somehow, Sansa managed to get the courage to take her life back.
When her demented husband Ramsay is locked in the kennels with his hounds, she watches as they devour him (literally). She uses Littlefinger to get her home back. She’s reunited with her sister Arya and brother Jon. She has Littlefinger executed when he tries to drive a wedge between her and Arya.
What can we learn from Sansa? It’s never too late to be courageous and take your life back. Only you can build the life that you want.
Arya Stark – Revenge is Never the Answer
Tough, fiercely independent and smart-mouthed, Arya Stark has a knack for finding trouble.
She flees the capital after her father is executed. She watches so many of her friends and family members die. Like Sansa, she’s tossed from one person to the next. Every night, she recites a list of the people who have wronged her, vowing to kill them.
Arya manages to tick off many of the people on her list, although she isn’t responsible for all of their deaths.
What does Arya really get out of all of these revenge killings? Sure, she learns how to fight and picks up a few handy skills from the Faceless Men who worship the Many-Faced God (i.e. the god of death). But ultimately, her passion for revenge has only led her down a dark path. She no longer trusts anyone, and she has a hard time fitting in with her family when they’re reunited.
Revenge will never give you what you want. It may give you some satisfaction for a short time, but it will only cause more suffering and perpetuate hate in the long run.
Brandon Stark – Don’t Let Anything Get in the Way of Your Goals
Bran has had it tough. He may not have seen his father’s execution or the murders of his mother and brother. But he was pushed out of a tower and will never be able to walk again.
That part is tough, but he does have some awesome gifts. As a worg, he can “take over” different animals, like owls and wolves. He’s the only person to encounter the Night King and live to talk about it. And as the next three-eyed raven, he can pretty much see everything that ever was, is and will be.
That’s a heavy burden to carry. But getting to be the three-eyed raven was a long journey. He had to find his way through the North beyond the wall, dodge nightwalkers and get away from Night’s Watch mutineers. He encountered the Children of the Forest and watched his protector, Hodor, die while trying to keep him from harm.
Brandon Stark teaches us that we can’t let anything get in the way of our goals. There will always be obstacles, some of which may seem insurmountable, but there is always a way to overcome those challenges.
Jon Snow – Do the Right Thing Even When It’s Hard
Behind Jon Snow’s brooding eyes and curls is an honorable man. He’s the guy who always does what he’s supposed to do because it’s right. And he’ll do it even if that means putting his own life in danger.
Jon joined the Night’s Watch early on, which meant sacrificing his chance of having his own family in order to protect the people of Westeros.
He first steps into a leadership role during the battle at Castle Black. He was willing to risk his life to take out Mance Rayder and stop 100,000 wildings from attacking. He has a knack for leadership. He fights for justice and what’s right. He’s a man of his word.
Integrity and honor are in short supply these days. We could learn a lot from Jon Snow’s unwavering desire to do the right and honorable thing. He literally rose from the dead, and his first intention was to stop the nightwalkers.
Even death can’t stop Jon Snow from trying to do the right thing.
Cersei Lannister – The Need for Control Can Leave You Paranoid and Isolated
Cersei has seen her fair share of heartache and grief. Her eldest son is poisoned at his own wedding, her youngest son jumps out of a window, and her daughter is also poisoned while traveling back home from Dorne.
But a lot of Cersei’s grief is of her own making. Her desperate need to control everything around her – her enemies, her children, her lover (who also happens to be her brother) – sent her on a downward spiral into paranoia. By the time we get to the final season, Cersei is isolated, alone and in a very unhealthy mental state.
Maybe you and I don’t take our need for control to such extremes, but her behavior is a perfect example of what can happen if we do let it get to that point. We can’t control everything, and sometimes, we can’t protect the people we love from bad things happening to them.
To give up control is to accept the world around you, and that, my friends, is the route to happiness.
Jamie Lannister – People Can Change
If you think people can’t change, Jamie Lannister might change your mind. At the start of the show, Jamie was a lot like his sister Cersei: smug and full of himself.
But things changed for Jamie when he was captured while fighting Robb Stark. He was chained to a post, left in the dirt for weeks. He had his hand cut off by one of Roose Bolton’s sell-swords, named Locke. He bonds with Brienne of Tarth, and he learns what it’s like to live like a common man.
When Jamie returns, he’s a changed man. And by the time we get to the final season, he starts coming to terms with just how paranoid and far gone his sister had become. Of course, he still struggles with his love for Cersei, but he’s a changed man in every other way.
Tyrion Lannister – Never Forget Who You Are
It’s one of Tyrion’s most famous quotes: “Never forget what you are, the rest of the world will not. Wear it like armor and it can never be used to hurt you.”
Tyrion is a wise man. He drinks, and he knows things. But apart from his brother Jamie, all of his other family members wanted him dead his entire life. He was blamed for the attempted assassination of Brandon Stark, then blamed for the death of Joffrey.
But Tyrion manages to escape certain death, and he finds himself beside Daenerys as her Hand. He never forgot who he was, although he needed a little help along the way. And now, he uses his natural instinct for politics and his knowledge to try and do good in the world.
Daenerys Targaryen – Nothing is Impossible
The odds were stacked against Daenerys from the start. She fled to a foreign land with her brother when her father was murdered. Her brother married her off to Khal Drogo in exchange for his army.
But if it wasn’t for her marriage to Khal Drogo and her time as a Khaleesi, Daenarys never would have had her dragons. She never would have had the courage to lead the Dothraki, free slaves and build an army.
It wasn’t an easy road getting there. She was raped, beaten and betrayed. But she made it, and she is unstoppable.
The Hound – There’s Good in Everyone
The Hound, born Sandor Clegane, is the character you love to hate. He’s a jerk (in a hilarious kind of way), but he also has a bit of kindness in him.
As a child, Sandor Clegane’s brother, the Mountain, put his face to the fire. It left his face disfigured, and he spent much of his adult life taking out his anger on other people through violence.
But eventually, the Hound’s conscious gets the best of him, and we start seeing his good side – even if he’s still a bit twisted at times. He saves Sansa, and attempts to escort Arya to her Aunt Lysa. Eventually, he joins the Brotherhood without Banners and helps Jon Snow capture a wight.
The Hound shows us that everyone – no matter how terrible they may seem – has some good in them.
Brienne of Tarth – Always Keep Your Word
Brienne of Tarth is a woman of her word. Honor means everything to her. She first swore her sword to Renly Baratheon. After his death, she vowed she would bring the Stark girls back to their mother.
Brienne swore an oath, and she intended to keep it – even after the Stark girls turned her away. She pursued Sansa and watched over her from the sidelines until she proved she was worthy of being her protector.
Brienne’s commitment to keeping her word gives her a reputation for being reliable, honorable and trustworthy. These are traits that will get you far in life.
Don’t make promises you can’t keep, and do the things you say you’re going to do.
Sam Tarly – Knowledge is Power
Sam’s thirst for knowledge and love of reading makes him one of the most valuable characters in the show, even if his value isn’t entirely obvious.
It’s Sam’s reading and research that found a cure for greyscale and saved Jorah Mormont. It’s Sam’s research that found the dragonglass mine underneath Dragonstone.
Sam teaches us that we should never stop learning, and that knowledge can be just as powerful of a weapon as a sword.
Game of Thrones may be coming to an end, but the life lessons we learn from its characters will live on.
Losing weight is no easy feat, but maintaining weight loss can be just as challenging. A new study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus may have uncovered the secret to keeping those pounds off: exercise.
The findings aren’t exactly shocking or revolutionary, but they do give some insight into what actually works to keep the pounds off.
The study, which was published in the March issue of Obesity, looked at successful weight-loss maintainers, or those who maintained a reduced body weight of 30 pounds or more for over a year.
Those who were successful at maintaining their weight loss relied on physical activity – not chronic restriction of calories – to keep off the pounds.
What’s interesting about this study is that it contradicts the popular belief that you can’t outrun your diet.
The successful weight-loss maintainers actually consumed significantly more calories than those who were of a normal weight. In fact, their calorie consumption was more in line with those who were overweight or obese.
So, how did they manage to maintain their weight loss if they’re essentially going back to their old eating habits?
The study found that the weight-loss maintainers were burning more calories than both the normal weight individuals and those who were overweight/obese.
The weight-loss maintainers were managing 12,000 steps per day compared to 9,000 steps by normal weight participants and 6,500 steps for overweight/obese individuals.
The moral of the story? Keep moving! Don’t stop exercising because you’ve reached your weight loss goal. Use this study as motivation to keep your routine going.
About 5.8 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. It’s the sixth leading cause of death, and kills more people than prostate and breast cancer combined.
Like any other type of dementia, Alzheimer’s is caused by brain cell death.
While there’s no surefire way to prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, we can take steps to help protect the brain. Your diet is a great place to start.
Many foods have been proven to protect the brain. Here are 12 of them.
Note: I am not a doctor, nor am I trying to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor before changing your diet or adding new herbs to your routine.
12 Foods for Brain Health
1. Oily Fish
When it comes to brain protection and power, oily fish usually tops the list. But why is fish called brain food?
There’s a reason why fatty fish, like trout, salmon and sardines, are so great for your brain – they’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Your brain is made up of about 60% fat, and about half of that fat is omega-3 fatty acids.
Most Western diets have high amounts of omega-6 fatty acids and not enough omega-3s. But in order for your brain to be functioning optimally, you need to have a good balance of both types of omega fatty acids.
Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory, they’re heart-healthy and help prevent neurodegenerative diseases. Fatty fish is a great addition to a healthy diet.
2. Blueberries
Blueberries are a nutritional powerhouse, but did you know that they’re also great for your brain?
A 2012 study from Harvard found that a high intake of flavonoids delayed cognitive decline in older adults by up to 2.5 years. There’s just one caveat: the participants ate a whopping six cups of berries each day.
The participants in the recent study ate 24g freeze-dried blueberries (equivalent to 1 cup fresh blueberries), and saw improved cognition in just 90 days.
What makes blueberries so special? Along with flavonoids, they also contain anthocyanins and phytochemicals that have antioxidative, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties.
The anthocyanins are especially beneficial for your brain. In one study, older adults with cognitive impairment ate blueberries for 24 weeks. By the end of the study, they experienced fewer cognitive symptoms and had better memory discrimination.
Try adding blueberries to your:
Morning oatmeal
Plain yogurt
Smoothies and protein shakes
Salads
Lunches as a snack
Pancakes
Or, you can do what I do and eat a handful (or two) of berries between breakfast and lunch.
3. Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are rich in powerful antioxidants, but they also contain vital nutrients, like magnesium, zinc, iron and copper.
Each of these nutrients (which many of us are lacking) are important for brain health.
Zinc: A crucial mineral for nerve signaling. Zinc deficiency has also been linked to neurological conditions, including depression, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
Copper: The brain needs copper to control nerve signals. Low copper levels can lead to Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Iron: People with iron deficiencies often complain about brain fog and impaired brain function.
Try adding pumpkin seeds to your oatmeal, salads or trail mix. They add a bit of crunch, a dash of flavor and a pile of nutrients to your meals.
4. Dark Chocolate
Yes, your favorite indulgence is actually good for your brain. Dark chocolate contains many brain-protecting compounds, including caffeine, flavonoids and antioxidants.
We talked earlier about flavonoids and how they can improve memory while slowing cognitive decline.
In one study involving more than 900 people, those who consumed chocolate performed better on mental tasks than those who rarely ate chocolate.
So, go on and eat that bar of chocolate you’ve been eyeing in the checkout line. Just make sure that it’s dark – not milk – chocolate.
5. Eggs
Rich in folate, choline, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6, eggs are a powerful brain-boosting food.
The body uses choline to create acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and memory.
Two studies (here and here) have shown that higher choline intake is linked to better mental function and memory. But most of us don’t get enough of this nutrient from our diets.
Egg yolks are one of the most concentrated sources of choline.
Eggs are also rich in B vitamins, which play a role in brain health. Research shows that B vitamins may slow the progression of mental decline in seniors.
People with dementia often have low folate levels, but supplementing this nutrient can help minimize mental decline in older adults.
There isn’t much research that directly links eggs to brain health, but many of the nutrients in this popular breakfast food have been shown to have brain-boosting benefits.
There’s nothing more comforting than curling up with a good book and a hot cup of green tea. But green tea can do more than just bring you comfort – it can also help protect your brain.
The caffeine in green tea can improve performance, alertness, focus and memory.
Green tea also contains the amino acid L-theanine, which can cross the blood-brain barrier and stimulate the production of GABA.
GABA promotes feelings of well-being and calms anxiety.
The L-theanine can help you relax by actually counteracting the stimulating effects of caffeine.
On top of all of this, green tea is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols which can protect the brain from mental decline, and reduce the risk of Parkin’s and Alzheimer’s.
You can thank your mom for making you finish your broccoli at dinner. Broccoli is a great source of two key nutrients that help your brain function: vitamin K and choline.
Vitamin K improves cognitive abilities, while choline improves memory.
Broccoli, like many other vegetables, is also an excellent source of folic acid, which may help in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease.
Some studies have shown that a lack of folic acid can actually make you depressed, so there’s yet another reason to load up on broccoli.
The idea of eating green algae may not seem too appealing, but the benefits of spirulina are too good to ignore.
Spirulina (pronounced spahy-ruh-layh-nuh) is an excellent source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory chemicals that can help protect your brain.
In one study, published in Nutritional Neuroscience, researchers fed lactating mothers a spirulina-enriched diet. The green algae reduced brain inflammation and boosted antioxidant defense in the baby’s developing brain.
On the other end of the spectrum, a separate study found that spirulina prevented the death of dopamine neurons in an animal model of Parkinson’s disease.
9. Gotu Kola
Gotu kola is best known for its relaxing properties, and it’s these mental health benefits that help protect the brain.
A popular herbal remedy in Asia, gotu kola is often used to combat anxiety and stress – both of which can take a negative toll on both the brain and the rest of the body.
And in case you were wondering, gotu kola is not related to the kola nut, which is used to flavor soft drinks and contains caffeine.
Studies have shown that gotu kola can protect the brain from neurotoxins, like arsenic, lead and aluminum. Research also shows that this herb can protect the brain from the harmful effects of free radicals.
Gotu kola is also used as a sleep aid, which is so important to your brain and overall health.
If that’s not enough to impress you, another study found that gotu kola actually enhances mood and cognition in seniors – both healthy and those with Alzheimer’s disease.
If you want to give this herb a try (and it’s safe for you to do so), you can find gotu kola supplements, teas and powders at most health food stores.
Like gotu kola, ashwagandha is best known for its relaxing properties. The herb has been used for centuries to help combat stress, anxiety and depression.
In fact, studies have shown that taking a high-potency extract of ashwagandha for five days produced anti-anxiety effects that were just as powerful as lorazepam and antidepressants – without any negative side effects.
Research from universities in Japan has found that ashwagandha may be able to regenerate nerve cells and dendrite growth.
Try drinking ashwagandha tea or taking it as an extract.
Ginseng is one of the most well-known and popular herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. It’s often one of the top ingredients in brain supplements, and there’s a good reason for it.
Ginseng has been shown to improve brain functions, including memory, mood and behavior.
Other studies (here, here and here) have found positive effects on behavior and brain function in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
Turmeric is well known for its anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, is the star of the show and responsible for many of the benefits this herb offers.
Curcumin has been shown to support memory function and relaxation. It’s also been shown to increase the brain hormone BDNF, which helps improve the function of neurons, encourages their growth and can even strengthen and protect them.
One of the key effects on Alzheimer’s on the brain is the build-up of a protein called amyloid-beta. Studies show curcumin can actually cross the brain-blood barrier and may even be able to clear that build-up.
Try adding some turmeric and black pepper to your next meal. Black pepper will improve the absorption of turmeric.
If you’re looking to add more brain food to your diet, these 12 foods are a great place to start. Many of these foods may help reduce the risk of dementia while supporting cognitive function.
Feeling stressed? There’s a meditation for that. The simple art and practice of sitting quietly is often touted as a cure-all for everything, from chronic stress to physical health issues.
But what can meditation really do, according to science? What are the benefits of meditation? Here’s what scientific studies are showing:
The Science of Meditation
It Makes You Happy
You’ve heard that meditation makes you happy, but where’s the proof? As it turns out, there are several studies that support this claim.
In this study, participants were split into two groups: meditators and non-meditators. The goal was to assess the effects of meditation. The 25 meditators were tested at the same points in time as the members of the control group over an 8-week period. The team measured brain electrical activity before and right after meditation, and they were also given the flu shot during this period. The participants were then tested again 4 months after the 8-week training program.
The researchers found significant increases in left-sided anterior activation in the meditating group, which is the area of the brain associated with positive affect. They also found significant increases in antibody titers to the flu vaccine.
The findings demonstrate that just a few short weeks of practicing mindfulness meditation can alter brain function and even boost immune function.
In this study of mindfulness, people participated in an 8-week course on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on depression and anxiety. The results? Researchers found that mindfulness meditation lead to a decrease repetitive thinking (a.k.a. rumination), effectively helping reprogram the participants’ thinking patterns.
In 2013, researchers at the University of California, Davis looked at the effects of mindfulness and found that meditation helps reduce cortisol levels in the body. Lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, increases the risk of depression, mental illness and premature death, according to Psychology Today.
As part of the study, researchers had participants fill out a questionnaire to measure aspects of mindfulness. They also measured cortisol levels in the participants’ saliva.
During the retreat, which was led by Buddhist teacher and scholar B. Alan Wallace, participants were trained in mindfulness of breathing, observing the nature of consciousness and observing mental events.
Individually, researchers found a link between mindfulness and lower levels of cortisol both before and after the retreat. Those who had an increase in mindfulness scores after the retreat had lower cortisol levels.
In this 2004 follow-up study, researchers found that mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was more effective than therapy and standard cognitive therapy by 50%.
MBCT is so effective that it’s now endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association to prevent relapse in people who have suffered three or more episodes of depression.
It makes sense that a meditation practice would help improve productivity. The better we are at keeping our minds still, the better we are at staying focused on a single task at hand. Studies support improved productivity as one of the many beneficial effects of meditation.
This study, conducted by Italian neuroscientist Giuseppe Pagnoni, found that meditation improves mental focus as well as brain patterns.
For the study, Pagnoni recruited 12 Zen meditators who had been practicing for at least three years. He also had a control group of 12 volunteers who had never meditated, but had the same education level as the meditators and were the same age.
The participants were put into an MRI machine to measure brain patterns.
The meditators showed more stability in their ventral posteromedial cortex compared to non-meditators. This region of the brain is associated with mind-wandering and spontaneous thoughts.
While both groups had activity in this region of the brain, the increased stability in the meditators’ brains may mean that they are better able to control wandering thoughts.
Next, Pagnoni tested the participants’ ability to focus using a rapid visual information processing test.
The meditators outperformed the non-meditators with this test as well. They were better able to spot target sequences with fewer false alarms.
In a paper published in the journal Psychological Science, researchers found that intensive meditation can help people focus and sustain their attention, even when performing the most mundane of tasks.
The study, which was led by Katherine MacLean and authored by 13 researchers, took 60 enthusiasts who signed up for an intensive 3-month meditation retreat and tested their ability to focus. Participants performed at least five hours of meditative practice per day. The control group consisted of 30 participants.
All participants were given concentration tests before, during and after the retreat. They were asked to watch a series of lines flash across a computer screen and click a mouse each time they saw a line that was shorter than the others.
The participants who were meditating at the retreat were significantly more likely to see the small differences in the lines compared to the non-retreat group. The results suggest that meditation can improve concentration.
This study looked at the effects of brief mindfulness practices on mood and cognition compared to a control group.
Groups either underwent meditation training or listened to a recorded book. After four sessions, groups were assessed to measure mood, visual coding, verbal fluency and working memory.
Both activities were effective at improving mood, but only meditation training reduced anxiety and fatigue while improving mindfulness. Brief mindfulness practices also improved working memory, executive functioning and visuospatial processing.
It Improves Your Stress Response
They say that stress is a silent killer, contributing to a variety of health issues, including:
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Obesity
Stress can have some serious effects on your mind and body, including:
Anxiety
Headaches
Fatigue
Restlessness
Upset stomach
Irritability or anger
Depression
Lack of motivation
Chest pain
Sleeping problems
But here’s the good news: meditation can help combat the effects of stress and help you better respond to stressful events in your life.
In fact, the American Heart Association recommended mindfulness practices as a way to lower heart disease risk. That recommendation was based on evidence that mindfulness meditation may reduce stress.
In one study, researchers used DST (which uses heart rhythms to measure stress levels) to compare two forms of meditation: Chi and Kundalini. Both types reduced stress in the body.
It Literally Changes Your Brain
Meditation has the power to literally change your brain. Along with increasing grey matter, meditation can also increase areas of the brain associated with emotion regulation, self-control and positive emotions. It can even increase cortical thickness in areas of the brain related to your attention span.
In this study, researchers used high-resolution MRI data of 44 subjects to analyze the brains of meditators.
Researchers found significantly larger gray matter volumes in meditators in the right orbito-frontal cortex. Meditators also had significantly larger volumes of the right hippocampus.
Both of these areas of the brain are associated with emotion regulation and response control. Larger volumes in these regions indicates that meditators are better able to retain emotional stability, regulate their emotions and engage in mindful behavior.
Meditation may not be a miracle cure for any particular disease or illness, but science shows us that it’s definitely good for our brains and mental state.
If nothing else, it’s certainly a good excuse to sit quietly, do nothing and just unwind. Who doesn’t need that in today’s hyper-paced society?
