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TAKE NOTHING FOR GRANTED

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What is it about Friday that makes us all tired? Or makes me tired? It was 1:30 pm by my watch and had only been in theatre for slightly over 4 hours. I was helping the anaesthetist pack the instruments after our last scheduled case when the attending surgeon came in. Seemed like our day wasn’t done yet. The anaesthetist too was tired but he gets paid anyway and I don’t. Am a student though and need to maximise every opportunity to learn too… I had the option of leaving and going to have lunch and rest (am human too) or staying back to learn some more..…this never ending internal conflict, this duel loyalty idea, at times just takes a toll. The patient was a 5-day old female neonate born with an imperforate anus-simply, the bottom end was closed. Sadly, this malformation doesn’t usually occur in isolation but is associated with heart, urinary, tracheal and oesophageal defects among others. Quickly, my thoughts were drawn to think of the little’s girl’s future outlook. Here I was in
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Brain damaging habit 10 of 10: Lack of bible study.

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Your beliefs about God affect not just your spiritual health, but your mental, emotional, and physical health as well. How? The way you think about God impacts your brain, which directs all of your decisions in life. The thoughts you choose to think are constantly changing your brain’s physical structure. “The mind will enlarge if it is employed in tracing out the relation of the subjects of the Bible, comparing scripture with scripture and spiritual things with spiritual. There is nothing more calculated to strengthen the intellect than the study of the Scriptures. No other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts, to give vigour to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling truths of the Bible. If God's word were studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of mind, a nobility of character, and a stability of purpose rarely seen in these times.” SC 90. Whether meditation, prayer, reading the Bible, discussing the Bible, or Bible studies, they all change your brain. Get
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Brain damaging habit 9 of 10: Cigarette smoking and Alcohol consumption

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Smoking is a damaging habit for the brain and other organs in the body. On autopsy, chronic smokers are found to have a thinner brain cortex than non-smokers. This part of the brain is essential for memory, language, perception and a host of other functions of the brain. A thinner brain cortex is associated with mental decline. These effects can also be reproduced in passive smokers, that is, people who stay with active smokers and end up unintentionally inhaling the polluted air. Alcohol consumption affects the body in many ways and has long lasting damaging effects on the brain even after it has left the body. Chronic alcohol use is associated with impaired memory and a slowing in reaction time. People who have been consuming large amounts of alcohol for extended periods of time run the risk of developing serious and persistent changes in the brain that persist well after the person achieves sobriety. Quit cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption.
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Brain damaging habit 8 of 10: Lack of Social Interaction

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Our brain functions best when we have opportunities to socialize with others. The lack of social contact can lead to depression, feelings of loneliness, and even affect our ability to remember things. Children who don’t get enough social contact with their parents and peers are more likely to develop psycho-social problems. In adults, a lack of social integration can also lead to forming bad habits such as drinking and drug abuse. People who rarely talk may end up suffering from mild brain damage. This is because the brain cells tend to become dormant, making it shrink in size. On the other hand, indulging in intellectual talk stretches the brain, strengthening it in the process. This is essential as far as brain development and growth is concerned. Thinking is like exercise to our bodies. The deeper the thoughts, the more the brain ‘muscles’ are exercised and the better your brain develops. Maintain a good circle of friends and don’t shy away from social gatherings/ function
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Brain damaging habit 7 of 10: Lack of stimulating thoughts.

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Cognitive development, defined as the development of intelligence, conscious thought and the ability to solve problems, begins in infancy and continues throughout adult life. Genetically we are born with a defined cognitive framework, but it is the sights and sounds of experience that help us reach our particular genetic potential. Brain growth is ignited and occurs when the senses are stimulated. When any of the five senses -- touch, sight, sound, taste or smell -- are activated, electrical activity occurs in the brain. Each sensory experience excites neural circuits, thereby creating a stronger connection. Learning occurs when neural circuits are strengthened through repetition. Over time, other neural circuits become inactive through lack of use. These inactive circuits often drop away in a process called "pruning." A lifestyle without the necessary stimulation to prompt neuronal growth inhibits cognitive and developmental growth. Thinking is the best way to train o
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Brain damaging habit 6 of 10: High Sugar consumption

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As with all body organs, the brain also requires a sufficient supply of nutrients from all food groups. Sugar is the only energy source that can be utilised by the brain. Despite its great importance, excess sugar consumption can lead to detrimental effects in almost all body systems, more so for the brain. Sugar is a general term used to describe a large number of organic compounds. It is used here to refer to a diet high in refined carbohydrates, glucose, sucrose (common table sugar) and other sweeteners found as additives in processed foods and drinks. In a diet high in sugar content, the excess sugar interrupts with the absorption of proteins and other nutrients which interferes with brain development (especially in children) and function (especially in adults). A diet high in added sugar reduces the production of a brain chemical known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Without BDNF, our brains can’t form new memories and we can’t learn (or remember) much of anything
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Brain damaging habit 5 of 10: Working your brain during illness

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Despite being ill, we are still required to carry on with the pressures of life. This however may not be too good for our brains. The body being one complex system is interconnected. Disease in one part of the body affects all other systems. Fluid intelligence is composed of short-term memory, abstract thinking, creativity, and problem solving. Crystallized intelligence on the other hand is composed of all learning accumulated over the life span in education, work, and cultural experiences. Fluid intelligence is often affected by aging, disease, or injury, while crystallized intelligence tends to increase through the 60s and 70s, and may not begin to decline until the 80s. Working the brain whilst sick hastens the aging-related decline in memory and thinking skills associated with fluid intelligence. Give your brain a break when you’re sick. Overworking it during an illness will only decrease its effectiveness sooner than it should happen.
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