Spark

Did you know that the more educated one is, the more likely they are to exercise.....or the more one exercises, the smarter they tend to be. Yep, actual statistics.

This book explains why. It talks about the biochemistry that occurs within the brain: the neurotransmitters, the gas exchange, everything that occurs that causes our brains and bodies to benefit from physical activity and nutrition. It also talks about why these things are so important for our children, citing scientific studies.

Fascinating.

..."It was already known that exercise increases levels of seratonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine - important neurotransmitters that traffic in thoughts & emotions. You've probably heard of seratonin, & maybe you know that a lack of it is associated with depression....most don't know that toxic levels of stress erode the connections between the billions of nerve cells in the brain or that chronic depression shrinks certain areas of the brain. Conversely, exercise unleashes a cascade of neurochemicals and growth factors that can reverse this process, physically bolstering the brain's infrastructure. In fact, the brain responds like the muscles do, growing with use, withering with inactivity. Neurons in the brain connect to one another through "leaves" on treelike branches, exercise causes those branches to grow and bloom with new buds, enhancing brain function."

Highly recommend. Many thanks to the friend who recommended the book to me.