I'm in trouble I'm at 28. Major factors for me are stress, not sleeping, TV and (computer )

Definitely room for improvement.

Yikes. I drink too much!

Great brain habits Through no work of my own though. Just the way I was raised. We don't even have cable at home, and no internet.

I think work time should count for hours on the computer for people who are using that time to check email, facebook, this site etc.

I can definitely improve...14

I can't help it if I have insomnia, and that adds to stress levels... stupid whiney brain.

Interesting analysis. I note that several of these are deeply interrelated such as the lack of exercise with increased TV time or computer game time which can also lead to poor eating habits resulting, perhaps, in bad sleep habits. The numbers go up very quickly if you tend to be deficient in only one area.
On the bright side, when you make corrections in one area, you tend to make them in at least several others as a consequence.

24...I guess all of that Diet Coke isn't good for me!

Agreed, Genesis, now that I think about it. That puts me at 10.

25 - Diet Coke, sleep, and the computer are my downfall.

Hey 10's pretty good too Carrie! But I take back what I said about this site. Checking this group improves your mind, checking tressugar turns it mush.

20. My downfall is exercise, internet and sleep. Though the tea question is slightly perplexing since it is not specific (guessing it means plain tea?) I drink a cup of green & white tea each day which is beneficial, not harming.
Oh well, I am working on fixing the lack of exercise and sleep issues.

non-caffeinated teas don't count. It's the caffeine intake their after.

I'm gonna add some specifics in a follow up tonight re: each negative and how it effect us.

Makes sense now that I am fully awake reading the description. Great post by the way!

The following comments are paraphrased and verbatim excerpts from the brain quiz section of the book. I may even throw in my two cents now and then too. A few more specifics about things mentioned in the brain quiz. I'll cover more tomorrow.

Lousy Diet?

The best brain diets include the following,

Lots of pure water. The brain is 80% water.

Few calories. Obesity is bad for your brain, as fat stores toxic materials and obesity doubles the risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

Lean protein. Fish, chicken, lean pork, and beef, for example, all help build neurons.

Complex, low glycemic carbohydrates. These include whole grains, fruits and veggies.

Healthy fats. Fish, avocados, and raw nuts all maintain nerve cell membranes and myelin.

Lots of dietary antioxidants, such as blueberries.

Lack of Exercise?

Being a physical slug is bad for your brain, even if you are spending all of your time doing crossword puzzles. The brain needs physical exercise. Exercise boosts blood flow to the brain, which helps supply oxygen, glucose, and nutrients and takes away toxic substances. If the deep areas of the brain are starved of healthy blood flow you will have problems with coordination and processing complex thoughts. Exercise also increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a chemical that helps with neurogenesis. When we lose more cells than we make, aging occurs. In Lab. Rats research shows that exercise generates new brain cells in the prefrontal cortex (judgment and thoughtfulness) and temporal lobes (memory), which survive for about four weeks and then die off unless they are stimulated. If you stimulate these new neurons through mental or social interaction, they connect to other neurons and enhance learning.

Chronic Stress?

When stress becomes unremitting, it hurts the brain. In a series of studies reported in the journal Psycho-neuro-endo-crinology, researchers looked at the effects of long term exposure to stress hormones, especially cortical, on the brain function of older adults, young adults, and children. In the first study, researchers measured levels of cortical in a group of older adults over a period of three to six years. They found that older adults with continuously high levels of cortical performed worse on memory tests than older adults with moderate or low cortical levels. In addition, older adults with long term exposure to high cortical levels also had, on average, a 14% smaller hippocampus, the area of the temporal lobes involved with memory. In tests with young adults, researchers found that short, temporary increases in cortical negatively affected their thinking and memory skills. But these impairments were only temporary. Another study with young children and teenagers from different socioeconomic classes showed that children with lower socioeconomic status had higher average stress hormone levels than the other children.

High cortical levels not only shrink the hippocampus, but they also make you fat by disrupting several hormones involved in appetite control. In addition, daily stress increased blood pressure, disrupts sleep patterns, and increases negative thinking patterns, all of which hurt brain function.

28 for me. I guess i should by my coffin, right?

Me too grandpa. By my own self assessment I have problems with memory recall. I try and think of something I should know and I can't bring it up. Fortunately that's something I can improve.