To study the effects of various chocolate types on brain power, Raudenbush and colleagues had a group of volunteers consume, on four separate occasions, 85 grams of milk chocolate; 85 grams of dark chocolate; 85 grams of carob; and nothing (the control condition). After a 15-minute digestive period, participants completed a variety of computer-based neuropsychological tests designed to assess cognitive performance including memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem solving. "Composite scores for verbal and visual memory were significantly higher for milk chocolate than the other conditions," Raudenbush told Reuters. And consumption of milk and dark chocolate was associated with improved impulse control and reaction time. Previous research has shown that some nutrients in food aid in glucose release and increased blood flow, which may augment cognitive performance. The current findings, said Raudenbush, "provide support for nutrient release via chocolate consumption to enhance cognitive performance."
Maybe I should feed some to my dad?
Yesterday my new (used) Rainbow lorikeet came in. What an adventure.
All morning long, I kept checking the flight info. She's in the air. She's in Texas (I know--Oregon to Connecticut via TEXAS!? But I guess that's where the hub is and the airport said only that flight each day has live animals.) The flight is leaving Texas...the plane has returned to the gate. The plane is broken. The plane is delayed. The plane is still on the ground. My bird has been in a carrier for 24 hours and I want her home!
The flight was orignally coming in at around 3:30 and got delayed until 5, putting me squarely in Hartford traffic coming and going.
My dad came with me. We hit a rock and he totally freaked out. I tried to talk to him about his new anti-anxiety medicine that the head of the Alzheimer's study personally prescribed to him and how it would help for him not to freak out over everything like small rocks and holes in the road but he didn't want to hear it. He doesn't want to take more medicine for any reason.
He was quiet, as usual driving up there, but when we got the bird and he could hold the carrier in his lap and talk to her and feed her oranges, he perked up. He really likes animals. I think because they don't judge him.
On the same flight, there was a coffin (picked up by a hearse), a baby Chow-chow, an adult terrier of some kind I never heard of (looked like a combination between a pit bull and a daschund--cute), a couple of puppies and I also heard a rooster. Plus my girl.
Prism is very quiet for a lory but she's probably very stressed. She's also not clipped but she's going to the vet today.
Now I knew she was 12 years old and not in perfect condition. She's plucked about as much as Zeebo--I don't care about that. I knew she had arthritis in one leg. But she is crippled--this is not the limp the owner described to me. Her foot is a claw, she can't use it, and her other foot is turning into one-one toe is already useless. This is why she doesn't lay eggs. She can't hold onto the perch to be mounted. I'm upset. It's hard to watch her try to climb and slip back down. She is very determined though, and she made it up to her perch. She played a little with her new toys and I gave her a spray bath (she didn't like it). Today she goes to the vet.
It's horrible to think but as I was watching her climb around it occured to me that her crippled foot is only getting in the way. I wonder if it should be amputated? So awful.
The guy who sold her to me said she usually isn't that bad and it might be the stress of shipment and being in a box for over 24 hours.
And I'm going to have to remodel Lance's cage or she won't be able to climb. Her old cage had square bars so there was lots of horizontal bars for her to grab onto. Will suggested getting a bunch of cheap wooden ladders to the water bottle and nesting box and perches.
Dad and I are taking her to the vet today. I haven't gotten her medical records in the mail yet but I have some notes from the previous owner about her medicine.
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