Researchers have found evidence that smoking impedes cognitive function and may even shrink the size of your brain’s hippocampus. Research has shown that smoking can decrease abilities related to memory, planning, and overall mental ability. There are a number of foods that researchers believe can lend themselves to improved brain function. Of course, eating walnuts won’t make you a genius, but it may help your brain do what it needs to, and maybe do it a bit better.  Food high in omega-3 fatty acids, like walnuts and fish, are important to brain development and may help regulate mood and concentration.  Eating foods rich in magnesium is also believed to improve brain function, and, because many people are magnesium deficient, increasing your intake might also be a good idea in general. Antioxidant-rich foods are believed to help protect the brain from degeneration and are primarily found in fruits and vegetables. The darker the fruit or vegetable, the higher it usually is in antioxidants. For example, blueberries, blackberries, plums, red beans, and black beans are all high in antioxidants.  Food rich in whole grains helps to regulate your body’s glucose levels, and because glucose is what your brain uses for fuel, keeping your levels steady is important to your mood and ability to concentrate. Good sources of whole grains include foods like steel-cut oatmeal, brown rice, and oat bran. Maintaining an exercise routine and a healthy diet is important for not just your physical health but for your mental health as well. Cardio activity releases a potent mix of hormones important to improving mood, relieving stress, and boosting concentration.  A number of studies have connected exercise with improved cognitive function, including memory, attention, and the ability to move easily between different tasks.  Though there isn’t an absolute consensus, many experts recommend moderate cardio activity 2-3 times a week in order to get the full mental benefit of exercise. You’ve certainly been admonished about it often enough, but sleep is important. And it turns out it’s notably important to good brain function. Get at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night. Not only will it help you to concentrate and keep you alert, it will also help prevent loss of gray matter in your brain over time. Research has shown that daily meditation can improve your brain as well as your well-being. Meditation is believed to particularly improve decision-making and information-processing abilities. Meditative practices like yoga and tai chi have also been found to improve mood and mental function.

Summary: Stop smoking. Eat well. Exercise regularly. Get enough sleep. Meditate.


If you injured your knee during a sporting event or other activity, stop immediately and rest the knee joint. If you have some range of movement in your knee, ask someone to help you walk to the nearest safe place to sit, and rest for as long as possible. Additional movement can further damage the knee joint. If you have no movement in your knee, visit the doctor immediately or contact emergency services, as it might be a broken or dislocated kneecap, which requires immediate medical attention. Placing ice on the knee will help to reduce pain and the effects of swelling. It’s best to leave the ice on for 30 minutes at a time. You can put ice on the locked knee every 3 or 4 hours for 2-3 days after the injury.  Refrain from applying heat to a knee injury until a doctor tells you it’s appropriate. Heat can cause more inflammation of the area and increase swelling, limiting your movement further. If the pain is recurring, you have arthritis, or you’ve injured the knee before, alternate between ice and heat to relax the muscles and joints after any swelling has gone down. Keeping the knee elevated will also help to reduce swelling and limit use of the knee. You can do this by placing a few pillows under your heel and knee while you are lying down. If you need to sit up or feel more comfortable that way, still keep the knee elevated out in front of you by propping it on a nearby chair or stool. Make sure your back and neck are properly supported to avoid injuring other areas of your body. using an elastic bandage. This will compress the knee joint and help to control swelling, which can cause pain and discomfort. You can find elastic bandages at most grocery stores in the health and wellness section, or get one from the nearest pharmacy. If you have one, you can use a neoprene “brace” made specifically for the knee joint instead of an elastic bandage. Make sure you aren’t wrapping the bandage too tightly. Be aware of circulation loss, and make sure you can comfortable put your finger between the bandage and the knee. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Advil and Motrin, generically known as Ibuprofen, and Aleve, also known as Naproxen, help to reduce swelling and manage pain. Follow the directions on the packaging to find dosage levels appropriate for you. You should only take these medications as needed, because they can have harmful side effects, such as risk for bleeding or the formation of ulcers. Always read and follow the package instructions for any medication before you take it. Treatments such as acupuncture, cortisone shots, or electrotherapy are very effective at alleviating pain for some certain patients. They can be cost effective and help you to feel your best quickly after an injury.  For example, if you struggle with ongoing swelling from your injury, electrotherapy might be a good option for pain management.  Acupuncture is normally used to enhance pain management while the patient is still participating in physical therapy and taking oral pain relievers.

Summary: Stop all activity and rest your knee. Ice the knee immediately. Elevate your knee above your heart. Wrap the knee Take NSAIDs to relieve pain and swelling. Ask your doctor about alternative forms of pain management.


This opens the Run dialog. If you need to run the batch file as an administrator, see this method instead.   The file is now highlighted. This pastes the full path to the batch file into the Run box. The batch file will open in a terminal window and run. When it’s finished running, you’ll see a line at the bottom of the window that says “Press any key to continue.” This closes the terminal window after the command runs.
Summary: Press ⊞ Win+R. Click Browse…. Navigate to the folder that contains the batch file. Click the batch file once to select it. Click Open. Click OK. Press any key.