With every New Year, the majority of us make New Year’s Resolutions. Losing weight, being healthy, and exercising are the most popular resolutions made every year. So, to change the pace, I suggest something that will not only benefit your health, but also benefit your school work.

Did you know that what you eat can affect how well you study? It’s true!!! Think of your brain as a car…it needs the right type of fuel to perform to its highest potential. Well, your brain needs the right type of fuel, as well, to work at its best. Essential fatty acids, fruits and vegetables do wonders for your brain power.

Here are a few “delicious” suggestions to maximize your experience while studying with CD-ED…

FISH

Omega-3 fatty acids are the principal components of the brain, retina and other nerve tissues. Omega-3 can be found in several species of fish, including salmon, herring, tuna, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, mackerel, and other cold-water fish. Studies have actually shown that Omega-3 enhances learning ability, improves problem solving, boosts energy, boosts memory power, and enhances communication between brain cells.

FRUIT & VEGETABLES

There are several types of food that are beneficial to boosting your brain power; the more colorful, the better. Cherries, peaches, kiwi, grapes, apples, oranges, pineapples and plums are only a few types of fruit that have a positive impact on your brain. Studies have also shown that avocados are especially effective in increasing blood flow to the brain because of the mono-unsaturated fat found in these tasty bundles of deliciousness. Berries also help get your brain dancing. Blueberries are known for improving motor skills and learning capacity. Strawberries improve memory. Other berries have antioxidants which also boost brain power.

Cabbage, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, radishes, spinach are only a few examples of tasty veggies that help with your memory. Some are not so keen on the leafy greens, but remember, variety is the key. Now you know there was a good reason why you were not allowed to leave the dinner table until you ate your broccoli!!!

IRON-RICH FOODS

Iron is essential to supplying the brain with oxygen it needs to continue normal, everyday, activity. A deficiency in iron causes poor concentration, decreasing intelligence, and slow thinking processes. Red meats and liver are the best sources of iron.

WATER

Not only does your body get dehydrated when you don’t drink enough water, but your brain also gets dehydrated. Your brain is three-quarters water. When your brain is dehydrated, its branches shrink. These branches, known as dendrites, store information. This leads to a decrease in brain power. Everyone is different, so the amount of water you drink depends on the person. I was once told that you can tell if your body is getting enough water by the colour of your urine – the less the colour, the more you are hydrated.

CHOCOLATE

As an admitted “Chocoholic”, I was pleased as punch to find out that chocolate has many beneficial qualities. Cocoa is a natural stimulant, and increases endorphins which improve focus and concentration. Milk chocolate has even been shown to improve verbal and visual memory. Dark chocolate boosts blood supply to the brain, which, in turn, helps improve cognitive skills.

I know everyone has their own preferences when it comes to food. So, if there are some brain foods that you just can’t stomach, consult your doctor about starting a supplement. The doctor can suggest the type of supplement that is perfect for your needs.

This is just a run-down of some of the foods that can boost your grades and your scholastic experience sky-high. There are many other different types of foods that also give your brain that kick it needs to make the most of your time here at CD-ED. Nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, eggs, and milk not only give your brain the power it needs to get through late-night study sessions, but they also help you retain all that information for future reference, when you are working in a new and exciting career.

Just some food for thought!!!

Interesting and lovely infographic from Information is Beautiful.

Left vs. Right ? [via Laughing Squid]

EXCELLENT set of resources for learning about typography, specifically the anatomy of such at this link; look around for type history and more!

http://typedia.com/learn/only/anatomy-of-a-typeface/

While compiling student and graduate surveys and extrapolating statistics, I wondered what words the students used most in their testimonials. Suddenly it hit me: Wordle!

From www.wordle.net: “Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text.”

I copied all of the testimonials students had given over the past half a dozen years or so – over 4,000 words – and plugged them into Wordle to see what were the most frequent.

The result was astounding:

Have you ever noticed the hidden arrow in the FedEx logo? I did a physical double-take on the Toblerone logo.

A lot of these hidden messages which give the logo more meaning are created using the white space. Look and learn!

25 logos with hidden messages – Amazing Graphic Designing tricks! | Graphic Design Blog

Great set of logos from the 50s.

1950s Automative Logos »

Comic genius John Cleese sat down for an interview a few years ago and had a lot to say about creativity and the creative process.

Silly Walks and Creative Ruts » [via SwissMiss]

For film nerds like myself, the Criterion Collection is the crème de la crème.  Every title in their incredible catalog is restored to pristine picture and sound quality and usually boasts some of the best bonus features out there.

But what is really seals the deal is Criterion’s gorgeous box art.  Every DVD in the Criterion Collection sports a completely original box art design.  They must have some of the best in-house designers working today as their DVD packaging just can’t be beat.  Needless to say, this makes it especially hard for the DVD collector to resist.

An Ode To Criterion Box Art »

A fabulous collection of tutorials to help you use the Wacom tablet in Photoshop, Illustrator and Painter. 

40+ Tutorials for Working with Wacom Tablets »

Fabulous bunch of Case Studies showing how Philip Rostron at Instil Productions works from many different source images to create a final image for advertising campaigns. I’ve created an animation (above) from one of them that slows down at vital frames to show you where masks and lighting are created to really give the piece realism.

Case Studies @ Instil Productions » [via NotCot]