Neal Shah states in a short video:
“Walking reverses brain aging, according to neuroimaging research. But…,” he continues…:
“Bird watching is better!”
Neal K. Shah is a Johns Hopkins- and NIH-funded caregiving researcher and CEO of CareYaya. Scroll down for his 2.14 min. video.
Having received reports on this research topic in newsletters from several physicians in recent weeks, my initial inward responses were, “Well, yeah, we knew that a long time ago!” … It was like so much research being done today which validates our own experience of having lived it already – two decades ago – in the intentional, alternate lifestyle we embarked upon following Mother’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s! But, indeed, we are now validated!
So today I decided to stop everything to share this post next to the post from our series on “365 Ways to Say I Care,” this one with the title, “How to Make a Simple Bird Feeder!”
As a college student, she was a member of The Audubon Club.
Neal’s post is of special interest to me because at the ranch where I was living with my aging parents during their final life passage, we had bedroom views into the woods of the farm where I grew up.
How many species of birds were in those woods? It has been estimated that 150 to 250 species may have been represented in one year.
What could be more pleasant than awakening every morning to the beautiful singing of a Jenny Wren right outside our bedroom windows?
We used a shepherd hook on loan to us by a caregiver. The second bird feeder was a gift from another caregiver in our caring circle. Both were placed together, right outside our kitchen window. Mother and I both loved watching the birds so “close-at-hand” as they gathered at their table.
At a certain point in this final passage at the ranch, this is the first thing my mother would do upon arriving in the kitchen for breakfast. I would find her…
Singing and talking to her birds before breakfast each morning. To capture her photo in this moment when she was unaware is a moment to treasure.
Read about our birding experience at the ranch.
Her Audubon Field Guide helped us savor each bird.
Reviewing our birding experiencce at the ranch, I am reminded of a book found in Mother’s library and published in 1994, The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds, Eastern Region. The first half of the book includes four-color photos of birds, names, size in inches, and a page number leading to the last half of the book with a full description. We used red tabs in the book to mark those birds which frequently returned to the feeders. We kept it close to the window where Mother is standing so that we could look up those we did not readily identify.
Listen for these points as you click on Neal’s short video (below):
- “Bird watching beats the gym for your mood.”
- “Bird watching outperforms walking. It is the active search for the birds which changes everything.”
- “Group bird watching brings joy.”
His prescription? 120 minutes being near birds each week. And, pause to feel joy at each bird!
After years of having one of the best city views in downtown Chicago, I was awe-struck by being back close to the wonder of nature. Mother’s still-present interest in bird-watching which had prevailed since her undergraduate days had re-awakened me to the drama in nature.
In closing, Neal stated: “…It’s the cheapest medicine ever!”
What an awesome story this is. I believe Neal has a message which Miss Ethel, an Audubon Club member in college, would have loved! I have no doubt that her singing to the birds contributed to our well-being experienced at the ranch!
Republished under a Creative Commons license
www.youtube.com/@nealkshah
Attribution:
Neal Shah, Johns Hopkins and NIH-funded researcher
CEO of CareYaya
www.youtube.com/@nealkshah
Posted by:
Susan Troyer, MS, BA
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