The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Book explores relationship between body and brain
By Sue G. Collins, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 12, 2007
Simon Evans is passionate about his family, his neuroscientific research and the game of soccer.
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He believes the three are intertwined and has written a book titled, "Brain Fitness - A Recipe for Feeding Your Child's Dreams and Unlocking Their Maximum Brain Power." Evans says the book is meant to help parents understand the links between body and brain fitness to give their kids the best chance at success in today's rapidly changing world.
Evans has lived in Milan for seven years with his wife, Marne, and their two boys.
The head coach for Milan Youth Soccer Club and an avid player since his British parents tossed a ball at his young feet, Evans studies the impact of stress on the brain and how nutrition and exercise affect mental health.
He grew up in Seattle, earned his doctorate from Oregon State University and moved to Milan with his young family when he began his post-doctorate work at the University of Michigan.
"We came to Milan because we could get more for our housing dollar, intending to head back to the Pacific Northwest," Evans said.
"We stayed in Milan because we think it's a great place to raise our children, and appreciate the safety and security of a small town."
Evans is now on faculty with the U of M department of psychiatry, where he is looking at the links between pre-diabetic disease and depression. He strongly believes in promoting good lifestyle choices that can help people avoid these disorders, which are becoming too common in adults and children in today's society.
Through the book, available now on his Web site and later this summer in stores, Evans presents a step-by-step program parents can use to improve creativity and independence through nutrition, fitness and time management.
"The health problems caused by childhood obesity that are so prevalent are unacceptable. We can't possibly sustain the pace and lifestyle causing these disease changes," he said.
Through his research, he sees how the brain changes with diet and exercise and hopes by providing simple strategies for parents to use with their families, his findings might have some affect on future soccer players and the younger generation.
"The brain is my thing and I think people are more afraid of brain issues than body issues. So, I am giving parents a plan, not just a thesis, for changes that will affect both," Evans said.
For example, three basic changes families can make are reducing breakfast sugars, turning off the television and computer for outdoor activities and ensuring a good night's rest.
A cerebrum superhero with flexed muscles and red cape welcomes visitors to Evans' Web site, where parents can get a free six-step video presentation A promotional tool for the book, the short program gives an overview of all the strategies Evans provides in the book.
Evans explains that brain science is discovering that the brain is a very good at changing quickly, but only if we feed it the right stuff.
"We used to think that shortly after birth you stopped growing new brain cells, called neurons. Now we know that this is not true. The brain can grow, change and regenerate as long as we keep it healthy. Brain scientists also used to think of the brain as somehow independent of physical health. Now we know that is not true, either."
Evans is a member of the Milan Area Chamber of Commerce and will speak 6 p.m. April 19 at a meeting hosted by Heath Action Awareness Milan at Aid for Milan. The public is welcome.
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