Ways to Improve Brain Function and Overcome Brain-fog, Naturally – Your Health Detective

If you’re looking to improve mental cognition, increase your memory, enhance alertness, and overcome brain-fog here are easy ways to help your brain….click here to continue reading…

Exercise: More than 20 percent of your body’sblood and oxygen go directly to your brain. Exercise, particularly cardiotraining, effectively increases flow to your brain – keeping it a well-oiledmachine. If you’d like something a little more Zen, try Yoga. Many Yoga poses,like Downward Facing Dog, are specifically engineered to get blood to yourbrain faster. Another way to improve brain function, along with energizing

every cell within the body, is to rebound each day for at least 7 minutes.

Hydrate: If you’re looking for a littlepick-me-up, don’t reach for your usual double espresso; even if it is decaf.Instead try drinking water. The caffeine in coffee and soft drinks temporarilyaccelerate your alertness, but in the long run will make you even more tired by

dehydrating your muscles and

constricting your blood vessels. For every cup of caffeinated coffee youconsume, it takes out two cups of water from the body’s reserves. Water, on the

other hand, is a simple way to keep your mind alert and refreshed.

Find Stimulation: Decorate your work area to acolor that stimulates you but not so bright it hypes you. The correct colorscan work through boredom, fatigue and even pain; make sure to implementenvironmental color psychology – keeping in mind that color feeds thesubconscious like nutrients feed the body; what are you feeding yourbrain? Aromatherapy from organic pure therapeuticessential oils can also be enormously effective since smell is the strongest ofthe senses. Lemon, peppermint, lemongrass, and cypress are several scents known

to stimulate the brain.

Think Happy Thoughts: Your brain, particularlyyour memory, doesn’t respond well to stress. If you’re tense, overworked,angry, or unhappy, you’re much less likely to retain information or stay alert.Try to eliminate stressful influences from your life and workplace. Remember:We can afford anything in life except being around negative people….they bring

us down!

Play Games: Studies with dementia patients showthat playing word games and puzzles increases and even restores mental

cognitive abilities.

Watch Quality TV: Unfortunately, studies
indicate that passively sitting in front of the TV is counterproductive. But if you must, choose game or quiz shows likeJeopardy, and try to answer the questions. Even if you have never heard of theFederalist Papers, your brain will be stimulated in the same way as if you were

playing Trivial Pursuit with your friends.

Surf the Net: A recent study at the Universityof California Los Angeles found that searching the Web stimulated centers inthe brain that controlled decision-making and complex reasoning. A simple tasklike searching the Web appears to enhance brain circuitry – go for it, look up

those things you always wanted to know more about or that old school chum.

Eat Brain Food: If you want to achieve peak mentalperformance from what you eat, here are a few things to remember. Protein isthe main source of fuel for your brain, NOT sugar! Your brain also needs foodsrich in essential vitamins and minerals, and it’s always better to get thesefrom food rather than supplements when possible; keeping in mind that as we agesupplementation becomes necessary because production of some nutrients decline

with age.

The following are considered “Healthy Brain Foods”

Avocados

Bananas

Beef, organic**

Berries

Brewer’s yeast

Broccoli

Brown rice

Brussels sprouts

Cantaloupe

Cheese

Chicken –organic**

Collard greens

Eggs

Flaxseed oil

Legumes

Milk, organic**

Oatmeal

Oranges

Peanut butter

Peas

Potatoes*

Romaine lettuce

Salmon, (wild-caught)

Soybeans

Spinach

Tuna, (cold water)

Turkey

Wheat germ

Walnuts

Yogurt, organic**

*Potatoes are in the nightshade genre so donot consume if you have an inflammatory condition; use sweet potatoes or yams

instead.

** Keep in mind that all animal productsare healthiest when they are free-ranged, fed organically and are not fedgrowth-hormones and/or antibiotics. Chemicals are mostly stored in fat;therefore, having animal products containing chemicals adds to our body’s toxic

load and eventually degenerative disorders and decline as we age.

Avoid Brain Saboteurs:

The following are considered “Brain Health Saboteurs”

Alcohol

Chemical food additives Colorings

Artificial sweeteners

Colas

Corn syrup

Frostings

High-sugar “drinks”

Hydrogenated fats

Junk sugars

Nicotine

Overeating

White bread

Consume Nutrients Needed for Brain Food

Vitamin A – needed to protect
brain cell membranes;
B Vitamins – essential for
neuronal growth and vitality;
Vitamin C – so vital for brainfunction that its levels in your brain are 15 times higher than anywhere
outside your brain;
Vitamin E – prevents and
actually reverses brain deterioration;
Magnesium – maintains the
metabolic viability of neurons;
Zinc – rids your brain of
impurities;
Amino Acids – necessary to the
growth and health of neurotransmitters;
Phosphatidylserine – present inthe inner leaflet of every cell in the body, largest amount found in braincells where it keeps cell membranes fluid, flexible and ready to processessential nutrients, influences tissue responses to inflammation, regulatesneuroendocrine responses for release of acetylcholine, dopamine and
noradrenaline.
DHA – the building block for thebrain and retina of the eye; the brain is 60 percent fat and DHA is the mostabundant fatty acid in the brain. It is essential for supporting a healthy
brain and nervous system.
CoQ₁₀ – is a compound presentin the mitochondria of every cell in the body; credited for preventing andreversing cognitive decline because it slows brain deterioration as we age. Thediseases that have been researched that benefit the most from supplementation
with CoQ₁₀ include Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and

dementia. NOTE: CoQ₁₀ is synthesized in the body but these levelsare insufficient for the body’s needs as we age because natural levels decline.Levels are also significantly reduced because of many medications. I suggesttaking 400-600 mgs. Daily in divided doses for those over the age of 50 and as
high as 800 mg. for those already manifesting signs of cognitive decline.

Load Up on Fish Oil:

The omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in fish oil keep the dopamine levels in your brain high, increase neuronal growth in the frontal
cortex of the brain, and increase cerebral circulation.

What to look for in Omega-3s…

The supplement I prefer is one made from Wild Salmon that
contains at least 1,000 mg per serving.

Be sure it is…

Gluten-free
Fish
gelatin capsules
Virgin, whole, natural, unrefined
Purityand potency certified by NSF
Pure Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon Oil
Certified sustainable by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
600 mg Omega 3s per serving with 240 mg EPA and 220 mg DHA
Free of all artificial preservatives, color, dairy, starch, wheat, yeast, sugar, or soy
Unrefined, whole and is extracted from wild Alaskan sockeye within hours of harvest

Unrefined Salmon Oil vs. Standard Fish Oils

Standard, mass-market fish oils come from diverse fish of widely variable purity and fat composition, and must undergo chemical processes (deodorization and molecular distillation) to
product palatable, standardized products.

During refinement, fish oils are heated to temperatures in excess of 450 degrees F, which can degrade the structural integrity of their omega-3 molecules. Chemical refining of fish
oils also alters their natural fatty acid and nutrient profiles – with unknown impacts on their health-supporting potential.

It’s important to note that Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon is among the purest of all ocean fish – caught in the deep cold water. Because this salmon oil is certified by NSF Internationalfor its purity and potency, you can rest assured you are taking the healthiest

fish oil available. Because it’s not chemically refined, it is a true “whole food” supplement.

Key nutrients per serving of Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon soft gels:

Each 3-capsule (3,000 mg)
serving provides these naturally occurring nutrients:

• Omega-3s: About 600 mg of total omega-3 fatty acids, including approximately
240 mg of omega-3 EPA and 220 mg of omega-3 DHA

• Vitamin D: 340 IU of vitamin D3

• Vitamin A: 360 IU of pre-formed vitamin A

• Astaxanthin: About 36 mcg

NOTE: We’ve made arrangements with the manufacturer for you to order direct. Simply click here to order the purest omega-3s I’ve found, use and recommend…and…they’re tested to insure the fish are not contaminated.

Brain Herbs:

There are about a dozen or so brain-boosting herbs; the two most important are Ginkgo Biloba and Ginseng.

Ginkgo has shown its benefits in conditions for memory enhancement and shows promise in helping conditions of cerebral insufficiency, a syndrome diagnosed with symptoms of poor concentration, confusion, forgetfulness, headaches, fatigue, depression and anxiety. Researchers believe it helps because the condition is caused by a decrease in the amount of blood available to the brain because of clogged blood vessels; Ginkgo helps blood flow.

Researchers found significant improvement in verbal recall among a group of people with age-associated memory impairment, who took the herbal supplement ginkgo biloba for six months, when compared with a group that received a placebo.

The UCLA study used positron-emission tomography (PET) and found that for people taking ginkgo biloba, improved recall correlated with better brain function in key brain memory centres.

Ginseng helps your brain adapt to stress agents by heightening the productivity of your adrenal glands.

The Way I See It…

Natural health care, research and the nutraceutical products available, have uncovered so many advancements that today there are no valid reasons for not protecting our vital brain health; Health thru Education is where it begins and is the purpose of these investigative reports, Naturally.

Your Partner in Health,

Dr. Gloria

Resources: http://www.bri.ucla.edu/bri_weekly/news_060901.asp