Best Strategies To Maintain A Healthy Brain

Over the past 30 years in private practice, I have treated patients for decades that are now in their 90s .Most of the practice members that have followed my brain health advice as to the ways to keep the brain healthy are still very active seniors. My main objective with care is to educate others about the ways to keep the brain and nervous system healthy without drugs.The patients that follow these action steps are still very vital mentally, physically active and living joyfully.

 When it comes to keeping the brain healthy and protecting or preventing disease, memory loss or dementia, your posture, daily movement, diet, and lifestyle activities are your most important allies.

The Better Brain Academy is a specific plan that can set you on the right path to better brain health. In the academy, I address a very holistic approach to creating Vitality using the acronym T.E.A.M. This stands for the 4 pillars of brain health (Thinking, Eating, Acting, Moving)

Current research is showing that Alzheimer's is a disease predicated primarily on lifestyle choices; the three main culprits being reduced mental stimulation ,lack of consistent activity, excessive sugar or daily consumption of inflammatory foods. In terms of your diet and other lifestyle factors, the following suggestions may be among the most important for preserving your brain function as you age.

Daily Dozen list to Follow

1.     Make daily movement a priority. Walking 30 minutes a day has tremendous health benefits for the brain and heart .Keeping your posture upright and the spine flexible is critical for brain health. See prior blog titled  "energy exercise" for my five minute brain health exercise routine

2.     Avoid sugar, high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners. Ideally, you'll want to keep your sugar levels to a minimum and your total fructose below 25 grams per day, or as low as 15 grams per day if you have insulin  resistance or any related disorders

3.     Avoid Gluten: Research shows that your blood-brain barrier is negatively affected by gluten. Gluten also makes your gut more permeable, which allows proteins to get into your bloodstream, where they don't belong. That then sensitizes your immune system and promotes inflammation and autoimmunity, both of which play a role in the development of Alzheimer's

4.     Optimize your gut flora by regularly eating fermented foods. This can also be helped by taking a high-potency and high-quality probiotic supplement

5.     Increase consumption of all healthy fats, including animal-based Omega-3. Healthy fats that your brain needs for optimal function include organically-raised grass-fed meats, non farmed cold water fish, coconut oil, olives and olive oil, avocado, nuts, organic egg yolks, and butter made from raw grass-fed milk. High intake of the omega-3 fats are also helpful for preventing cell damage caused by Alzheimer's disease, thereby slowing down its progression, and lowering your risk of developing the disorder.

6.     Reduce your overall calorie consumption until insulin resistance resolves. Ketones are mobilized when you replace carbs with coconut oil and other sources of healthy fats. Intermittent fasting is a powerful tool to jumpstart your body into remembering how to burn fat and repair the insulin resistance that is also a primary contributing factor for Alzheimer's.

7.     Eat a nutritious diet, rich in folate. Vegetables (foliage) are your best form of folate, and we should all eat plenty of fresh raw veggies every day. Avoid supplements like folic acid, which is the inferior synthetic version of folate. For best strategy "Eat the colors of the rainbow"

8.     Optimize your vitamin D levels with safe sun exposure. Sufficient vitamin D is critical for proper functioning of your immune system to combat inflammation that is also associated with Alzheimer's.

9.     Avoid and eliminate mercury from your body. If you have dental amalgam fillings they are 50% mercury by weight, are one of the major sources of heavy metal toxicity .I believe it is important to find a biological dentist to have your amalgams evaluated and possibly removed.

10.  Avoid and eliminate aluminum from your body: Sources of aluminum include antiperspirants, non-stick cookware and the flu vaccine.

11.  Take time to silence the mind. Quieting the mind through, meditation, breath work  or being in nature put the nervous system into a brainwave pattern that is calming. This has been shown to dramatically reduce stress and increase longevity.

12.  Eliminate hydrogenated or trans fats from diet. Take proactive measures to control cholesterol levels without medication. Cholesterol lowering medications or " Statin drugs "are particularly problematic because they suppress the synthesis of cholesterol and  deplete your brain of coenzyme Q10 and neurotransmitter precursors .This prevents adequate delivery of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble antioxidants to your brain.

It is my opinion that we should set up our daily lifestyle to be conscious of incorporating movement and healthy foods for our brain and body to function at optimum. The addition of drugs, environmental toxins and chemically altered foods has be proven to be detrimental to our brain and longevity. Make action steps each day to add more vitalized foods and activity and avoid toxic foods, thoughts and inactivity.