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The Ultimate Gift You Can Give Your Friends and Family
The holidays are almost here. How are you doing with your holiday shopping? In addition to purchasing presents for family and friends, you might need to pick up something for a gift exchange at an office holiday party. Or, perhaps you donate gifts for underprivileged children each year through a charity or a toy drive at a local store or church. As you survey your holiday shopping list, you probably see lots of toys, clothes, Blu-rays and video games. You might even have a few high dollar items written down, like TVs, computers, or home entertainment systems. But does the list contain the ultimate gift for your friends and family? The Gift of Wellness Can you put a price tag on health? Sadly, most Americans don’t place a premium on health until it’s jeopardized. Other than exercise equipment or a gym membership for the New Year, most people spend relatively little on health during the holidays. By contrast, we tend to spend a great deal on unhealthy foods and hobbies, such as potentially harmful video games and equipment for high-risk sports. So, how can you invest in the health of those you love? It might surprise you to learn that there are many things you can do each day to improve your well-being. It also might surprise you that many of them are absolutely free! To promote full brain and body wellness, here are some healthy gifts you can give yourself and your family this holiday season: 5 of the Ultimate Gifts to Give Your Friends and Family 1. Maintain a Healthy Diet Since people tend to consume more calories during the holidays, resist the temptation to stray from your well-established diet. Before attending a gathering or party where unhealthy foods will be served, eat a brain healthy meal first. That way, you won’t feel hungry and will be less likely to eat foods that are high in fat and sugar. Always make sure you have emergency rations handy to fend off a snack attack. Eating the right foods can help you have more energy, a better mood, and more mental sharpness. 2. Get Quality Sleep Many people sacrifice quality sleep to keep up with the increased demands of the stressful holiday season. Lack of sleep often leads to illness, which makes it that much harder to accomplish everything on your to-do list. To ensure that you have the energy you need to get the most out of the holiday season, it’s recommended that you get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. 3. Walk It Off If you need a break from a movie marathon or if you just want to work off that extra slice of turkey or ham, getting outside for some fresh air can be beneficial for you both physically and mentally. Exercise can boost blood flow to deliver oxygen and other positive nutrients to the brain. Walking can help clear your mind, improve your mood and burn some calories all at the same time. 4. Take Control The holidays can make people feel out of control and at the mercy of traditions or expectations. But you can take control of the holidays by refusing to let them control you. Say no to events and activities that aren’t making you happy or are causing holiday stress. 5. Brain Enhancing Nutrition What do stressed-out people do? Unfortunately, many of them self-medicate – with alcohol, drugs or food – which only provides temporary relief and can make stress worse in the long run. The better solution is to take brain-directed dietary supplements, such as BrainMD’s Brain & Body Power, the perfect stress support system for optimal health!* Brain & Body Power Brain & Body Power is a daily supplement system that was designed for essential everyday performance.* It’s a powerful daily regimen of 3 essential supplements in convenient to use packets, for memory, other crucial brain functions, and total body health.* Plus, you’ll save up to $50 compared to buying them all individually! Each packet contains: Brain & Memory Power Boost (2 capsules) Our bestselling, brain-boosting formula provides an unparalleled mix of potent ingredients to support the brain’s energy, blood and oxygen supply, connectivity, information processing, and memory performance.* NeuroVite Plus Multivitamin (2 capsules) This powerful combination of 50 vitamins, essential minerals, standardized plant extracts, and digestive enzymes (all in their most active forms for optimal bioavailability) is foundational to your supplement regimen.* Omega-3 Power (1 capsule) Omega-3 Power provides a high dose of omega-3 fatty acids, which is made from sustainably harvested fish stocks, and is screened for over 250 potential contaminants to ensure maximum purity.* Here’s what others are saying about Brain & Body Power: “I noticed a difference over a short period of time in my ability to recall information and mental clarity. I’m also overall in a better mood when taking these vitamins.” -Tim “I bought these for myself and my husband started taking them. He is so happy with the changes that he made me order them again. Such a big change in his mood and energy. Would recommend these to anyone.” -Laurie Instead of being stressed-out, sad or sleep deprived, take care of your body and mind so you can enjoy all the happiness, love and fun the holiday season has to offer.* At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about Brain & Body Power and our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. *These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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The Most Proven Nutrient for Memory and Brain Health: PhosphatidylSerine (PS)
Trying to make your brain work better? Tired of hearing about “miracle memory cures” that don’t work and may not even be safe to take? How about a nutrient that’s concentrated in the human brain and has extensive research proving it works? PS (PhosphatidylSerine, pronounced fos-fa-tie-dil-see-reen) isn’t a miracle memory cure but it can make a noticeably positive difference to your memory and overall brain health. What is PhosphatidylSerine? PhosphatidylSerine (PS) is a chemically unique nutrient that is an essential building block for all known forms of life, and it’s most highly concentrated in the human brain. Our brain cells – all of them – need PS to generate and manage the high energy, complex electrical activity, and intense information processing that makes our brains work. PS has been put through more than 30 years of gold standard clinical research involving randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trials. It consistently improves memory for words, faces, names, and numbers, as well as learning, attention, and overall mental sharpness, even in children. After all this clinical experience with PS, not one serious side effect was reported. How Does PhosphatidylSerine Work? Chemically, PS is a phospholipid, a type of substance that the body needs for making cell membranes. These are thin sheets of highly dynamic structures that power most of the life processes in all known living things, including in every single human cell. From its strategic positioning in the membranes of our brain cells, PS facilitates key cell activities: Energy generation by the membranes of the mitochondria located within all these cells. Utilization of this energy by the nerve cells to generate electrical activity. Conversion of this electrical activity into information transfer at the trillions of junctions between the nerve cells (synapses). Here PS functions closely with omega-3 DHA. Information transfer at the synapses by brain messenger substances (neurotransmitters). Packaging of these neurotransmitters within the cells, and their release at the synapses. Sensitivity to nerve growth factor, which supports nerve cell renewal and brain maintenance. These fundamental contributions of PS to our brain cells cannot be substituted for any other substance, and their effects at the individual brain cell level scale up into the impressive brain benefits observed with PS in double-blind clinical trials. In one such trial, PS partly restored declining memory in healthy over-50 volunteers (see Further Reading, below). PS has also been found to improve learning and attention in children with such challenges. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, after 2 months PS had improved attention, impulsive actions, learning of numbers, and school behavior in children aged 4-14 years (see Further Reading). The credentials of PS as a safe and effective brain nutrient are established from 29 double-blind clinical trials, hundreds of other clinical studies, and thousands of basic science research papers, all published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Though not allowed to endorse its use, the U.S. FDA granted PS not just one but two prestigious qualified health claims for its brain benefits. What Foods Contain PhosphatidylSerine? Technically, PS is not a vitamin since the body can make it. And it is available in small amounts from the diet: though plants provide very little PS, eggs (yolk), muscle meats and organ foods do provide some. But a high-grade PS supplement can double or triple your dietary intake and improve your brain function within weeks. BrainMD’s PS is non-allergenic and is all-natural since it derives from sunflowers. How to Take PhosphatidylSerine for Memory? To help ensure you can get help from PS, BrainMD provides PS via several supplement products, including the NeuroVite Plus enhanced multiple vitamin supplement (try finding PS in any other multiples on the market!). We also provide PS in our popular Brain & Memory Power Boost and in our Attention Support product. If you want to try a high-potency PS, it’s available as NeuroPS in a 150 mg capsule. BrainMD’s powerful supplement systems Brain & Body Power and Brain & Body Power MAX provide capsules from 3 of our core brain supplements in convenient to use packets. Capsules of NeuroVite Plus and Brain & Memory Power Boost provide a generous amount of PS, which is complemented by ample omega-3 DHA and EPA from our ultrapure, high-potency Omega-3 Power softgels. For those who prefer not to take capsules, the BrainMD team developed BRIGHT MINDSTM Memory Powder with the full clinical dose of 300 mg PS per serving and a wide array of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients for brain health. PS, along with our other leading brain supplements, assist the Amen Clinics’ comprehensive Memory Rescue program, which includes breakthrough SPECT functional imaging of the brain. Is PhosphatidylSerine Safe for Brain Health? I’ve worked with PS for 25 years to establish it with consumers and physicians in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It’s extremely safe and I take it every day for my brain. I urge you to try it too. If you want to improve your mental focus and your memory for words, faces, names and numbers, try adding PS to your supplement regimen. Further Reading Crook TH, others. Neurology 1991;41:644-649. Double-blind trial with over-50 volunteers. Hirayama S, others. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 2014;27 (Suppl. 2):284-291. Double-blind trial with children having attentional and behavioral issues. BrainMD Product Description: BRIGHT MINDSTM Memory Powder.
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Magnesium – The Triple Threat for Mood, Memory & Sleep
Maintaining a well-rounded diet has become increasingly difficult in our packaged, processed, fast-food society. The Standard American Diet (SAD), also called the Western Pattern Diet (WPD), lacks many essential nutrients and is loaded with foods that can be detrimental to your health. It mainly consists of red meat, processed meats, and dairy. It’s also high in sugar and salt and is loaded with bad carbohydrates. These foods are often inflammatory and have been associated with a smaller hippocampus, the part of the brain used for memory function. This diet is typically linked to common conditions and chronic illnesses including diabetes, heart disease, obesity, metabolic disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. Many Americans are missing out on healthy foods in their diet, such as: fruits, vegetables, fish, beans, nuts, seeds and poultry. Grains should be used sparingly since they convert quickly into sugars. Organic animal products are recommended to eliminate food grown or raised with synthetic pesticides, bioengineered genes, petroleum or sludge-based fertilizers, antibiotics, growth hormones or animal by-products. A great way to establish healthy eating habits is to purge your pantry of unhealthy foods and add variety to your diet by trying new fruits and vegetables. Another is to take dietary supplements. One nutrient most Americans are deficient in is magnesium. Magnesium Magnesium is a mineral nutrient that’s fundamental to our health. The modern diet is low in magnesium, so taking a well-formulated magnesium supplement is good nutritional health insurance. Benefits of Magnesium: Memory & Sleep Magnesium is necessary for all our cells to make and use energy. It maintains our DNA and gene structure and is required for more than 600 enzyme reactions in the body. This powerful nutrient helps to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and maintain normal heart rhythm and blood flow. Magnesium stimulates electrical activity in the brain and aids the brain’s ability to process information, helping both memory and sleep. Magnesium helps promote memory, positivity and quality sleep. It’s used by the body for healthy aging, digestive efficiency, to prevent calcium overload, and to strengthen the immune system as an antioxidant. For those with vitamin D deficiencies, weight challenges, kidney stones or heart problems, this nutrient can help promote a healthier well-being. The Dangers of Not Getting Enough Magnesium The U.S. Government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducts ongoing, in-depth surveys of the health and nutritional habits of Americans. Their most current data indicate that as many as 4 in 5 Americans aren’t achieving the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium. Magnesium insufficiency is linked to poor muscle tone and greater chance of cramping or spasming. Clinical evidence also links low magnesium intakes to other brain, heart, circulatory, bone and joint problems. Individuals with intestinal or kidney problems, people who drink alcohol, those with poor blood sugar control, and the elderly are all more likely to be magnesium-deficient. Some leafy-green vegetables, whole grains, nuts and beans are good magnesium foods, but dietary intake has declined by at least 40% in the last 4 decades due to changes in food harvesting and processing, water purification, and overall dietary habits. Since most people aren’t getting enough magnesium from diet alone, they need something to help fill the nutritional gap. BrainMD is proud to offer Magnesium Chewables… BrainMD’s Magnesium Chewables BrainMD’s Magnesium Chewables are sugar-free and have a delicious citrus flavor. Each tablet provides a considerable 150 milligrams of magnesium. We recommend chewing one tablet at a time and washing it down with water. Sweating during workouts and sports activities removes magnesium, so it’s a good idea to chew one or two magnesium tablets afterwards. Muscle cramping or spasms in the head or limbs also may be eased by this safe, high-dose magnesium supplement. These potent nutrients can help to replace magnesium that’s been depleted by some medications. Sleep quality is also likely to improve by taking Magnesium Chewables. Magnesium is essential for a healthy pregnancy outcome. Pregnant and lactating women require adequate magnesium both for the baby’s development and for their health. These tablets are free of magnesium oxide, commonly used in dietary supplements, which is very poorly absorbed and utilized. The other ingredients used to make these chewable tablets are free of sugar, dairy, glutens, corn, egg, yeast, or other allergens, with no artificial colorings or flavorings. Magnesium is well tolerated, safe to take long-term, and suitable for use by people of all ages. At BrainMD, we’re committed to helping you achieve mind and body well-being for better memory and sleep. For more information about Magnesium Chewables and our full list of products, please visit us at BrainMD.
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5 of the Best Ways to Feel Better Fast AND Make It Last
All of us have felt stressed, traumatized, grief-stricken, or hopeless at some point in life. It’s perfectly normal to go through hard times or experience periods when we feel panicked or out of sorts. How we respond to these challenges makes all the difference in how we feel – not just immediately, but in the long run. We all want the pain to stop quickly. Since many things that help in the short-term make us feel worse in the long-term, Dr. Amen wrote the book “Feel Better Fast and Make It Last” to provide simple, healthy habits to aid in the recovery process. The book is an invaluable resource that teaches us how to unlock the brain’s potential to overcome negativity, anger, stress and trauma. Making positive and permanent changes in the brain starts by adjusting the way we think. You can make yourself feel awful almost immediately by dwelling on the worst possible outcome of a situation, spending time with highly toxic people, or maintaining a brain unhealthy lifestyle. You can just as easily make yourself feel better through simple choices like practicing gratitude, surrounding yourself with caring people, and using many other brain healthy habits. Ways to Feel Better Fast: Form Tiny Habits Amen Clinics partnered with Professor BJ Fogg and his sister Linda Fogg-Phillips to help our patients with behavior change. They teach that only three things can change behavior: An epiphany A change in the environment (what and who surrounds you) Taking baby steps You don’t have to wait for an epiphany to change your behavior. You don’t need to have a heart attack or get cancer to get serious about your health. Most people can change their environment (friends, workplace, church) or the people they surround themselves with, and all of us can make small changes that, over time, create amazing results. High motivation helps you do hard things. But if your motivation is medium or even low, you can still change for the better. In fact, the Foggs recommend starting with baby steps, or what they call “Tiny Habits” to feel better fast. These are easy changes that will boost your confidence and sense of accomplishment, and gradually evolve into bigger changes. The Tiny Habits formula is “When I do x (or when x happens), I will do y.” Then when you do y, celebrate to reinforce the new behavior or good feeling. Celebrations can be as simple as treating yourself to a piece of brain healthy chocolate. Remember, daily healthy habits are the key to spectacular, long-term results. To feel better fast AND make it last, implement these 5 Tiny Habits: 5 Tiny Habits to Feel Better About Your Brain & Body Daily Decision Whenever you come to a decision point in your day, ask yourself, “Is the decision I’m about to make good for my brain or bad for it?” If you consistently make decisions that serve your brain’s health, you are well on your way to feeling better fast in a way that will make it last. Envision a Better Life Choose a haven – a place where you feel comfortable and that you can imagine with all your senses. If it’s the beach, visualize the ocean, feel the sand between your toes and the warm sun on your skin. Your haven can be any real or imaginary place where you’d like to spend time. During each session, choose one goal to work on. Stay with that goal until you can imagine yourself reaching it, going through each of the steps required to attain it. Begin to envision yourself not as you currently are, but as you want to be. Spend at least 20 minutes a day on this refueling, life-changing exercise. You’ll be amazed at the results. Just Breathe Whenever you feel anxious, mad, or tense, take a deep breath, hold it for one or two seconds, then slowly exhale for about five seconds. Then take another deep breath, as deep as you can, hold it for one to two seconds, and again slowly exhale. Do this about 10 times and you will start to feel very relaxed, perhaps even a little sleepy. It sounds so simple, but breathing is essential to life. When you slow down and become more efficient with your breathing, most things seem better. Hand-warming Technique Close your eyes, hold out your hands (palms down), and visualize a campfire in front of you. Focus. Think heat. Hear the fire crackling, smell the aroma of fresh-cut wood burning, and see the sparks floating up into the sky. Now feel the soothing heat as it penetrates the surface of your skin and goes deep to warm your hands. Picture this as you breathe deeply and count slowly to 20. Did you feel an increase in warmth? Did you find you started to hold your hands closer as if there was an actual fire in front of you? Practice this technique a few minutes every day and you’ll find that the relaxation response will come easier and faster each time. Write It Down Writing things down is an invaluable way to stay focused and on track. Recording what you eat is a well-known technique for fast-tracking weight loss. Journaling helps reinforce the habits you want to strengthen until they become second nature. How can journaling do this? The secret is in how you use your journal. If you notice you are struggling with food cravings or gambling, for example, a journal can help you pinpoint where you might have gone off track – if you skipped a meal, were under intense stress, or spent time with unhealthy people. Being able to recognize your vulnerable times allows you to develop strategies to overcome them. Write down your temptations and look for any patterns – time of day, amount of sleep or food, stress level, etc. Your mistakes are your best teachers. Knowing what triggers your good decisions and your poor ones can help you become more self-aware. These are just a handful of the many Tiny Habits found in Dr. Amen’s book, “Feel Better Fast and Make It Last.” Order the book now! At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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How to Know What’s Going on Inside Your Brain | Brain Scans 101
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), almost 44 million adults and 14 million children in the United States experience a mental health related condition in a given year. Regrettably, the issue of mental health remains shrouded by misunderstanding and stigma. If you have concentration issues, severe mood swings or physical/emotional trauma, the best way to get help is to… Take A Look If an athlete is taken to the hospital after sustaining a serious limb injury, what’s the first thing the doctor does? Order a scan. Before making a prognosis or determining a course of treatment for a patient, healthcare providers frequently take a look at the injured area. After obtaining accurate information, a practitioner can then recommend an appropriate treatment plan. Without the help of imaging, medical professionals are reduced to speculation and chance. Which is why it’s so important to take a look. Cardiologists look, neurologists look, and orthopedic doctors look. In fact, virtually every medical specialist looks at an image of the area they’re treating. Yet, amazingly, psychiatrists look for symptom clusters and then…guess. Broken Model As ironic as it sounds, psychiatry is the only branch of medicine that doesn’t take a look at the organ it treats. That’s like a car mechanic diagnosing your engine problems without actually popping the hood. The standard psychiatric approach is a broken model. Psychiatrists today still diagnose and manage conditions the same way they did back when Abraham Lincoln was being treated for depression: conduct a brief interview, quickly assess the symptoms, form a diagnosis based on those symptoms and then prescribe a high-powered medication. This method makes the patient a guinea pig and often does more harm than good since many medications come with adverse side effects. Talk It Out So where can you go to get help? Many people attend support groups or meet with a therapist. While talk therapy can temporarily relieve emotional or psychological distress, the root of the problem may persist, especially if a patient struggles with extreme focus, memory or mood issues. In many cases, progress is slow because patients don’t receive tangible, visible evidence of what’s affecting them. If talking things out fails to improve your situation, then what? Imaging Changes Everything At Amen Clinics, we believe that you can’t possibly know what’s going on inside your brain unless you take a look. Brain scans change everything. They remove the guesswork from the standard psychiatric approach of prescribing high-powered medications to mask symptoms, which is like throwing darts at a dartboard in the dark. By contrast, our approach is to look inside the brain and treat it with as natural a regimen as possible. We treat the root of the problem rather than just the symptom. Amen Clinics has provided education and insight on the clinical use of brain imaging in psychiatry. Over the past 29 years, Amen Clinics has built the world’s largest database of brain scans related to emotional, relational and behavioral problems. Our study is comprised of brain SPECT images. What is SPECT? SPECT stands for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography. Because brain activity is directly related to blood flow, SPECT accurately shows us the patterns of activity in the brain. SPECT allows physicians to look deep inside the brain to observe three things: areas of the brain that work well, areas of the brain that work too hard and areas of the brain that don’t work hard enough. With the help of brain imaging, our doctors can see if there are physical or chemical imbalances, vitamin deficiencies, low neurotransmitter production and many other factors. Amen Clinics has performed over 145,000 scans on patients from age 3 to 103. In addition to diagnosing and treating patients with symptoms such as ADD/ADHD, anxiety, depression, PTSD, OCD, autism, addiction, head trauma and many other complex or resistant psychiatric problems, we’ve also scanned many health-conscious individuals interested in learning more about their brains and how to keep them optimized far into the future. Natural Treatments Although treatment plans vary based on individual results, our aim is to use the least toxic, most effective solutions to address our patient’s needs. We prefer to heal the brain naturally, which means our doctors typically recommend diet, exercise and supplements first and foremost before medications. Dr. Amen has created a line of brain healthy vitamins that are ultra-pure, science-based and brain directed. These high-quality supplements come from the finest sources, have undergone rigorous clinical testing and have been formulated for maximum absorption to give you the nutrients you need to be your best self. To learn more about how SPECT imaging can help provide a customized treatment plan to help heal your brain, call us today at 888-288-9834. At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. *These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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Brain Boosting Ingredients: Benefits of PhosphatidylSerine (PS)
What are the basic ingredients for a brain healthy life? It all starts with pure and potent nutrients. BrainMD’s supplements are made with high-quality ingredients that can help improve brain health and the functioning of many other organs in the body. In this blog series, we’re taking a closer look at the origins, uses, and recipes for some of our key ingredients so that you can incorporate them into your diet and daily supplement regimen. One ingredient we’re proud to recommend is PhosphatidylSerine (PS), the most proven nutrient for memory and brain health. What is PhosphatidylSerine? PhosphatidylSerine, pronounced fos-fa-tie-dil-see-reen, is a phospholipid nutrient present in all our cells but especially concentrated in the brain’s nerve cells. PS is crucial for enhancing recall and for promoting healthy attention, learning and mental sharpness. PS has been extensively researched in humans, animals, and cultured cells, and is the most proven nutrient for memory. PS is a universal building block for cell membranes, the dynamic structures that link the nerve cells into trillions of information transfer connections (synapses). The brain’s billions of nerve cells also need PS to package neurotransmitters into membrane structures for subsequent release into the synapses. PS is fundamental to the membranes of mitochondria, the microscopic power plants that generate energy for all our cells. The Origin of PhosphatidylSerine PS is naturally produced by the body and is found in practically all foods, but mostly at very low levels. One of the richest sources of PS is cow brain, but not many people eat brain and concerns over diseases make this a risky and unappealing source of PS. PS is also present in organ meats, like liver and kidneys. Cow’s milk has a small amount of PS. The best food source of PS is chicken egg yolks, which also provide a host of important nutrients. A great way to ensure daily intakes of PS at levels sufficient to improve brain function is to take a PS dietary supplement. Earlier PS supplements came from soy, which can be allergenic. BrainMD’s NeuroPS is derived from sunflower, a vegetarian source that’s free of soy allergens.* Here Are 5 of the Best Benefits of PhosphatidylSerine Improves Memory and Learning PS improved verbal fluency and enhanced learning and recall of names, faces, words, and numbers in double-blind clinical trials. PS is better documented for these benefits than any other nutrient. Promotes Attention In a double-blind clinical trial with children aged 4-14 years, the group that received PS at 200 mg per day showed improved attention, self-control, and short-term memory, when compared to those receiving a placebo. Drives Brain Neurotransmitter Systems PS is an essential building block for cell membranes, which organize enzymes and other proteins into molecular complexes to optimize the body’s life processes. PS promotes the actions of at least 4 major brain neurotransmitters: acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine. Essential for Brain Cells to Make Energy Our brain uses more than 20% of our body’s total energy. The brain’s energy-guzzling nerve cells are the largest in the body. Our brain cells rely on mitochondria to make more than 90% of their energy. PS is essential for the mitochondria to function. Promotes Overall Brain Health PS is essential for the brain not only to make energy, but to manage its trillions of nerve cell connections. PS promotes brain health at all stages of life, from childhood through adulthood. Common Uses PS has the best track record for improving memory, as recognized by the U.S. FDA with two allowed Qualified Health Claims. Also, as a major cell membrane building block, PS works closely with omega-3 EPA and DHA to promote efficient synaptic functioning that contributes to healthy mood and behavior. PS is commonly used for improving attention and academic performance in children. PS is safe and well-tolerated. Recipe Berries are loaded with antioxidants and have a host of health benefits. Blueberries, referred to as “brain berries” among neuroscientists, may help delay short-term memory loss. If you like berries in your smoothie, you’ll love this delicious recipe for a Brain-Smart Smoothie. At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. *These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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6 Tips to Help Repair Your Brain From Trauma
Have you ever hit your head? Despite prevailing thought on the subject, you don’t have to be in a car accident or get concussed on a football field to cause damage to your brain. The sad reality is that head traumas occur every day; both minor hits and major traumas. Falling objects, trips/falls, physical assaults, and sports injuries lead to nearly 2 million ER visits every year. On top of that, hundreds of thousands of head injuries are never reported, remain undiagnosed and are largely ignored. Even a mild to moderate head trauma can significantly decrease your brain function. This can have far-reaching health consequences for your life. The first step to repairing the damage from a head injury is to know your brain type. For a deeper understanding of how your brain functions and how to obtain a personalized plan for your brain type, take this free Brain Health Assessment. If you’ve suffered a hit to the head of any severity, implementing these 6 tips can help restore brain function and enhance your recall: 6 of the Best Ways to Repair Your Brain 1. Brain and Body Fitness It’s been well documented that exercise has significant health benefits for the heart, muscles and memory. Exercise is also one of the most important things you can do to keep your brain healthy. Physical activity can boost blood flow and other positive nutrients to the brain, increase your levels of dopamine and generate new brain cells. Even when you’re tired from a long day at work, a good workout can boost your energy and mood, and help improve the quality of your sleep. 2. Eliminate Toxins Toxins can have a harmful effect on the body. Common toxins can be absorbed through the skin (when you rub in a cream), ingested (when you eat or drink), or inhaled (when you breathe). Many noxious ingredients exist in household or health care products. Identify toxic products in your house and get rid of them. Use apps like Safe Cosmetics to ensure that the products you use are natural and safe. 3. Avoid Alcohol Alcohol should be used in moderation. Even one glass of beer or wine per day can make your brain and body toxic. Clean up your lifestyle by avoiding tobacco, vaping and so-called “recreational” drugs, which are all habit-forming and can adversely affect your health. 4. Improve Your Diet When you’re stressed out or in physical or emotional pain, it’s common to gravitate toward foods that can immediately make you feel better. That’s why they’re called comfort foods. Although they provide a quick fix, that Snickers bar or those three helpings of mac and cheese can cause serious health problems. Resist your cravings for sugar, salt and simple carbohydrates and switch to organic, whole foods that can help heal the brain. Aim for a diet that’s 70 percent plant-based foods and 30 percent high-quality protein, with healthy fat mixed in. 5. Get Quality Sleep Good sleep is essential for optimal brain and body health. Sleep rejuvenates all the cells in your body, gives brain cells a chance to repair themselves, and helps wash away neurodegenerative toxins that build up during the day. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night will give your brain’s cleaning crew enough time to take out all the trash before you wake up in the morning. Getting less than 6 hours can cause brain fog and memory problems. 6. Supplements to Speed Up Recovery Many people who’ve experienced a head injury don’t know how to get help for their brain. One of the best ways to promote the healing process is with brain directed supplements. Fundamental to every vitamin regimen should be a high-purity, clinically researched fish oil. At BrainMD, we’re proud to recommend… Omega-3 Power The omega-3 fatty acids in Omega-3 Power are critical to building healthy cell membranes, which are essential for our brain cells to make the trillions of connections that enable peak cognitive, mood, and behavioral performance.* Most Americans are deficient in omega-3s, getting barely one-third of the daily amounts they need for optimum brain and body health.* Each serving of Omega-3 Power provides 1,600 mg of EPA, DHA, and other omega-3s from ultra-purified, high-quality fish oil – roughly 5 times what you’d find in conventional brands and big-box stores!* Sourced from pelagic, short-lived fish species (anchovies, sardines, and mackerel), the fish oil in Omega-3 Power undergoes the most advanced purification process in the supplement industry.* For extra mental focus and memory support, we also recommend… Neuro-PS Neuro-PS provides PhosphatidylSerine (PS), which occurs naturally in all cells, being a universal building block for the dynamic membrane systems that make cells work.* PS promotes the actions of 4 major brain nervous system transmitters: acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.* In double-blind clinical research trials, PS enhanced recall of names, faces, words, and numbers, and improved verbal fluency.* PS is better documented for these benefits than any other nutrient.* PS supports healthy attention, learning, and other cognitive functions at all life stages, especially in people aged 50 and older.* Repair Your Brain Your brain makes you you, so do everything you can to nurture and protect it. It's never too late to start taking care of your brain, so try the above strategies to help repair your brain today. At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about Omega-3 Power, Neuro-PS and our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. *These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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What Do Sugar And Cocaine Have In Common?
Why Is Sugar Bad For You? This should come as no surprise…sugar is not your friend. Refined sugar is 99.4 to 99.7 percent pure calories, with no vitamins, minerals, fats, or proteins – just carbohydrates that spike blood sugar, followed by an insulin response and a subsequent sugar crash, leading us to the desire for more. There are ways to control these cravings. The Negative Effects of Sugar Eating sugary foods makes people hungry and tired, and causes them to gain weight. Refined sugar is void of minerals needed for enzymes, can cause mineral deficiencies, interferes with the actions of calcium and magnesium, increases inflammation, increases erratic brain cell firing, and has been implicated in aggression. Additionally, sugar consumption has been associated with mood and attention issues, increased triglycerides, lower HDL, and higher LDL cholesterol; it also feeds cancer cells. Brain imaging studies showed sugar causes increased slow brain waves, and a study at UCLA showed that sugar alters learning and memory. Did you know that the average American eats about 140 pounds of sugar a year? And the fact that sugar is often disguised behind the labels of “organic,” “cane,” “raw,” or “unprocessed” doesn’t change the insulin response in your body when you eat it. Whether it comes from a beehive, a maple tree, or any other natural source, sugar is sugar. When you eat sugar, your blood sugar spikes, insulin is released, then blood sugar drops, and you crave it again and again. When your blood sugar drops, your body sees it as a state of emergency, causing you to crave food as a way to fix the situation. Sugar is the fastest way to do that aside from the alternatives. That is why when you eat sugar, you crave it more – similar to how a drug addict craves his drug. “Drug Dealers” in the Food Industry In the 1970s, a mathematician by the name of Howard Moskowitz discovered that the perfect combination of sugar, salt, and fat would optimize the human brain’s pleasure experience. He coined it the “bliss point.” Fast-forward a few decades, and we now know that triggering the bliss point not only increases sensory experiences like taste and texture, but also activates an area deep in the brain, called the nucleus accumbens, which is associated with motivation and pleasure. The nucleus accumbens is the same part of the brain that is activated by certain drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamines, nicotine, and morphine! In other words, the job of food designers is to create foods that hook your brain, just like addictive drugs. Now new research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine backs that up by demonstrating that sugar has a similar effect on the brain to powerful illegal drugs and that it can be as addictive as cocaine! Furthermore, they say, cutting out sugar can cause cravings, binges, and withdrawal symptoms - like a drug addict going cold turkey. But here is the good news: Once you let go of sugar, your cravings may subside. Within a short time (usually several days) of eliminating sugar, many amazing things begin to happen in your body. Your hormones begin to regulate. Your hunger/satiation signals normalize. You begin to enjoy the taste of real (unprocessed) foods. Fruit tastes sweeter and vegetables more flavorful. And by eliminating sugar, which contributes to lack of focus and inattention, you have a greater ability to focus on making the healthiest eating choices. To help deal with sugar cravings, consider trying BrainMD’s Craving Control which can support your willpower to help you stay in control. Containing six active ingredients that work synergistically to help calm the craving centers in the brain, Craving Control can diminish the frequency and intensity of your cravings, helping you to more effectively achieve better control over your behavior. What Customers Are Saying About Craving Control “I purchased Craving Control for my daughter who was really having problems regulating her food impulses. She has more balance in her choices of food and is a lot happier with herself for making better choices and succumbing less to spontaneous cravings!” by Jannie “Craving Control took the edge off my cravings so I feel in control of my food choices. I take 2 capsules in the morning and another 1 in the mid-afternoon. I have been taking the supplement for about 1 month and not noticed any decrease in effect. I highly recommend the product for people wanting to change their diet.” by Steffi “So glad there's a healthy option to help me with my cravings. I especially like the fact that this supplement is helping me not have those sugar cravings that destroy my willpower without your help!” by Joy
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8 Ways to Help Your Teen Overcome Screen Obsession
Even though technology has improved our lives in profound ways, it has presented us with many unique challenges. While it’s true that technology has many upsides, it’s also frequently misused or overused. With its prevalence and predominance in our society, it’s surprising how little research has been conducted on the ways technology affects developing brains and its impact on the family. Technology has completely captivated the youth of our society and video game playing has reached near epidemic proportions. One survey has reported that 97% of Americans from the ages of 12 to 17 play video games. With no end in sight for adrenaline-pumping video games or the engrossing immediacy of social media, what will the impact of technology be on today’s youth? Will such rampant use of technology bring about unforeseen consequences in the future? Will technology eventually control our every thought and decision? Will it become our identity? If your teenager has become dependent on technology, these thoughts have probably entered your mind at some point. But how can you know if your child is just exhibiting normal teenage behavior or if they’re headed for trouble? The only way to know for sure is to be aware of the warning signs. Warning Signs Most people would agree that video game binges or all-night marathons aren’t beneficial to your health, either physically or mentally. But is there a time limit that should be observed by gamers? Is there a way to know for sure when video game playing becomes excessive…or even obsessive? There are many warning signs for people who have an overdependence on technology. Your child might be at risk if: He/she plays video games all night long, sleeps in during the day and generally lives a sedentary lifestyle. He/she has failed classes, quit going to school or lost a job over excessive gaming or internet use. He/she needs to play games for longer periods of time to get the same level of enjoyment. He/she withdraws socially or becomes irritable, anxious or aggressive when not playing games or engaging on social media. He/she has difficulty completing tasks that require concentration and attention, such as reading a book. If you have a “screenager” who can’t put down the controller, smartphone or tablet, here are 8 practical tips to help your child overcome their digital dependence: 8 Ways to Help Your Teen Overcome Screen Obsession Take a Tech Timeout More and more, parents are limiting their kids’ TV or tablet time. Establish a time when all devices will be turned off for the remainder of the evening. Not only will this provide a break from calling, texting, browsing the internet and posting content on social media, it will also afford your family the opportunity to spend more quality time together. Make Them Earn It In addition to establishing time limits for TV, video game or internet usage, make your teen earn their screen time. Examples of tasks that need to be completed before screen time is granted are: reading a book, spending time with family and friends and completing homework and chores. Support Their Pleasure Centers Deep inside the brain, your child’s pleasure centers respond to several neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine. When dopamine is depleted, depression and low motivation are much more likely to occur – it can be increasingly difficult to lift them out of a funk. Monitor your child’s high-excitement activities, limit video games and regulate their screen time. Boost your child’s dopamine naturally by engaging in meaningful conversation and fun activities outdoors. Get Them Moving When your children are playing outside, riding their bikes or scooters, or are involved in an organized sport like Little League or gymnastics, they’re engaging their bodies and minds. When your children are sitting on the couch watching TV or YouTube for hours on end, their brains aren’t being challenged. Physical activity stimulates mental activity and improves blood flow to the brain, so get your kids up and moving. It’s recommended that children exercise at least 30 minutes every day. Create a Technology Free Bedroom One of the best ways to avoid the dangers of digital dependence is to remove TVs, computers and other electronic devices from your child’s bedroom. Creating a relaxing environment, free from the distractions of the outside world, may facilitate better sleep and reduce the amount of harmful electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) their body absorbs. Boost Their PFC The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is responsible for helping your child be goal-oriented, socially responsible, and productive in every area of their life. Decreased activity in the PFC has been associated with lack of forethought and poor judgment. Exercising self-control is one of the best ways to strengthen their PFC. Supplements, green tea, relaxation techniques and enjoyable activities can increase blood flow to the PFC, which can assist your child in making better decisions. One Screen at a Time It’s common for people to use more than one form of technology at the same time. For example, a person may browse the internet or make online purchases on a desktop computer, laptop or iPad while talking, texting or tweeting on a smartphone all while watching TV. To prevent your child’s attention from being divided by multiple devices, follow the “one screen at a time” rule. This should aid your child’s ability to focus while also giving their overstimulated brain some much-needed downtime. Internet Fasts A great way to curb the adverse effects of digital obsession is to reserve one day of the week for an internet fast. Rather than letting your child sit around staring at a screen all day, encourage them to work on a hobby, engage in physical activity or enjoy the beauty of the great outdoors. You might be surprised at how many things your child can do, and how much fun they can have while taking a break from console games and the internet. At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to give your child the focus and energy they need to succeed in school and in life. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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5 Ways to Help Students Combat Negative Thoughts
“I’m so stupid.” “I’m always messing things up.” “No one wants to be with me.” Sadly, these types of negative beliefs are common for many kids. They become ingrained in their brain from the cruel things others say and from the bullying many of them are forced to endure. Getting picked on not only impacts emotional and social functioning, it also can have biological consequences that extend into adulthood. Kids and young adults are faced with a host of challenges at school. Besides the pressure to perform academically, they are inundated with unhealthy stereotypes and bombarded with negative messages on social media. Many give in to peer pressure and develop harmful habits and behaviors that can adversely impact their lives. Of course, not all negativity comes from external sources. Many kids are plagued with self-doubt, are insecure socially and have poor self-esteem and body image. Also, they may struggle with anxious or depressive thoughts. The Power of Thoughts What we think has a powerful effect on our lives. While it’s common to trust everything we think, the truth is our thoughts constantly lie to us. For instance, we may incorrectly assume things about other people or may inaccurately interpret how others view us. Our thoughts become our beliefs if we think them often enough. The unfortunate reality is that many kids beat themselves up with self-defeating thoughts. Whether it’s from mistakes or critical things others have said, negative thoughts can spontaneously pop into their head, sometimes days or even weeks after the hurtful event. When pessimistic thoughts occur at random times, your child might be experiencing automatic negative thoughts. What Are Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs)? When negative thoughts enter the mind without warning or invitation, they’re called Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs). Here are the 9 types of ANTs and a brief description of their harmful effects: “All or Nothing” Thinking- Thoughts that are all good or all bad. “Always” Thinking- Thinking in words like always, never, no one, everyone, every time, everything. Focusing on The Negative- Only seeing the bad in a situation. Fortune Telling- Predicting the worst possible outcome to a situation with little or no evidence for it. Mind Reading- Believing that you know what another person is thinking even though they haven’t told you. Thinking with Your Feelings- Believing negative feelings without ever questioning them. Guilt Beatings- Thinking in words like should, must, ought, or have to. Labeling- Attaching a negative label to yourself or someone else. Blame- Blaming someone else for your problems. Whenever a negative thought pops into your head, combat it with these 4 questions: Is it true? Can I absolutely know that it’s true? How do I react when I think that thought? Who would I be without that thought? Or, how would I feel if I didn’t have that thought? Killing Your ANTs: Whenever ANTs creep into the mind, they must be killed. You kill them by talking back to them; if you don’t, ANTs can feast on your emotions and create anxious or depressive thoughts. Whenever an automatic negative thought enters your mind, train yourself to recognize its type and write it down. Talk back to the ANT – this takes away its power so you can gain control over your moods and start feeling better. Killing ANTs can reduce stress and improve your child’s outlook on life. In addition to taking brain-directed supplements, eating healthy foods, getting plenty of rest, water, and exercise – correcting negative thinking to reduce internal stress is key! Here are 5 ways to decrease negativity and increase positivity in your child’s life: 1. Snap to It- To prevent recurring negative thoughts, have your child wear a rubber band on their wrist. Whenever a negative thought enters their mind, train them to snap the rubber band (not too hard to where it leaves a red mark). Over time, this action will help trigger a response in their brain to switch gears from the negative thought to a positive one. 2. Shift Their Focus- If you recognize that your child is in a rut of negative thinking, help them shift their attention to something else by: spending time with a friend, reading a book, solving a crossword puzzle, or listening to soothing tunes. One of the most effective ways to prevent your child from thinking about something negative is to shift their focus to something positive. 3. Get Them Moving- If your kids are stuck in a funk, get them outside. Take your kids to a park where you can toss around a frisbee or just let them run around and let off some steam. Physical activity stimulates mental activity and improves blood flow to the brain, so get your kids up and moving. 4. Open Lines of Communication- If you notice that your child is stressed out from excessive schoolwork or demanding extracurricular activities, make sure you’re keeping the lines of communication open by asking how their day went. It may be that there’s a deeper problem, i.e. bullying, that you need to address with the school’s staff. Failing to engage your child in conversation may make their problems worse. Always make sure good communication exists in your home. 5. Focus on Strengths- It’s natural for kids who deal with negative patterns of thought to only focus on the bad things in their life and to overlook the positive. Be intentional in encouraging your child to stay active in sports, clubs and hobbies that they do well. You will improve your child’s outlook when you focus on their strengths rather than dwelling on their weaknesses. You can help your child learn how to reduce stress by killing their ANTs and embracing more positive, accurate thoughts. Better choices can lead to a better life! At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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The One Thing You Should Never Forget to Pack
The weather is nice and you’re ready to get outside for some fun. Whether you’re hanging out at the beach, hitting the trail for a hiking or mountain biking adventure or just taking a road trip to get out of town, don’t forget to pack the one thing that will supercharge your trip from the start…your vitamins! Maybe it’s due to their tiny size, but many people forget to pack supplements or vitamins when leaving for a vacation or a weekend outing. Although getting off your vitamin regimen is never a good thing, it’s particularly harmful when you head off on a trip. Without the proper nutrients, you may find it difficult to engage in activities that require sustained physical exertion. Or, you may experience a reduction in mental sharpness, an increase in edginess and difficulties recalling key details of your itinerary or accommodations. To prevent periods of low energy, mood, and memory issues, always remember to take your supplements with you. There’s no need to pack bottles or a weekly vitamin organizer – BrainMD offers ultra-pure, brain-directed supplements in a convenient on-the-go packet. We’ve developed two different supplement packet options to fit your on-the-go lifestyle: Brain & Body Power Brain & Body Power is a superior supplement system that was designed for essential everyday performance. It’s a powerful daily regimen of 3 essential supplements for your brain, memory, and overall health. To make it even easier, we combined each recommended dose into a convenient packet that can be easily packed in your backpack or travel bag. Plus, you’ll save up to $50 compared to buying them all individually! Each packet contains: Brain & Memory Power Boost (2 capsules) Our bestselling, brain-boosting formula provides potent ingredients to support the brain’s energy, connectivity, and memory performance. NeuroVite Plus Multivitamin (2 capsules) This powerful combination of 50 vitamins, minerals and plant extracts (all in their most active forms for optimal bioavailability) is foundational to your supplement regimen. Omega-3 Power (1 capsule) Omega-3 Power provides a high dose of omega-3 fatty acids and is unique in that it is screened for over 250 potential contaminants to ensure maximum purity. Here’s what others are saying about Brain & Body Power: “I love this product. These little packets have everything I need to feel great and be sure that I am treating my brain and body well. I really appreciate the convenience of the packets; I don’t need to dispense my supplements from separate bottles and it is especially great for travel.” -Tricia Brain & Body Power MAX Brain & Body Power MAX contains the same supplements found in Brain & Body Power, but adds more capsules for larger doses of the nutrients you need to maintain an active lifestyle. This comprehensive supplement system makes it easy to stay healthy on-the-go with portable packets for your pocket, bag or backpack. Brain & Body Power MAX is recommended for those who are interested in a truly powerful dietary supplement for their brains with added memory support. It provides your brain and the rest of your body with amino acids, vitamins, minerals, botanical extracts and neuro-nutrients – all at advanced levels. Each packet contains: Brain & Memory Power Boost (3 capsules) This brain-boosting formula will provide you with an all-star lineup of potent ingredients that support the brain’s energy, connectivity, and overall performance. NeuroVite Plus Multivitamin (2 capsules) NeuroVite Plus Multivitamin is the only source of Dr. Daniel Amen’s proprietary Brain Boosting Blend of brain-supporting nutrients. Omega-3 Power (2 capsules) Healthy brains and hearts require plenty of omega-3’s to operate at peak performance, and Omega-3 Power is an excellent way to get them at a much higher potency than standard fish oil products. Here’s what others are saying about Brain & Body Power MAX: “Having all these vitamins in two daily packets allows me to travel with them so I never forget to take them.” -Terrie In addition to taking powerful, brain healthy supplements, here are some tips for maintaining optimal health on your next trip or outdoor excursion: 5 Tips for Maintaining Your Health While Traveling: 1. Pack a Snack- Emergency rations can be a lifesaver if your blood sugar drops and you get a snack attack. Examples of healthy snacks are sugar-free dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, and cherries), vegetables (baby carrots, celery, and snap peas), and nuts (almonds and walnuts). Protein-rich foods like seeds and nuts take longer to digest, which may help satiate your hunger between meals. Walnuts have almost twice as many antioxidants as other commonly consumed nuts such as almonds, peanuts, and pistachios. 2. Stay Hydrated- Your brain is 80% water, so anything that dehydrates it (such as too much caffeine or alcohol) should be avoided. How much water should you drink? Half your body weight in ounces is best. Example: if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water each day. Staying outside for extended periods of time, especially in arid regions, may require that you drink even more water to remain well hydrated. 3. Get Your Daily D3- Engaging in outdoor activities is important for everyone and has an overall positive effect on vitality. While enjoying the great outdoors, you’ll get the added benefit of natural sunlight. Daily exposure to appropriate levels (just 10 to 30 minutes a day) of direct sunlight can boost vitamin D3 levels which can help improve your mood. Be sure to monitor how much sun you’re getting – too much exposure can lead to severe sunburn and even skin cancer. 4. Plan Ahead- There’s nothing more stressful than realizing the day before you go on a trip that you still haven’t gotten an oil change, gone to the bank or purchased extra socks. Creating a checklist will help reduce the stress of preparing for your trip. Before you leave, search the internet for popular beaches, hikes or day trips in the area you’re visiting to avoid the last-minute craziness that comes from indecisiveness or poor planning. 5. Adventure Journal- Keeping an adventure journal is a fun way to preserve the memories of some of the most exciting times in your life. Writing down your experiences in a journal not only has the immediate benefit of providing a relaxing pastime but also provides a future record of experiences that you may otherwise forget. If you choose not to journal on your trip, be sure to do so soon after you return while the memories are still fresh. At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. *These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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Wellness Weekend Guide: 10 Ways to Reset & Recharge
Do you feel stressed out all the time? Do you have low energy or mood? From time to time, everyone encounters periods of exhaustion. There could be any number of reasons for your physical or emotional slump. Fortunately, there are also plenty of potential solutions to your burnout blues. The Busyness Trap In today’s fast-paced society, everyone is busy. In fact, we’re too busy. On average, Americans work harder and take fewer vacation days than people in many other countries around the world. Taking a vacation can increase your workload, making your return to work even more stressful. Due to this compounding of tasks, coupled with the added hassles and expenses of travel, many people never request time off from work. If taking a vacation isn’t feasible in the foreseeable future, it’s imperative that you get the R&R you need during the weekend. Whether you leave town or just chill out at home, taking the time to recharge your batteries is crucial to staying centered in our hectic world. So, when was the last time you made some time for yourself? If you’re past due for a mind/body reset, here are the top 10 things to consider when planning a Wellness Weekend… 10 Things to Do For A Wellness Weekend Maintain a Healthy Diet Since people tend to consume more calories during the weekend, resist the temptation to stray from your well-established diet. Pack healthy foods for a picnic or plan out healthy places to eat when heading out of town. Always make sure that you have emergency rations handy to fend off a snack attack. Eating the right foods can help you have more energy, a better mood, and more mental sharpness. Listen to Soothing Tunes It’s no surprise that listening to music can increase pleasurable feelings, improve mood, boost energy, raise dopamine levels and help with focus and concentration. Remaining in a relaxed state of mind is easier to accomplish when you have a happy tune running through your head. Listen to brain-enhancing music specifically composed to enhance mood, gratitude, motivation, and inspiration. Get Quality Sleep Good sleep is essential for optimal brain and body health. Sleep helps repair and renew all the cells in the body. It gives the brain a chance to wash away toxins that build up during the day. It’s recommended that you get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. For consistent energy, be sure maintain your regular sleep schedule over the weekend. Keep Pleasure Centers Healthy Deep inside your brain, your pleasure centers respond to several neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine. When dopamine is low, depression and low motivation are much more common – it can be harder to find your sense of joy and lift yourself out of a funk. Increase dopamine naturally by engaging in meaningful and beneficial activities on a regular basis. Do work that you enjoy and take time to have fun with your loved ones. It’s equally important to avoid wearing out your pleasure centers with substance abuse, gambling, video games, and compulsive eating or shopping. Burn Some Calories Physical exercise is perhaps the single most important thing you can do to keep your brain healthy. Exercise can boost blood flow and other positive nutrients to the brain, increase your levels of dopamine and generate new brain cells that can help the brain self-regulate and calm down. Walking can help you clear your mind, decrease anxiety, improve your mood and burn some calories all at the same time. Take a Tech Break Taking a break from emailing, texting, browsing the internet and posting content on social media will help your brain unwind. Rather than sitting around staring at a screen all day, spend some time working on a hobby, participating in a quality conversation with friends and family or enjoying the beauty of nature. Or, find a comfortable chair and pick up that book you’ve been meaning to finish. You might be surprised at how many things you can do, and how much fun you can have while taking a break from your devices. Pamper Yourself Getting a massage can do more than just improve your physical function. Clinical studies indicate that a massage is beneficial for improving mood and coping with stress. Massages can help to reduce the stress hormone cortisol and increase the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. Enjoy the Great Outdoors Engaging in outdoor activities is important for everyone, especially for those who work a desk job. Whether you enjoy hiking, biking, horseback riding or just taking a walk with a friend, being outdoors has an overall positive effect on vitality. While enjoying the great outdoors, you’ll get the added benefit of natural sunlight. Daily exposure to appropriate levels (just 10 to 30 minutes a day) of direct sunlight can boost vitamin D3 levels which can help improve your mood. Preserve Cherished Memories If it’s been a while since you worked on a scrapbook or photo album, the weekend is a perfect time to preserve your memories (especially if the weather isn’t so nice). Also, editing, archiving and watching old family videos can serve the double purpose of providing hours of enjoyment working on a hobby while also reminding you of some of the happier moments in your life. Get Some Nutritional Support Whether you find yourself having negative or anxious thoughts, or if you feel that your stress levels have nearly reached the breaking point, BrainMD offers a range of powerful supplements for mood and stress that can help turn your day around. These brain-directed supplements have been formulated with the highest quality nutrients and ingredients that can help you feel calm, content, and able to manage stress or mental strain. GABA Calming Support In some regions of the brain, lower levels of the neurotransmitter GABA have been linked to mood challenges, difficulties with self-control, and excessive worry. When you’re calm and collected, you’re less inclined to overreact to the inevitable setbacks of life, and far more likely to think clearly and respond appropriately to those challenges. If your chaotic schedule is causing you too much aggravation, frustration, and irritability, take a deep breath and try GABA Calming Support. GABA Calming Support can help stimulate the production of calming brain waves, correct stress-causing nutritional deficiencies, and promote relaxation.* This formula provides a generous allowance of authentic GABA, the brain’s main calming transmitter. This comprehensive relaxation formula includes vitamin B6 and magnesium, as well as lemon balm, an herb traditionally known for its calming effects.* GABA Calming Support also has mild relaxation properties that can support a balanced mood and restful sleep.* Serotonin Mood Support Our brain produces the naturally soothing neurotransmitter called serotonin. Serotonin plays many important roles in the brain’s biochemistry and is involved in maintaining healthy mood and promoting feelings of calmness.* Serotonin also can help control late-night appetite.* Serotonin Mood Support was developed to promote serotonin activity in the brain.* This formula includes: 5-HTP, a nutrient that the brain can readily convert into serotonin.* Saffron, the world’s most expensive herb, has a long history of traditional use for “inducing happiness.”* Saffron has consistently improved mood in many clinical trials.* Vitamin B6 is an essential cofactor for enzymes that make serotonin and other key transmitters.* Methylfolate, the pre-activated and most readily utilized form of the folate vitamin.* Methylfolate is paired with methyl-vitamin B12 to help ensure the brain makes sufficient melatonin (our sleep hormone) and has the biochemical tools for renewing and maintaining its nearly 200 billion cells.* Lifestyle habits such as consuming “smart” carbohydrates in moderation and taking a dietary supplement like Serotonin Mood Support can work together to elevate mood and promote calm.* Following these stress-reducing techniques can help to improve your overall well-being so that you can live life to the fullest. Enjoy your Wellness Weekend! At BrainMD, we’re dedicated to providing the highest quality supplements to improve your physical health and overall well-being. For more information about GABA Calming Support, Serotonin Mood Support and our full list of brain healthy supplements, please visit us at BrainMD. *These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only. It is not meant to substitute for medical or healthcare advice from a physician, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before beginning a new health regimen.
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