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2 Products That Will Help Your Mood Under Stress
In our modern-day world, it seems too easy to get caught up in the daily worries, to allow them to consume us. It seems like we don’t have enough time to stop and slow down either, just wearing ourselves out. Ultimately, this leads to an abundance of stress. Many times, stress doesn’t just negatively affect your mood, though that becomes the most visible side effect. Stress also negatively affects the way your brain and body work. So, it is important to try to control your stress. We know that stepping away from solving all the world’s problems is easier said than done. Instead of handling stress with alcohol, drugs, or emotional instability, we have a better recommendation. These two supplements have been shown in studies to help support your mood under stress. Try them along with practicing a healthy diet and regular exercise. Tyrosine Tyrosine is a supplement that is known to support the brain, adrenals, and thyroid, especially when coping with stress or intense mental strain. When stressed, your brain is depleted of DA and NE. So emotional intensity or stress stimulates the adrenals to release NE (norepinephrine), and E (epinephrine, adrenaline) that they make from NE. This NE helps the brain cope with the challenge. The adrenals also rely on DA (neurotransmitters dopamine) for their normal stress response. The healthy adrenal function requires ample l-tyrosine to sustain their production of DA, NE and E in order to support the brain under stress. To see if supplementing with Tyrosine could help with the body’s responses to stress a study was performed. In a double-blind clinical trial, a 2-gram dose of tyrosine helped undergrad students perform better at multitasking, to "make the right choices" under mental challenge. ProBrainBiotics Our intestines hold trillions of bacterial cells that contribute to our overall health and wellbeing. We may not always realize it, but our gut and our brain are connected. When your digestion is not working properly, it affects the way you think, feel, and vis-versa. In a clinical trial, the same 2 strains of probiotics found in ProBrainBiotics, when taken for 30 days, was found to promote a healthy mood and provide a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal symptoms experienced by individuals affected by chronic stress. They also assisted in coping with occasional anxiety, likely related to occasional stress. Probiotics will also help your brain and body by: Promoting positive mood and emotional balance Promoting healthy digestion Supporting mental focus while doing intense work Supporting a healthy response to everyday stress You can learn to manage your stress, but you can’t control everything and stress will happen. Arm your brain with the nutrients that are shown to help support your body and your mood when under stress, try Tyrosine and ProBrainBiotics.
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SAMe and Betaine TMG – The Mood Enhancing Power Couple
When your brain gets sick or ages, it is never just one biological mechanism, such as blood flow, that fails us, it is generally multiple mechanisms, such as blood flow, toxic buildup, nutrient depletion and inflammation. This gives us the blueprint on how to help overall brain health – in multiple mechanisms that support healthy blood sugar, gut health, blood flow, antioxidant status and decreased inflammation. Single mechanism interventions, such as just taking ginkgo or vitamin E by themselves, have not consistently worked in large scale studies. But when we use smart combinations, in a multiple mechanism approach, their effectiveness significantly improves. Best Nutrients for a Healthy Brain For example, with my patients, I often use: Omega 3 fatty acids to support decreased overall inflammation Ginkgo and vinpocetine to boost cerebral blood flow Probiotics to support gut health … because the health of your gut affects the health of your brain Alpha lipoic acid to help stabilize blood sugar levels and protect against nerve cell damage Huperzine A and choline to boost acetylcholine levels, one of the main amino acids involved with learning and memory Phosphatidylserine to support nerve cell membrane fluidity N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) for antioxidant support and detoxification The science behind using natural supplements grows stronger every year, but we must stop looking for single bullet treatments, and instead help the brain in all of the ways it struggles. This multiple-mechanism approach is what we used in our published brain rehabilitation study with football players where 80% of the players experienced significant improvement…and it’s what we use to help the people who come to our clinics. The Power Couple Another area that can benefit from this multiple mechanism approach is your mood. One of my favorite supplement combinations to help support a positive mood is betaine (trimethylglycine) and SAMe (S-AdenosylMethionine). SAMe is a small, naturally occurring molecule which powers over 200 enzymes necessary for healthy cell growth, maturation, and specialization. In the brain, SAMe is required for nerve cells to make energy, maintain connectivity, and generate mood-related neurotransmitters. Taken alone, data from numerous clinical trials indicate SAMe strongly promotes positive mood. In fact, this nutrient has been so effective that it has been available by prescription in Europe for many years as an antidepressant. And now it can work even better! The Science Recent research demonstrated that taking betaine at the same time as SAMe potentiated the effects of the SAMe on mood. In the clinical trial, subjects who received SAMe (750 mg/day) plus betaine (375 mg/day) performed better than SAMe alone (800 mg/day) on measures of worry, helplessness and worthlessness, agitation, and physical efficiency. In yet another study, the efficacy of the combination of betaine and SAMe was tested against an antidepressant medication. After 6 and 12 months, both treated groups showed a noticeable improvement, although the group treated with SAMe plus betaine showed better results in terms of score on a depression rating scale, a number of individuals in remission, and side effects. If you are looking for a natural, safe, and effective way to promote a positive mood, give betaine and SAMe a try!
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The Essential Nutrient Your Body Can’t Make & How To Get It
Omega-3 fatty acids are absolutely essential to your overall health, we need them to build brain cells, but believe it or not, our bodies don’t manufacture these essential nutrients on their own. To receive omega-3s, we have to incorporate certain foods into our diets and additionally make up the lack of dietary intake with supplements. Optimize Brain Function First, a little more about why you need omega-3s. EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) are the two types of omega-3s found in fish oil. DHA is a vital component of cell membranes, especially in the brain and retina. It also ensures normal brain development in fetuses and infants, providing them with normal brain function throughout life. Without high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, the nerve cell membranes are less fluid and may cause nerve cells to react sluggishly and misfire. Omega-3s can also promote and support: Focus and attention Learning and memory Positive mood and well-being Heart Healthy Benefits Omega-3 fatty acids, specifically, EPA helps reduce inflammation through the body. When inflammation occurs in your body, it can damage blood vessels leading to heart disease and strokes. In addition to reducing inflammation omega-3 fatty acids are known to: decrease triglycerides contribute to lower blood pressure reduce blood clotting Brain Healthy Foods So now what to do about this essential need? To help increase intake of omega-3 fatty acids, try adding these foods into your diet daily for ultimate brain and heart health: Salmon Shrimp Spinach Cauliflower Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Flaxseeds Supplementing Your Diet While increasing the amount of these foods in your daily diet will help increase your omega-3 intake, the best way to ensure you are reaching your omega-3 goals in through nutritional supplements. Because the dietary sources for obtaining clean DHA and EPA—mostly cold-water, oily fish are increasingly limited and expensive, many experts recommend supplementing with omega-3s as the most convenient and effective means for achieving adequate omega-3 status. Omega-3 Power offers an excellent option for obtaining the DHA and EPA omega-3s your body needs to function at its best.
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8 Ways To Support Your Heart This Valentine’s Day
That’s right; at BrainMD we care about more than “just” the brain, because everything in your body affects your brain, just as your brain affects everything in your body. In addition to Valentine’s Day, February is also host to American Heart Month. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States for both men and women – it is responsible for one in every four deaths. Furthermore, heart disease increases brain aging. The heart and blood vessel system is responsible for delivering nutrients and oxygen to the brain. Therefore, whatever is bad for the heart and blood vessel system is bad for the brain. Conversely, whatever is good for the heart is good for the brain. The good news is that there are strategies to decrease your risk of heart disease by preventing all of the risk factors associated with it. Show your own heart some love this Valentine’s Day by trying out the following ways to support your heart health. Here Are 8 of the Best Ways to Support Your Heart 1. Eat A Heart & Brain Healthy Diet What does that mean? What foods should you eat? Lean protein, such as turkey or chicken; low glycemic, high fiber carbohydrates, which means carbohydrates high in fiber that do not raise your blood sugar, such as green leafy vegetables; and healthy fats that contain omega three fatty acids, found in foods such as tuna, salmon, avocados and walnuts. Be sure to avoid saturated fats that are high in bad cholesterols and contribute to the fatty deposits in the blood vessels that cause atherosclerosis. Foods high in saturated fats include butter, cheese, cookies, doughnuts, pastries, ice cream, fatty meat, etc. 2. Get Your Heart Beating Our bodies did not evolve to be motionless and inert; they evolved with muscles, hearts, and cardiovascular systems that need to be activated. Physical activity makes your heart stronger and improves your heart’s ability to pump blood throughout your body, which increases blood flow to your brain. Better blood flow equals better overall brain function. Thirty minutes 3 or 4 times a week is all you need. If you don’t know what to do, walk fast, like you’re late. 3. Increase Your Omega 3s A recent study¹ published found that omega-3 deficient subjects with cardiovascular disease showed reduced cardiovascular risk factors and improved lipid profiles after a period of supplementation with EPA and DHA. Additionally, inflammation, considered to be a major cause of heart disease, is promoted by low levels of omega-3 fatty acids. This must be part of the reason that the American Heart Association now recommends that everyone ensure they are getting enough omega-3 fatty acids. BrainMD’s Omega-3 Power provides highly purified omega-3 fatty acids at optimal dose levels from the most advanced production, detoxification and purification process in the industry.* 4. Keep Blood Pressure Under Control Check your blood pressure often, and, if it is high, follow your doctor's advice on how to lower it. Treating high blood pressure reduces the risk for heart disease. 5. Stop Smoking Cigarette smoking is linked to increased risk for heart disease. In fact, it is estimated that about 20% of heart disease deaths are due to cigarette smoking! And smoking one pack of cigarettes per day more than doubles your risk of heart attack compared to nonsmokers. 6. Try Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Training HRV is the beat-to-beat variation in heart rhythm. Most people think that a healthy heart rhythm is perfectly regular. Not so. Even under normal, healthy conditions, our heart rhythm bounces around. High HRV has been associated with² heart and brain health, while low HRV has been associated with illness. The exciting news is that you can train your HRV. I often recommend HRV trainers, such as those found at www.heartmath.com. 7. Have More Sex In addition to being a great source of exercise and stress management, sex can help the health of your heart. Research indicates that regular sex with a partner is associated with: Increased heart rate variability (a sign of heart health and a calmer mind) Improved heart cardiovascular function (3 times a week decreased risk of heart attack by half) 8. Reduce Your Salt Intake Use it sparingly, and use sea salt at home. Avoid pre-marinated and canned foods that have much more sodium than is needed, raising blood pressure which is bad for the brain, heart and longevity. Don’t forget: whatever is good for your heart is also good for your brain! 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. References: 1. Shaikh, N. A., Yantha, J., Shaikh, S., Rowe, W., Laidlaw, M., Cockerline, C., Ali, A., Holub, B., & Jackowski, G. (2014). Efficacy of a unique omega-3 formulation on the correction of nutritional deficiency and its effects on cardiovascular disease risk factors in a randomized controlled VASCAZEN® REVEAL Trial. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 396(1), 9–22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-014-2132-1 2. Bauer, A., Kantelhardt, J. W., Barthel, P., Schneider, R., Mäkikallio, T., Ulm, K., Malik, M., Schmidt, G., & Huikuri, H. V. (2006). Deceleration capacity of heart rate as a predictor of mortality after myocardial infarction: Cohort study. The Lancet, 367(9523), 1674–1681. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(06)68735-7
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Celebrating Valentine's Day With Brain Healthy Desserts
Two seemingly decadent treats, coconut and chocolate, have gotten such a bum rap, many people avoid them. Don't do it. First and contrary to popular opinion, coconuts are not considered fruits, but seeds. And hundreds of studies have explored and proven that coconut meat is chock-full of brain-healthy fatty acids in abundance. Coconuts are actually so nutritious Amen Clinics consider them a super-food – one that nourishes your brain and body, satiating hunger with healthy fats, protein and fiber. Although we know that the saturated fat in animal foods is dangerous for the cardiovascular system, the saturated fat in coconut is quite different than that in animal-based foods. The coconut got its name from early Spanish explorers who used the word “coco” (which means “monkey face”), and they contain ample water, protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids for people to live on. The only thing more decadent and delicious than noshing on coconuts or using coconut oil to cook with is combining the mood-altering combination of both coconuts and chocolate. Although smashing through the coconut's rough outer shell may seem daunting, here are several ways coconut oils and organic coconut may enhance your health: Specific fats in raw coconut may promote a healthy body weight and help you shed unwanted pounds One cup of raw, shredded coconut yields about 7-8 grams of fill-you-up-fiber Some of the unique fatty acids in coconuts (including capric and lauric fatty acids) are antibacterial and antiviral, helping to bolster your immune system Coconut packs electrolyte-type minerals (like manganese and potassium) that make it a perfect pre- and post-workout fuel Coconuts may be good for bone health because it contains levels of calcium, iron and folate
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What is Tyrosine?
You may have heard the term before or seen it on a vitamin bottle – but what is this chemical messenger and why do you need it so much? Tyrosine is an amino acid required to produce three major brain neurotransmitters: dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine. Your adrenal glands, located on top of your kidneys, work with your brain to manage stress and to utilize the special amino acid tyrosine, which helps produce more of these key brain neurotransmitters. Your body uses tyrosine to create the little chemical messengers that can help conditions that start in the brain, including low mood and chronic fatigue. What’s So Special About This Amino Acid? Ingesting tyrosine seems to be very effective in people whose chronic low moods are due to low dopamine levels. (Dopamine is a key mood regulator and a “feel good” neurotransmitter found in humans as well as animals.) 5 Reasons to Take Tyrosine Your brain needs tyrosine to promote focus and mental clarity, especially if you are really stressed or down. Here are other ways your body requires the neurotransmitter called tyrosine: Tyrosine is a powerful antioxidant which may help neutralize cancer-causing free radicals. Your thyroid glands require tyrosine to produce the hormone thyroxine, which helps regulate your metabolism. Skin needs tyrosine to produce melanin, battle wrinkles and help prevent harmful UV rays. Tyrosine influences your thyroid glands, which can affect weight loss and appetites. Also referred to as L-Tyrosine, this chemical messenger supports your adrenal function and thyroid glands. How Do You Get Enough Tyrosine? Tyrosine is found in kelp, fish, eggs, nuts, beans, oats, wheat, meat and dairy products. If you don’t eat meat or have certain food sensitivities, try exploring vegan or natural supplements that may potentially help decrease cognitive decline and depressive symptoms. [wc_box color="inverse" text_align="left"] Note: Tyrosine can occasionally raise blood pressure in some people, so ask your doctor or health practitioner about supplementing tyrosine if you have hypertension, Parkinson’s disease or thyroid problems. [/wc_box]
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Sex and Your Brain
When you think of love or falling in love, romantics tend to connect those emotions to the heart, which may be the wrong organ entirely… In time for Valentine’s Day, potential lovers everywhere can start shifting their thinking, and begin to understand that true love – and all of the magnificent mind-body benefits of a soulmate sort of love – stem from your brain. “Your brain is the main organ of loving, learning, behaving, and is the largest sex organ in your body,” says Daniel G. Amen, MD. When you are in a loving, safe and committed relationship, it pays to take full advantage of sharing this soul-nurturing, healthy, heart-opening experience. In fact, good sex and romantic love are two of the most important advantages of brain health. Great Sex Equals a Longer, More Fulfilling Life Many studies have investigated the relationship between healthy sexual activity and longevity. Some studies do suggest that, by choosing to thoughtfully and intimately connect with your partner, may enhance your longevity, immune system function, joy, pain management, and sexual reproductive health. If reading this doesn’t do enough to make you want to commune with your partner (or go out and find a likely candidate!) then consider this: Regular sexual activity may be a preventative measure against the two leading causes of death in the United States: heart disease and cancer. Good Sex Makes Life More Joyful and Intimate Here are some tips to help your libido. This will help spice up your love life and jumpstart your overall brain health: Exercise: Not only does exercise lower stress levels, boost endorphins, increase blood flow and treat depression, it also boosts your confidence and self-esteem. This also helps serotonin levels, lifting your mood and promoting feelings of calmness. Without getting all these benefits of exercise, sexual performance can decrease. Try something new: Do something that you and your partner can enjoy together. Change the scenery, take a sexy vacation, or try another type of connection, by unplugging and setting aside time for one another, Dr. Amen suggests. Make a commitment to take a daily walk with one another to improve your face-to-face communication, making your more in synch as a couple under the sheets – and out of them. Chocolate: This decadent treat naturally increases “feel good” hormones, especially dark chocolate. Notably called the love drug because it produces delight for both brain and body, try not to overindulge anyway. Try Amen Clinics’ chocolate protein powder or Dr. Amen’s Brain in Love Bars instead. This velvety combination will help support a positive mood, the ability to think clearly, and an efficient cardiovascular system. Not only does committing to having more sex with a partner create positive room for growth between the two of you, but it allows your brain to grow and flourish as well. BrainMD is committed to helping you transform your life for the better by focusing on improving the health of your brain. Find more expert love tips from the Amen Clinics and Dr. Garrett Halweg on our Facebook Live Chat called, “Let’s Talk About Sex”.”
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4 "Healthy Foods" That are Actually Bad for You
How Food Industry Marketers Might Be Tricking You Food marketers have discovered that when they use certain buzzwords on food packaging, the food acquires an often misleading “health halo” that can prompt consumers to eat twice as much–or more– than they would otherwise. The most dangerous, but alluring buzzwords are “fat-free” and “sugar-free,” both of which signal foods that can make you fat and sick. 4 "Healthy Foods" That Are Actually Bad For You 1. Vitamin water Most of these waters are just colored sugar (or worse- artificial sweetener) water that’s bad for both your teeth and your waistline. A much smarter choice would be drinking actual vegetables, in the form of green water, made by adding a scoop of green mix to 16 to 32 ounces of water. Green mixes are available at most health food stores and grocers. Be sure to check ingredients to avoid the addition of sugar. 2. Breakfast cereals The boxes brag about fiber, antioxidants, and essential vitamins and minerals that sound like a healthy start to your day. In truth, nutrients in many processed breakfast cereals mainly come from synthetic vitamins that have been added to disguise the dearth of natural nutrients. Additionally, many brands are high in sugar. A tasty, gluten-free alternative for your morning meal is my Brainy Breakfast Burrito. 3. Vegetable chips While these are marketed as a healthy snack option, the nutrition label reveals the ugly truth: They’re basically potato chips in disguise–high in salt, fat, and calories, with most of the nutrients processed out of them. Acrylamide, the byproduct of frying hydrogenated oil and starch, has been shown to cause cancer. Making wholesome sweet potato fries by baking them is a delicious alternative, or you can try chopped veggies with salsa and guacamole. 4. Store-bought smoothies Commercial smoothies are typically loaded with sugar and calories. Visit the recipe section of my website to find out how to make my Brain-Smart Start Smoothie, which contains a delicious blend of fruit, vegetables, coconut water, and energy-enhancing protein powder, along with other wholesome ingredients. Starting healthy eating habits and learning about nutrition can seem overwhelming at first, but the best way to live a brain-healthy life is to be informed. Make sure you read the labels at the grocery store and not just the front! The most important information is found on the side and back of the packaging. The Nutrition Facts and ingredient lists provide the most important information about foods. Don’t be fooled by the marketing: a green label doesn’t always mean that what’s inside is healthy or “clean.” Learn more about how to live a brain healthy life with all the amazing information on The Brain Warrior’s Way Podcast by Daniel and Tana Amen, as well as in their book The Brain Warrior’s Way book, their cookbook, and the online course!
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Brain Neurotransmitters Can Affect Your Mood and Your Life
Neurotransmitters are complex chemical messengers that coordinate clear communications between neurons in your brain cells and the rest of your body. These back-and-forth transmissions can influence nearly every cell, tissue, and biological decision in your body – and your life. Brain neurotransmitters are a really big deal. Do you know if yours work properly? Neurotransmitters Boost Communication Between Brain and Body These chemical messengers connect the brain and spinal cord with the rest of your body and with your muscles, organs, and glands, says Daniel D. Amen, MD, author of The Brain Warrior’s Way. Your brain’s billions of nerve cells make trillions of connections with each other. (These are called synapses.) Then, each nerve cell generates electrical signals that travel with help from those brainy chemical messengers. These chemical envoys may affect every cell, tissue, and system in your body. And because neurotransmitters are also deeply involved in the immune system and your hormones, neurotransmitter imbalances can cause health problems: Migraines Brain fog (loss of focus) Fatigue Insomnia (difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or both) Fibromyalgia (localized pain) Diabetes and pre-diabetes Obesity Mood disorders (depression, mood swings) Anxiety (PTSD) Behavioral addictions (binge eating, gambling, etc.) Hormonal imbalances Balance Your Brain to Feel Lighter and Brighter When your brain’s chemical transmitters are healthy and in balance, you may think more clearly, feel less anxious, and enjoy a more positive outlook. Some of our most effective supplements include neurotransmitters, as well as dozens of vitamins and minerals you may need for a brighter mind: GABA(Gamma amino butyric acid) is a major calming brain neurotransmitter in the central nervous system that supports mood; Serotonin is another inhibitory (or calming) neurotransmitter tied to appetite, pain, and digestion; and Melatonin is a neurotransmitter-like property involved in many body functions such as sleep and depression.
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4 Ways Chocolate Can Boost Your Brain
Your Brain on Dark Chocolate Lovers and chocoholics everywhere are overjoyed to know that some chocolate may actually be (gulp) very good for you and your brain. Turns out that chocolate, in its natural form, isn’t bad for you. It's all that fake processing, sugar and scary chemicals that go into commercial chocolates that make them so unhealthy. Instead, think: silky, creamy, natural dark chocolate. Melt in your mouth chocolate. That’s right. Dark chocolate contains health-promoting properties that support a positive mood, the ability to think clearly, and your healthy cardiovascular system. Not All Chocolate is Created Equal Most chocolate bars are full of unhealthy ingredients like sugar, dairy and synthetic flavors — virtually canceling out chocolate’s powerful health benefits. Chocolate is made from tree seeds of the tropical Theobroma cacao plant. The earliest use of chocolate dates back to ancient civilizations. For centuries, deep dark delicious chocolate has been honored for its healing and medicinal qualities. Aztecs and ancient Mayans even drank theirs in a brew made from natural cacao beans; they believed it provided strength and energy. When the Europeans first brought cacao home from the Americas, they used it as an all-purpose tonic to treat dozens of health conditions like insomnia. Europeans actually once referred to chocolate as “the food of the gods.” 4 Ways Chocolate Boosts Brain and Body High in flavonoids (substances shown to increase blood flow) Loaded with cancer-fighting antioxidants Full of fiber (to keep you feeling full) Rich in minerals like magnesium, iron, zinc Additionally, chocolate contains phenylethylamine or PEA, which is a psycho-active compound. It acts as a stimulant that makes you feel really good when you eat it. Chocolate also increases serotonin (the “don’t worry, be happy” neurotransmitter) in your brain. Happy Valentine's Day (and Choose Your Chocolate Wisely) The answer is yes, fine chocolate can actually be good for you. We knew it all along. So, while chocolate is healthy for you, the added sugar and dairy in it are not. That’s why Dr. Daniel G. Amen has created BrainMD Health’s very own chocolate bars – Brain In Love and Brain On Joy. These delicious chocolates are free of sugar, dairy, gluten and GMOs. But they are rich in decadence and made with love. On Valentine's Day, don't deprive yourself. Treat yourself and loved ones to delicious, satisfying chocolate bars that are good for your soul, and healthy for your brain and body.
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Exercise for a Healthy Brain, a Stronger Heart
Most of the healthy habits that keep your brain healthy also keep your heart healthy – and the Amen Clinic has been saying that for years. Now, Boston University Medical Center is pretty close to proving it. In one of the first studies of its kind, older adults who scored high on cardio fitness tests also directly performed better on memory tasks (than those who did not). Further, the more fit older adults were, the more active their brains remained during learning tests, and beyond. Healthy young adults were tested (18-31 years) along with older adults (55-74 years) during a wide range of fitness tests involving walking and jogging on a treadmill. At the same time, researchers assessed their cardiorespiratory fitness by measuring oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. After exercise, study participants also underwent MRI scans which collected images of their brain while the study participants learned and remembered names that were associated with pictures of unfamiliar faces. Researchers found that older adults, when compared to younger adults, had more difficulty learning and remembering the correct name associated with each face. Age differences in brain activation were observed with older adults showing decreased brain activation in some regions. However, the degree to which older adults demonstrated age-related changes in memory performance and brain activity also largely depended on their fitness level. Fit Seniors Can Pack More Brain Power Than Sedentary Young Adults “High fitness” older adults in these studies showed better memory performance and increased brain activity patterns compared to their low-fit, younger peers. The increased brain activation in the high fit older adults was observed in brain regions that show age-related decline, suggesting regular exercise may contribute to brain maintenance. Higher fit older adults also had greater activation than young adults in some brain regions, suggesting that physical fitness and brain power are linked, agrees Scott Hayes, PhD, assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. "Importantly, cardiovascular fitness is a modifiable health factor that can be improved through regular engagement in moderate to vigorous sustained physical activity such as walking, jogging, swimming, or dancing,” says Dr. Hayes. Therefore, starting an exercise program, regardless of age, can not only contribute to the more obvious physical health factors, but may also contribute to better memory performance and brain function," he adds. You Are Never Too Old to Salvage Your Brain Our own Dr. Daniel G. Amen has been saying that for years. An avid exerciser himself, Dr. Amen says cautions, “While maintaining high levels of fitness through consistent physical activity will not entirely eliminate or cure age- or Alzheimer's related symptoms, it may slow down the mental decline associated with it.” Beyond more blood flow to the brain and heart during exercise, additional research is needed to explore the specific mechanism of how physical fitness enhances brain structure and function, says Dr. Amen. "We also need to clarify the impact of specific exercise programs (weightlifting versus walking, for instance) and their frequency and optimal intensities," he says. [wc_box color="inverse" text_align="left"] Dr. Amen’s Weekly Fitness Regimen 3 days per week, power walking briskly for 60 minutes 2 days per week, weightlifting for all major muscle groups 3 times per week, playing table tennis intensely [/wc_box] In addition to regular exercise, many different healthful foods and natural supplements are all related to maintaining brain health as you age. Read Dr. Amen’s new book, The Brain Warrior’s Way, for more savvy brain strategies.
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Why Choose Plant-Based Protein Powders?
Protein is an Essential Building Block Our bodies are incredibly efficient machines, performing thousands of functions each day without requiring any awareness on your part. When you consume nutrients, in the form of food, your body springs into action breaking everything down into its usable components, extracting the vitamins and minerals, converting the sugars into energy and energy stores, and utilizing the protein to repair and rebuild the tissues of our muscles, skin and organs. At least this is what is supposed to happen. However, to effectively give your body the proper nutrition does take awareness. Food is medicine or it can be poison, and your body will respond and perform according to how you feed it. High-quality protein is one of the macronutrients required for a high-performance life. Protein can literally be found in every living cell in your body. Simply put: You can’t live without protein. The prospect of eating the recommended 45 to 100 grams of dietary protein (for adults) every day is a bit daunting. You may not want to start the day with a heavy breakfast chock-full of animal proteins. If you’re thinking you’d like to try out a protein powder instead, but don’t have any idea what to look for, here is some help. Other Sources of Plant Proteins Chia seeds Spirulina Nutritional yeast Pea protein Whey Protein, Plant Protein. What's Best to Buy? What are the differences between traditional whey protein and plant-based protein? Whey protein is a by-product of the cheese manufacturing process, and is the liquid that is left behind after milk is curdled and strained. Since whey protein is derived from milk, lactose intolerance is one of the most common side effects from consuming whey protein. Whey protein is a common allergen and can affect the immune system of individuals who may be allergic to it. Whey proteins are also notorious for causing bloating which is a symptom of the body’s inability to digest it. Additionally, the caseine in milk protein converts to something called “exorphins” during digestion. Exorphins cross the blood brain barrier, binding to the same receptors that many opiate drugs do. This can negatively affect brain function, focus, and mood. Plant-based protein is a much easier digestible source of protein for humans without the side effects associated with whey protein. Plant proteins are typically packaged with an abundance of phytonutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber — all critical components for brain and body health. Today, the health benefits of plant-based, nutrient-dense diets are widely recognized by experts in nutrition. As a result, both vegans and non-vegans can try to get most or all of their daily protein intake from plant sources instead of red meat.
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