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7 Simple Ways to Optimize Your Brain
In July 2007, Anthony Davis came to see us. AD, as his friends call him, is a College Football Hall of Fame running back from the University of Southern California, who played professional football for 8 years. He wanted to make sure he was doing everything he could to keep his brain healthy. AD fully embraced a brain-healthy program that included, as one of its components, using supplements that targeted multiple mechanisms, such as blood flow, blood sugar stabilization, antioxidant support, nutrient loading, and more. Within 5 months of starting his brain-healthy program, he reported improvements in his energy, focus and judgment. AD said of his progress, “It’s amazing how much I have improved. My memory has improved, as has my reading comprehension.” Most people don’t realize that your brain gets sick or ages in many different ways. When we get sick or age, it is never just one biological mechanism, such as blood flow, that fails us; it is generally through multiple mechanisms, such as blood flow, toxic buildup, nutrient depletion, and inflammation. Single mechanism interventions, such as just taking single supplements like ginkgo or vitamin E by themselves, have NOT consistently worked in large scale studies to effectively promote and enhance optimal brain health. Therefore, in order to support your brain, it is absolutely critical to use multiple interventions that target different processes like blood sugar levels, gut health, inflammation, blood flow, and more. When we use smart combinations to fight the war for brain health on multiple fronts our effectiveness significantly improves. Here is an example of what types of supplements, when taken together, would be extremely useful in supporting your brain and body health in a multiple mechanism approach: Omega 3 fatty acids to decrease overall inflammation Ginkgo and vinpocetine to support healthy cerebral blood flow Alpha lipoic acid to help stabilize blood sugar levels and protect against nerve cell damage Vitamins B, C, and D for nutrient loading Huperzine A and choline to boost acetylcholine levels, one of the main amino acids involved with learning and memory Phosphatidylserine for nerve cell membrane fluidity N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) for antioxidant support and detoxification As you can imagine, if you purchased each of these supplements separately, it would cost you an astronomical amount! Not to mention the amount of time it would take to separate out and take each daily dose. BrainMD Health’s very own Brain & Body Power Max makes it easy, quick, and economical for you to put robust brain/body health right in the palm of your hand! This all-in-one daily supplement system makes it simple to stay healthy on the go with easy-to-carry packets for your purse or pocket. You can keep them in your desk, or take them with you when you travel to be sure that you’re keeping energetic and healthy wherever you go! You get the following three top-selling BrainMD Health supplements in every serving of Brain & Body Power Max: NeuroVite Plus – A multivitamin like no other! Contains more than 50 vitamin, mineral and plant nutrients in their most active forms, and the only source of Dr. Amen’s proprietary Brain Boosting Blend of clinically researched brain nutrients. Omega-3 Power – Contains a whopping 3.2g of omega-3 fatty acids from a high quality, ultra-purified fish oil source. Brain and Memory Power Boost – Formulated with 7 brain boosters which help promote brain energy, protect circulation, boost brain circuit function, support important neurons, defend against free radical damage to the brain, and promote mental sharpness. “Brain & Body Power Max is perfect for people who want the very best whole brain/body supplement support in one easy-to-take packet." – Daniel G. Amen, MD
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Simple & Fun Ways to Help Kids Develop Healthy Habits
Every child in this country should be physically active, well-nourished, and healthy. Unfortunately, that is not the case. In fact, childhood obesity has increased from 4% in 1982 to 32% in 2015, an 800% increase. Obesity increases inflammation, a low level fire in the body that destroys our organs, and is a risk factor for over 30 medical illnesses. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obese youth are more likely to have: risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes bone and joint problems sleep apnea social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem Additionally, research has indicated that obesity is associated with poorer academic performance beginning as early as kindergarten. Evidence shows that students who eat right and are physically active learn lifelong habits and are better equipped to succeed academically. In celebration of Every Kid Healthy™ Week, here are simple and FUN ways to help kids develop healthy habits: Play with food – Even the pickiest of eaters are often more willing to try new foods when they are disguised as trains, boats, cars, bees, butterflies, or cows. To make a penguin, dip ½ of a banana in a melted Brain In Love dark chocolate bar, add raw almonds to make a beak and feet, and finish with a little shredded coconut for snow and eyes. Plant a family garden – Kids are far more likely to try new foods if they have been involved in choosing what to plant, mulching, watering, weeding, and eventually harvesting. Caring for a garden also teaches them about responsibility and physically working a garden is a great form of exercise! If you are short on space, try a community garden or plant some tomatoes or spinach in a container. Get the whole family moving – Exercise is one of the most critical ways of supporting healthy development. Make time for everyone to get moving together. Go swimming, take walks, ride bikes (make sure everyone wears appropriate helmets), or try geocaching together. The exercise and time together will benefit the overall health of everyone in the family. Tell a story – Reading aloud to your children is one of the most effective ways of building the “language” neural connections in their growing brains. Additionally, when you read to your child, he learns to use logic, to understand cause and effect, and how to think in abstract terms. He learns the consequences of actions, and the basics of what is right and wrong. For those that are able, have your child read aloud to you. Research additionally indicates that reading together is one of the most powerful ways to develop bonds with your child. “Fatten” their brains – With omega-3 fatty acids, that is! The human brain goes through tremendous growth in childhood and it is critical that kids consume adequate amounts of specific types of essential omega-3 fatty acids, such as DHA and EPA, in order to support their brain’s rapid development. BrainMD Health offers Coromega’s unique omega-3 supplement – a full daily dose in delicious lemon-lime or orange flavored creamy, pudding-like packets with no fishy aftertaste. Who knew that taking fish oil could be this much fun? Eat the rainbow – This does NOT mean Skittles or jelly beans. It means teaching your children to choose healthy foods in a variety of different colors, such as blueberries, spinach, pomegranates, yellow squash, and red bell peppers, at every meal. Eating foods of different colors isn’t just fun—it has health benefits too. Help your kids understand the nutritional value of including a rainbow of colorful fruits and vegetable in their regular diet. Make a game of challenging them to eat a meal that consists of every color of the rainbow. Look at Labels (Food, Not Clothes) – Although your kids (especially tweens and teens) may care most about the label on their clothes, it is important to teach them to pay more attention to food nutrition labels. Show kids how to read the labels that actually affect their health. Focus on a few key parts of the label (such as the amount of trans fats, and grams of sugar or sodium) to avoid overwhelming them. Be curious, not furious – Model for your children how to be resilient. It’s easy for kids to get discouraged when things don’t go their way. Show them the importance of staying positive and learning from their mistakes. Help your kids develop healthy self-esteem and a positive mindset by teaching them they are unique, lovable, and capable no matter what challenges they experience. Make it a practice to take turns at dinner talking about things each person is grateful for. Play every day – Show your child that exercise can be fun rather than a chore! Have a hula hoop contest, play Dance Dance Revolution together, build an obstacle course, play freeze tag or hide-and-seek, throw a Frisbee, toss a ball, or jump on a trampoline. Aim for 30-60 minutes of movement each day, but it does not have to happen all at once. Several small bursts of active play can add up to a healthy kid!
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Why Your Brain is Like The Universe
Your brain is the most complex, mind-blowing organ in the universe. It is estimated to have over 100 billion neurons (also called nerve cells or brain cells), which is about the number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. Each neuron is connected to other neurons by up to 40,000 individual connections (called synapses) between cells. Multiplying 100 billion neurons times 40,000 synapses is equivalent to the brain having more connections in it than there are stars in the universe. A piece of brain tissue the size of a grain of sand contains 100,000 neurons and 1 billion synapses, all communicating with one another. A neuron’s main job is to generate an electrical signal called an “action potential” which it does if sufficiently “excited” by other neurons. The action potential of a single neuron is like a lightning bolt that can stimulate other neurons. The stimulated neurons can then generate their own signals that travel to and stimulate yet other neurons to which they are connected, creating a network of neurons that perform a specific brain function. Another way neurons communicate with each other is through chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. There are many different neurotransmitters, such as acetylcholine, serotonin, dopamine, GABA, adrenaline, noradrenaline, glutamate, and norepinephrine to name a few. Your brain uses neurotransmitters to tell your heart to beat, your lungs to breathe, and your stomach to digest. They can also affect mood, sleep, concentration, weight, and other problems when they are out of balance. Neurotransmitter levels can be depleted many ways. Stress, poor diet, genetic predisposition, drugs (prescription and recreational), alcohol and caffeine use can cause their levels to be out of optimal range. But when your neurotransmitters are balanced you can think more clearly, feel happier, and experience greater well-being. You’ll feel less worried, enjoy a more positive outlook and cope more effectively in stressful situations. The good news is: there are ways you can help balance the neurotransmitters in your brain! Beyond removing stress, maintain a perfect diet, and avoiding alcohol and caffeine, the supplements from BrainMD Health provide nutrients to support the brain’s neurotransmitters. Here are a few products and the neurotransmitters they are designed to support. Top Supplements For Nourishing Your Neurotransmitters Serotonin Mood Support: supports serotonin which plays an important role in mood, sleep and appetite. GABA Calming: contains GABA to help provide a sense of calm. Everyday Stress Relief: among its multiple mechanisms to support your body’s response to stress is the use of Taurine, to help balance GABA in order to promote relaxation. NeuroLink: helps to balance many neurotransmitters including adrenaline, noradrenaline, dopamine, GABA, glutamate, and serotonin for overall balanced brain chemistry. Backed by decades of experience, our clinical research team incorporates the latest scientific findings in creating a wide array of specialized formulas that support brain function, energy, memory and learning, mood, stress reduction and sleep. Better brain chemistry = Better quality of life
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Overcoming Cravings: The Ultimate Guide
craving (n.): an intense, urgent, eager, or abnormal desire or longing; yearning. Most people experience cravings on a daily basis. At 9 am, that donut looks delectable. At 1 pm, that hot, greasy slice of pizza seems irresistible. At 5 pm, you can’t wait for a glass of wine. At 10 pm, the ice cream is calling your name from the freezer. And so on. It requires hard work every day to resist these temptations and then we blame ourselves if we succumb to them. Like many people, you probably think that being a slave to your cravings is a sign of weakness. In reality, your cravings may be an indication that your brain’s reward system has been hijacked. What is the brain’s reward system? It is an intricate network of brain systems and neurotransmitters (brain chemicals) that are critical to human survival. It drives us to seek out the things we need to stay alive and carry on the human race. However, many things that are not necessarily crucial to our survival also activate the reward system, such as listening to music, having a massage, or watching a good movie. Then there are substances and behaviors that are actually detrimental to our health and well-being that cause the reward system to kick into high gear—cocaine, alcohol, gambling, and yes, even chocolate cake, salty potato chips, and chronic overeating. There are four primary neurotransmitters that play important roles in your brain’s reward system. Neurotransmitters act as the brain’s chemical messengers, relaying information within the brain. The strength or weakness of each of these neurotransmitters plays an important role in your ability to control your cravings. Brain Chemicals Involved with Cravings Dopamine is a feel-good chemical. Whenever we do something enjoyable, it’s like pressing a button in the brain to release a little bit of dopamine to make us feel pleasure. If we push these pleasure buttons too often or too hard, we reduce dopamine’s effectiveness. Eventually, it takes more and more excitement and stimulation to feel anything at all. Cocaine, methamphetamines, alcohol, nicotine, sugar, and high-fat, high-calorie foods all cause an increase in dopamine that makes these substances highly desirable. Serotonin is thought of as the happy, anti-worry, flexibility chemical. Many of the current antidepressants work on this neurotransmitter. When serotonin levels are low, people tend to be worried, rigid, inflexible, oppositional and argumentative, and suffer with anxiety, depression, obsessive thinking, or compulsive behaviors. Serotonin is raised in the brain by its amino acid precursors, l-tryptophan or 5HTP. Simple carbohydrates increase l-tryptophan in the brain, which is why some people can get hooked on cookies, bread, potatoes, and sugar as a way to boost their mood. GABA, or gamma-aminobutyric acid, is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that calms or helps to relax the brain. If you have suffered an emotional trauma or you are under a lot of stress, GABA may be depleted and your emotional or limbic brain may become excessively active, making you feel anxious, uptight, or sad. This can make you eat in an attempt to calm your limbic brain. Endorphins are the brain’s own natural pleasure and pain-killing chemicals. They are the body’s own natural morphine or heroin-like substances. These substances are heavily involved in addiction, cravings, and the loss of control. So if you’ve been told that cravings are “all in your head,” in a sense, it’s true! If you feel like your cravings are running your life, be sure to check out this article with tips on how to deal with your cravings. Additionally, you may consider trying BrainMD Health’s very own Craving Control, which contains six clinically studied ingredients that complement each other to help manage cravings in the brain, support healthy blood sugar levels and promote a positive mood.
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6 Ingredients to a Healthy, Balanced Brain
Do you struggle to stay focused? Are you easily irritated? Do you struggle with your mood? Are you just feeling a bit “off”? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it is possible that your brain chemistry needs a tune up. To be your best self, you must have a brain that works at its best. The brain is the supercomputer that runs your life. When your brain works right, you tend to be effective, thoughtful, creative and energetic. But when your brain function is out of balance, you may have problems with mood, stress, work performance, impulsivity, anger, inflexibility, memory, and your relationships. It is estimated that your brain has one hundred billion cells, with each one connected to other cells by up to ten thousand individual connections. This would mean that you have more connections in your brain than there are stars in the universe! These cells communicate through electrical and chemical signals. Neurotransmitters are the chemical messengers responsible for transmitting information between brain cells. Chemicals such as serotonin‚ dopamine‚ and GABA play key roles in healthy brain functioning‚ which is so essential to healthy behaviors and decision making. Since your brain and life are inseparably linked, when your neurotransmitters are out of balance, you may experience difficulties in school, at work, at home, in relationships, or within yourself. The great news is that the brain is adaptable and able to change how it functions. BrainMD Health’s NeuroLink is exclusively formulated to support balanced brain chemistry... naturally. Watch this short video featuring Dr. Amen and BrainMD Health’s Chief Science Officer, Dr. Parris Kidd, to learn more about the ways in which this supplement promotes concentration, focus, positive mood, emotional balance, and a tranquil body and mind. Additionally, you will hear about Dr. Amen’s very personal reason for creating NeuroLink and the entire BrainMD Health line of supplements. Here’s what you get with NeuroLink: Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxal-5-Phosphate) - a water-soluble vitamin essential in the production and function of various neurotransmitters. It is also essential for early brain development. Vitamin B6 is also needed by at least 100 enzymes that help the body utilize amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates. L-Tyrosine - an amino acid required for the production of the neurotransmitters dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. The adrenal glands work together with the brain to manage stress, and also use tyrosine to make these same three transmitters. Your brain needs tyrosine to promote mental clarity during times of stress. GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) - an amino acid that regulates the excitability of nerve circuits in the brain, and is considered the brain’s main “calming” neurotransmitter. GABA tightly regulates the activity of synapses but also remains important for the growth of new nerve cells. Low levels of GABA are associated with brain hyper-excitability, untypical behavior, cognitive difficulties, and mood challenges. L-Glutamine - an amino acid important in the synthesis of glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, and the calming transmitter GABA. Glutamate is a near-universal neurotransmitter, present in 80 percent of the brain’s nerve cells. It is an important regulator of learning and memory processes and is involved in healthy mood management. L-Taurine - an amino acid that fulfills important regulatory roles in the brain, the eyes, and the other organs. It helps stabilize our nerve cell electrical activity, and protects against calcium overload that can kill brain cells. Taurine is also essential for healthy mitochondria, the tiny energy generators of all our cells, and promotes optimal performance of the GABA and glutamate transmitter systems. 5-HTP (5-Hydroxytryptophan) - a modified amino acid that, in the brain, is easily converted into serotonin. 5-HTP helps maintain mental and emotional well-being, reduce occasional feelings of anxiety, support behavioral self-control, promote calm and relaxation, and facilitate going to sleep. It’s also a powerful brain antioxidant. When your brain transmitters are balanced you can think more clearly, feel happier, and experience greater well-being. Let BrainMD Health’s Neurolink support and promote balance in YOUR brain! Better brain chemistry = Better quality of life
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Supercharge Your Memory
Can’t find your phone? Don’t remember what’s on your grocery list? Forget the name of your personal trainer? You're not alone. Everyone forgets things occasionally. However, if it is happening more than every once in awhile, it is time to pay attention. Memory problems need to be taken seriously at any age! Losing your memory or developing brain fog in your 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, or even 80s is NOT normal. Just because it happens to so many people doesn’t mean that it’s optimal or healthy. Did you know there is no such thing as a "bad memory"? Rather, there is a trained memory and an untrained memory. With a simple plan you can dramatically improve your brain’s ability to think and remember. Here are some immediate tips to implement in your life. Use mnemonics. These triggers to aid memory are a great way to boost your brain while developing a system to remember things. When memorizing a list, associate it with the craziest picture you can think of to help your brain recall it later. No one sees the image you are holding in the privacy of your mind, so be creative and have fun with it. To remember names, repeat the name, use it once or twice in natural conversation, visualize the name as a picture (perhaps on the person’s forehead) and use their name when saying good-bye. Exercise your brain. Cognitive skills tend to dip after we graduate from college or retire from work. Don’t stop challenging your brain on a daily basis! The world is endlessly fascinating for those who never stop learning, and it helps your brain thrive. No matter what your age, mental exercise has a global, positive effect on the brain. Take note. Note-taking increases comprehension and retention. When you read, take notes in the margin of a book. If it is a textbook that you cannot mark in, or a library book, keep a notepad handy as you read. Jot down notes on the strips of paper then tuck them in the pages where you found the quote or point you liked. Find your style. Everyone has a preferred learning style. Do you learn best by reading, hearing, talking, writing or doing? Or some combination? Try to learn something new via your best learning style. If you are an auditory learner, listen to a book on tape. If you a kinesthetic learner, take a class where you’ll have hands-on experiences. Get still. Meditation has been shown to boost activity in the prefrontal cortex and sharpen your mind. Just a few meditative minutes a day can make a dramatic difference in your mental abilities. Choose smart supplements. BrainMD Health’s Brain and Memory Power Boost is formulated with seven brain boosters which help promote brain energy, support important neurons, and defend against free radical damage to the brain. Together they help power up mental sharpness and cognition so you can think fast on your feet again. Stay childlike. Did you know that preschoolers ask between 300 and 400 questions a day? Not only should we never stop asking questions, but we should be actively curious. Ask yourself, “What if?” or “I wonder?” and then seek out the answers. Get a good night’s sleep. The brain has a special waste management system to help eliminate toxins that build up during the day, including the plaques thought to be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease. During the day, your brain is so busy managing your life that this cleaning system is pretty much turned off. Without healthy sleep, the cleaning crew does not have enough time to do their job and trash builds up, causing brain fog and memory problems. Balance your stress. Whenever you’re exposed to a flood of stress hormones, it not only disrupts your sleep, but it can damage your immune system and actually shrink the memory centers in your brain. Drink. Water that is. Being dehydrated by just 2% impairs performance in tasks that require attention, immediate memory skills, and physical performance. It is also associated with brain atrophy (shrinkage), poor concentration, memory difficulties, diminished school performance, and increased sensitivity to pain. Cut the sweets. Refined sugar is devoid of minerals needed for enzymes and can cause mineral deficiencies. It interferes with the actions of calcium and magnesium, increases inflammation, and erratic brain cell firing, and has been implicated in aggression. In brain imaging studies it increases “slow brain waves,” and a study at UCLA showed that sugar alters learning and memory—not for the better. Quit multitasking. Can't find your keys? It's probably because you weren't paying attention when you put them down. When you're juggling too many things, you're bound to forget. As it turns out, the brain doesn't actually multitask. Instead, it switches focus from one thing to another, which is why it is difficult to read a book and hold a conversation at the same time. Multitasking will slow you down, so make it a point to concentrate on the task at hand. Jog your memory. Literally. Physical activity increases blood flow to your whole body—including your brain—and helps keep your memory sharp. Exercise delivers extra oxygen to the brain and also appears to stimulate the growth of new cells and blood vessels in the brain. Even though getting older isn’t optional, having a brain that looks and feels old is!
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EPA and DHA Are Essential to Your Brain Health
Most people know that omega-3 fatty acids are good for us because of their benefits to heart and joint health. But did you know? Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for brain health—and here’s why. What is EPA and DHA? Omega-3 fatty acids are comprised of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Every living cell in the body needs these essential fatty acids. They are required for rebuilding and producing new cells. While both EPA and DHA are components of cellular membranes throughout the body, they each have specific functions in our health. EPA plays a critical role in supporting the healthy regulation of cellular inflammation, while DHA is the most abundant omega-3 found in the brain and is important for maintaining nerve cell structure and function. This makes EPA and DHA the essential building blocks for healthy cell membranes. These cell membranes provide critical support for the brain connectivity that supports: Healthy memory Healthy cognition Emotional well-being Additionally, DHA and EPA promote healthy blood flow, which is essential to optimal brain function and memory retention. Think of omega-3 fatty acids as high quality motor oil for the finely-tuned engine that is your brain. Watch this short video featuring Dr. Amen and BrainMD Health’s Chief Science Officer, Dr. Parris Kidd, to learn more about how a daily intake of omega-3s with high levels of EPA and DHA is essential to brain health. The EPA and DHA Ratio to Omega-6 The optimal ratio between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is 2 to 1, and not higher than 3 to 1. Most people get far too little omega-3s in their diet. In fact, research consistently indicates that the majority of Americans have just slightly more than half the amount of EPA and DHA in their tissues than they need for optimum brain and body health. This is partly due to a high dietary intake of unhealthy fats combined with an inadequate intake of EPA and DHA. BrainMD Health’s very own Omega-3 Power makes it super easy to get the right amount of brain healthy omega-3s. Each serving provides 1,440 mg of DHA and EPA from ultra-purified, high-quality fish oil. Omega-3 Power’s high potency helps to ensure having healthy tissue levels of DHA and EPA within weeks to a few months of taking it. Omega-3 Power is sourced from anchovies, sardines, and mackerel. These fish roam mostly in the mid-level of the ocean and have relatively short-lived lifespans. Because of this, they tend to accumulate fewer toxins. In addition, the fish oil in Omega-3 Power is put through the most thorough purification processes available. It includes screening for more than 250 potentially toxic chemicals, and at the same time, eliminates the “burpy” effects of crude fish oils. The result is the highest quality omega-3 supplement available on the market today. "Omega-3 fatty acids play such an important role in brain and body health that I suggest most people take them every day, regardless of their brain type or age. Taking Omega-3 Power is insurance that your body gets the nutrients it needs to be at its best." -Daniel G. Amen M.D.
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6 Ingredients to Increase Your Focus
Is it hard for you to sit still? Do you have trouble concentrating? Are you finding it difficult to focus when you need to? If so, you are not alone! Disturbing new research reports that humans lose their concentration after about 8 seconds, while the simple goldfish loses its focus after about 9 seconds. It seems like evolution may be going in the wrong direction. In 2000, the average human attention span was estimated at 12 seconds, which is not great; but losing a third of our attention span in 15 years is alarming! This rapid rise of attention problems is due to many factors, including low-fat, low-fiber, high-glycemic diets, increased use of electronics, decreased exercise, and diminished sleep. While supplements can’t take the place of important health-supporting habits such as eating right, exercising, and sleeping, BrainMD Health’s Attention Support can help mind the gap. Watch this short video where Dr. Amen and BrainMD Health’s Chief Science Officer, Dr. Parris Kidd tell you all about Attention Support and how its winning combination of clinically researched ingredients can help our distractible brains stay on track! “I’ve seen the attention of my patients go down over the last 30 years with the constant distractions we all face from the Internet and multiple gadgets. I designed Attention Support to give children and adults something natural that would actually help support their attention in multiple ways.” – Daniel G. Amen, MD Here’s what you get with Attention Support: PhosphatidylSerine – a natural building block for cell membranes that supports healthy cognitive function Pycnogenol® – a powerful antioxidant that promotes delivery of blood to the brain demonstrated to help with attention through over 100 clinical trials Choline – vitamin-like nutrient that supports the brain’s production of acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter for mental focus Zinc – an essential mineral clinically proven to benefit attention in kids Magnesium – the most bioavailable form of this critical mineral that helps assure a calm, even mood and good mental focus Vitamin B6 – involved in the metabolism of all of the neurotransmitters that have to do with attention In order to be successful in today’s world, you need to be able to focus and pay attention. Support your maximum potential through multiple mechanisms with BrainMD Health’s Attention Support.
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8 Ways to Boost Your Probiotic Health with These Foods
“Bacteria in your food” typically gets a pretty bad rap since most of the time we’re thinking about the bad ones, like E. coli, listeria, or salmonella. The bacteria in probiotic foods, however, are actually good for you – these are the “good bugs” that you want in your gut. You probably realize how critical it is to include probiotics in your healthy life plan. But, you are likely not getting enough in your diet. So where do you find them? Add some of these healthy foods to your diet to get a probiotic boost! 8 Probiotic-Rich Foods to Add to Your Diet 1. Kimchi Spicy and sour, this traditional Korean side dish is mixture of fermented vegetables and seasonings. Since it is primarily made of cabbage, brine, radish and spices such as ginger and chili pepper, kimchi is a great low-calorie source of fiber as well as providing beneficial bacteria. Try adding this unique ingredient to sandwiches, stir-fries or soup, but be sure to add it last to avoid cooking off the good bacteria. 2. Fresh Sauerkraut Found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket, fresh sauerkraut is shredded cabbage that has been fermented, which fosters the growth of probiotics. Be sure to choose the unpasteurized kind, because pasteurization (used to treat most supermarket sauerkraut) kills active, good bacteria. 3. Sour Pickles Salty pickle spears also deliver a punch of probiotics. However, when looking to pickles for probiotics, choose naturally fermented kinds, where vinegar wasn't used in the pickling process. A sea salt and water solution feeds the growth of good bacteria. A good rule of thumb: if they’re sold out on the shelf at room temperature, they definitely do not contain healthy bacteria. Look for a container labeled “live and active cultures” and sold in the refrigerator section. 4. Miso This traditional Japanese seasoning is made by fermenting cooked soybeans with barley or rice, salt, and koji (a starter culture) to form a red, white, or dark colored paste. To get the maximum benefit from the live cultures, buy unpasteurized miso paste in the refrigerated section of your grocery store and add to soups or stews just before removing from heat. Miso can also be used in place of salt in your favorite recipes, as well as in dips, marinades, and salad dressings. 5. Tempeh Another probiotic rich food made from fermented soybeans, tempeh is a white, firm block that is frequently used as a protein-packed meat substitute for vegans and vegetarians. You can marinate and cook it, or try it crumbled over salads. Its flavor is often described as nutty, smoky, and similar to a mushroom. 6. Kombucha This 2000-year old beverage is a slightly sweet and effervescent liquid that results when sweet black tea is fermented with a colony of bacteria called a “SCOBY” (a Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast). Find it in the refrigerated section of your grocery store or pick up your own home-brew kombucha kit. 7. Kefir A milky beverage originating in Turkey and Russia, kefir is an outstanding source of probiotics – containing anywhere from 10 to 34 different strains. It is made by fermenting goat, cow, or sheep’s milk with kefir “grains”– a combination of yeast and bacteria. For those who are sensitive to dairy or lactose intolerant, coconut kefir, a non-dairy version, is also delicious and equally beneficial. 8. Yogurt Last but definitely not least is the popular and well-known fermented milk product made from cow’s milk, goat’s milk, sheep milk, soy milk, coconut milk, or even nut milk. Not all yogurts are the same, so stay away from those filled with sugars and syrups. Be sure to choose those containing “live and active cultures”. Food is by far the best way to build up healthy gut microbes, but if you're not consuming lots of kimchi and kefir on a regular basis, consider taking a probiotic supplement like BrainMD Health’s very own ProBrainBiotics.
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Boost Your Brain Power
Did you know the fountain of youth is between your ears? It is your brain that makes the decisions that keep you healthy, happy and on track to live a long time. Likewise, it is your brain that makes the bad decisions that ruin your health and send you off to the undertaker early. If you want to live a long, happy life, the first place to start is by having a better brain! Through the imaging work done over the past 26 years at Amen Clinics with tens of thousands of patients from around the world, it is very clear that you have a choice: You can either accelerate the aging process and make your brain look and feel older than your chronological age, or you can decelerate it and have a brain that looks and feels much younger than your age. Even though getting older is not optional, having a brain that looks and feels old is! The brain is the most complicated organ in the universe and thus the most vulnerable to damage and aging. It is estimated that your brain has one hundred billion neurons (brain cells), with each one having by up to ten thousand individual connections to other cells. This means that you have more connections in your brain than there are stars in the universe! As you can probably imagine, all of these cells and connections need a tremendous amount of energy in order to function. So even though your brain is only about 2 percent of your body’s weight (about three pounds), it uses 20 to 30 percent of the calories you consume, 20 percent of your body’s blood flow, and 20% of the oxygen you breathe – and even more than that when your brain is on “overdrive”! BrainMD Health’s Brain and Memory Power Boost is exclusively formulated to promote healthy brain metabolism and optimal functioning of its staggering amount of cells. Watch this short video featuring Dr. Amen and BrainMD Health’s Chief Science Officer, Dr. Parris Kidd, to learn more about the ways in which this supplement supports memory, learning, attention, mood, and behavior. Brain and Memory Power Boost is formulated with seven brain boosters, which help promote brain energy, support important neurons, and defend against free radical damage to the brain. Together they help power up mental sharpness and cognition so you can think fast on your feet again. Brain and Memory Power Boost contains: PhosphatidylSerine – a natural building block for cell membranes that supports healthy cognitive function Acetyl-L-Carnitine – an amino acid which helps protect against mental fatigue and can enhance mood N-AcetylCysteine – an amino acid that supports healthy cognition and mood and enhancing coping Alpha-Lipoic Acid – a potent antioxidant that protects against cell damage Ginkgo Biloba Extract – helps ensure reliable and sufficient blood flow to the brain Vinpocetine – works with ginkgo to support healthy brain blood flow Huperzine A - improves the actions of the acetylcholine neurotransmitter system, which plays a central role in memory and behavior If you are looking for a brain-boosting formula that will provide you with an all-star lineup of potent ingredients to support your brain’s energy, connectivity, and overall performance, look no further than Brain and Memory Power Boost. “This is one of the best brain-health supplements available, offering support for a wide range of cognitive functions including focus, memory and mental clarity.” – Daniel G. Amen, MD
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Celebrate "Fit" - Not "Fat" Tuesday
Getting ready to celebrate Fat Tuesday, so named for the tradition of gorging on special rich foods before the fasting season of Lent? This year, turn it into Fit Tuesday! Did you know that physical exercise is perhaps the single most important thing you can do to keep your brain and body healthy over time? Physical exercise not only boosts blood flow and other positive nutrients to the brain – it actually stimulates “neurogenesis,” the ability of the brain to generate new brain cells. Exercise can do so much for your body that it’s kind of mind-boggling that anyone would choose not to exercise. Our bodies are designed for movement! Research has shown that the benefits of mild to moderate exercise include: Improved cognitive abilities Improved mood Improved cardiovascular function Lower levels of cortisol, the stress hormone Higher levels of endorphins and other feel-good neurochemicals Better oxygenation in your body’s cells, leading to increased energy and improved cellular health Improved blood pressure Higher rate of metabolism Better sleep So what are you waiting for? Just get started! It is really important to find activities that you enjoy - biking, swimming, walking, hiking, aerobic classes, Cross-Fit, tennis, or dancing. Try something new! If you have not been exercising regularly, begin slowly. Even if you commit to just walking to the end of the block and back every day, it's a start. Then set a goal to increase the frequency and intensity of the physical exercise every week until you are exercising four to five times per week for at least 30 minutes. For those short on time, interval training is recommended by the American College of Cardiology to be as effective as sustained aerobic exercise. Thirty minutes of cardio 5 days per week is equivalent to twenty minutes of interval training 3 days per week. Interval training is basically 90 seconds of warm-up followed by a series of "bursts" of exercise - 30 seconds of going almost as fast as you can and then 90 seconds at a moderate pace. Repeat this 8 times with a 90-120 second cool down at the end. Interval training can be done with any form of exercise such as running, treadmill, elliptical, StairMaster, swimming, biking, and walking. Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
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How Supplements Can Help You Live Healthier
Many physicians say that if you eat a balanced diet you do not need to take supplements. However, consider this quote written by Dr. Mark Hyman in his book The UltraMind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First: “If people eat wild, fresh, organic, local, non–genetically modified food grown in virgin mineral- and nutrient-rich soils that has not been transported across vast distances and stored for months before being eaten . . . and work and live outside, breathe only fresh unpolluted air, drink only pure, clean water, sleep nine hours a night, move their bodies every day, and are free from chronic stressors and exposure to environmental toxins, then it is possible that they might not need supplements. Because we live in a fast-paced society where we pick up food on the fly, skip meals, eat sugar-laden treats, buy processed foods, and eat foods that have been chemically treated, we all could use a little help from a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement.” Natural supplements have both advantages and disadvantages. Some of the primary advantages are: Supplements are often effective when targeted properly Typically, they have dramatically fewer side effects than most prescription medications They are usually significantly less expensive than prescription medications Plus, you never have to tell an insurance company that you’ve taken them. As awful as it sounds, taking prescription medications can affect your insurability! Many people have been denied or made to pay higher rates for life, long-term, and disability insurance because they have taken certain medications. If there are natural alternatives, they are definitely worth considering. Yet, natural supplements also have their own set of potential issues. For instance, many people are also unaware that natural supplements can have side effects and need to be thoughtfully used. Just because something is natural does not mean it is innocuous. Both arsenic and cyanide are natural, but that doesn’t mean they are good for you. Another concern about natural supplements is there can be issues with quality control, and because of this, it’s important to find brands you can trust. One more short-coming can be that many people get their advice about supplements from clerks at health food stores who may not have the best information. And keep in mind that supplements are NOT a cure-all. They can’t replace important health-supporting habits such as a healthy diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management. Remember, they are called "supplements" because they support, but don’t replace, healthy choices. Supplements CAN pick up where food and good health habits leave off, giving our bodies some of the extra firepower they need. Even when weighing the possible pitfalls, the benefits of natural supplements make them really worth considering, especially with high-quality products based on scientific research such as those from the experts at BrainMD Health. Of course, it’s important to discuss supplements with your healthcare professional. If he or she doesn’t know much about them (which is common), talk to a naturopath or integrative medicine physician.
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