How to Improve your Brain power & GREAT video by Dr. Derek!
Medical science has come a long way since the days of "bikini medicine," when the only time doctors managed a Woman's health differently than a Man's health was when treating the parts of her body found under a bikini. You may listen to this TED talk by Alyson McGregor here: (https://youtu.be/sJCBM9ajA5s/)
Over the past few decades, researchers have uncovered countless ways in which women's and men's bodies react differently to the same diseases. And just as it's now widely recognized women experience heart disease differently than men, ( https://www.mgh.org/our-services/heart-and-vascular/heart-attack-warning-signs/ ) scientists are beginning to understand why the sexes experience illness differently in another vital organ – the Brain.
It's not that male and female brains are built differently, said Lisa Mosconi, director of the Women's Brain Initiative at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York. It's that their brains age differently.
Women bear the brunt of Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, accounting for 2 of every 3 people diagnosed. They are three times more likely to be diagnosed with autoimmune disorders that attack the brain, such as Multiple Sclerosis. They are four times more likely to have migraines, and also are more likely to die from Strokes.
What's driving these disparities? While multiple factors are at play, Mosconi said, it's hormones – testosterone in men and estrogen in women – that are the orchestral conductors of the brain. They are responsible for whether it performs well, or not.
"We are used to thinking of sex hormones as important for fertility and reproduction," Mosconi said. "But hormones also play crucial roles in Brain Health."
Studies show Alzheimer's disease, typically diagnosed in a woman's 70s, likely begins to develop while she is still in her 50’s. Mosconi's research found evidence that amyloid plaques, the proteins associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease, were already accumulating in the brains of women as they transitioned to menopause, though the women showed no evidence of cognitive decline at that age. She also found shrinkage in the memory centers of the women's brains. See the study using this link: https://n.neurology.org/content/95/2/e166/
"We never talk about Alzheimer's disease as something that happens in midlife," Mosconi said. "But for women, that's the timeline we need to think about."
So how do we as Men and Women take care of our Brain health? According to the Alzheimers Association website ( https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/research_progress/prevention/ ), evidence is strong that people can reduce their risk by making key Lifestyle changes, including participating in regular physical activity and maintaining good heart health.
Below are some suggestions excerpted from the book Biohack Your Brain: How To Boost Cognitive Health, Performance & Power by Kristen Willeumier, Ph.D.
Just because water is your body's preferred method of hydration doesn’t mean it’s the only thing you can drink. While most beverages contain sugar, artificial sweeteners, and/or other additives, there are a handful of drinks that happen to be extremely beneficial to your brain. Here are three favorites:
1. Coconut water
Think of coconut water as nature's original sports drink. The beverage, found naturally inside the coconut fruit, contains electrolytes without the synthetic sugar, artificial colors, and other additives found in commercial sports drinks.
Coconut water also contains antioxidants like vitamin C that can help fight oxidative stress. The drink can also lower blood sugar, blood pressure, and unhealthy cholesterol and triglycerides, according to research.
2. Tea
Tea not only tastes great, but the act of making and consuming tea is extremely relaxing - probably why it's been a ritual in parts of Asia for centuries. Favorite teas are organic green tea, peppermint, and decaffeinated cinnamon spice black tea.
Tea also has amazing benefits for your Brain. Drink green, black, and oolong tea, and you may be able to thwart cognitive decline by as much as 50%, according to recent research. Other studies have shown that green tea can lower anxiety, boost memory, hone attention, and improve overall Brain function and connectivity.
Drinking just a half cup of green tea daily may lower the risk of dementia and depression while slashing the body’s production of the stress hormone cortisol. In fact, people who regularly drink green tea can lower their depression by as much as 21%, according to studies. Researchers say that's the stress-busting equivalent of doing 2.5 hours of exercise per week.
You can credit tea's incredible cognitive advantages in part to epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant found primarily in green tea but also in black, white, and oolong. EGCG helps protect cells from oxidative stress while fighting inflammation and has been shown to produce brain waves associated with relaxation and alertness. For these reasons, tea, especially green tea, has been shown to help prevent a variety of conditions, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's.
Green, black, white, and oolong tea also contain L-theanine, an amino acid that helps relax the central nervous system. And while they don't include anywhere near the amount of caffeine found in coffee, these teas have a small amount of caffeine, which helps to increase alertness and improve our mood.
Herbal teas also play a protective role in the brain, capable of fighting off neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's, according to research. For optimal health benefits, avoid adding milk, sugar, or artificial sweeteners to tea.
3. Green juices
Green juice is made by pressing whole, fresh green vegetables through a juicer. It's a rich source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, enzymes, and phytochemicals, making it a nutrient-dense beverage choice.
Green juice is also packed with chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants their green color, which helps detoxify and oxygenate the blood and lowers inflammation in the body.
Your body also better absorbs the micronutrients in green juice than it does from the same green vegetables before they go into a juicer. That's because pressing veggies into juice breaks down cell walls and starches, allowing nutrients to be more readily absorbed. What's more, green juice doesn't contain fiber, which can bind to micronutrients and cause them to pass through our digestive tract without absorption.
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Make sure to watch Dr. Ferguson’s short video to help you learn about the different types of juicers and the benefits of juicing!
(LINK TO THE VIDEO HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfdEsWTROYY&feature=youtu.be
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Green juice is not a substitute for eating green vegetables. Instead, think of green juice as a good option when you want something flavorful, hydrating, and super healthy.
You can use any green veggies you like, including kale, celery, spinach, Swiss chard, arugula, broccoli, wheatgrass, parsley, cucumber, and cabbage. While green juice is primarily vegetables, you may add a serving of fruit, which may include blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mango, peaches, pears, or apples. A few more juicing tips:
Make sure your juice contains more green veggies than fruit, the latter of which has more sugar and calories.
Drink your juice within 30 minutes of pressing to prevent nutrient loss through oxygen exposure.
Wash all produce before juicing and use only organic fruits and veggies to ensure your green juice is free of pesticides and other toxins.
Rotate the type of fruits and veggies you use for an optimal variety of micronutrients.
Invest in a juicer. While you can use a blender, it won't remove fiber or pulp, so your produce will just be pureed, not juiced.
When buying green juice at a café, make sure they're pressing the juice fresh for each order and aren't adding in sugars, sweeteners, or other fillers.
Juicing for Beginners, The Essential Guide to Juicing Recipes and Juicing for Weight Loss by Rockridge Press is far more than a recipe book! It is a comprehensive guide that teaches you how to pick the right juicer for your needs. It comes in hard or paperback, shop at: (https://www.amazon.com/Juicing-Beginners-Essential-Recipes-Weight/dp/162315216X/)
I hope this information helps educate you on how important it is to start taking care of your Brain Health early in life. Depending on the genetic factors you carry, some individuals seem to be more protected from the effects of Alzheimers, while other seem to be at greater risk. That said, I believe the right food choices can prevent the disease and cognitive decline altogether.
Together, understanding and staying abreast of the latest research, we will contribute to a better understanding of Alzheimer's and put this disease in a reverse trajectory.
Here’s to your cognitive Health, Performance and Personal Power!!!!!