Staying in Touch Hi all!
Fall is my second favorite season. I always liked the start of school, new challenges, getting organized, and new clothes!
Hope you are finding something to enjoy as we settle down and snuggle up in the cooler weather.
Our detox
group just ended and we had eight participants. We saw a couple of repeat group members lose 23 and 35 pounds since
the spring session. New members lost from 5 - 15 lbs and were surprised they could change their eating habits and come
to enjoy the vegetables! Look for another group in January.
I am getting people started on their own
in between groups and some are doing better than others. If you can’t join the groups, find a partner to do it
with you as it really helps keep you on track. I am more than willing to be your support so send me emails or give me
a call and remember “practice is progress but perfection is prison.”
The following article comes
from the presentation on memory I gave at the Des Moines Community Center. Enjoy!
Memory
Memory lapses often begin in mid-life and can be annoying, worrisome, and cause fear of Alzheimer’s
disease. For every one person with Alzheimer’s there are eight elderly people who do not have dementia whose lives
are harmed by memory loss.
The aging process and memory loss may be the result of:
- Too
little of the nutrients and oxygen we need to maintain good brain health.
- Exposure to toxins such as aluminum,
lead, and arsenic which damage brain and nerve cells.
- Pesticides (neurotoxins) from food residue
or living near treated areas.
- High blood sugar levels created by diets high in processed foods,
sugar, and alcohol.
Here are some of the most common causes of confusion
and memory lapses:
Antihistamines
Depression
Hypothyroidism
Muscle relaxants
Sleep Apnea
Tranquilizers
Brain injury
Vitamin B12 deficiency
High Cholesterol
High blood sugar/ poor insulin use
Vitamin B12 deficiency occurs frequently,
perhaps greater than 20% among elderly. This is most often due to insufficient dietary intake (such as diet low in
animal proteins) or malabsorptin from conditions like chron’s disease, celiac sprue, parasites, and ulcers and can be
treated with supplementation or weekly B12 injections.
Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms include:
Confusion or change in mental status in severe or advanced cases. This is sometimes confused with dementia. More
importantly, even a moderate deficiency of this important vitamin and its counterpart, folic acid, may ultimately contribute
to the onset of Alzheimer's disease or other related dementias. Other signs of Vitamin B12 deficiency include: Loss
of appetite, diarrhea, numbness and tingling of hands and feet, paleness, shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness, and sore
mouth and tongue.
Cholesterol may contribute to poor memory if the cholesterol forms plaque on the arteries and
small capillaries which reduces optimal blood flow to the brain. Adding cod liver oil helps reduce the accumulation
of plaque on the vessel,
reduces inflammation that is the initial culprit in plaque formation, and helps the blood flow
with less viscosity so it is easily brought to all areas of the brain.
A study of non diabetic middle age and
elderly people indicated that people who metabolized sugar slowly had a smaller hippocampus and scored worse on tests for
recent memory. The hippocampus is the area of the brain used for short term recall and where long term memory is first
processed. High blood sugar negatively affects memory. This study indicates that controlling blood sugar levels
through diet and exercise may help protect the brain from memory loss. Avoiding refined carbohydrates and processed
foods while eating more foods with fiber, especially vegetables, helps to reduce high blood sugar and improve efficiency of
insulin.
Acetylcholine is an important neurotransmitter (chemical messenger in the brain). It is important
for short term memory. The elderly often are deficient in acetylcholine due to lack of nutrients to produce acetylcholine
or the nutrients that are needed to use it. Antihistamines like Benedryl and Allegra block the body's use of acetylcholine.
Supplementing with phosphatidylcholine supports production of acetylcholine. Magnesium also helps keep nerves reactive to
acetylcholine. And B vitamins are needed in the formation of acetylcholine while B6 helps maintain nerve conduction.
Factors which reduce acetylcholine levels:
Choline (precursor) deficiency, B1 and B5 deficiency, chronic stress, inadequate
sleep, elevated blood sugar/insulin resistance, and mercury, lead, aluminum, PCB’s, fertilizers, pesticides and EMF
exposure.
Exercise helps memory. It improves efficiency of insulin which allows sugar into the cell to be
used as energy. Exercise improves circulation getting blood and oxygen to vitally needed areas in the brain. A
new study out of Canada suggests that exercise cuts the risk of Alzheimer’s and less-devastating mental losses, particularly
in women. The more a person exercised the greater the protection to the brain. People who exercised at least three
times per week were considered highly active and had the lowest Alzheimer’s risk. 40-60 minutes of walking, along
with light weight training would be sufficient to provide the observed benefits.
You need quality fat in your
diet! The quality of the fat in your diet will directly affect the quality of functioning of the nerve cells and efficiency
in memory. Your brain is made up of 60% fat and half of that fat is DHA (docosahexaenoic acid),
one of the primary fatty acids in fish or cod liver oil. Most people do not get adequate levels of the omega 3 fatty
acids that provide DHA. Often, including this in your diet will result in improvements in memory. DHA reduces
the levels of a protein known to cause damage in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. It has also been discovered
that a derivative of DHA is formed in the brain and is essential in protecting against brain cell death.
CoQ10
improves brain oxygenation and protects nerve cells from damage. CoQ10 levels are reported to decrease with age and
to be low in patients with some chronic diseases such as heart conditions, muscular dystrophies, Parkinson's disease, cancer,
diabetes, and HIV/AIDS. Some prescription drugs including statins (cholesterol lowering drugs) may also lower CoQ10
levels.
DHEA: Improves hormone support for brain function
Melatonin: Antioxidant preventative for memory loss
Vitamin E: Improves blood flow and provides anti oxidant protection
Vitamin C: Provides anti oxidant protection
Vitamin B3: Improves circulation to the brain
Vitamin B6: Promotes production of chemical messengers in the brain like
serotonin
Do new things and vary routines to keep imprint new neuronal pathways and keep nerve cells in use.
Take your walk from the opposite direction.
Brush your teeth with the opposite hand.
Eat with chopsticks.
Learn a new skill.
Try reading a different type of book.
Get adequate rest so focus and concentration are
optimal for learning and recall.
Some studies indicate that learning is very much affected by distractions in
the brain and that the older we get the more this gets in the way for new learning. So be present where you are and
pay attention to your life. Keep organized to reduce distractions and allow more mental space to observe what is around
you.
Remember that our mind has a multiple ways of recalling information and often information does not
come as easily when we are stressed. Relax and wait for the information to arrive. There are many ways to “know.”
Honor the intuitive and listen to the body. Develop many ways to listen and retrieve information. |
