Brain power

Your brain makes up less than 3 percent of your body weight yet, uses over 25 percent of your oxygen, more than 25 percent of its glucose and 20 percent of your blood supply. With tens of billions of neurons, and more than 100 billion cells, your brain is a million times more powerful than any computer!

It has been said that our brain cells do not regenerate, so once gone that’s it! New research however is proving we do produce new brain cells well into adulthood! Good news! The bad news..stress hormones stunt new brain cell development. Serotonin, our “feel good” hormone enhances new cell growth. So, may we consider that lowering and controlling stress while keeping depression out of our lives, will help us think more clearly, longer.good incentive right! One other thing, research shows that using your brain, or exercising it does improve functionality, as does proper nutrition to feed the brain!

Nutrient fluctuations and deficiencies can send the brain into a major decline. On the other hand brain nutrients have a rapid, noticeable effect on brain performance. Specific, long term brain nourishment can heal even grave mental, emotional, and coordination problems.

Do you have trouble concentrating, with feeling gloomy or depressed? Are you stressed and burned out, with noticeable memory lapses? These are key signs that your brain needs better nutrition, and attention.

Exercise is a key brain nutrient! It increases your oxygen, and blood supply, and boost your brain. EFA’s (essential fatty acids) are vital to your brain as 60 percent of our brain cells are made of this; Omega-3’s, specifically, keep your brain “well-oiled”.

Eat sea greens, spinach, arugula, and other leafy greens daily. Be sure your diet has fish, shellfish, sprouts, eggs, olive oil, avocado’s, nuts, seeds, cantaloupe, wheat germ, and beans in it. No saturated fats as these cut off your glucose, your brains main energy source. Then, increase antioxidants to boost brain activity. Drink green or white through out your day, and have a glass of wine with supper. Eggplant contains nasunin which protects against free radicals.

Get plenty of sleep, read, and play mental games. Avoid alcohol, tobacco, marijuana which all inhibit the brain from releasing vasopressin, which then impairs memory, decreases attention spans, and concentration. Do deep breathing exercises through out your day for an instant boost to your brain, and drink plenty of water! Research shows that even a 2 percent loss of body fluid affects short term memory.

Short term memory is the ability to remember where you’ve put things, or what you had for supper. Long term is your ability to remember family, friends, and important events. Your working memory is your ability to remember a phone number, address, or how to complete a task.

Specific adjustment to your lifestyle, and diet could bring greater functionality from your brain, Consult your local Naturopath to learn what you could do to help yourself increase your brains nutrition.

Angelyn Nienhuser has a doctorate in naturopathy and is a Mental Health Counselor. She can be contacted at 308-249-5520.