5 Tips to Improve Brain Health Now!
By Annmarie McManus, PA and Jill Maddock, PIM Office Manager
Feeling foggy, fuzzy, frustrated? Many of us are no longer able to recall more than 3 digits at a time.
Learn how PIM’s Prime Cognition Program can help you get back to your sharp, quick-witted self.
Prime Cognition was developed by our very own Annmarie McManus, PA, IFMCP who brings 20 years of clinical experience and exclusive training with Dr. Dale Bredesen, renowned author of book The End of Alzheimers (Dr. Dale Bredesen Protocol). This program is for you to optimize your brain health through early intervention. Schedule your free 20 minute consultation with Annmarie today!
Every customized integrative medicine plan at Philadelphia Integrative Medicine focuses on lifestyle choices, so you see your own powerful role in your health and recovery. Disorders of the nervous system and brain are on the rise including Alzheimer’s, other types of dementia, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, ALS, stroke and traumatic brain injury.
5 Things You Can Do Today:
Detox from technology. Addiction to your smartphone can create imbalance in your brain! Those more addicted to their phones have been found to rank higher in sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, and behavioral issues. Cut down your screen time!
Awareness of your Gut-Brain Connection. The microbiome is connected to the central nervous system (think butterflies in your stomach when you are nervous). Our microbiome also is associated with anxiety, stress and memory. Feeding the healthy bacteria in your gut with prebiotics or introducing probiotics through diet or supplementation positively affects the central nervous system and helps protect against stressors. One study where women were given a fermented product containing probiotics highlighted the robust brain activity through magnetic resonance in regions that control emotions. We recommend a plant-rich diet, full of fiber to support your beneficial bacteria.
Refined sugar is not your friend. Cut down, stat! Think natural like honey or fruits...Our brain releases dopamine as part of a reward system leading to feeling of pleasure to motivate us to repeat certain behaviors. Eating sugar causes a dopamine response that encourages the cycle to eat more sugar. If your brain is accustomed to eating high-sugar foods, withdrawal may actually cause depression. Sugar can also start to reduce the production of cortisol in times of stress leading to more overeating. This is a hard habit to break, but your brain as well as your body’s other systems will thank you!
Healthy Fats=Love. Our Standard American Diet lacks Omega 3’s (EPA and DHA fats), which are necessary nutrients for the brain. Supplementing with omega 3’s reduces brain inflammation and protects our brain on a cellular level. At PIM, we recommend a more potent and pure dosage of fish oil that is not available through other practitioner offices, called Nordic Naturals. Purchase it through our online dispensary here. A daily dosage of up to 3 mg of DHA and EPA can be beneficial for athletes, those recovering from brain injuries and most everyone--consult your healthcare provider beforehand.
Functional Testing. Get to know your individual needs! At PIM, our providers work closely with you to determine the right testing for you, at the lowest cost possible. Specialty testing such as a stool study can measure individualized factors such as how many nutrients and fats you are digesting from your food. A Micronutrient test can give you the 5-6 month average of vitamins and minerals -- one of the best nutrition tests ever developed. Testing helps us to recommend a plan that is most effective for you, your brain and for your body as a whole.
We want to hear from you! Is your brain is no longer sharp and you wonder what you can do? Did you find this article helpful? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Register for upcoming events - FREE Group Classes at Cabrini College (please RSVP online)
If you or your loved one needs help, perhaps you are suffering from the effects of ongoing stress, mood or hormone imbalance, including thyroid imbalance, or you or they are already working with a doctor to address a condition but want a more comprehensive, empowering approach schedule your a 20 minute free consultation or an appointment with Annmarie McManus, MMSc, PA-C, PT, IFMCP or Lauren Houser, MS, MSN, CRNP today!
Resources:
http://blog.bioticsresearch.com/5-ways-to-hack-your-brain-health