LANI LOPEZ: HEALTHY LIVING
A flourishing brain What does it take to help our brains flourish? I’d like to grow old gracefully but I demand that my brain works as well as my body. My close friend has brain decline which makes this topic dear to my heart. What could we have done? What can we do to protect ourselves from age related brain drain? Let us look at food and nutrition first. We can take a daily drink. The ritual of green tea sipping protects the brain nerves and brain fat keeping it and us young. And my favourite, dark chocolate deflects sad feelings. So if you have a chocolate craving, enjoy. Caffeine has been used for centuries to give us a natural increase in energy and a mental high. Tea, coffee and chocolate stimulate the neurotransmitter impulses that surge through the brain after taking one bite or a delicious sip. Science teaches us that omega 3 can decrease the risk of cognitive decline in adulthood. It’s found in some vegetable oils, such as soybean, canola, and flaxseed, and in walnuts. Some green vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, kale, spinach, salad greens and fish, borage or flaxseed oil supplements contain omega 3. You can also get omega 3 naturally in a can or by eating fresh salmon, sardines, tuna, or oily fish. That said one man’s poison is another man’s pleasure when it comes to food and the brain. Certain foods can cause brain fog. Gluten from wheat, oat, rye and barley, fatty foods, alcohol and food sensitivities, from tomatoes to eggs can cloud our thinking. Then there are certain conditions such as internal overgrowth of candida and gut dysbiosis (or imbalanced gut bacteria) and the use of the oral contraceptives, HRT, certain medications and antibiotics that can block our memory and stuff our head with cotton wool. Healing the gut and taking acidophilus and bifidus supplements are important as is getting rid of and avoiding food sensitivities. See a naturopath for an elimination diet to help you through this. Exercise, especially the cardio get-your-heart-pumping kind, can substantially improve brain function increasing various neurotransmitters, nerve growth factors, and the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis). This helps brain regeneration and repair. Along with good nutrition and exercise the key for optimal brain function is to learn how to manage stress and build up the capacity for resilience. One way is being social. Perceived intellectually stimulating activities with others, especially in our early and middle years, build up our cognitive reserve reducing our risk of degenerative brain illness like Alzheimer’s. Mental stimulation and social interaction that is particularly complex and demanding, can improve executive functioning and lower stress levels. This is what helps us reach our goals in life. The trick is to train your brain to develop the specific brain functions required to flourish. Training our brain includes mental flexibility, perspective taking, anticipation, problem -solving, decision making, working memory, emotional self-regulation, sequencing, and inhibition. Not just remembering or doing a crossword puzzle. Think of it as a kind of physical conditioning or going to the gym. We need more weight to get stronger and stretch ourselves for increased flexibility. We also need to exercise one of our largest and sexiest muscles, the brain. Change the way you think. Learn a new language or a new instrument. Good long-term mental growth is nurtured by continual novelty, challenge, and variety. Realistic positivity, meditation, cognitive therapy and training or personal growth courses are also crucial and must be a constant practice. So we now know that the healthy foundation of aerobic exercise, green tea, coffee, omega 3 and being social is all a part of a good life and a good brain. Dinner party anyone? Get back to work and be motivated with me, and PN Ponsonby News. (LANI LOPEZ) F New Zealand’s favourite naturopath, clinical nutritionist and health expert, Lani makes natural health easy to follow, to inspire and encourage us all in a life of wellness. Follow Lani Lopez Naturopath on Facebook www.facebook.com/lani.lopez1 and twitter. Lani Lopez BHSc, Adv.Dip.Nat is a naturopath, clinical nutritionist and top-selling author. Founder of lanilopez.com find her and ask questions about your well-being on facebook.com/lanilopez.com or email Lani personally naturopath@lanilopez.com
70 PONSONBY NEWS+ March 2014
PUBLISHED FIRST FRIDAY EACH MONTH (except January)