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Five Ways That You May Be Affecting Your Brain Health Without Realizing It

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Get enough sleep for mental and physical health!

Get enough sleep for mental and physical health!

Most people like to think that they are conscientious when it comes to their health. They try to eat right, to sleep right, and to exercise when they can. However, it is a fact of life that when we are stressed and burned out, it can be all too easy to let some good habits slip. This is when we start reaching for shortcuts, to find the easiest route through the day and to do things that will save us time without really thinking about the impact that it may be having.

As we head into the summer, most of us will have a little more time to breathe than we may have had during the long and stressful winter. That means that it is the perfect time to take a look back at some of your bad habits and make plans for adjustments. Here are a few things that may have been affecting your brain health without you realizing it, and some suggestions for improvements.

Not Getting Enough Good Sleep

In an ideal world, we would all be sleeping better. The last couple of years have had a huge impact on the sleep patterns and the sleep quality of people all over the world. It is also true that once you start getting into bad habits with your sleep, it can be very difficult to recover that sleep debt. Not getting enough sleep has a wide range of impacts on your physical and mental health, and it is vitally important that you take this problem seriously. Different people have different needs, but it is generally advised that you try to get between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. Listen to your body if it feels like you are not getting enough. 

Drinking Too Much

Most people are aware of some of the major health hazards that are associated with drinking too much alcohol over a long period of time. They include liver damage, a higher risk of cancer, and it can also have a serious impact on your brain health. Of course, it is not always easy to cut down, especially if you have started relying on it to wind down at the end of the day. Try to have one day a week where you don’t drink any alcohol, and then keep cutting back gradually. This will help you feel happier and healthier before you know it.

Not Thinking About Your Diet

Much as with drinking, there are a number of different health issues that can occur if you do not watch what you are eating. An overreliance on sugary or fatty foods can cause serious cardiovascular issues and being significantly overweight will also put you at risk of problems such as cancer and other illnesses. However, a lot of people do not realize that there is a link between gut health and brain health. 

Diet has been shown to have an impact on mood disorders such as depression and anxiety and working to improve your gut health may have a bigger impact than you might expect. Take mushrooms, for example. We know that mushrooms are good for us, and that scientists are fascinated by their potential to do more. Indeed, there have been studies that have shown that certain types of mushrooms can help with brain and nerve issues. To learn more about food for brain health, visit Dr Ruscio’s website. He offers practical, science-based advice to help you enjoy better gut health.

Smoking Or Chewing Tobacco

The chances are that you may already be aware that smoking has an impact on almost every single element of your health, but it is so important that it bears repeating. Smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco puts you at a huge risk of a wide range of cancers as well as other major illnesses. The chances of you seriously damaging your brain health are significantly higher if you smoke, so this is definitely the time to quit if you have not done so already.

Keeping Problems To Yourself

The phrase “brain health” covers a wide range of different issues, and one of the most important is mental health. There has been a lot written on the subject over the last couple of years, and everyone has learned a lot about how it affects us and how we can support people who are struggling. New initiatives are being launched to help those in mental health emergencies, such as the dial 988 code. However, there are a still a lot of people out there who will try to get on with things because they do not feel that there is anyone that they can talk to. If you feel like you are struggling with depression or anxiety, it is so important that you open up to someone. If you do not feel like you can talk to your friends or family, then look at options for therapy. There is always someone who is ready to listen.

Common Drugs (for Allergies, Sleep, and Depression) That Can Shrink Your Brain

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I might just be the queen of e-mail newsletters. Someone recently said that e-mail newsletters are “dead.” I said, “Not in my inbox.. they’re very much alive and well.”  One of my favorite health-related newsletters is called Doctor’s House Call. It’s from Dr. Al Sears, MD and I highly recommend it.

I was anxious to share a recent edition with you. How anxious? Well, it just landed in my inbox and hour ago.

THAT anxious.

Many drugs that we buy and use regularly are actually doing our brains harm. Benadryl and Dimetapp (allergies), Unisom (sleep aid), Paxil (depression). Dramamine (motion sickness), and Demerol (pain killer).

I have used Benadryl, personally, for allergies as long as I can remember. As for the others, I’m only familiar with Dramamine – I’ve used it for motion sickness a few times over the years.  The problem with these drugs is this: They all belong to a class of drugs called anticholinergics (AC).  These medicines are effective because they block the action of acetylcholine in the brain.

As Dr. Sears points out, “.. it’s always a bad idea to wage war on a part of your body.”

I’ll simply let you read the rest of the newsletter by posting it below. I’ll chime in at the bottom with more information about where you can find the natural remedies he lists.

From Doctor’s House Call June 1, 2016:

——————–  NEWSLETTER  —————–

Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter. It carries messages throughout your nervous system and stimulates muscle contractions throughout your body.

AC drugs stop that stimulation. They block acetylcholine from getting into nerve cells. That can shut down natural movement of muscles in the gut, lungs, heart, urinary tract, and other parts of the body.

Perhaps worst of all, it affects the parts of the brain involved in learning and memory. I’ve seen confusion, memory loss and declining mental skills in my patients who come to me on these drugs.

New research confirms what I’ve seen in my own practice. Studies now link AC drugs to cognitive impairment and dementia.

Researchers looked at patients’ brains using PET scans and MRIs. They found that people taking AC drugs had reduced brain sizes. They also had lower brain metabolism.

In other words, their brains weren’t as active. It was especially true in the hippocampus — the part of the brain associated with memory.

Another study in JAMA Internal Medicine found a link between long-term use of AC drugs and dementia. Pharmacists from the University of Washington tracked nearly 3,500 men and women aged 65 and older. They used pharmacy records to determine all the drugs each person took in the 10 years before starting the study. Then they tracked the people for seven years.

Results showed people who used AC drugs were more likely to develop dementia. And their dementia risk increased with the cumulative dose over the years. Taking an AC for more than three years meant a 54% higher dementia risk than taking the same dose for just a few months.

But even taking AC drugs for a few months can interfere with your ability to think. A study in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia found that AC drugs cause cognitive problems when taken continuously for as few as 60 days.

Here are some alternatives I suggest to my patients.

1. Natural Sleep Aids

Instead of Unisom or other dangerous sleeping pills, I recommend these 100% natural alternatives. You can get them at most health food stores.

  • Melatonin. This natural sleep hormone reverses insomnia by resetting your clock. But make sure you get the right kind. Pills get destroyed in your gut before you get the full effect. I recommend melatonin sprays. Take 500 micrograms to 1 mg about 30 minutes before you want to go to sleep.
  • Valerian Root. This herb has a calming effect on the nerves. It helps you fall asleep and get better quality sleep. Take 300 to 600 mg, 30 minutes to two hours before going to bed. It may take up to two weeks of daily usage to get the full benefits.
  • Tryptophan. This amino acid is found in sleep-inducing foods milk and turkey. I use a starting dose of 250 mg a half an hour before bedtime. If that doesn’t produce good quality sleep, increase the dose to 500 mg. You can enhance its effect by taking it with a glass of warm milk.

2. Natural Antihistamines

When your immune system spots an invader, your body releases defensive chemicals called histamines. Itching, sneezing and even hives are all signs that histamines are at work. Instead of reaching for AC drugs like Benadryl and Dimetapp, try these alternatives.

  • Marshmallow Root. Used in traditional European cough medicines, it’s known to relieve irritation of mucous membranes. And it helps the body expel excess mucus. Look for dried root, extracts, teas, tinctures or capsules in your health food store.
  • Burdock. Both the seeds and the root help soothe the mucous membranes. It’s also used to treat colds and sore throats.
  • Acerola Cherry. Considered a “superfruit,” this cherry has eight times more vitamin C than an orange and acts as a natural antihistamine.

3. Nature’s Antidepressant

Boosting vitamin D can help get you off dangerous AC antidepressants like Paxil. It helps the brain make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood. In fact, vitamin D can boost serotonin by anywhere from double to 30 times. 4

I recommend a daily intake of 8,000 IUs of vitamin D. Here are the best ways to get it…

  • Sunshine. Getting some midday sun unprotected for about 10 to 15 minutes a day is good for you. It will give you between 3,000 and 5,000 IUs of vitamin D.
  • Vitamin D Foods. A serving of cooked wild salmon or mackerel provides roughly 350 IU vitamin D. Sardines or tuna in oil provide about 225 IUs of vitamin D. And one tablespoon of cod liver oil contains nearly 1,400 IUs.
  • Vitamin D3 Supplements. I recommend taking a supplement of vitamin D3 called cholecalciferol. It’s the same vitamin D3 that your body produces. Just be sure to avoid the synthetic D2 form found in most multivitamins. It’s less potent and less absorbable.

——————– END OF THE NEWSLETTER—————–

Where Can You Find these Supplements?

Sunshine and Vitamin D foods are easy enough, and the other natural alternatives take very little effort. You can check Dr. Sears’ Private Label Supplements at Primal Force Supplements.

Again, I wholeheartedly recommend the Dr. Al Sears, MD newsletter.   I’m going to try  the Acerola Cherry and Marshmallow Root (tea) and see if they can handle what my intense allergies throw at them. I’ll let you know how it goes! If you’re looking for a more natural alternative to what ails you, be sure to keep your usual medication on hand, just in case. I’m anxious to try allergy supplements, but I have zero intention of being caught without Benadryl on hand.

Also, if you could possibly be allergic to any supplement or ingredient in that supplement, don’t even think about it. Look for your next alternative.

~ Joi

Acerola Cherry

Acerola Chewable Cherry Wafers

Staying Mentally Strong is A Huge Part of Aging Well

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Henry Ford Quote About Learning

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.” – Henry Ford

In addition to Self Help Daily, I have a brain health and mental fitness blog, “Out of Bounds.”  Mental fitness and all that goes with it (preventing dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, brain strength, overcoming stress, dealing with anxiety, etc) is one of my greatest passions. I spend as much time reading about brain health as I spend reading anything.

If I could recommend just three things to you to incorporate into your life to improve the health of you brain, they would be:

  • Eating a “heart healthy” diet – lots of fruit, healthy nuts, vegetables, and fish, while cutting WAY back on fried food, saturated fat, red meat, and sugar.
  • Getting plenty of activity – whether it’s yard work, housework, walking, or yoga… don’t be a couch potato. You do not have to go to a gym or buy special equipment. If you’re moving and grooving, your brain doesn’t know (or care) whether you’re at the gym, on a trail, or in your yard.
  • Keep learning every single day of your life. Use it or you’ll lose it. Literally.

I’m not going to “mother hen” you about the first two (today anyway), but I do want to encourage you with third. When my girls were little, one of the first things I ingrained into their minds was this: “A day spent without learning something is a day wasted.” Since I home-schooled them from Kindergarten through 12th grade, it was easy to make sure they wasted as little time as possible.

Like my girls, all of us have ample opportunities to learn something new every day as long as we’re in school. The challenge comes when “school isn’t in session,” whether that’s weekends, holidays, summers, or the all-encompassing rest of our lives.

A lot of people have the mistaken assumption that their work or vocation provides “enough” learning.  While having a challenging job does help keep our minds active, we need MORE. Why? Well, one reason is the fact that we become programmed to respond to the challenges of our daily job.

For example, I work full-time from home as a blogger/web publisher/writer.  While things such as developing a recipe for my food blog, writing a book review, or researching for an article on early-stage dementia keep my brain cells busy, it’s all in my wheelhouse.

However, if I work on developing a recipe in an area I’m not the least bit familiar with (such as Indian cooking) or research/read up on a subject entirely new to me – it’s a wake up call for my brain cells and they love it.

This “in your wheelhouse” dilemma is one of the reasons why so many educated and intelligent people are developing dementia. Each day, they stay firmly in their wheelhouse. Whether they’re afraid they don’t have the time to venture out or they lack the inclination, I honestly believe it’s at least part of their downfall.

So, the lesson for you is this – get out of your wheelhouse and learn more every single day.

One fun, inexpensive, and mentally stimulating way to do just that is to “go back to school” – or to be more precise, “go back to school books.”  Get your hands on a few schoolbooks, covering different subjects, and read through them as you did in school…

  • take notes as you read
  • look up words you aren’t familiar with
  • answer the questions that inevitably hold you accountable at the end of each chapter

While I wholeheartedly encourage finding textbooks dealing with your “old favorites” (for me, these would be History, Literature, and English), the real magic happens when you dig deep into those subjects you didn’t particularly care for (my mortal enemies were science, geography, and anything with numbers).

Recently, I sorted through some of the textbooks I saved from my daughters’ home-schooling days and found just what I was looking for Geography for Christian Schools (on Amazon for $1.14, hardback). Geography – one of my mortal enemies.  Even when my daughters studied Geography in our home-school, I didn’t immerse myself in the subject – I did as I did in school, payed just enough attention to get by.  Aside from the flags of the countries (which I find uncommonly fascinating), all other aspects of Geography always made my eyes glaze over. When I was in school, I’d daydream about my basset hound, Siamese cat, lunch, softball… anything BUT what was in my textbook or on the chalkboard.

I decided to go back this time and REALLY delve in – memorize the capitals of the countries of the world, the desserts, lakes, rivers, and as many other geographically-inclined facts I used to snub. Oddly enough, I’m actually finding it incredibly interesting this time around.  Imagine if I’d just paid attention back then.

{Continued Below…}

Geography Textbook
A Few Tips for Finding/Using Textbooks:

  • Amazon has A LOT of Textbooks and many are ridiculously cheap. Anyone who home-schools today really has it made. There are textbooks and workbooks for both high school and college. If you really, really, really need to go back and brush up on a subject – start with the lowest grade level needed and move up. When it comes to math, I don’t even want to think how far back I’d have to go.  I seriously think I have a math allergy.
  • When you buy an “older” history or geography textbook, keep in mind that some details and information has, undoubtedly, changed. The fact that you’ll find yourself on Google double-checking information simply means you’re doing more research and using your brain EVEN more.
  • A lot of used bookstores and “Teacher Supply Stores” have textbooks and workbooks. They’re definitely worth checking out.
  • If you’re really brave (and we’re talking braver than I am), grab foreign language textbooks and brush up on a language you once knew or even learn a totally new one.
  • When you come across a subject that’s especially interesting, go deeper. Find more books dealing with the subject and uncover everything you can find online.

You get the picture, wake up those brain cells by snatching them out of their comfort zone.  So few good things happen in the comfort zone and that holds especially true for your brain’s fitness and your mental health.

Never stop learning –  your future self will thank you for it.

~ Joi


How Learning Languages is GREAT for Your Brain (Infographic )

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Below is a great infographic that shows how learning a new language affects our brain.  We need to make mental fitness a huge part of our everyday routine. Learning new languages is both a fun and challenging way to give our brains the workout they crave.

If you’ve always wanted to learn a second language – you now have a wonderful reason to get started!

How Learning a New Language Benefits Your Brain Infographic
Credit: How Learning Languages Affects Our Brain [Infographic] by the team at Sunbelt Staffing

Strengthen Your Brain

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Owls

If you want to strengthen your brain and keep your mind as sharp as ever, you have to be proactive. Wisdom won’t just come to you automatically… that only happens to owls!

I’ve posted two new articles on my mental fitness blog, Out of Bounds.

The first article, How Exercise Strengthens Your Mind, Body, and Soul: Get That Body Moving shows how exercise is actually vital for mental health, physical health, and even emotional health.  The article also shows you sneaky ways to “trick” yourself into getting more activity!

The second article, How to Strengthen Your Mind and Avoid Brain Atrophy details the mental dangers of living in a rut.  Growth never occurs in a rut.  We all HAVE to start paying as much attention to our mental health as we do our physical health.  If we keep overlooking our brain’s fitness, we’ll suffer memory loss, brain fog, and possibly dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.  Make today the day you begin paying more attention to your brain’s health.