Tag Archives: brain health

Straight, No Chaser: Brain Health – Mental Gymnastics to Keep You Vibrant

General Health and Wellness, Mental Health, Neurology, Health Prevention, , , , , , , ,

brain-exercise function

I always found it odd that we assume our brain will simply perform in every way we need it to once developed. It seems reasonable to me that if we choose to diet and exercise in an effort to maintain and build every other part of the body, we should be doing the same for our brains. Previous Straight, No Chaser posts have reviewed how the brain works and have addressed the basics of exercising and eating to best support your brain. We have also discussed sleep, which is another essential component of brain health.
This post will discuss activities for you to perform that will actively engage and grow your brain power. We will review several types of activities that work well to keep your brain working well.

brainbike

To start with, ask yourself to actually consider what you want to accomplish with your brain. Are you still in building mode, where you’re willing to continue to learn and grow, or are you fighting to maintain what you have (e.g. stem the tide of memory loss)? The difference in your answer may suggest the need to engage in more vs. less global brain development activities.
Consider certain passive and active activities that exercise your brain and functionally make you a lifelong student. Pick up a new hobby. Take a class. Build things.
Want another approach? Develop a part of your brain that you may not be using as much. Practice writing with your other hand. Learn to play an instrument.

brain exercise CrosswordPuzzles

Do you like games? Certain games hit the sweet spot of brain development. These include daily crosswords, puzzles, Rubik’s cubes and video games. However the best of all is chess. Playing chess stimulates many different areas of the brain; it’s worthwhile learning or continuing to play for brain health.
Are you more verbally inclined? Read, read, read (we recommend Behind the Curtain; we’ve heard it’s quite stimulating). Join a book club or chat room, and discuss what you’ve read. Increase your vocabulary by learning a new word a day. Learn a new language. Learn to write (don’t forget to proofread!).

brain exercise training

Learn to be an active user of your brain. Start by reducing or eliminating the most passive of your activities, such as watching TV; it’s mostly receptive and not very good for exercising your brain, unless you’re interacting with the program in some way. Plan your activities, and envision various scenarios. Break the monotony in your activities; instead of a routine, force yourself to choose differing options in your activities.
If you are interested in an organized approach to brain exercise, here are two sites that I’d highly recommend.
http://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/
www.luminosity.com
Whatever you choose to do, do something!
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. As a thank you for being a valued subscriber to Straight, No Chaser, we’d like to offer you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.72hourslife.com. Receive introductory pricing with orders!
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2017 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Brain Health – Foods and Brain Healthy Habits

General Health and Wellness, Mental Health, Neurology, , , , , , , , , ,

brainfood

I only get asked about this everyday, so let’s review keeping your brain healthy. Unfortunately too often some of you only ask at the point when early dementia or Alzheimer’s disease has begun to develop, but this is another example of an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure. Also, these requests often seem to be related to some internet promise of health based on some fad or miracle cure. Remember the Straight, No Chaser dictum: your health won’t be found in a bottle.
In a previous post about how your brain works, we pointed out that your brain consumes a tremendous proportion of the body’s oxygen supply. So to begin the conversation, just remember that a diet promoting good blood flow throughout the body promotes good blood flow to the brain. I wish I could convince you that a baseline level of brain health is just this simple: consume a diet low in fat and cholesterol. If you’re not clogging the arteries in the rest of your body, you won’t be clogging arteries in your brain. The same things you’re doing to avoid diabetes and hypertension will help you here.
As such let’s provide an overview to five basic principles to keep your brain healthy. If you adhere to these, you can save the money you’re spending on ginkgo biloba.

brain health protect

Reduce your fat and cholesterol intake
It’s as simple as already discussed. High intake of these foods promotes a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Try these specific tips.

  • Use olive oil instead of other saturated fats.
  • Bake or grill your food instead of frying it.

brain health foods

Eat foods shown to protect and promote brain health
I want to make this simple. If you’re eating dark-skinned fruits and/or vegetables, you’re being good to your brain. These foods tend to have the highest levels of antioxidants fighting off damage to your brain cells. Here are some specific examples of brain healthy foods. Try working them into your diet.

  • Fruits – blackberries, blueberries, cherries, oranges, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, red grapes and strawberries
  • Vegetables – alfalfa and Brussels sprouts, beets, broccoli, corn, eggplant, kale, onion, red bell pepper and spinach
  • Nuts – almonds, pecans and walnuts are a good source of vitamin E, another powerful antioxidant
  • Fish – halibut, mackerel, salmon, trout and tuna (all contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are brain healthy)

Vitamins
The best way to obtain brain-healthy vitamins is through a brain-healthy diet. Foods strong in vitamins E, C, B12 and folate appear to be important in lowering your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. It should come as no surprise that the foods listed above meet that criteria. You may not know that obtaining vitamins through your food appears to deliver what you need better than taking pills.

brain health activities

Exercise
If you’re keeping your heart strong and pumping blood efficiently throughout your body, your brain is getting its needed supply of oxygen and nutrients. Check this Straight, No Chaser on basic exercise tips.
Be social, Be a lifelong learner
Exercise your brain through social interactions with others, especially those that “stimulate your brain.” The diversity of experience keeps different parts of your brain active, alert, functioning and healthy. Learn a new skill or language. It’s almost as good as starting over!
Another Straight, No Chaser will focus on additional ways for you to engage your brain to keep it working and working well.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. As a thank you for being a valued subscriber to Straight, No Chaser, we’d like to offer you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.72hourslife.com. Receive introductory pricing with orders!
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2017 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Brain Health – How Your Brain Works

General Health and Wellness, Mental Health, Neurology, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

brain health fitness

Everyone at Straight, No Chaser and www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com is into brainpower. This is the first of a series of posts on brain health and brainpower. The purpose of these posts is to give you enough information to optimize, maximize and extend your brain health. Hopefully you’ve learned all this before (no pun intended), and we’re just reorganizing it for you.
The brain really is a fascinating organ; indeed it’s the body’s most powerful (with apologies to the heart; don’t be broken by the news). Despite jokes to the contrary, it only weighs about three pounds in the average person (I’d imagine many of you are inserting your own jokes about your favorite friends here…).

Brain Health

The brain has three major components:

  • The cerebrum is the area taking up most of the area in your skull. It controls thinking, problem solving, remembering, feeling and movement.
  • The cerebellum controls coordination and balance from its position in the back of the head, below the cerebrum.
  • The brain stem is also beneath the cerebrum but is in front of the cerebellum. The brain stem connects the brain to the spinal cord. It controls breathing, blood pressure, digestion and heart – functions you normally don’t have to “think” about (automatic functions).

You may be surprised to know about a quarter of your total blood supply nourishes your brain with each heartbeat. Your network of brain cells consists of billions of cells, and they extract approximately 20% of the oxygen and nutrients being carried by the blood. This amount can increase up to 50% depending on the brain’s level of activity. This is an immediate illustration of why brain health is so vital.

 CerebralCortex

Have you ever wondered why the brain has that wrinkled outer appearance? That area is called the cortex. The cortex roughly resembles a map corresponding to various functions. This area interprets sensations from within your body, and sights, sounds and smells from the outside world. It also helps you form and store memories, generate thoughts, make plans and solve problems. The cortex also controls voluntary movements.

left-right-brain-content 

Another common question about the brain relates to the differences between the left and right sides and what that has to do with people who are left-handed or right-handed. Here’s what is clear about the different halves of the brain.

  • The left half controls movement of the right side of the body, and the right half controls the left side of the body. Thus if you’re right-handed, you’re likely left-brain dominant.
  • In most people, the language area is mainly on the left.

 brain health neurons

All things considered, the adult brain has approximately 100 billion nerve cells, called neurons. Neurons are where the real work of your brain occurs. Via various branches, there are more than 100 trillion connections. This amazing and powerful network is called the neuron forest. This network of neurons is how we know to generate thoughts, feelings and memories. The individual “way stations” where chemicals (neurotransmitters) sent by neurons via electrical charges connect are called synapses. There are dozens of different types of neurotransmitters facilitating different levels of communication within the brain.

 brain health unhealthy brain

Functionally, this level of specificity is important to know at a general level because it sets the table for these additional considerations to be discussed in additional posts:

  • Good brain health keeps your brain working optimally.
  • Certain diseases (e.g. Alzheimer’s) destroy neurons and otherwise disrupt both the way electrical charges travel within cells and the activity of neurotransmitters.

This is a simplistic representation of how your brain organizes all the thoughts, activities, memories, skills and knowledge of self we have. Make the commitment to protect your brain. After all, it’s who you are.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Take the #72HoursChallenge, and join the community. As a thank you for being a valued subscriber to Straight, No Chaser, we’d like to offer you a complimentary 30-day membership at www.72hourslife.com. Just use the code #NoChaser, and yes, it’s ok if you share!
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new books There are 72 Hours in a Day: Using Efficiency to Better Enjoy Every Part of Your Life and The 72 Hours in a Day Workbook: The Journey to The 72 Hours Life in 72 Days at Amazon or at www.72hourslife.com. Receive introductory pricing with orders!
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2017 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Brain Health – Mental Gymnastics to Keep You Vibrant

General Health and Wellness, Mental Health, Neurology, Health Prevention, , , , , , ,

brain-exercise function

I always found it odd that we assume our brain will simply perform in every way we need it to once developed. It seems reasonable to me that if we choose to diet and exercise in an effort to maintain and build every other part of the body, we should be doing the same for our brains. Previous Straight, No Chaser posts have reviewed how the brain works and have addressed the basics of exercising and eating to best support your brain. We have also discussed sleep, which is another essential component of brain health.
This post will discuss activities for you to perform that will actively engage and grow your brain power. We will review several types of activities that work well to keep your brain working well.

brainbike

To start with, ask yourself to actually consider what you want to accomplish with your brain. Are you still in building mode, where you’re willing to continue to learn and grow, or are you fighting to maintain what you have (e.g. stem the tide of memory loss)? The difference in your answer may suggest the need to engage in more vs. less global brain development activities.
Consider certain passive and active activities that exercise your brain and functionally make you a lifelong student. Pick up a new hobby. Take a class. Build things.
Want another approach? Develop a part of your brain that you may not be using as much. Practice writing with your other hand. Learn to play an instrument.

brain exercise CrosswordPuzzles

Do you like games? Certain games hit the sweet spot of brain development. These include daily crosswords, puzzles, Rubik’s cubes and video games. However the best of all is chess. Playing chess stimulates many different areas of the brain; it’s worthwhile learning or continuing to play for brain health.
Are you more verbally inclined? Read, read, read (we recommend Behind the Curtain; we’ve heard it’s quite stimulating). Join a book club or chat room, and discuss what you’ve read. Increase your vocabulary by learning a new word a day. Learn a new language. Learn to write (don’t forget to proofread!).

brain exercise training

Learn to be an active user of your brain. Start by reducing or eliminating the most passive of your activities, such as watching TV; it’s mostly receptive and not very good for exercising your brain, unless you’re interacting with the program in some way. Plan your activities, and envision various scenarios. Break the monotony in your activities; instead of a routine, force yourself to choose differing options in your activities.
If you are interested in an organized approach to brain exercise, here are two sites that I’d highly recommend.
www.brain.aarp.org
www.luminosity.com
Whatever you choose to do, do something!
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2016 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Brain Health – Foods and Brain Healthy Habits

General Health and Wellness, Mental Health, Neurology, , , , , , , , ,

brainfood

I only get asked about this everyday, so let’s review keeping your brain healthy. Unfortunately too often some of you only ask at the point when early dementia or Alzheimer’s disease has begun to develop, but this is another example of an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure. Also, these requests often seem to be related to some internet promise of health based on some fad or miracle cure. Remember the Straight, No Chaser dictum: your health won’t be found in a bottle.
In a previous post about how your brain works, we pointed out that your brain consumes a tremendous proportion of the body’s oxygen supply. So to begin the conversation, just remember that a diet promoting good blood flow throughout the body promotes good blood flow to the brain. I wish I could convince you that a baseline level of brain health is just this simple: consume a diet low in fat and cholesterol. If you’re not clogging the arteries in the rest of your body, you won’t be clogging arteries in your brain. The same things you’re doing to avoid diabetes and hypertension will help you here.
As such let’s provide an overview to five basic principles to keep your brain healthy. If you adhere to these, you can save the money you’re spending on ginkgo biloba.

brain health protect

Reduce your fat and cholesterol intake
It’s as simple as already discussed. High intake of these foods promotes a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Try these specific tips.

  • Use olive oil instead of other saturated fats.
  • Bake or grill your food instead of frying it.

brain health foods

Eat foods shown to protect and promote brain health
I want to make this simple. If you’re eating dark-skinned fruits and/or vegetables, you’re being good to your brain. These foods tend to have the highest levels of antioxidants fighting off damage to your brain cells. Here are some specific examples of brain healthy foods. Try working them into your diet.

  • Fruits – blackberries, blueberries, cherries, oranges, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, red grapes and strawberries
  • Vegetables – alfalfa and Brussels sprouts, beets, broccoli, corn, eggplant, kale, onion, red bell pepper and spinach
  • Nuts – almonds, pecans and walnuts are a good source of vitamin E, another powerful antioxidant
  • Fish – halibut, mackerel, salmon, trout and tuna (all contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are brain healthy)

Vitamins
The best way to obtain brain-healthy vitamins is through a brain-healthy diet. Foods strong in vitamins E, C, B12 and folate appear to be important in lowering your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. It should come as no surprise that the foods listed above meet that criteria. You may not know that obtaining vitamins through your food appears to deliver what you need better than taking pills.

brain health activities

Exercise
If you’re keeping your heart strong and pumping blood efficiently throughout your body, your brain is getting its needed supply of oxygen and nutrients. Check this Straight, No Chaser on basic exercise tips.
Be social, Be a lifelong learner
Exercise your brain through social interactions with others, especially those that “stimulate your brain.” The diversity of experience keeps different parts of your brain active, alert, functioning and healthy. Learn a new skill or language. It’s almost as good as starting over!
Another Straight, No Chaser will focus on additional ways for you to engage your brain to keep it working and working well.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2016 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Brain Health – How Your Brain Works

General Health and Wellness, Mental Health, Neurology, , , , , , , , , , , ,

brain health fitness

Everyone at Straight, No Chaser and www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com is into brainpower. This is the first of a series of posts on brain health and brainpower. The purpose of these posts is to give you enough information to optimize, maximize and extend your brain health. Hopefully you’ve learned all this before (no pun intended), and we’re just reorganizing it for you.
The brain really is a fascinating organ; indeed it’s the body’s most powerful (with apologies to the heart; don’t be broken by the news). Despite jokes to the contrary, it only weighs about three pounds in the average person (I’d imagine many of you are inserting your own jokes about your favorite friends here…).

Brain Health

The brain has three major components:

  • The cerebrum is the area taking up most of the area in your skull. It controls thinking, problem solving, remembering, feeling and movement.
  • The cerebellum controls coordination and balance from its position in the back of the head, below the cerebrum.
  • The brain stem is also beneath the cerebrum but is in front of the cerebellum. The brain stem connects the brain to the spinal cord. It controls breathing, blood pressure, digestion and heart – functions you normally don’t have to “think” about (automatic functions).

You may be surprised to know about a quarter of your total blood supply nourishes your brain with each heartbeat. Your network of brain cells consists of billions of cells, and they extract approximately 20% of the oxygen and nutrients being carried by the blood. This amount can increase up to 50% depending on the brain’s level of activity. This is an immediate illustration of why brain health is so vital.

 CerebralCortex

Have you ever wondered why the brain has that wrinkled outer appearance? That area is called the cortex. The cortex roughly resembles a map corresponding to various functions. This area interprets sensations from within your body, and sights, sounds and smells from the outside world. It also helps you form and store memories, generate thoughts, make plans and solve problems. The cortex also controls voluntary movements.

left-right-brain-content 

Another common question about the brain relates to the differences between the left and right sides and what that has to do with people who are left handed or right handed. Here’s what is clear about the different halves of the brain.

  • The left half controls movement of the right side of the body, and the right half controls the left side of the body. Thus if you’re right-handed, you’re likely left-brain dominant.
  • In most people, the language area is mainly on the left.

 brain health neurons

All things considered, the adult brain has approximately 100 billion nerve cells, called neurons. Neurons are where the real work of your brain occurs. Via various branches, there are more than 100 trillion connections. This amazing and powerful network is called the neuron forest. This network of neurons is how we know to generate thoughts, feelings and memories. The individual “way stations” where chemicals (neurotransmitters) sent by neurons via electrical charges connect are called synapses. There are dozens of different types of neurotransmitters facilitating different levels of communication within the brain.

 brain health unhealthy brain

Functionally, this level of specificity is important to know at a general level because it sets the table for these additional considerations to be discussed in additional posts:

  • Good brain health keeps your brain working optimally.
  • Certain diseases (e.g. Alzheimer’s) destroy neurons and otherwise disrupt both the way electrical charges travel within cells and the activity of neurotransmitters.

This is a simplistic representation of how your brain organizes all the thoughts, activities, memories, skills and knowledge of self we have. Make the commitment to protect your brain. After all, it’s who you are.
Feel free to ask your SMA expert consultant any questions you may have on this topic.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2016 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress

Straight, No Chaser: Brain Health – Mental Gymnastics to Keep You Vibrant

General Health and Wellness, Neurology, Health Prevention, , , , , , ,

brain-exercise function

I always found it odd that we assume our brain will simply perform in every way we need it to once developed. It seems reasonable to me that if we choose to diet and exercise in an effort to maintain and build every other part of the body, we should be doing the same for our brains. Previous Straight, No Chaser posts have reviewed how the brain works and have addressed the basics of exercising and eating to best support your brain. We have also discussed sleep, which is another essential component of brain health.
This post will discuss activities for you to perform that will actively engage and grow your brain power. We will review several types of activities that work well to keep your brain working well.

brainbike

To start with, ask yourself to actually consider what you want to accomplish with your brain. Are you still in building mode, where you’re willing to continue to learn and grow, or are you fighting to maintain what you have (e.g. stem the tide of memory loss)? The difference in your answer may suggest the need to engage in more vs. less global brain development activities.
Consider certain passive and active activities that exercise your brain and functionally make you a lifelong student. Pick up a new hobby. Take a class. Build things.
Want another approach? Develop a part of your brain that you may not be using as much. Practice writing with your other hand. Learn to play an instrument.

brain exercise CrosswordPuzzles

Do you like games? Certain games hit the sweet spot of brain development. These include daily crosswords, puzzles, Rubik’s cubes and video games. However the best of all is chess. Playing chess stimulates many different areas of the brain; it’s worthwhile learning or continuing to play for brain health.
Are you more verbally inclined? Read, read, read (we recommend Behind the Curtain; we’ve heard it’s quite stimulating). Join a book club or chat room, and discuss what you’ve read. Increase your vocabulary by learning a new word a day. Learn a new language. Learn to write (don’t forget to proofread!).

brain exercise training

Learn to be an active user of your brain. Start by reducing or eliminating the most passive of your activities, such as watching TV; it’s mostly receptive and not very good for exercising your brain, unless you’re interacting with the program in some way. Plan your activities, and envision various scenarios. Break the monotony in your activities; instead of a routine, force yourself to choose differing options in your activities.
If you are interested in an organized approach to brain exercise, here are two sites that I’d highly recommend.
www.brain.aarp.org
www.luminosity.com
Whatever you choose to do, do something!
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright, Sterling Initiatives, LLC. 2013-2015

Straight, No Chase: Brain Health – Foods and Brain Healthy Habits

General Health and Wellness, , , , , , , , ,

brainfood

I only get asked about this everyday, so let’s review keeping your brain healthy. Unfortunately too often some of you only ask at the point when early dementia or Alzheimer’s disease has begun to develop, but this is another example of an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure. Also, these requests often seem to be related to some internet promise of health based on some fad or miracle cure. Remember the Straight, No Chaser dictim: your health won’t be found in a bottle.
In a previous post about how your brain works, we pointed out that your brain consumes a tremendous proportion of the body’s oxygen supply. So to begin the conversation, just remember that a diet promoting good blood flow throughout the body promotes good blood flow to the brain. I wish I could convince you that a baseline level of brain health is just this simple: consume a diet low in fat and cholesterol. If you’re not clogging the arteries in the rest of your body, you won’t be clogging arteries in your brain. The same things you’re doing to avoid diabetes and hypertension will help you here.
As such let’s provide an overview to five basic principles to keep your brain healthy. If you adhere to these, you can save the money you’re spending on ginkgo biloba.

brain health protect

Reduce your fat and cholesterol intake
It’s as simple as already discussed. High intake of these foods promotes a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Try these specific tips.

  • Use olive oil instead of other saturated fats.
  • Bake or grill your food instead of frying it.

brain health foods

Eat foods shown to protect and promote brain health
I want to make this simple. If you’re eating dark-skinned fruits and/or vegetables, you’re doing good by your brain. These foods tend to have the highest levels of antioxidants fighting off damage to your brain cells. Here are some specific examples of brain healthy foods. Try working them into your diet.

  • Fruits – blackberries, blueberries, cherries, oranges, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, red grapes and strawberries
  • Vegetables – alfalfa and Brussels sprouts, beets, broccoli, corn, eggplant, kale, onion, red bell pepper and spinach
  • Nuts – almonds, pecans and walnuts are a good source of vitamin E, another powerful antioxidant
  • Fish – halibut, mackerel, salmon, trout and tuna (all contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are brain healthy)

Vitamins
The best way to obtain brain-healthy vitamins is through a brain-healthy diet. Foods strong in vitamins E, C, B12 and folate appear to be important in lowering your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. It should come as no surprise that the foods listed above meet that criteria. You may not know that obtaining vitamins through your food appears to deliver what you need better than taking pills.

brain health activities

Exercise
If you’re keeping your heart strong and pumping blood efficiently throughout your body, your brain is getting its needed supply of oxygen and nutrients. Check this Straight, No Chaser on basic exercise tips.
Be social, Be a lifelong learner
Exercise your brain through social interactions with others, especially those that “stimulate your brain.” The diversity of experience keeps different parts of your brain active, alert, functioning and healthy. Learn a new skill or language. It’s almost as good as starting over!
Another Straight, No Chaser will focus on additional ways for you to engage your brain to keep it working and working well.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright, Sterling Initiatives, LLC. 2013-2015

Straight, No Chaser: Brain Health – How Your Brain Works

General Health and Wellness, Mental Health, Neurology, , , , , , , , , , , ,

brain health fitness

Everyone at Straight, No Chaser and www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com is into brainpower. This is the first of a series of posts on brain health and brainpower. The purpose of these posts is to give you enough information to optimize, maximize and extend your brain health. Hopefully you’ve learned all this before (no pun intended), and we’re just reorganizing it for you.
The brain really is a fascinating organ; indeed it’s the body’s most powerful (with apologies to the heart; don’t be broken by the news). Despite jokes to the contrary, it only weighs about three pounds in the average person (I’d imagine many of you are inserting your own jokes about your favorite friends here…).

Brain Health

The brain has three major components:

  • The cerebrum is the area taking up most of the area in your skull. It controls thinking, problem solving, remembering, feeling and movement.
  • The cerebellum controls coordination and balance from its position in the back of the head, below the cerebrum.
  • The brain stem is also beneath the cerebrum but is in front of the cerebellum. The brain stem connects the brain to the spinal cord. It controls breathing, blood pressure, digestion and heart – functions you normally don’t have to “think” about (automatic functions).

You may be surprised to know about a quarter of your total blood supply nourishes your brain with each heartbeat. Your network of brain cells consists of billions of cells, and they extract approximately 20% of the oxygen and nutrients being carried by the blood. This amount can increase up to 50% depending on the brain’s level of activity. This is an immediate illustration of why brain health is so vital.

 CerebralCortex

Have you ever wondered why the brain has that wrinkled outer appearance? That area is called the cortex. The cortex roughly resembles a map corresponding to various functions. This area interprets sensations from within your body, and sights, sounds and smells from the outside world. It also helps you form and store memories, generate thoughts, make plans and solve problems. The cortex also controls voluntary movements.

left-right-brain-content 

Another common question about the brain relates to the differences between the left and right sides and what that has to do with people who are left handed or right handed. Here’s what is clear about the different halves of the brain.

  • The left half controls movement of the right side of the body, and the right half controls the left side of the body. Thus if you’re right-handed, you’re likely left-brain dominant.
  • In most people, the language area is mainly on the left.

 brain health neurons

All things considered, the adult brain has approximately 100 billion nerve cells, called neurons. Neurons are where the real work of your brain occurs. Via various branches, there are more than 100 trillion connections. This amazing and powerful network is called the neuron forest. This network of neurons is how we know to generate thoughts, feelings and memories. The individual “way stations” where chemicals (neurotransmitters) sent by neurons via electrical charges connect are called synapses. There are dozens of different types of neurotransmitters facilitating different levels of communication within the brain.

 brain health unhealthy brain

Functionally, this level of specificity is important to know at a general level because it sets the table for these additional considerations to be discussed in additional posts:

  • Good brain health keeps your brain working optimally.
  • Certain diseases (e.g. Alzheimer’s) destroy neurons and otherwise disrupt both the way electrical charges travel within cells and the activity of neurotransmitters.

This is a simplistic representation of how your brain organizes all the thoughts, activities, memories, skills and knowledge of self we have. Make the commitment to protect your brain. After all, it’s who you are.
Order your copy of Dr. Sterling’s new book Behind The Curtain: A Peek at Life from within the ER at jeffreysterlingbooks.com, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes and Nobles and wherever books are sold.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright, Sterling Initiatives, LLC. 2013-2015

Straight, No Chaser: Superfoods – The Battle of Antioxidants and Free Radicals

Diet and Nutrition, General Health and Wellness, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Antioxidants
People engage in a lot of fads and off the wall activity to pursue health instead of following tried and true principles of basic science. One thing that I wish didn’t fit that trend is use of supplemental antioxidants. Before talking about using antioxidants, this Straight, No Chaser will discuss why they’re necessary.
Free radicals are like the Tasmanian Devil. These molecules are byproducts of many activities that create cell damage. Think about cigarette smoke, trauma (even vigorous exercise), excessive heat and sunlight (and its radiation), to name a few examples. The process of creating and releasing these molecules is called oxidation. The key point is free radicals are unstable and too many of them lead to a process called oxidative stress. This process is implicated in the development of many illnesses, including Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, cataracts and other eye diseases, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are substances that prevent or delay cell damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants may be natural or artificial (e.g. man-made). The healthy diets we’re always asking you to eat (e.g. those high in fruits and vegetables) contain lots of antioxidants; in fact this has a lot to do with why we believe they’re good for us. Superfoods are those especially rich sources of antioxidants, as illustrated above.
Of course, now you can get many forms of antioxidants in pills. That’s where things get a little less certain. Logically, you’d think that if some antioxidants are good, a lot would be better, and they would really be effective against free radicals. Furthermore, you’d think a convenient and efficient way of doing this would be putting a lot of antioxidants in a pill. Unfortunately, medical science (including over 100,000 people studied) has shown this not to be as simplistic as our logic would have us believe. I can’t say this any simpler. Antioxidant supplements have not been shown to be helpful in preventing disease. In fact, high-dose supplementation has been shown to have harmful effects, including increasing the risks of lung and prostate cancer. In short, our body doesn’t function in as linear a manner as we would like to think.
Here’s your take home message: We have yet proven that we’re able to cheat Mother Nature. You will not find your health in a bottle. Diet and exercise remain the champions of the battle of pursuing good health. Get your antioxidants the old fashioned way – in your fruits and veggies. Here’s a nice chart for your reference.
Top-Antioxidants
 
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) and 844-SMA-TALK offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, like us on Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and follow us on Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2015 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC

Straight, No Chase: Brain Health – Foods and Brain Healthy Habits

General Health and Wellness, Neurology, , , , ,

brainfood

We receive many inquires about keeping your brain healthy. Unfortunately too often those requests come at the point when early dementia or Alzheimer’s disease has begun to develop. Also, these requests often seem to be related to some internet promise of health based on some fad or miracle cure. Remember the Straight, No Chaser dictim: your health won’t be found in a bottle.
In a previous post about how your brain works, we pointed out that your brain consumes a tremendous proportion of the body’s oxygen supply. So to begin the conversation, just remember that a diet promoting good blood flow throughout the body promotes good blood flow to the brain. I wish I could convince you that a baseline level of brain health is just this simple: consume a diet low in fat and cholesterol. If you’re not clogging the arteries in the rest of your body, you won’t be clogging arteries in your brain. The same things you’re doing to avoid diabetes and hypertension will help you here.
As such let’s provide an overview to five basic principles to keep your brain healthy. If you adhere to these, you can save the money you’re spending on ginkgo biloba.

brain health protect

Reduce your fat and cholesterol intake
It’s as simple as already discussed. High intake of these foods promotes a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Try these specific tips.

  • Use olive oil instead of other saturated fats.
  • Bake or grill your food instead of frying it.

brain health foods

Eat foods shown to protect and promote brain health
I want to make this simple. If you’re eating dark-skinned fruits and/or vegetables, you’re doing good by your brain. These foods tend to have the highest levels of antioxidants fighting off damage to your brain cells. Here are some specific examples of brain healthy foods. Try working them into your diet.

  • Fruits – blackberries, blueberries, cherries, oranges, plums, prunes, raisins, raspberries, red grapes and strawberries
  • Vegetables – alfalfa and Brussels sprouts, beets, broccoli, corn, eggplant, kale, onion, red bell pepper and spinach
  • Nuts – almonds, pecans and walnuts are a good source of vitamin E, another powerful antioxidant
  • Fish – halibut, mackerel, salmon, trout and tuna (all contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are brain healthy)

Vitamins
The best way to obtain brain-healthy vitamins is through a brain-healthy diet. Foods strong in vitamins E, C, B12 and folate appear to be important in lowering your risk of developing Alzheimer’s. It should come as no surprise that the foods listed above meet that criteria. You may not know that obtaining vitamins through your food appears to deliver what you need better than taking pills.

brain health activities

Exercise
If you’re keeping your heart strong and pumping blood efficiently throughout your body, your brain is getting its needed supply of oxygen and nutrients. Check this Straight, No Chaser on basic exercise tips.
Be social, Be a lifelong learner
Exercise your brain through social interactions with others, especially those that “stimulate your brain.” The diversity of experience keeps different parts of your brain active, alert, functioning and healthy. Learn a new skill or language. It’s almost as good as starting over!
Another Straight, No Chaser will focus on additional ways for you to engage your brain to keep it working and working well.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what 844-SMA-TALK and http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress.

Straight, No Chaser: Brain Health – How Your Brain Works

General Health and Wellness, Mental Health, Neurology, , , , , , , , , , ,

brain health fitness

Everyone at Straight, No Chaser and www.sterlingmedicaladvice.com is into brainpower. This is the first of a series of posts on brain health and brainpower. The purpose of these posts is to give you enough information to optimize, maximize and extend your brain health. Hopefully you’ve learned all this before (no pun intended), and we’re just reorganizing it for you.
The brain really is a fascinating organ; indeed it’s the body’s most powerful (with apologies to the heart; don’t be broken by the news). Despite jokes to the contrary, it only weighs about three pounds in the average person (I’d imagine many of you are inserting your own jokes about your favorite friends here…).

Brain Health

The brain has three major components:

  • The cerebrum is the area taking up most of the area in your skull. It controls thinking, problem solving, remembering, feeling and movement.
  • The cerebellum controls coordination and balance from its position in the back of the head, below the cerebrum.
  • The brain stem is also beneath the cerebrum but is in front of the cerebellum. The brain stem connects the brain to the spinal cord. It controls breathing, blood pressure, digestion and heart – functions you normally don’t have to “think” about (automatic functions).

You may be surprised to know about a quarter of your total blood supply nourishes your brain with each heartbeat. Your network of brain cells consists of billions of cells, and they extract approximately 20% of the oxygen and nutrients being carried by the blood. This amount can increase up to 50% depending on the brain’s level of activity. This is an immediate illustration of why brain health is so vital.

 CerebralCortex

Have you ever wondered why the brain has that wrinkled outer appearance? That area is called the cortex. The cortex roughly resembles a map corresponding to various functions. This area interprets sensations from within your body, and sights, sounds and smells from the outside world. It also helps you form and store memories, generate thoughts, make plans and solve problems. The cortex also controls voluntary movements.

left-right-brain-content 

Another common question about the brain relates to the differences between the left and right sides and what that has to do with people who are left handed or right handed. Here’s what is clear about the different halves of the brain.

  • The left half controls movement of the right side of the body, and the right half controls the left side of the body. Thus if you’re right-handed, you’re likely left-brain dominant.
  • In most people, the language area is mainly on the left.

 brain health neurons

All things considered, the adult brain has approximately 100 billion nerve cells, called neurons. Neurons are where the real work of your brain occurs. Via various branches, there are more than 100 trillion connections. This amazing and powerful network is called the neuron forest. This network of neurons is how we know to generate thoughts, feelings and memories. The individual “way stations” where chemicals (neurotransmitters) sent by neurons via electrical charges connect are called synapses. There are dozens of different types of neurotransmitters facilitating different levels of communication within the brain.

 brain health unhealthy brain

Functionally, this level of specificity is important to know at a general level because it sets the table for these additional considerations to be discussed in additional posts:

  • Good brain health keeps your brain working optimally.
  • Certain diseases (e.g. Alzheimer’s) destroy neurons and otherwise disrupt both the way electrical charges travel within cells and the activity of neurotransmitters.

This is a simplistic representation of how your brain organizes all the thoughts, activities, memories, skills and knowledge of self we have. Make the commitment to protect your brain. After all, it’s who you are.
Thanks for liking and following Straight, No Chaser! This public service provides a sample of what 844-SMA-TALK and http://www.SterlingMedicalAdvice.com (SMA) offers. Please share our page with your friends on WordPress, Facebook @ SterlingMedicalAdvice.com and Twitter at @asksterlingmd.
Copyright © 2014 · Sterling Initiatives, LLC · Powered by WordPress.