Maintaining Your BRAIN

With the month of May representing Mental Health Awareness Month, what better way to celebrate than to focus on the impact of brain health on our daily lives. Given that the brain isn’t VISIBLE to the human eye, in the same way as excess weight or wrinkles on the skin may be, we often NEGLECT giving the brain what it needs to thrive and prevent degenerative diseases.

When it comes to mental health, we have to take a BIG-PICTURE view; we cannot overlook our overall state of health. By approaching health in a holistic way, we see that diseases such as depression, Alzheimer's and obesity are actually all INTERRELATED diseases that are simply different EXPRESSIONS of the same unhealthy lifestyle.

To address one is to address all of them, and to do so, we must look at biological, psychological, social and spiritual factors.

LIFESTYLE FACTORS TO ADDRESS:

+ BIOLOGICAL - diet, exercise, sleep, hormones, health, brain injuries, allergies and toxins

+ PSYCHOLOGICAL - how you think, self-talk, body image, upbringing, developmental events, and any past emotional traumas

+ SOCIAL - your connections and who you spend your time with

+ SPIRITUAL - your life meaning, your WHY, your purpose, why you care, and your values/beliefs

Our society is heading in the WRONG direction and the main culprit is the media and the stream of damaging, processed food products that are constantly being advertised to children and adults alike.

Alzheimer’s disease is a PROGRESSIVE disease, meaning it worsens with time in scope and/or severity. It is the most common type of DEMENTIA, a general term for the decline in one’s mental capability, and usually leads to a reduced ability to remember, think, judge, speak or find words, problem solve, move or express themselves.

There are now four stages of Alzheimer’s: Normal Cognitive Function, Preclinical Stage (where there are no obvious symptoms but the brain itself is deteriorating), Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Severe Alzheimer’s. In the EARLY stages, it can interfere with simple day-to-day tasks, while in the LATER stages can lead to someone depending entirely on others to complete basic tasks.

ALZHEIMER'S disease is expected to TRIPLE in the next 25 years, with no cure on the horizon. The disease itself begins to develop 30 years BEFORE any symptoms arise and it affects over 50% of people over age 85. This is why it is so crucial to NOT WAIT to get SERIOUS about your health. You don’t have TIME to wait and we CANNOT POSTPONE getting well, because by the time you’re symptomatic, it will be too late.

The best way to PREVENT Alzheimer’s is to decrease illnesses that increase the risk of it, such as obesity, depression, heart disease, diabetes and sleep apnea. DEPRESSION is one of the greatest killers of our time, affecting over 50 million Americans at some point or another. If you’re experiencing bouts of depression, the FIRST thing to do is to seek out help. It is also VITAL that you work to get your diet right and your hormones properly balanced, so that you can boost your mood and reduce symptoms that are present.

Not only is depression a risk factor for Alzheimer’s, but it is often also a precursor for heart disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. OBESITY is a serious national crisis, with two-thirds of the population considered to be “overweight” and one-third being “obese.” Obesity is a contributing factor to over 30 mental illness, including Alzheimer’s, depression, cancer and diabetes, and for the FIRST time in our country’s history we are on track to have a generation of children with a SHORTER lifespan than their parents.

We HAVE to start to see Alzheimer’s, depression and obesity not as SEPARATE disorders, but manifestations of disease that are ONE AND THE SAME, all of which STEM from an UNHEALTHY LIFESTYLE.

As weight increases, the actual physical size and function of the brain DECREASES. When your body stores excess fat, your ability to think and reason diminishes not only because fat stores harmful toxins, but it also increases inflammatory cytokines, which directly damage brain function. Repeatedly CHOOSING to make unhealthy decisions that PURPOSELY damage your brain and body are NOT signs of self-love, but rather self-loathing. When you make poor health decisions, it actually damages and results in less matter in the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for forethought, judgment, empathy, impulse control, organization and planning, and learning from any mistakes made. Therefore, the more weight gained, the more damage done, and the greater impairment you will experience when it comes to making decisions and being the best YOU you can be. There is NO AGE where it is okay to NOT be healthy, period.

On the other hand, when you choose do the right thing and make healthy decisions you don’t feel deprived or that you “have to make those choices” but you reframe it to the perspective “if you don’t make those choices then you won’t be able to think or feel properly.” When you see health from this ADVANTAGEOUS point of view, you actually WANT to make those good choices, not only for your current self but your future self, as well.

WHAT ACCELERATES BRAIN AGING:

+ injuries

+ drugs

+ alcohol

+ obesity

+ sleep apnea

+ smoking

+ caffeine

+ diabetes

+ hypertension

+ poor diet

+ lack of exercise

+ exposure to toxins

+ excess caloric intake

+ bad decisions

+ low contentiousness

+ unhealthy peer group

+ not being connected to your purpose

+ not knowing your brain’s vulnerability

WHAT DECELERATES BRAIN AGING:

+ good decisions

+ contentiousness

+ positive peer group

+ protecting the brain

+ clean environment

+ physical health

+ healthy weight

+ 8 hours of sleep

+ new learning

+ great diet

+ wise calorie spending

+ exercise

+ gratitude

+ stress management

+ omega 3s

+ green tea

Your brain is involved in EVERYTHING that you do — how you THINK, how you FEEL, how you ACT and how you INTERACT. It is the organ of intelligence, character, planning and decisions; it is the hardware of your SOUL. If you don’t PROTECT it you purely aren’t going to act as moral, loving and kind. When your brain has trouble, you have trouble in your life, but when your brain works right, you work right. A healthy brain means a HAPPIER, physically HEALTHIER, WEALTHIER, & WISER YOU.

Xx, Leah Kutsch P.S. Keeping IIN Touch