Keep Your Brain Fit

Is your brain as

sharp, clear & powerful

as it could be?

14

SEPTEMBER, 2017

Let’s just state the obvious: we are living in a hyper-paced time and stress has nearly become normal for anyone, be it for the job, the relationships, children, marriage, finances, uncertainty of the future, etc….. In the end, our Health, the Nerve System and Brain are taking the greatest toll, sometimes because of reduced hours of sleep (you can read more here), and/or sometimes because of bad eating habits. Hyper-paced usually means setting priorities because of many tasks at hand. Again usually that means many people cannot give enough priority to cooking wholesome & healthy meals.

But what if you could feel energized with a mind that is clear, sharp and powerful while juggling all the demands life throws you, and what if your lunch could make you healthier and happier?

Well, let us explore how you can keep your Brain FIT, targeting first the foundation of it all, “how to improve your Health & Happiness.”

Eating more veggies & fruit makes you HAPPIER

A recent large study with 12,000 persons, done over the period of two years, showed that people who eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, did improve their level of happiness (!) and overall well-being. The one thing that became apparent though is that this lifestyle took time to make the person healthier. It did not happen within one week or one month, but over 6 to 12 months. Amazingly though, the participants of the study all declared that they felt happier after just 2 weeks of eating lots of vegetables & fruits. “Eating fruit and vegetables apparently boosts our happiness far more quickly than it improves human health,” said co-author Redzo Mujcic, one of the fellow researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia.

Variety is Key

But here comes the trick! Without variety you won’t reap the benefits….in other words, eating a real diversity of veggies & fruits is Key to Good Health. The more varied you eat in fruits, vegetables and salads (like 40 to 45 different produce per week), the greater the benefit for your health & overall well-being!

Choices of fresh & wholesome vegetables

The link to the Brain?

What does this have to do with the brain? A lot actually. There are many studies that have proven the direct link between diet & brain health. For example, a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology suggests that a good intake of vitamin E might help to prevent cognitive decline, particularly in the elderly. Nuts are a great source of vitamin E along with leafy green vegetables, asparagus, olives, seeds, eggs, brown rice and wholegrains overall.

Low Glycemic & how Broccoli keeps your memory sharp

Talking about wholegrains there is more to the story: like everything else in your body, the brain cannot work without energy. The ability to concentrate and focus comes from an adequate, steady supply of energy – in the form of glucose in our blood to the brain. Achieve this by choosing wholegrains with a low Glycemic Index and stay away from white processed grains, flours & pasta. Whole grains release glucose slowly into the bloodstream (which is extra important for persons with Diabetes), keeping you mentally alert throughout the day.

Another food example is Broccoli. It is a great source of vitamin K, which is known to enhance cognitive function and improve brainpower. Researchers have reported that because broccoli is high in compounds called glucosinolates, it can slow the breakdown of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, which we need for the central nervous system to perform properly and to keep our brains and our memories sharp. Low levels of acetylcholine are, for example, associated with Alzheimer’s disease too.

But let’s admit it, life is not always perfect! Therefore, we strongly recommend that when your diet is unbalanced for whatever reason, you may want to consider a multivitamin and mineral complex and an omega-3 fatty acid supplement to help make up for what you’re missing.

“Inflammation in the body can trigger an immune reaction in the brain cells (release of cytokines and toxins). These toxins are proven to diminish mental capabilities, especially memory.”

Keeping your Brain FIT

This hyper-paced lifestyle has brought another trend around. Science, driven by a huge interest, started to look into what specifically can make our brain fitter, sharper & clearer. Most of the time, researchers examine first what nature has to offer before they extract or isolate their findings to produce a specific synthetic version in the laboratory.

There is a fairly long list of specific herbs, phytonutrients, vitamins & minerals that build the foundation for a healthy brain, in structure, function, capacity and more. This trend is becoming more and more mainstream and aims to boost & build greater brain powers in order to get more out of the day. In other words, how to make the brain sharper, more focused, more productive, and energized, and sometimes also including how to make you less anxious and stressed.

While we stay away from chemical substances, but support natural brain boosting & protecting phytonutrients, it is not easy to find a solid, safe and healthy formula that still works beautifully for a stronger, sharper & clearer brain. The reason why we are not just listing singular components, but a formula is because a variety of nutrients work best together synergistically. In other words, when taken together they are not just adding on, but increasing each other’s benefits! Of course, this formula has been tested thoroughly, is safe to take, and will both nourish & protect your brain to give you solid energy, phytonutrients, powerful antioxidants, and full-range adaptogenic herbs.

By listing below the ingredients we will state how they impact memory, mood, productivity, etc. or how they protect against stress, mental decline, depression or anxiety. You will also find the relevant references, major clinical studies or in-depth research papers listed. So here we go:

Lime or Lemon are both alkalizing the body.

Brain Boosting & Protecting Ingredients

MTC (Medium Chain Triglycerides, also called MCFA): easy to digest, not used to store fat, but converted by the liver into ketones; this is an alternative source to fuel the brain cells so that you can think more clearly. They improve mood, balance hormone levels, increase metabolism, and more… (read one of many studies here and here.)

On an important side note: Solid amounts of good fats are part of keeping the brain strong, specifically with omega 3 fatty acids! Most cooks or restaurants worry just with the price & profit. They choose inferior refined & hydrogenated oils, instead of choosing QUALITY and yes, more expensive oils! For your health, your body & the brain though, it makes all the difference!! We cannot stress enough the importance to stay away from all refined, hydrogenated vegetable oils, especially the ones grown in the USA, like for example corn oil, vegetable oil, soy oil, or canola oil …Since more than 90% of all corn, soy, and canola crops in the United States are genetically modified ones, the oil you buy falls also under genetically modified foods. These expose you to serious long-term health effects; in short, the pesticide used for GM crops is round-up, its active ingredient is glyphosate. Read some of the research here and here and here or here or here.

Be careful to use only good sources of fat, e.g. coconut oil, flaxseed, sesame seed, grapeseed oil, or real extra virgin olive oil and for salads you can also use specialty oils, like walnut, hazelnut, pumpkin seed or almond oil……

High Vitamin B-complex: major player to lower stress, for healthy function of nerve & brain cells, for good mood and memory, to stay energized throughout the day. See one study as an example here and here.
Vitamin C as grapefruit extract & lemon bioflavonoids: boosts immune system, improves IQ and memory, plus sustains alertness & energy. See one of many studies here.
Ginseng Root (panax ginseng): lowers stress (cortisol) significantly, improves mood, improves mental performance, like thinking, concentration, and memory; strongly anti-inflammatory. See studies here and here.
Co-enzyme Q10 (ubiquinone): important antioxidant, lowers fatigue & boosts stamina, improves cognitive & brain functions, slows down effects of aging. See one of many studies here.
D-Ribose: vital to produce energy for brain, heart, muscles, and every tissue in body.
Cacao Fruit Extract: improves mood, protects brain, anti-inflammatory, and very high anti-oxidants. See interesting study here.
Guarana Seed standardized extract: increases energy, reduces mental & physical fatigue, increases mental alertness, helps with headaches, plus burns fat cells. Click here for an interesting study.
L-Theanine (from Chinese green tea): relieves stress & anxiety, protects brain cells (i.e.metals, esp. aluminum), promotes cognitive function, improves alertness & focus. See an interesting study here.
Eleuthero root concentrate: boosts energy, improves mental clarity, better focus & memory, reduces irritation, strong anti-oxidant, improves immune function. See a study here.
Rhodiola root concentrate: stimulates brain activity & mental work capacity, lowers cortisol & stress, improves brain function within short time, plus it fights depression. Click here for one of many solid studies.
Ashwagandha root extract: great stress reliever, improves adrenal function, reduces brain cell degeneration, combats anxiety & depression, plus it increases stamina & endurance. See one study here and here
Inositol: vital for good nerve cell communication, increases mood, productivity, ability to handle stress, improves learning and memory.
Choline (together with Inositol a powerful combination): improves memory, cognition, alertness, mental energy, anti-inflammatory. Look at an interesting article here.
L-Glutathione: very important antioxidant, boosts immune function, decreases stress, works best in combination with vitamin B-complex. See a study here.

We all know that research papers or clinical studies prove only that there is a significant effect, but they do not give you the experience. If you are intrigued by what you have read, just give us a Call. Order the Keep Your Brain Fit package, consisting of our HAPPY vegetarian lunch in an eco-friendly lunchbox (click here to see the menu), plus 2x capsules of ALL Day Energy, and see what it will do for your Focus, Memory & Anti-Stress, ALL Day Long.

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