The Incredible Brain – And How to Keep Yours Working

Your Brain Repair Program

by Dr. Scott Saunders

The brain is arguably your most important organ. Primarily because it controls everything else. Compared to all the other tissues of the body, it uses the most energy and circulation by far. What’s more, a hard shell protects the brain, which sits in water for added shock-absorption.

It is important to protect your brain in other ways, as well. The “blood-brain barrier” prevents unwanted material, like viruses and bacteria in the blood, from crossing over into the brain tissue. The brain even requires a very specific protein to transport glucose to itself from the blood. Clearly it is important to protect your brain!

However, in spite of all this protection, so many of us have brain dysfunctions, such as:

• Loss of memory
• Dementia, like Alzheimer’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Strokes
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Pain
• Gradual brain shrinkage

In fact, half of all Americans who reach the age of 85 have Alzheimer’s disease. [1] How can all this happen if the brain is so well-protected?

Even though the array of factors that can cause brain dysfunction is vast, I want to provide you with the most potent brain-protecting information.

The most important issues for the brain are:

• Nutrition
• Energy production
• Free-radicals
• Toxins
• Exercise

Nutrition for the Brain

The brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and sugar for energy. In fact, every essential nutrient is used to fuel the brain. Amino acids that come from the protein you eat are the building blocks of your brain’s network. They help make your neurotransmitters.

If your brain is lacking amino acids, then the deficiency reflects in emotional and behavioral dysfunction. Click to Tweet.

If your brain becomes malnourished from low oxygen, lack of nutrients, or toxins, then it atrophies and you lose brainpower. Some of the brain cells may die, but they can also go into an unconscious state, called “senescence.”

The brain functions that are lost first are the non-essential ones, such as memory. The essential functions of muscle control, and sensory input are the last to be affected. Thus, a loss of memory may be an early sign of a lack of energy to the brain. Just as our brain influences our health, so our health influences our brain.

What Causes the Brain to Atrophy

1. Lack of oxygen

1. Smoking
2. Lack of exercise
3. Carbon monoxide poisoning
4. Vascular disease
5. Strokes

2. Lack of nutrients

1. Proteins due to diet or poor digestion
2. Good fats
3. B-vitamins (especially folate and B12)
4. Anti-oxidants
5. Magnesium, zinc, and trace minerals

3. Toxins

• Alcohol
• Aspartame (and other sweeteners)
• MSG
• Caffeine
• Stimulants
• Sugar
• Heavy metals:
  – Mercury
  – Lead
  – Arsenic
  – Aluminum
• Drugs/medications
  – Sleeping pills
  – Allergy medications
  – Cholesterol medication
  – Pain medications
  – Depression medications

 4. Inflammation

The above factors (such as cigarette smoking, medications, obesity, disrupted sleep patterns and poor dietary habits) compromise the integrity of your brain. These irritants stimulate inflammation.

The brain is particularly susceptible to oxidative damage. Energy is generated from food, and regulates growth and change of cells. Too much energy for the brain causes oxidation, damage, or “rust.”

For example, when you have a nice car, you wash and wax it regularly so the paint doesn’t oxidize. Oxidation occurs when energy from the sun and oxygen combine and break down the molecular structure of the paint.

There is no way for the car paint to protect itself. So we keep the car in the garage, put a cover on it, or wax it regularly. The wax absorbs the energy, oxidizes, and comes off – then we replace it. You may not like to wax your car, but it’s better than replacing the paint!

Likewise energy is generated from food, and regulates growth and change of brain cells. Too much energy causes oxidative damage by “oxygen free-radicals.” These are high-energy molecules that damage everything they touch – like the sun. They are especially dangerous to DNA because the damage may cause entire loss of the cell. Losing brain cells is not good for memory! Research has shown that simply eating too many calories can increase the amount of damaging molecules like free radicals that can build up in the brain.[2] When these dangerous little free radical particles become too numerous for the brain to remove, they can lead to problems in cognitive function, death of neurons, premature aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia.

All aging is caused by damage to DNA in different cell types of the body. But the brain is especially sensitive to damage because brain cells don’t divide or regenerate. That decay is evident in brain tissue with selective loss of brain cells in areas associated with mobility, learning and memory. This is why those functions deteriorate most rapidly with aging.

We can prevent the “aging” of the brain the same way we can prevent the “aging” of the paint on our car. We just need to know how to do this so hundreds of thousands of Americans like you aren’t robbed of joy and satisfaction in life each year.

We need energy to survive, but energy causes damage! Click to Tweet

The brain’s appetite for energy is great. Thus, we need enough, but not too much energy. How do we walk this fine line?

While there is still a lot to learn about our brain’s metabolism, I have worked out a few ways to help keep your thinking organ in shape, now and as you age.

The Principles of Preventing Cellular Brain Damage

1. Consume less energy (eat fewer calories).
2. Eat more nutritious foods high in anti-oxidants. (Eat lots of fruits and veggies with vivid colors for a full range of brain-healthy compounds. Spices like curcumin also act as an anti-oxidant).
3. Decrease inflammation (due to allergies, heart disease, arthritis, and so forth).
4. Exercise moderately — Too much exercise causes more energy to be used, which makes more free-radicals.

The Principles to Repair Cellular Brain Damage

1. Good nutrition
2. Periodic fasting, which puts our bodies into “repair mode” releasing growth hormone (HGH)
3. A Ketogenic Diet – Ketones are a more efficient form of energy, allowing repair
4. Exercise to improve circulation and produce endorphins

Your Brain Repair PROGRAM

Various factors conspire to rob us of mental acuity as we age. It is possible to live a longer and healthier life, but preserving brain health is crucial to accomplishing this goal. The ideal strategy for preserving brain function begins with good nutrition—including dietary supplements—and a healthy lifestyle can keep brain dysfunction at bay.

Diet

Good nutrition is more important to brain function than any other organ. We know that how we eat can affect our bodies, but what we put in our mouths also affects our mood, the brain’s energy, our memory, and even our ability to handle stress, complex problems, or simple daily tasks. Don’t wait until your memory declines before starting a brain-nourishing program. The brain is a picky eater, but it is simple to keep it running well:

• Eat clean foods in their natural state.
• Avoid processed foods.
• Don’t eat too much.
• Use targeted supplements.

Avoid toxins

Brain neurons are prone to damage from environmental toxins that make their way into our systems. We are told about the scary and harmful chemicals in our environment. But we don’t realize that by far we willingly ingest the majority of these toxic substances.

The list of toxins above are mostly things we take on purpose to help us wake up, sleep, or feel better, such as caffeine, MSG, or medications. The best example is sugar. It is sweet. It tastes good. Most of us have experienced the energy boost we get from eating something that provides sugar. Sugar is now found in just about every prepared food, and even a lot of natural foods. However, too much of a good thing can be destructive. Sugar is easily oxidized, creating the need for more anti-oxidants in the brain.[3]

Some common sugars found added to foods include:

• Agave Nectar
• Corn syrup
• Coconut sugar
• Fructose
• Fruit juice
• Dextrose
• Fructose
• Glucose
• High fructose corn syrup
• Malt
• Maltodextrin
• Maltose
• Panocha
• Raw sugar
• Rice syrup
• Sucrose

Just because it’s natural does not mean it’s good for the brain.

Sugar damages neurons in the brain. This is why so many people experience a crash shortly after the rush that comes with sugar. Click to Tweet.

The average American eats their weight in sugar every year! This causes, by far, more brain problems than any other toxin. Many people are seriously damaging themselves with processed foods high in added sugar, and the damage begins in their brains. Chronic consumption of sugar dulls the brain’s mechanism for telling you to stop eating. The brain and the body are then in a destructive cycle that is difficult to stop. [4]

Detox

The brain is most sensitive to toxins. Dozens of chemicals are responsible for widespread behavior and cognitive problems.[5] Very often a brain fails due to a buildup of toxins because the liver isn’t removing them fast enough. The liver is the one of the primary detoxification organs. It filters blood and prepares toxins for excretion from the body. Toxicity in the brain can cause a variety of emotional disturbances, accompanied by physical energy drain, and are an actual symptom of liver toxicity. If you are constantly feeling drained or overloaded with negative emotions, you may be suffering from a form of liver dysfunction and could benefit by a simple cleansing. This is done with nutrients.

1. Detox with good nutrition. Organic food gives the liver what it needs to remove toxins from the body. Avoid all processed foods. Eat lots of organic vegetables.
2. All good cleanse programs include fasting. Some are pure “water only” fasts, which are the best, while others are “modified fasts” that use juice, broth, teas, or shakes. Depending on how much you are eating, a fast may last from four to thirty days. Fasting for four days is a minimum for a good liver cleanse.
3. Another important part of a detox is to circulate out all of the toxins in the lymph and organ systems through the sweat. While many use saunas, steam, or hot tubs, exercise has the added benefit of improving circulation to the brain.

Supplements

While various factors threaten us with “brain drain” as we age, the good news is that modern science has identified nutrients that can slow or even reverse the progression of this once-inevitable decline. These supplements offer a smart option for maintaining brain health throughout life.

• Cod Liver Oil –Two tablespoons twice per week.
• Selenium – 200 mcg per day.
• NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) – 1000 mg per day for 30 days, then once per week.

Ketogenic Diet

This diet has been used to heal the brain, such as with injury or epilepsy for over 500 years! It will make you healthier, feel better, perform better and even think better.

In the old days it was very hard because the patient could only eat fat: pork rinds, cream, butter, and very little carbohydrate or protein. Now, however, we have a whole world of “ketogenic” foods available to us.

Coconut oil all by itself has been shown to reverse Alzheimer’s disease in some cases.[6] The key to a ketogenic diet is to avoid sugar, starch, and too much protein. Everyone is different so the actual amounts will vary. The difference today is that we have a way to measure urine ketones at home. KETOSTICKS are found in almost any pharmacy and are inexpensive.

Ketosis describes the process when the body switches over from burning glucose (the kind of sugar our body uses as fuel) to burning an alternate fuel called ketones. Ketones are a principle source of energy made from the breakdown of fatty acids in the liver. Basically, the body starts to burn fat for energy when we don’t consume very much sugar or foods that break down into sugar.

I have had people use the “Induction” phase of the Atkin’s Diet successfully. However, others do about four days of water-only fasting in order to induce fat metabolism. If they like, they can include beef or chicken broth and coconut oil (2 tablespoons) as part of their fast. This is an excellent way to include the ketogenic diet in a detox program.

Stress Damages the Brain

Stress is a special problem because the stress hormones change the neurotransmitters in the brain, causing:

1. Depression
2. Anxiety
3. Memory lapses – especially preventing short-term memory from becoming long-term memory

Prolonged emotional stress causes you to forget names, have problems finding the right words, or forget where you parked the car. Now, that’s a problem!

The keys to stress reduction are to find relaxation and calmness in the storms of life. We cannot really reduce stress, because stress comes from change, and change is inevitable. Change is a normal, natural, and necessary part of life. People die. People move. People lose jobs. Businesses fail. Accidents happen. Life happens, and we cannot stop it, nor should we. So, how can we have peace in the middle of a storm? Build stress disruptors into your regular routine.

Stress Disruptors

1. Exercise raises endorphins
2. Low carb diet (ketogenic diet is ideal because it lowers stress hormones)
3. Avoid all stimulants (caffeine, MSG, energy drinks)
4. Meditation/Prayer
5. Connect with God
6. Gratitude
7. Hobby – focused attention on something you really enjoy doing
8. Do something important that makes an impact in the world
9. Continually learn new things
10. Love is the key to all stress reduction – loving relationships increase stress tolerance more than any other activity.

Use it or Lose it – Exercise your Brain

The next step is to use your brain more. The brain is just like a muscle: if we just relax all the time, it slows down and gets weaker. However, if we use it regularly, we can maintain brain function. Being proactive now will pay off in the future.

What’s more, just like a muscle, if you want to be Mr. Universe (minus the steroids) you must exercise on a grand scale. Exercising the brain is done in a very similar way to the muscles. By stretching, and attempting things you are unable to do, through constant practice you can grow more brain – literally and figuratively! It’s time to take your brain to the gym!

A study in Germany included six students who didn’t know how to juggle. They all had high-resolution MRI scans of their brains, and then they were taught to juggle. After becoming proficient, a repeat MRI scan showed areas of actual increased brain tissue in exactly the expected places. Further, three of them were told to stop juggling, and after six months another MRI showed they had lost the brain mass, while the three who continued practicing still had it. WOW! The brain is just like a muscle!

There is a need to exercise the brain and get it into shape. The way we do this is by focusing attention that increases our knowledge or ability. The basis for brain growth is doing things you have never done before. I cannot make an exhaustive list, but you will get the picture. The brain learns by doing such things as:

• Learn a new language
• Become an excellent golfer
• Take up sailing
• Do tax planning
• Learn to juggle
• Collect stamps
• Add on to your house
• Learn to play the piano
• Perfect your magic show
• Build an ultra-light plane
• Start your own business
• Write a book
• Go to college
• Raise children – teach them well

It is essential that we emphasize that none of these activities are passive. They all require active brain participation. The types of passive activities that do not improve brain function are just as many, but they all have one thing in common: you cannot increase your proficiency!

• You can’t get better at watching TV or movies.
• You can’t become better at sitting.
• You can’t become more proficient at daydreaming
• You can’t grow by taking cruise after cruise, lying on the poop deck, or floating in the pool

Get the picture?

Begin now to enlarge your brainpower by learning new things!

The sooner you begin your program, the better your brain will work for the rest of your life. If you wait until something goes wrong, it is much harder to get function back once it is lost. Start now with a commitment to a program that includes:

• Cleanse and detox every 3 months
• A ketogenic diet for one month every year
• Get off all drugs, stimulants, medications, sugar and other toxins
• Exercise for a half-hour 3 times per week
• Start a learning program
• Take the time to build your stress tolerance

This is nothing new. These are the same things we’ve always known. It’s not difficult to have a better brain. If you need more detail on starting and maintaining a program for keeping your brain working well please see our website and obtain the BRAIN HEALTH KIT.

Sources:
[1] https://www.alz.org/downloads/Facts_Figures_2014.pdf
[2] Fernando Gómez-Pinilla. 2008. Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 9: 568-578.
[3] http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/this-is-your-brain-on-sugar-ucla-233992
[4] https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/neuronarrative/201204/what-eating-too-much-sugar-does-your-brain
[5] http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/chemicals-linked-with-brain-disorders-in-children/
[6] http://tv.greenmedinfo.com/man-dramatically-reverses-alzheimers-symptoms-with-coconut-oil/