These Brain Health Tips Will Take A Load Off Your Mind

“The perfect guide to a healthy lifestyle.”

— Dr. Dale

http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/jenny-brockis/these-brain-health-tips-will-take-a-load-off-your-mind/

If there is one thing that worries us more than ageing or cancer, it's the thought of losing our mind to Alzheimer's disease or other form of dementia. Keeping your brain in shape in the best investment you can ever make to stay sharp, focused and happy at any age, and it all starts with lifestyle.

Stay fresh and add colour to your plate.

While there are a number of 'superfoods' available, what counts is eating a wide variety of different foods to boost your memory, thinking and mood. Choose fresh, preferably locally sourced, non- processed food and you're on the way to a healthier brain. Occasional treats are fine... it's what you do the rest of the time that matters. Look to include something fresh and colourful to your plate at every meal, and remember to drink plenty of water to keep your brain cells hydrated.

Move it.

If the thought of exercise brings you out in a cold sweat, just keep moving. Everything counts, from walking up the stairs to doing the gardening. While 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days is ideal, it's about staying active and keeping off your bottom that is important. Moving not only stimulates better thinking and attention, it also helps regulate your sleep pattern, defuses stress and leads to more of your "feel good" brain chemicals including endorphin, serotonin and dopamine being released. It even assists in reducing brain shrinkage. Feeling great and staying sharp starts with getting up and moving.

Sleep tight.

For better brain health and function, sleep is non-negotiable. Getting enough sleep means waking refreshed and ready to deal with whatever the day may bring. Sleep deprivation not only leads to more mistakes and crankiness, it's also linked to a higher risk of mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and cognitive decline and contributes to weight gain.

Most people need around 7-8 hours. The best way to pay off a sleep debt is to go to bed 20 minutes earlier rather than sleeping in, turn off all the technology 60 minutes before bedtime and undertake a relaxing pre-bedtime routine.

Get down to the brain gym.

Your brain's natural plasticity means you are a life long learner. While the level of plasticity dwindles a little with age, learning new skills builds greater "cognitive reserve," helping your brain work better for longer. Choose something you don't necessarily expect to be good at, that brings out your creative side with plenty of variety and a continuing stretch. Why not learn a new language, a musical instrument, take up photography or join an art class and reveal those hidden talents you never knew you had.

Make stress your friend.

Not all stress is bad. A little bit of stress boosts performance. Too much stress leads to elevated levels of stress hormones that are neurotoxic, increasing your risk of mental distress and cognitive decline. Practising some form of daily relaxation (yoga, meditation or walking) builds your stress resistance to cope better with life's challenges.

Socialise.

Those who live the longest commonly share a strong sense of family and community. That's why being part of a social network that meets regularly is so good. Whether it's a book club, singing group, or being part of a Men's shed, it's about interacting with others that keeps brains interested and happy.

Smile.

Smiling makes us feel happier, enhances our wellbeing and raises our level of confidence and competence to undertake a task. Your brain can't tell the difference between the real thing or a fake, so if you're in a bit of a funk, putting a smile on your face will lift your mood and that of those around you.

Low-Carb Rye Bread Linked to Fewer Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms

“To my IBS patients...Low-carb rye bread may be exactly what you need. ”

— Dr. Dale

Low-Carb Rye Bread Linked to Fewer Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms

http://www.thedailymeal.com/news/eat/low-carb-rye-bread-linked-fewer-irritable-bowel-syndrome-symptoms/080216

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a condition that affects the gastrointestinal tract’s usual functioning. Eleven percent of the adult population suffers from IBS, whose side effects include flatulence, abdominal pain, cramps, and stomach rumbling. However, a new study has found an unlikely aid in the battle with IBS: low-carb rye bread.

The lead author of the study and dietician at the Aava Medical Centre in Finland, Dr. Reijo Laatikainen, noted the two origins of IBS: “Just like the rest of the population, IBS patients tend to have a lower than recommended intake of fibre.”

Additionally, lessening IBS symptoms can only come through eating fewer fermentable, oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides and polyols (FODMAP). These are simple carbohydrates that are fermented in the upper colon, where intestinal gas and other IBS symptoms originate.

Low-FODMAP rye bread, which was offered to the participants in the study, solves both of these problems, thanks to its low-carb and high-fiber composition. Whole-grain rye bread has a fiber content of 11 to 14 percent, making it an excellent source of the nutrient.

The study’s main takeaway was that even by just lowering the FODMAP content in bread, patients still saw a reduction in IBS symptoms. FODMAPs have also been implicated in previous studies as one of the roots of gluten or wheat sensitivity. These findings could begin a push for a reduction in FODMAPs in foods so as to produce food that is better for — and more easily digested by — the human body.

Mindfulness For Stress Reduction

“A great practice for every day.”

— Dr. Dale

Source: Here

What is mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)?

MBSR is a program that helps you learn to calm your mind and body to help you cope with illness, pain, and stress.

MBSR teaches "mindfulness," which is a focus only on things happening in the present moment. Mindfulness is not a time to "zone out" or "space out" but is rather a time to purposefully pay attention and be aware of your surroundings, your emotions, your thoughts, and how your body feels. For example, you may sit quietly and notice your emotions. You might focus only on the sounds around you or how your food tastes and smells. When you are mindful, you do just one thing and you pay close attention to that one thing.

Another important part of mindfulness is to not judge the present moment. This is because judgments may lead you to dwell on (or "get stuck" thinking about) bad situations, feelings, or thoughts. And dwelling on the past does not help you accept or solve problems. It just brings you down.

By training your mind to focus only on the present, you learn not to get lost in regrets from the past or worries about the future. Letting go of such thoughts may help you worry less and accept things as they are. Mindfulness teaches you to be in control of your mind so that your mind doesn't control you.

How does MBSR work?

To help you focus your mind on the present, a class in MBSR usually teaches you to:

• Focus your attention on your entire body, starting with your feet and ending at your head. As you do this "body scan," you might note places where you're tense or have pain. You might notice how your belly rises and falls as you breathe.

• Focus on thoughts and distractions that run through your mind, but don't judge them. For example, you might notice that a thought about work comes to your mind. Rather than worry about your thought, simply note the thought ("work") and feeling ("worry") without dwelling on them. Then turn your attention back to the present moment. It is common for the mind to wander when a person begins to practice mindfulness. If that happens to you, it's okay. Keep trying. This is why mindfulness is called a practiceit takes practice to not judge your feelings and thoughts. It takes practice to stay in the present moment.

• Practice yoga breathing exercises, stretches, and poses to strengthen and relax muscles.

Try MBSR on your own

• When you go outside, take a few deep breaths. What's the air like? Is it warm or cold? How does the warmth or chill feel on your body? Try to accept that feeling and not resist it. Notice any plants, their colors, and the contrast of those colors against the sky and clouds.

• Eat a meal in silence. Don't do anything but focus on your food. Smell your food before eating it. Notice what your food looks like. Eat slowly, and savor each bite. What flavors do you taste?

• When you can, take some time at the beginning of your day to sit alone and think. Focus on your breathing. Gaze out the window, and listen to the sounds outdoors. Or take a slow walk by yourself. Count your steps while you breathe in and out.

• If you can do this at work, try to stop for a few moments each hour. Note how your body feels. Let yourself regroup and let your mind settle before you return to what you were doing.

• If you struggle with anxiety or "worry thoughts," imagine your mind as a blue sky and your worry thoughts as clouds. Now imagine those worry thoughts floating across your mind's sky, almost the same as you would watch clouds float across the sky. Do not judge or resist your thoughts. Just let them pass by as you watch.

How effective is MBSR?

Studies show that MBSR can reduce stress and help people relax. Studies of people who have type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, heart disease, chronic pain, and other problems show that MBSR helped some people cope better with symptoms and improved their quality of life.

Research also shows that MBSR helped people sleep better and feel less anxious, and it helped ease depression symptoms. In some people, MBSR also helped improve blood sugar and blood pressure. 1, 2, 3

Taking part in MBSR has been linked to positive changes in the areas of the brain that affect how you pay attention, how you feel, and how you think. 4

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