Tag Archives: memory

Is your brain draining?!

Is your Brain Draining???

Hello Warriors!!

Its that time again for some health tips!!  We’re going to dig into the topic today of your brain drain…

Your brain like everything in your body, is surrounded by fluids.  Our body is bathed in what is called lymph fluid, but your brain and nervous system are bathed in spinal fluid (called cerebro spinal fluid), also called the glymphatic system.  These fluids are basically the plumbing system of our body.  The fluid is essential to get out dead, dying cells from the brain, and nervous system, inflammatory molecules and proteins, old toxins, pathogens, chemicals, and additionally to bring in new cells and food to the brain.

The CSF has other functions as well:
The brain has four fluid compartments: cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), interstitial fluid, intracellular fluid, and the blood. The blood is kept separate from the CSF by the blood-brain barrier and blood CSF barrier. Tiny junctions between cells exist in the blood that create the blood-brain barrier, restricting molecules’ access to the brain. The blood-CSF barrier is also formed by tight junctions between choroid plexus cells. The choroid plexus is an area in the brain where a big pool of cells produce the CSF fluid. CSF comprises 10% of the total volume within the cranial cavity, and once it goes through the channels of the brain, it exits into the cervical lymphatic system. Recent studies show that the CSF and interstitial fluid (fluid in the space) are continuously interchanging.

Your brain is made of a lot of fat, and 25% of the cholesterol in the human body is in the brain. However, the blood-brain barrier that prevents molecules from entering also prevents fats from the blood from entering the brain. The brain, unlike the rest of the body, doesn’t receive cholesterol from the liver. The brain synthesizes its cholesterol. A well-managed system transports its supply of cholesterol to the neurons. This transport of cholesterol takes place through the glymphatic system. Fat is essential for our nervous system to work properly, (your nerves in particular are covered in fat) because it transfers signals from one neuron to another. The glymphatic system is very important for the health of our nerves and our brain!!

This system is mostly active at night, so adequate DEEP restful sleep is required for a healthy brain.  If you aren’t sleeping well, let’s talk. Additionally, in order for this important system to flow, there are a few mechanisms that need to take place. CSF is constantly being made in the choroid plexus, which creates a pressure gradient. Respiration is also very important to move the CSF along as well as pulsing arteries in the brain. The chemicals involved in the firing of neurons, called “ions,” drive a process of osmosis which helps pull the fluid through the brain tissue. Such an intricate system requires—you guessed it—balance. Stiff arteries do not allow pulsing, which causes a decline in fluid. This decrease may be why the elderly, in general, are more susceptible to neuro-cognitive conditions, because the lack of pulsing arteries decreases the ability to flush out the brain. Not being able to flush different substances out of our brain, such as tangles of tau in Alzheimer’s disease, a-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease, and superoxide dismutase in ALS, is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases.

What’s the best method ???
Cranial work is the BEST known source to move the CSF and to drain your brain!!  When the joints of the cranium are not moving properly, it creates stagnation in the flow of this fluid, and then the brain is sitting in a toxic soup of fluids.  Proper nasal breathing and diaphragm breathing is also KEY to make sure your brain is draining.  If you are a mouth breather, you have a toxic brain with depleted oxygen.  If you are clenching and have TMJ issues you also have stagnation in this fluid.

In addition to cranial work, manual lymphatic drainage working from the outside in is also helpful, although not as impactful as working from the inside out with cranial maneuvers.  Dry brushing and manual lymphatic techniques are extremely helpful to get your pump moving!  There’s many tools and techniques that can utilize these methods from massage therapies, to lymphatic specialists to just some handheld fascia tools.

IT is CRITICAL, to always work on fluids and movement before nutritional work.  The brain needs to DRAIN in order to even absorb the nutrients and detoxing you are trying to do through nutritional work.  Brain fog and headaches are symptoms of a toxic brain.  So, get this system moving, get your breathing better, and watch your brain function improve!!

You’ll find more on this topic in my book Freedom Brain Uncover the Secrets to Transformational Health!!!

That is all for now.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy week.

Dr. Rachel

Two Main Nutrients needed for the Brain.

Happy Monday Warriors!

I hope you all have had a wonderful October so far. It’s hard to believe it’s already 3/4 through the month!

Last month we talked about viruses that affect the function of the brain.  If you missed it, make sure you catch up, since viruses seem to be the hot topic this time of year!

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This week I wanted to talk with you guys about certain nutrients that are needed for your brain to function at its best.  If you’ve been following me for awhile, you might already know them and if not then WELCOME!  You will learn quite a bit about the brain if you stick around.

Today I want to not only talk about these nutrients, but talk about them in two different ways through Craniopathy Chiropractic and through Genetic Based Nutrition, because those are what I believe are the BEST ways to get these nutrients effectively.

Nutrient #1. OXYGEN. 

The brain uses three times as much oxygen as the muscles of the body do. It requires about 20% of the human bodies oxygen.  We know that oxygen is VITAL of course, but for the brain it allows for growth and healing to occur.  Our blood carries oxygen to the brain and is reliant on sufficient nitric oxide to do so. Oxygen comes from the lungs, in particular the lower part of the lugs that hold the most red blood cells to accept more oxygen.

The BEST way to get the most amount of oxygen is to breathe through your nose and fully expand your diaphragm. This will actually enable you to get that lower part of your lungs so the blood can carry it back up into the brain. 
Oxygen depletion is the #1 thing that I focus on in my practice.  This being because if your brain doesn’t have enough oxygen, you will constantly be chasing what is going on in your body.  Whether pain, infections, or proper nutrition.  It doesn’t matter how much good nutrition tips you get, how much water you drink or how much you exercise, if you aren’t getting oxygen up there… You won’t heal.

HOW DO I ASSESS?
Through the cranial system of course!  There is a specific rhythm that the bones of the head go through.  This rhythm is super important for blood to flow in and out of your brain, and oxygen to enter.  When there is tension in this system, this means that this rhythm will be disrupted.  Tension is this system also means a difficult time breathing correctly in and out of the nose.  Some individuals find it hard at all to nasal breath, and when that is the case, there is severe tension within the head impacting the sinuses.  Don’t just go running to the ENT, most of what I find is that the cranial system as A whole is the problem, not the sinuses.
Remember, the only way to access that nitric oxide is to nasal breathe!  Time and time again, patient after patient will leave my office saying OMG I can BREATHE!  It’s amazing how much your mood even changes when you are properly oxygenated. 
This is why children and adults have temper and mood issues when they have sleep apnea or are mouth breathers.  It affects how your brain functions! 

The oxygen level also impacts the health of your lymphatic system in your brain, so if you aren’t properly oxygenated, you can have toxins build up in your brain and cause severe inflammation.  

HOW DO YOU GET MORE OXYGEN THROUGH NUTRITION?!

You can also enhance your oxygen levels by enhancing the nitric oxide cycle through nutrition. Nitric oxide helps vasodilate (meaning expand) blood vessels to allow for more oxygen.  However, for some, their genetic profiles don’t allow nitric oxide to be formulated effectively.  Because of specific mutations and because this pathway is extremely sensitive to radiation and free radical damage, the cycle can get compromised, meaning less oxygen available.  Not having enough nitric oxide can be very damaging neurologically to the body as well.  You see, just like your brain, your nerves also need oxygen.  Without it, they don’t function as well.
Finding out if your nitric oxide cycle is compromised can be found through specific kinesiology genetic testing (which I do).  When we know that this is a player, the customized nutrition will help to overcome this obstacle and allow you to get more oxygen!  Pretty cool right?

Nutrient #2.  Energy (glucose & ATP). 

Energy. The brain utilizes more energy than ANY other organ.  I mean think about all that is has to do right?
The brain and body need actual ENERGY made from within called ATP.  This is needed for every single cell of our body to do what it needs to do.  If we don’t have enough ATP, our brain and body will be depleted.  WE also get energy from another source: glucose.  What’s the big organ for glucose production? The Liver. 
The liver supplies sugar or glucose by turning stored glucose (glycogen) into glucose! It can also make glucose by harvesting amino acids, waste products and fat by products! Another reason to love that liver!

So we must have a robust and healthy liver to actually supply the energy (glucose) needed to our brain. Yet another organ our brain relies upon.  The first if you remember were the lungs.

Body wise, we need make sure the liver is moving... All organs MOVE, and need movement to do what they need to do.  So just like the brain needed to have proper movement for blood flow to happen, the other organs as well need proper flow and mobility.

HOW DO WE GET IT TO MOVE?
Through body work!  Working on the nerves that control the liver are key to make sure it knows what to do!  So enhancing the spinal areas related to the liver are key through chiropractic manipulation.  Also doing reflex techniques to get the liver and gallbladder working more affectively through abdominal work is really helpful to get them moving!
Lastly, the liver is a big source of emotional stress, so if this is the case, you must uncover and start to heal from those emotional wounds so that the liver can do what it needs to!  Emotional wounds cause physical problems too!

HOW DO WE GET BETTER ENERGY THROUGH NUTRITION?!

This is one of the FIRST and biggest impact pathways we focus on first with genetic nutrition.  This being because if you don’t have enough energy, you can’t even begin to work on other genetic factors like MTHFR and others(HUGE mistake made by many who do genetic testing).  Getting your body to make more ATP and to make and enhance your liver and glucose is really impactful!  Many on my genetic protocols will say even after a week that their energy is amazing!  We don’t have to give them extra energy help or adrenal supports, their own bodies make the energy they need!
Any why are they happier?
Because their brain is happier.  It has the energy it needs to do what it needs to!
And, your liver is happier too.  Which means detox pathways, hormones and other systems will work more efficiently!
A couple genetic variants I see when this is really impacted is the NDUFS gene and the ACAT gene mutations.  Take care of those and the rest of the energy pathway will clear and be happy:)

So there you have it folks.  Oxygen and Energy.  If you give your brain these two, it will work for you the way you need it to and in a much HEALTHIER more EFFICIENT way.

Questions?
Ask Away!

That is all for now.

Dr. Hamel DC.

Exercise Improves Your Memory

Happy Monday Tribe!

Continuing on our brain topics, per usual, this week we are going to talk about the benefits of exercise.  Well, the benefits for your brain!!

A research study in February of this year came out with some exciting information on this topic!

In 2012, Harvard came out with a study that showed that a substance called “irisin ”  is produced during intense physical activity.  This is actually a hormone that converts white fat to brown fat which produces heat.  Based on this, new research has been conducted on the deeper roles of this hormone.

They founds several things throughout this exploration:

1. Post mortem tissue showed that irisin traveled to the hippocampus the region where we store our memories. (The  brain’s of Alzheimer’s patients shows a vast depletion of this hormone).

2. Researchers found that disabling irisin in the brain’s of mice, weakened their memory and synaptic function in the brain. Then increased levels, provided increased memory and synapses.

3.  The researchers found that mice after swimming for 60 minutes, five days a week, secreted detectable amounts or irisin, proving it’s linked to exercise!

4.  They went further and wanted to see in Alzheimer’s brains if irisin would change outcomes.  They injected into the “athletic” mice, beta amyloid proteins as the buildup is linked to developing alzheimers. They found that irisin is protective, and the neurons of the brain were not harmed when introduced to the plaques. They were then injected with a pharmaceutical that decreased the irisin, and they no longer had neuron protection.

The results: exercise induced irisn production protects against alzheimers and other forms of dementia. Pretty cool huh?

Well, we also already know prior to this study that exercise also promotes the release of something called brain derived neurotrophic factor. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in neuronal survival and growth, serves as a neurotransmitter modulator, and participates in neuronal plasticity, which is essential for learning and memory.

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So, if you didn’t already need a bump in the hiney to get back into exercise let this be it!  If you have limitations in what you for exercise can do because of pain or limitations, thats where I come in! Mobility is key is having safe exercise.  But don’t just NOT exercise because of pain and limitations.  Figure out why those limitations are there!

OIL OF THE WEEK

ON the spotlight this week is Do Terra Basil.

In a recently published study (March 2016), Colombian researchers conducted a preliminary pre-clinical study examining the effects of ingesting linalool for three months. Memory was then assessed in several different tests. Ingested linalool was associated with improvements in learning, memory, and overall cognitive health.* Not surprisingly, ingesting linalool also improved measures of emotional health.

Linalool is the top component of many essential oils, including LavenderClary SageBasilCilantro, and Coriander. So next time you are exercising your brain, you may want to reach for one of these oils.