By Dr. Nadia Noori
The brain is our most powerful and important organ, guiding every aspect of our lives. And when it’s not functioning optimally, we feel it. From day-to-day fogginess, the inability to focus, and learning troubles, to chronic diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, which ravage the lives of sufferers, when our brains aren’t doing well, we aren’t doing well.
Luckily, caring for our brains falls in line with caring for our bodies and lives holistically. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the “6 Pillars of Brain Health” are: physical exercise, nutrition, medical health (aka: your overall health), sleep, mental fitness (aka: cognitive fitness), and social interaction. Even better news: your healthcare professional can work with you to put together a Brain Optimization Program that’s right for your needs and circumstances.
Brain Optimization – Initial Assessment
The first step of doing more for, and getting more from, your brain is understanding where you currently are in terms of your lifestyle and habits. Here are some of the things I assess with my patients, and why:
Exercise: Studies have found that aerobic exercise can improve memory, learning, thinking, and even increase the volume of certain areas of the brain involved in these tasks. In part, this happens because more blood and oxygen is flowing to the brain, and insulin levels are kept more in check. There is a direct correlation between regular exercise and an increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which “regulates glucose and energy metabolism”. Low levels of BDNF are linked with a range of neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s.
Nutrition: The food we eat is instrumental in how our brains work. Certain foods (like those rich in Omega-3s and important vitamins and minerals) contribute to brain health. Other foods may cause oxidation, which raises the risk of disease throughout the body. Diets high in gluten, dairy, and GMOs, can wreak havoc on your brain. Plus, foods to which you’re allergic or intolerant can harm your brain just as they do the rest of your body. And of course there is the wonderful link between gut health and brain health! Regardless of why patients come to see me, we almost ALWAYS engage in the “gut talk”.
Sleep: Getting sufficient sleep may seem like a given, because we’ve all had times when we’re running on too little rest and feel foggy or are just dragging ourselves through the day. Sleep is the brain’s time to heal. Deep sleep and REM sleep are especially important, as those are the most restful and restorative parts of the sleep cycle. While each person might need a slightly different amount of sleep to be at their best — which is something a brain optimization assessment can help you discover — the recommendation for adults is about 7-9 hours per night. Research also shows that naps, while not a substitute for a good night’s sleep, can help the brain better retain new information.
Stress: Stress (both physical and emotional) can take a toll on the brain. Some research has indicated that chronic stress (which is also a risk factor for heart disease, cancer, and other illnesses) is an important contributing component in people with dementia and reduced cognitive function. In addition, physical stresses and injuries (like concussions and traumatic brain injuries) can also have long-lasting effects. Understanding your stressors and how you manage stress is an important part of any brain health evaluation.
Social interactions/relationships: We don’t often consider our relationships and social interactions when evaluating our health. We might know that if we have an argument with a loved one, it can upset us and negatively impact our mood, maybe even affect our ability to think clearly for a while. But, our social interactions have the power to, over time and in a big way, either impede or boost our brain health. Toxic relationships that zap us of energy and from which we do not get any benefits are detrimental, as is being exposed to bullying and emotional abuse. However, a strong community and solid relationships are protective against cognitive decline as we age, as well as depression and other mind-related concerns throughout our lives. Simply put: our brains need healthy connections with other human beings.
Lab results: Overall medical health is closely linked to brain health and functioning. Routine lab tests, along with more in-depth functional tests, can give a good view into how your body is doing and where it might be burdened. Sometimes we’ll find a mineral deficiency or an overabundance of a particular hormone is contributing to concerning symptoms. Or we might discover an underlying condition that’s resulting in issues with cognition, memory, or emotional balance.
Customized Brain Health Plan
Once we assess and understand how all of these factors are contributing (positively or negatively) to a patient’s brain health with the help of a comprehensive assessment that may include lab testing (basic and functional) we can come up with an individualized game plan for their optimal brain health. We can include supplements for some of the nutrients that might be lacking, herbal formulas to that aim to reduce inflammation, recommend cognitive exercises to keep the mind sharp, and create a physical exercise plan that improves brain fitness. Often, a patient’s customized brain health plan may also include other supportive therapies like craniosacral therapy, acupuncture, neurofeedback, ozone therapy, reiki and others that help alleviate mental and physical stress and pain.
One of the most exciting and successful therapies I’ve used with my patients is LENS — Low Energy Neurofeedback System. This neurofeedback therapy uses low-frequency radio waves to interrupt maladaptive brain wave patterns that contribute to the different symptoms patients experience. One therapist Diann Wingert explained LENS in the following terms: “The brain is both a biochemical and a bioelectrical system. Medication works on the chemical system, while LENS works on the electrical system.”
I’ve seen this therapy benefit patients who have specific concerns and diagnoses like ADHD, anxiety/depression, post-concussion syndrome and insomnia, as well as those who simply want to improve their cognition, attention, and memory. You can learn a bit more about LENS here and schedule an initial assessment to determine if this, or other therapies, might help you optimize your brain health.
Brain health is both the basis for and a great indicator of your whole body health, so it’s important not to take it for granted or neglect it.