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DRSladic.com
October 2022
If you have three neurons lined up and the middle one dies, the ones on the other side will grow roots, so they grow connections to other neurons, and that’s how we continue to build talent and skills like riding a bike or playing the piano. There are a few signs of a degenerating brain and those include fatigue prompted by brain activity, depression, and poor digestive function. I can say that about 75–80% of people that consult with me complain about being tired all the time, and there’s a major difference between being tired from physical activity versus brain activity. If you’re doing something that requires you to think and use your brain like a muscle — like driving or reading a book — and you become tired, then that’s a sign of neurodegeneration. If you’re depressed, the front part of the brain (frontal cortex) is responsible for that feeling. Antidepressants don’t really fix anything, they just flood the receptor sites with serotonin so your brain has more to use. However, the degeneration continues. The last sign — which was very interesting to me — is poor digestive function. So, 90% of brain function is output. It’s basically like a computer it receives input from the body and then responds with output. So, if you touch something hot with your hand, your brain senses that input and then sends output to the muscles of the hand to move it quickly away.
The output from the brain is closely related to the gut. The same pathways that take up that output are attached to your gut in a big way. Here, it’s called the vagus nerve, and it controls everything from the secretion of stomach acid to pancreatic enzymes for digestion. We know that as you age HCL (stomach acid) production goes down. That may be why seniors experience things such as constipation and bloating, and those are signs of brain degeneration because of the intimate connection with the brain. High blood sugar is actually one of the worst things for the brain. When someone has high levels of blood sugar, they usually develop neuropathy (numbness, tingling or pain in both feet). High blood sugar kills brain neurons fast, so if you have diabetes or blood sugar problems, get it controlled sooner rather than later. I’m sure people have heard of leaky gut, but there is also something called leaky brain! (Caused by high inflammation.) The barrier that protects the brain can become leaky, and that allows toxins to enter the space and cause damage. Lastly, traumatic brain injuries can also cause neurodegeneration. For ways to keep your brain healthy, check out page 3. Folks, if you have a healthy body you will most likely have a healthy brain. My comprehensive blood test can identify key markers for brain health. Call 1-877-861-5927 and schedule a free phone consultation.
If you really think about it, our ability to enjoy life, taste food, listen to music, talk to people, smell the flowers, feel the sun, experience intimacy, and contribute to life is all based on our brains. Without good brain function, you can’t do any of these things! One thing we can all be sure of is that eventually, we are going to die and our brains are going to degenerate before we die. What’s interesting is that when you are born, you have the most brain cells you will ever have. So, from the moment you are born — since brain cells do not regenerate — you begin to lose brain cells. When we talk about a healthy, normal, or aging brains, we have to acknowledge that we’re losing brain cells every day. Now, you can slow down the loss of brain cells, and the beautiful thing is we have neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. Neuroplasticity allows the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment. Think of it this way: WITHOUT BRAIN HEALTH, WE CAN’T ENJOY LIFE Avoid Losing Any More Brain Cells
–Dr. Tom Sladic
THOUGHT OF THE MONTH
“Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men.” —Colossians 3:23
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EMBRACING THE POWER OF NOW
4 TIPS FOR PRACTICING MINDFULNESS
Have you ever sat down to eat a bowl of ice cream, then looked down a minute or two later to notice you only have one bite left? What about reaching your destination in the car and not recalling one thing about the entire trip? With the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it’s tough to be present 100% of the time, but we shouldn’t let our minds go on autopilot. Not only can this be a safety hazard, but it may also impact important relationships and reduce our enjoyment and satisfaction. With busy schedules and long to-do lists, how can we be more mindful? Here are four tips to help you embrace the power of now! Use the power of meditation. You don’t need to meditate for a long time, and it certainly doesn’t require special poses or guidance. But taking just five minutes out of your day to focus on your breathing and clear your mind counts as meditation. It can
help you to be more aware, present, and productive, especially in times of stress. Slow down. Try savoring the process of a task, even if it isn’t your favorite thing to do. Paying deliberate attention to your daily actions and activities, like doing the dishes or even folding laundry, promotes healthy focus and reduces feelings of being overwhelmed.
Get moving. Incorporating exercise and movement into your daily routine helps you to become aware of your body’s sensations. You’ll be more appreciative of how your body responds to different stimuli and movements, and this trains you to be more aware of yourself.
Practice mindful eating. Try eating without distractions, dine in good company, or pay closer attention to flavors and textures of the meal — it’s good for both your body and soul!
CAN PEANUT BUTTER DETECT ALZHEIMER’S? Prevent Future Memory Loss
Peanut butter isn’t typically your first thought as a possible game-changer in Alzheimer’s disease research. But it does have the potential! Researchers at the University of Florida hope that conducting a peanut butter smell test can lead to finding an inexpensive, noninvasive way to detect early-stage Alzheimer’s and track its progress. The study took a few individuals who had Alzheimer’s — or some form of dementia — and a few who had no neurological problems and conducted a test to see if they could smell the peanut butter from a short distance. They found that people with Alzheimer’s could not smell from their left nostrils as well as from their right nostrils.
if you lose your sense of smell, you may possibly have neurological problems. If you want to try this test at home, make sure nothing is interfering with your nostrils and take a spoonful of peanut butter — alternatively, you could use coffee — and close your eyes. Block one nostril and smell from the other, and you can either eyeball it or use a ruler to see how far away it is from your nostril to the point where you can smell it. Then, try the other one! Some people may try this and feel a sense of panic if they cannot smell from their left nostril, but the reality is that it is not a 100% sure-fire diagnosis. It’s just something you try at home and maybe even test on a person that may need to take extra care of themselves. This may be the motivation they need! The
study is interesting, but in reality, there are no MRIs or blood tests you can do to diagnose dementia. You can test for anemia and blood sugar, but the way doctors come up with a diagnosis for Alzheimer’s is based on your symptoms. The study found that the peanut butter test may help identify the elderly who are likely to develop memory problems. This, in turn, may help researchers understand the progression of Alzheimer’s. The cases of Alzheimer’s are on the rise, and unfortunately, there is no cure. However, if we can identify the early stages of Alzheimer’s, we are one step closer to finding treatments that can delay or prevent future memory loss.
Your smell is related to the brain and goes directly to your brain’s cranial nerves. So,
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VEGAN PUMPKIN PASTA
Your brain has the ability to learn and grow as you age — a process known as brain plasticity — but in order to do so, you have to train your brain on a regular basis! There seem to be some consistencies in keeping your brain healthy just like keeping your overall health in check: getting the proper nutrients, exercising, and getting the right amount of sleep. Getting Proper Nutrition Your brain takes care of your thoughts, movements, breathing, heartbeat, your senses — it’s constantly on the go! This means your brain needs a constant supply of fuel, which comes from the proper nutrients you get from the food you eat. Eating high-quality foods that contain plenty of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants nourishes the brain and keeps it at peak condition. DON’T WAIT UNTIL IT’S TOO LATE Take Action to Keep Your Brain Healthy
If it has pumpkin in it, it’s bound to be delicious. This creamy pumpkin bucatini is the perfect fall staple for an at-home date night or a cozy meal alone on the couch.
Ingredients
• 8 oz gluten free pasta • 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes • 10 oz cherry tomatoes, halved • Salt and pepper • Red pepper flakes, to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, diced • 1 tsp fresh thyme • 3 sage leaves, chopped • 4 oz hummus • 4 oz pumpkin purée • Fresh basil, for topping
• 1 tsp dried oregano • 8 oz frozen spinach, unthawed
Directions
1. In a large pot, boil water. Add gluten free pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain when cooked. 2. Heat a pan over medium heat and add sun-dried tomatoes (including 1 tbsp of the oil), cherry tomatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Stir to combine. 3. Cover and cook until tomatoes are soft (about 5 minutes). 4. Add frozen spinach and cover again (2–3 minutes). 5. Add the garlic, thyme, sage, hummus, and pumpkin purée to the pan and stir. 6. Once warm and bubbly, turn off heat and mix in the pasta. 7. Top with basil, serve, and enjoy!
Some foods to consider in your diet include:
• Green, leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, collards, and broccoli. • Fatty fish such as salmon, trout, and sardines. These are full of omega-3 fatty acids that are great for the brain and gut! • Tumeric and its active compound curcumin have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Exercising the Brain Exercising, in general, is always good for overall health! But did you know you can actually exercise your brain specifically? Playing games that rely on logic, math, words, and visuospatial skills are great ways to increase brain power. These types of games require multiple cognitive abilities, which challenge your brain and improve processing speed and memory.
sudoku
In this newsletter, there is actually a game of sudoku you can play to exercise your brain!
Proper Sleeping Habits Sleep is an important part of our daily routine, and without it, you cannot form or maintain the pathways in your brain that allow you to learn and create new memories. It also makes it much more difficult to concentrate or respond quickly.
So, make sure you’re getting at least 7–9 hours of sleep per night to keep your brain’s functions at their peak.
Something to keep in mind — don’t wait until it’s too late. Pay attention and take action now so you have a fighting chance. Let this be the motivation you need to make those changes and prioritize them.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1. The Importance of Brain Health
2. 4 Tips for Being More Mindful
Research on Alzheimer’s Continues
3. Vegan Pumpkin Pasta
3 Ways You Can Train Your Brain
4. Forget Sitting — Squat Instead!
POP A SQUAT The Healthy Alternative to Sitting
Many experts say sitting is the new smoking, but many of us spend a large portion of our waking hours doing it. That’s not true for every country, though — instead of sitting to relax, people in many places squat. Most Americans who try the same thing will probably find it an uncomfortable experience. But research shows the benefits of squatting and learning how to do it right.
Deep squatting also improves digestive health. Our colons can’t fully straighten when we sit, making it harder to relieve ourselves. While most Americans are unlikely to replace their commodes with squatting toilets, squatting throughout the day still reduces the risk of constipation. And devices like the Squatty Potty allow you to mimic a squatting position while sitting on your regular toilet.
Squatting was once common everywhere. People squatted to give birth, use the bathroom, eat, and read. Our bodies were designed for it, which is why young children do it naturally. But our muscles lose strength and definition when we don’t use them. So, most American adults cannot squat properly for even a few minutes, let alone long periods. Multiple studies, however, show that we’re worse off for trading squats for chairs. Experts argue that lower back pain and hip problems are far less common in nations where squatting remains popular. By placing our back in an unnatural position, sitting has
But healthy squatting requires proper technique. Start by placing your heels at hip distance and leave them firmly planted on the ground. Then, engage your core and keep your back straight while lowering your hips until they’re below your knees and your bottom is slightly above the floor. If you struggle to adopt this pose, you’re not alone. Try using a piece of furniture to steady yourself as you get used to it and start with short periods of squatting.
You might never end up binging Netflix in a squat, but even the version of squats people do at the gym will help improve strength and flexibility. It only takes a few minutes out of your day and could dramatically impact your health. So, get out of that chair! Squatting comes to us naturally — most of us just need a refresher course.
made us comfortable to the point of injury. Meanwhile, a proper squat involves perfect posture, stretches your back, creates additional mobility in your hips, and improves flexibility.
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