10 Jun Bolster your Brain Health Now with these Effective, Energizing Tips
A few years ago, I created my first online course called “Deeper Than Weight Loss.” It started as an 8 week program, then morphed into 6 months because, well, it takes time to create new habits, and there’s a lot to learn about how the body works!
The course brought together two of my favorite topics: the Endocrine System and Ayurveda.
Connecting the dots between:
- our emotional state, which corresponds with the chakra system from Ayurveda
- and our hormones, the output of messengers from our endocrine glands
was an “aha!” moment in my understanding of how the body works.
These two systems – chakra and endocrine – synergize with one another. They literally share the same space in the body.
Endocrine glands regulate:
- our circadian rhythm
- body temperature
- blood pH
- blood sugar
- and stress levels
while the chakras correlate with our emotions. Western science confirms the ancient Ayurvedic teachings that acknowledge the role our emotional state plays in overall health.
In “Deeper than Weight Loss,” we started with the root chakra – our emotional foundation and the seat of our overall sense of safety. Flowing through the course, we learned about our reproductive hormones and how to support the liver–which is essential for hormone balance and preventing estrogen dominance. The course culminated with brain health and the crown chakra.
When we got to the brain, everyone realized the importance of understanding these two systems together. People saw how everything we learned along the way also lent support to caring for the brain, particularly the daily habits we’d built together.
We often don’t think about our brain health until we start noticing our own forgetfulness or we see cognitive decline first hand in our family lineage or in those we love.
This past year, I’ve been diving deeper into brain health by studying with Dr. Dale Bredensen, who wrote the book The End of Alzheimers.
There are many positive activities that can help us retain and improve our brain health:
- Cardiovascular exercise. Engage as often as possible in activities that raise your heart rate. Cardio increases blood flow and may reduce dementia.
- Not smoking. Most of us know this one. It includes avoiding secondhand smoke, and smoky environments.
- Getting enough sleep. Think of sleep as an essential brain food. Practicing good sleep and health habits reduces insomnia and often sleep apnea, and can boost your energy and improve your emotional state.
- Being social. It’s easy to isolate these days. Whether it’s family, friends, volunteering, taking a class, or some other energizing activity, finding ways of being social can have a positive impact and help us retain a healthy brain.
- Keeping your brain active! It can be difficult to concentrate in the time of Tiktok and other activities that seem designed to reduce our attention spans. Anything that actively engages your brain such as reading, puzzles, or learning a new skill can help keep you cognitively sharp and retain mental clarity.
As part of my Vitality Club, I have a Masterclass on Brain Health called “Food, Mood, and Memory.” Check out a short video preview.
I hope to see you there! Be good to your brain!
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