Switch On Your Sharp Mind

Posted on: 02.09.2021 Posted by: Drlark Comments: 0

June 10, 2004

Aging Beautifully

Are you forgetting names?

Misplacing things? Not remembering why you walked into a room? Losing

your train of thought? These all-too-common occurrences might make

you wonder if you are losing your memory. The good news is that

you are not, and in most cases the problem can be helped.

Today we cram more and more into each day; try

to accomplish several things at once; and overload our brains with

stress, high expectations, and worry that we will fail and be replaced

tomorrow. Technology continues to make life physically easier, which

means that more of what we do to succeed and excel in life is heavy

brain work, requiring intense mental concentration and focus. We

absolutely can’t afford brain fogthere’s just too much to

do!

Boost Your Mental Nutrition

The energy your brain uses comes from the food

you eat. So whether you have enough energy to achieve peak mental

performance depends on what you eat and how well you digest and

assimilate it. You may have an IQ of 160, but much of your native

intelligence will be wasted if you have unreliable digestive function.

For peak brain function, you must be able to depend on a constant

and abundant source of high-octane fuel.

Food. Think of

food as fuel for the brain. This is not to say it shouldn’t

taste good or be pleasurable, but realize that everything you

eat has consequences, and try to select foods with positive

consequences. Avoid foods that tax your pancreas, including

wheat, red meat, saturated fats, alcohol, caffeinated beverages,

sugar, and dairy products. Instead eat foods that naturally

contain enzymes of their own, such as raw fruits and vegetables,

sprouted seeds, whole grains, and legumes. Choose fish or range-fed

poultry. Eggs should be from range-fed poultry. In addition

to providing nutrition, these choices boost your natural pancreatic

enzyme levels, for healthier digestive functionand improved

mental energy.
Ginkgo biloba. This herb improves blood
flow to your brain and oxygenates blood. Ginkgo can help alleviate

depression, and improve brain function in many forms of dementia,

including Alzheimer’s disease and normal age-related mental decline.

Take 40 mg standardized leaf extract daily, three times a day.
Vitamin E. A 1997 study sponsored by
the National Institute on Aging reported that supplementation

with 2,000 IU of vitamin E daily slowed the progression of Alzheimer’s

in patients in moderately severe stages of the disease. Take 400800

IU of natural vitamin E as d-alpha-tocopherol daily.

Take Out the Trash

Every machine works best when it’s clean. Your

liver is no exception. It must be able to detoxify pollutants ingested

or absorbed from the environment, as well as those your body generates

through the normal process of metabolism. Sweeping out accumulated

liver toxins improves the liver’s ability to process food and metabolize

the hormones that influence brain function. My detoxification program

includes:

Diet. For one

week, eat a predominantly vegetarian diet, with emphasis on

raw, organic salads and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

Soft-textured fish such as salmon, and eggs, are permitted.

Avoid fatty or processed foods, refined white sugar and flour,

alcohol, caffeine, and non-essential drugs. Drink chamomile

or peppermint teas, and mineral water. Make the last meal of

the day the lightest, so your liver can spend the night rejuvenating

instead of detoxifying food byproducts.
Vitamin B. A vitamin B deficiency can
affect the liver’s ability to detoxify wastes. Take 25100

mg daily of the whole range of B-complex vitamins including biotin,

thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid to help your

liver do its work and keep your head clear.
The amino acid methionine is critical
to the detoxification process. It rids your body of heavy metals,

including lead and mercury, and functions as an antioxidant, scavenging

free radicals generated by the breakdown of toxins. Take 2001,000

mg daily, along with 2550 mg of vitamin B6 which helps convert

methionine to cysteine. So conversion does not stop mid-way, take

400 mcg of folic acid to control homocysteine levels.
Dandelion helps detoxify the liver. Take
one to three 150-mg capsules each day. (Dandelion is a powerful

diuretic. Do not use it if you are pregnant or nursing). Note:

If you have had liver problems, hepatitis, or have been a heavy

drinker, go slow with these powerful healing agents, and start

by taking only a quarter of the suggested dose.