4 Habits for a Healthier, Happier Brain

I take calcium for my bones, I work-out to DVD’s in my basement for my heart, I spend way too much on the perfect shampoo and conditioner, and even though I entertain the thought, I don’t allow myself to eat bacon every day.

It’s crazy how much of my daily routine revolves around all of the little things I do to take care of myself and my family, but what’s even more crazy is that it wasn’t until two years ago that I did anything at all to support the health of my brain.

Our brains are the control centres of our bodies. We can’t think, scratch our heads, get into a bad mood, or laugh without our brains giving us the go-ahead. We are nothing without our beautiful brains, and its high time we acknowledged that. So here are four, very simple habits to incorporate into your daily routine for a happier, healthier brain. They take next to nothing to incorporate into your existing routine, and I can attest that you will be feeling more alert and happier ,virtually instantly.

1: DRINK MORE WATER!

I know, you’ve heard it before but there’s a reason people keep telling you to drink more water, and it’s not just because your skin looks a million times better when you do.

As it turns out, your beautiful brain weighs about three pounds, and 85% of those three pounds is water. Your brain is constantly popping with electrical signals produced by over 100 million neurons, and for those neurons to function effectively, and for the waste that all of that activity produces to be flushed out, so that you can think clearly and produce all of the chemicals that you need to feel good all over, you must replenish that water. The fact that 75% of us are chronically dehydrated, means that 75% of us are hindering our mental health, and making our lives harder than they need to be.

Drinking those 8-10 glasses of water each day, increases cognitive function,  increases mental alertness, reduces daytime fatigue, reduces illness, premature aging, and increases your metabolic function.

HAPPINESS TIP: Drink at least two glasses of water before you reach for that morning coffee. Your morning co-commuters will thank you for it.

2: SMILE

For some wonderfully, fantastic reason, the very simple act of curling the sides of your mouth upward, into the shape of a “u”, triggers your brain to activate your Parasympathetic Nervous System to release what is essentially your body’s Rest & Digest juice.

When you smile, and your rest and digest juice starts flowing, your heart rate slows down, your breathing regulates, oxygen starts pumping through your body more effectively, your digestion improves, and your immune system, memory, and higher-level thinking is enhanced. So just smile gosh darnit!

HAPPINESS TIP: don’t feel like smiling? FAKE IT! Force those lips to turn upward, hold it there, and breathe deeply. Within about a minute you’ll find that faux smile will begin to feel genuine, but even if it doesn’t, keep smiling anyway, your mind will still reward you for it.

3: STOP MULTI-TASKING

What? Madness, I know. How would we get through the day without multi-tasking? Take it from somebody who literally had “fantastic multi-tasker” listed in her resume for a decade.

As it turns out, multi-tasking is literally impossible. Hear me out before you get all defensive. I’m not saying that you, personally can’t multi-task, I’m saying that we, as a species, cannot, multi-task.

Let’s say, you’re plugging away at a project at work, you’re super into it, and you hear your the chime, and that little window pops up, alerting you of a new email.

That one little distraction, just hearing and taking a peek at that teensy little alert, directed your brain’s focus away from the project and onto the email. So even though you only looked away for a second, your brain has been strained, and needs 8 to 11 minutes to get back into that same, deep focus you had just a second ago. So even though you’re now back to the project, it’s going to take some time for you to get back into that groove of optimal productivity.

Here’s the rub, the average worker today, spends 11 minutes on any given task before being distracted. Which means that we’re spending most of our time, being distracted as opposed to being optimally productive; straining our minds, taking way too long to get each task completed, while making mistakes we don’t need to be making.

The next time you’re distracted, take a deep breath and ask yourself, do I need to give this distraction my full attention? Is doing so, supporting my current goal?

HAPPINESS TIP: Make it easier on your brain and do one thing at a time. Turn alerts off until you have the time to focus on that call, text or email. When I’m in the car, I have the phone on silent and keep it out of reach so that I’m never tempted to read or respond to a message I can’t legally respond to anyway. It makes every trip so much more enjoyable.

4: BE GRATEFUL

For some reason, simply turning your attention toward those things in your life for which you are grateful, is like an instant dose of happiness and healing for your brain. Multiple studies have revealed that being grateful can make you more resilient to stress, and improve your heart health. In my opinion, being grateful is the single greatest gift you can give to yourself, with the power to inject happiness into any mood.

HAPPINESS TIP: Start your day by directing your attention to two or three specific things for which you are grateful. I have a sticky note on my bathroom mirror to serve as a reminder for those busy mornings. Today I decided to be grateful for #BellLetsTalk day, how much my husband loves his family, and for my daughter’s nose! We both had a blast while I chased her around the house kissing her nose.

Your brain works so hard for you, every second of every single day, never taking any breaks and rarely getting any credit. So be nice to that big, beautiful, brain of yours! You’ll be rewarded for it, with better moods, more energy and improved focus. Start by reaching for that glass of water, go ahead, chug.

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Stephanie Angelone Harding is the founder of MindSavvy, a stress-busting, health-improving, productivity-enhancing training program for organizations and individuals, that wish to transform their lives…in as little as ONE hour.

Know Your Mind, Transform Your Life.

www.mindsavvy.ca

The Essential Pregnancy Smoothie…for Brain and Baby

Fueling your body and your brain effectively becomes even more important when you’re supporting the development of a baby. As your baby’s body, organs and brain develop, it’s essential to consider which foods are most beneficial to the process.

With the ever-growing list of things you can’t eat while you’re pregnant, a busy schedule, nausea (for some) and the fact that you’re tired most of the time, it can be even harder to get yourself to not only shop for the right foods, prepare them…and then actually feel like eating all of it.

Mornings can be a tough slog, especially if you had to get up to pee five times, but no matter how groggy you may be, you need to remember that you’ve been fasting overnight, so when you wake up in the morning, your blood sugar is low. If you’re like me, and have a nasty habit of skipping breakfast, break this habit now because your developing baby will not receive the nutrients it needs to grow if you wait until lunch time to fuel up.

Our society makes it easier and easier to opt for that bagel, croissant or pastry to start your day but please do resist the temptation, if not totally then at least until after you’ve provided that precious baby of  yours with the nutrients he or she really need for optimal growth and brain function.

A morning smoothie packed with the right ingredients is a quick and easy way to ensure that you and your baby get what you need for the day, no matter where your day takes you.

This is my go-to smoothie, especially now that I’m pregnant. Not only is it delicious, it’s also filling, energizing, puts me in a great mood, and provides me with peace, knowing that I’ve provided our growing baby with an amazing start to its incredibly productive day.

You will need:

• 1 Banana
• 2 Cups Chopped Kale (fresh or frozen)
• 1 Cup Cubed Pineapple
• 1 Mango (optional)
• 1 Tablespoon Organic Coconut Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Omega Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Ground Flaxseed
• 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
• Water/Coconut Water or Milk/Sugar Free Organic Juice (as needed to blend)

 

You can stop reading here and just start blending…or read on to discover why each of these ingredients are essential to you and your growing baby.

BANANA

Bananas get a bad rap these days because they contain a medium glycemic load, which means they have quite a bit of sugar in them, but for only 100 calories they pack over 400mg of potassium. Potassium helps to maintain cell integrity and a healthy heartbeat. A drop in potassium levels can make you feel weak and tired, and can also cause muscle cramps.

Bananas also pack a healthy dose of fibre as well as “good bacteria” in the form of fructoogliosaccharides that keep your gut healthy and your bowels moving.

BONUS: Dr. Dharma Singh Kalso, author of Food is Medicine says “a woman who wants to remain youthful for life, should eat one banana every day.”

KALE

Fresh or frozen (I always have a bag of frozen kale tucked in the freezer)

Not only is kale the highest ranked antioxidizing vegetable out there (second is spinach) but it’s also loaded with calcium, iron, vitamin A and C, bone-building vitamin K, and a ton of fibre.

*Several of the ingredients in this list contain fibre, something we all need but pregnant women need even more of, to prevent constipation and help those shifting digestive tracts moving along.

PINEAPPLE

Pineapples contain bromelain, a rich source of enzymes that has many health benefits including aiding in digestion, speeding wound healing, reducing inflammation and thickening the uterine lining to help egg implantation. 

One cup of fresh cubed pineapple also contains almost 100% of your daily dose of manganese, a mineral you need for healthy skin, cartilage formation, and glucose tolerance.

MANGO

If you don’t have access to ripe mangoes you can omit them from the smoothie, I just try to get them in here not only because they’re absolutely delicious but they also have a lot of potassium, Vitamin A,C, & K, beta-carotene, calcium and 3.5 grams of fibre.

COCONUT OIL!

Not only does coconut oil give you beautiful skin and hair, but according to Dr. Lana Asprey, “Two of the most important times for a woman to consume coconut oil are when she’s pregnant and when she’s lactating, because coconut oil raises the levels of important fatty acids present in the mother’s milk to their highest levels, serving as perfect food for growth and as initial immune protection for her baby.”

Coconut oil is also a great source of energy to help you stay alert throughout the day and boosts fat metabolism to promote weight control. It also kills more than 25 viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms… and tastes amazing with the pineapple!

OMEGA FATS

Omega fats, especially Omega-3’s are nutritionally essential because the body needs them to function yet cannot produce them. Healthy fats are a major component of the human body and it’s very important for a pregnant woman to eat them daily because your baby needs them badly, especially for brain growth. Omega’s also soothe the body by reducing inflammation, improving circulation, optimizing blood pressure and healing scar tissue. These healthy fats also support better hormone function and increase fertility.

Krill Oil is also a fantastic way to get your Omega-3’s if you’re being mindful of your salmon intake, I just don’t always recommend it for smoothies because it can leave a fishy aftertaste.

GROUND FLAXSEED

Flaxseed provides 800 times more cancer-fighting lignans than other foods, which protect against breast and prostate cancer. Also a rich source of alpha linoleic acid and omega-3, providing fibre and 3 grams of protein.

Buy them whole and grind them yourself…a coffee grinder is perfect for this.

CHIA SEEDS

Chia seeds are a great source of healthy omega-3 fats and fiber. They also contain Tryptophan, an amino acid that helps regulate appetite, sleep and improves mood. Chia seeds also make a great source of protein and don’t have any cholesterol. They also contain Manganese as well as Phosphorus that help you maintain healthy bones and teeth while supporting cell and tissue growth & repair.

I threw in a few strawberries because they’re in season right now and I just can’t get enough! Feel free to add fresh peaches, blueberries, cantaloupe, yogurt…and anything else you have on hand that makes you smile! The keys are the fibre, protein, vitamins and essential fats from the coconut oil and omega-3’s.

I hope you love this smoothie as much as I do…your brain, your tummy and your baby will thank you for it!

 

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Stephanie Angelone Harding is the founder of MindSavvy, a stress-busting, health-improving, productivity-enhancing training program for organizations and individuals, that wish to transform their lives…in as little as ONE hour.

www.mindsavvy.ca

 

9 Reasons To Eat Walnuts…Everyday

“If you choose to eat only one nut, choose walnuts”- Dr. Lana Asprey

There is a concept in herbalism called the “Doctrine of Signatures”, dating from about 50 A.D. that suggests that nature marked it’s creations with a sign, a sign that serves as an indicator, to any observer, what purpose this item could in fact serve.
Given that the walnut looks very much like the human brain, “This just might be a case of modern science supporting centuries-old wisdom, because walnuts, like fish, are truly brain food.” Dr. Jonny Bowden

Fernando Gómez-Pinilla, a UCLA professor of neurosurgery and physiological science who has spent years studying the effects of food on the brain found that fatty acids found in walnuts are essential for normal brain function and provide many benefits, including improving learning and memory and helping to fight against such mental disorders as depression and mood disorders, schizophrenia, and dementia.

Omega fats are nutritionally essential because our brain and bodies need them to function, the downside is that our bodies don’t produce them on our own, so ingesting Omega 3’s is pretty much our only option.
Walnuts are one of the richest plant-based sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, and according to Dr. Lana Asprey, walnuts are the unqualified kings of Omega-3 fatty acid content, but also warns us not to cook with them “because cooking will oxidize their oils and create free radicals”

Fernando Gomez-Pinilla of UCLA also found that “Omega-3 fatty acids support synaptic plasticity and seem to positively affect the expression of several molecules related to learning and memory”.

“Dietary deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in humans has been associated with increased risk of several mental disorders, including attention-deficit disorder, dyslexia, dementia, depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia,”

His findings point to compelling population studies linking the consumption of Omega 3 fatty acids and low rates of depression…so if you’re feeling down, reach for some walnuts!

 

Walnuts just might help reduce not only the risk of prostate cancer, but breast cancer as well. In one study, mice that ate the human equivalent of 2.4 ounces of whole walnuts for 18 weeks had significantly smaller and slower-growing prostate tumors compared to the control group that consumed the same amount of fat but from other sources.
According to another study on mice, the human equivalent of just two handfuls of walnuts a day cut breast cancer risk in half, and slowed tumor growth by 50 percent.

Walnuts contain the amino acid l-arginine, which offers multiple benefits to people with heart disease, or those who have increased risk for heart disease due to multiple cardiac risk factors.
Walnuts also contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is an anti-inflammatory and may prevent the formation of pathological blood clots. Research conducted at the university of Maryland shows that people who eat a diet high in ALA are less likely to have a fatal heart attack and have a nearly 50 percent lower risk of sudden cardiac death.

Antioxidants are crucial to your health, and according to World’s Healthiest Foods, walnuts contain several unique and powerful antioxidants like quinone juglone, the tannin tellimagrandin, and the flavonol morin which are available in only a few commonly eaten foods.
Walnuts contain antioxidants that are so powerful at free-radical scavenging that Japanese researchers called them “remarkable”.

 

Some nutritionists, like Dr. Joan Sabate suggest that eating a few walnuts, say 2 or 3, before meals can decrease levels of hunger, helping you to eat less, while also ingesting many essential nutrients. Just don’t add walnuts to an already high-calorie diet and expect the pounds to drop off.

 

One of the lesser-known benefits of walnuts is their impact on male fertility. According to a study led by Wendie A. Robbins PhD, men who consume a Western-style diet, and added just over a half cup of walnuts each day, significantly improved sperm quality, including vitality, motility, and morphology.

 

A 2009 study conducted by the School of Health Sciences at the University of Wollongong in Australia found the beneficial dietary fat in walnuts improved metabolic parameters in people with type 2 diabetes. They found that overweight adults with type 2 diabetes who ate one-quarter cup of walnuts daily had significant reductions in fasting insulin levels compared to those who did not, and the benefit was achieved in the first three months.

 

Walnuts like most nuts, are nutrient rich, especially in minerals. They offer protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and about half of our daily need of manganese, an important trace mineral essential to you for growth, reproduction, wound healing, peak brain function, and the proper metabolism of sugars, insulin, and cholesterol.

According to World’s Healthiest Foods, 90% of the phenols found in walnuts (the healthy parts that get absorbed into your bloodstream to do wonderful things) are found in their skin. Resist the urge to peel!

Ideally, a 1 ounce serving which equates to about 7 Whole Walnuts or 14 Halves.

If you struggle with herpes, you may want to avoid or limit walnuts, as high levels of arginine can deplete the amino acid lysine,

which can trigger herpes recurrences.

For more information on the many, incredible benefits of walnuts, visit World’s Healthiest Foods

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=99

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Stephanie Angelone Harding is the founder of MindSavvy, a stress-busting, health-improving, productivity-enhancing training program for organizations and individuals, that wish to transform their lives…in as little as ONE hour.

www.mindsavvy.ca