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No More "Senior Moments" – How to Keep Your "Brain" Happy, Healthy, and Focused!

From: The MetaTyping Nutrition Blog

Greetings -

When you stop and think about it, the human brain is amazing. It acts as the "boss" of the body. It controls all of our internal organs. It processes information that comes to us through our senses. It allows us to control our neuromuscular systems so that we can walk and talk. And it is the source of all our thoughts, dreams, and emotions.

But for the brain to do its job, and do it well, it needs a precise balance of chemicals. These specific chemicals – called neurotransmitters - regulate a large portion of our body's functions. These neurotransmitters are part of the basic wiring and signaling system in your body. They monitor and control all major metabolic processes, regulate your mood, and allow you to think, reason, and remember.

As long as your neurotransmitters are in balance, all is well. But when our neurotransmitters are out of balance, we can suffer from a wide variety of problems. Depression, other mood disorders, migraine headaches, sleeplessness, short-term memory loss, even weight control issues and eating disorders, have all been linked to neurotransmitter imbalance.

While there are a number of neurotransmitters, two that have received a lot of attention and research in recent years are "serotonin" and "dopamine".

Serotonin, known as the "master" neurotransmitter, regulates everything from body temperature to emotions to sexuality to appetite. Too little or too much serotonin can cause symptoms of depression, anxiety and worry, obsessive thoughts and behaviors, carbohydrate cravings, PMS, difficulty with pain control, sleep cycle disturbances and/or lethargy (lack of energy).

Dopamine is known as the "focus" neurotransmitter. It is actively involved in memory, attention, and problem solving, as well as motivation, pleasure, and happiness. Too little or too much dopamine can also cause depression, anxiety and worry, but may also cause those so-called "senior moments" when we lose our keys, forget what we’ve just read, or just can't get motivated!

So how do we keep our neurotransmitters in balance?

Diet is the key player in helping regulate our neurotransmitters. We need to eat the food nutritionally best for our genetic type, as well as foods that have the highest quality of nutrients that our bodies need.

Three "big three" foods that help with neurotransmitter balance are:

1. Protein

Proteins break down into amino acids, and these amino acids become the building blocks for our neurotransmitters. You can get protein in the form of meats such as beef or lamb, poultry such as turkey and chicken, as well as fish, nuts, seeds, and beans.

But to make the most of the proteins you eat, you need to choose the right ones for your genetic type. Please check your Food Checklist to see which proteins are right for your type.

2. Fats

You may not realize this, but 60% of our brain matter is actually composed of fat! Fats, especially the omega-3 fatty acids, make it easier for our brains to regulate the neurotransmitters. These fats provide a good insulative coating for the nerves.

You can get omega-3 fats from almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, and fish oil, as well as cold fresh water fish. Again, make sure these items are right for your genetic type by using your Food Checklist.

3. Water

Water helps "detoxify" the brain, removing chemicals that can inhibit neurotransmitter function. But how much water is enough? As a rule of thumb, you can determine the number of ounces you need each day by dividing your current body weight by 2. Use the result as the number of ounces you need to drink every day.

In addition to the big three of protein, fats, and water, certain dietary supplements can help you bring your neurotransmitters back into balance. However, I strongly recommend against buying and experimenting with over-the-counter supplements. If you don’t have an adequate measurement of your current neurotransmitter levels, these supplements may create more problems than they solve.

If you are concerned about your neurotransmitter levels, a certified advisor can arrange for you to take a simple urine test. You can take the test in your home, without having to visit a clinic or doctor’s office. The test is then sent to a lab, and you can get your results within a couple of weeks. It includes a detailed analysis of your neurotransmitter levels, and what you can do to bring those levels back into balance. (If you are interested in this type of test, please email me and I can give you information.)

As I said, the human brain is amazing. But to keep it working at its peak, your neurotransmitters have to be in balance. By keeping your brain healthy, you’ll take another big step in feeling healthy, energetic, and young!

Wishing you the best in health and longevity,

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