Mental Health Blogs...
The Ultramind Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman
I wanted to spend some time addressing mental health. This is the time of year in Minnesota when people are really feeling the winter blahs. This is a normal progression in climates north of the equator, but it should not be a condition that should be ignored. Even living with little sunlight in the winter should not cause us to experience depression. There are things that we can do to insure that our mental health is good all year long. Many people shy away from discussing mental health. Our brains can be affected by illness just as our bodies are. In fact, the two go hand in hand. If you have ever experienced any mental health issues, you most likely were experiencing physical health concerns at the same time. Many times, mental health issues sneak up on us. We may want to sleep more, eat more or less, have little motivation for things that we used to enjoy, and may experience more overall health complaints. It is not until we feel better that we realize how much our mental health had an effect on our everyday lives. Dr. Hyman's book takes a realistic look at what is causing our mental health concerns. Many times, anti-depressants are the first line of defense for mental health issues. There is definitely a place for this treatment, but it is also necessary to look for the underlying causes of the condition. Dr. Hyman focuses on nutrition, hormones, inflammation, digestion, detoxification, energy, and calming the mind as avenues to pursue in balancing our brains. I will focus on each of these "Seven Keys to Ultra Wellness" as Dr. Hyman explains them. These seven areas address "depression, anxiety, memory loss, brain fog, attention deficit disorder, autism and dementia" and more. Dr. Hyman comes from the premise that "Everything is connected". We cannot fix our brains without fixing our lifestyles. The body affects the mind and vice versa. If you are concerned about your mental health, now is the time to begin looking at your daily routine and choices. Keep a diary if that is helpful - document foods, mood changes, stress levels, exercise and sleep patterns. You don't have to feel the way that you do if your mood isn't quite right. Next week, I will start with nutrition.
The Ultra Mind Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman
The first step in fixing the brain is fixing our nutrition. Dr. Hyan believes taht food is the most powerful tool available to change our overall health. According to Hyman, "Food is not just calories or energy. Food contains information that talks to your genes, turning them on or off and affecting their function moment to moment." If the main staples in our diets are the Standard American Diet (SAD) - fast food, processed foods, and soda, we are not providing our bodies and our brains with the nourishment that they need to work optimally. The steps that Dr. Hyman suggests for improving our brains through nutrition are stated below:
* Take out the bad stuff (the things that create imbalance, such as a nutrient-poor, processed diet; toixins; allergens; infections; and stress); remove what's bugging you. If you have ten tacks in your food, you can't take out one, pop an aspirin, and hope to feel better. You need to find and ake out all the tacks; taking out just one of them won't make you better.
* Add the good stuff (high-quality whole foods, nutrients, water oxygen, light, movement, sleep, relaxation, community, connection, love, meaning, and purpose), and the body's natural intelligence and healing system will take care of the rest.
When it comes to nutrition, once again, eliminating high fructose corn syrup, trans fats and extra sugars is a good starting point. Many times it is easier to add whole, clean foods which eliminates the need for toxic foods. Identifying food intolerances is also a step that can improve brain clarity. You can find more information in my blog archives in regard to nutrition. Next week - hormones and brain health.
The Ultra Mind Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman
The second step for balancing the brain in Dr. Hyman's book is hormones. Hormones are very complex. They are important for every function in our body. According to Dr. Hyman, "There are three big epidemics of hormonal problems in America today - too much insulin (from sugar), too much cortisol and adrenalin (from stress), and not enough thyroid hormone." Dr. Hyman provides some quizzes on his web site to determine if any of these areas are stressed for you - go to www.ultramind.com/guide - here you will find quizzes for all of the topics having to do with mental health. Hormonal imbalances can show up over a long period of time, or can hit us out of the blue depending on our life circumstances. Being exposed to certain toxins (pesticides, chemicals, preservatives) can affect us acutely, as well as being under severe stress. Following is a list of indicators that may indicate a hormonal imbalance according to Dr. Hyman:
If you experience any of the above issues, you don't have to feel that way. Looking into balancing your hormones can go a long way into improving overall quality of life. Hormones are also influenced by the other areas in the Ultra Mind Solution, so it is important to balance the system overall, and not focus on one specific area.
The next step in balancing our brains is cooling off inflammation. Inflammation causes or plays a part in many of the maladies that we experience. According to Dr. Hyman, "...new evidence links hidden brain inflammation to almost every known 'brain disease', from depression to dementia, from autism to anxiety, from schizophrenia to sociopathic behavior." He also states that one in three Americans suffer from mental illness. This is alarming to think that this many people are suffering needlessly. Dr. Hyman gives the following list of things that cause inflammation in the body and affect the brain:
An important, and often overlooked factor are food sensitivities. Because these food intolerances don't necessarily show up right after you eat a food (you may not react until 2 or 3 days later), people don't take them seriously. Identifying these foods can go a long way to healing the brain and the body. If you experience fatigue, mental fog and digestive issues, this is a good place to start.
This week's topic is digestion. We have all experienced some sort of intestinal discomfort in our life times. This can show up in gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, skin issues, nausea, stomach pains, mouth sores and more. According to Dr. Hyman, our gut affects our mental health, because it is know as the second nervous system and has a lot to do with our immune function. When our gut is out of balance, so is our brain. The digestive system has a huge job in keeping our systems running optimally. Dr. Hyman lists the following roles of digestion:
* Breaking down your food
* Absorbing only the molecules we need, such as amino acids, fats, sugars, and vitamins and minerals through a one-cell-thick layer barrier to keep us properly nourished.
* While letting in the nutrients essential for life, it must prevent, block, or neutralize nasty toxins, bugs, and chemicals that flow through our inner tube of life.
* Bacteria that live in your gut (about three pounds' worth containing five hundred different species) produce vitamins and health-giving molecules that are all part of your gut ecosystem
* Your gut immune system makes up 60 percent of your total immune system and is called the gut-associated lymphoid tissue. It lies under that one-cell layer above through which nutrients are absorbed. Its job is to protect you from illness. When it is in balance, you are well. When it is out of balance, a host of problems can occur.
Dr. Hyman goes on to say that the solution to many of our gut issues is easy - "eliminate the dietary and environmental factors that are traumatizing your gut and feed it what it needs so you can live in harmony with it." Of course, this means cleaning up the diet. It is also important to eliminate parasites and other toxins from the gut (more on this next week). Many people benefit from taking a friendly bacteria to support the flora in our gut and supplementing with an enzyme. It is also important to keep your digestion moving.
The 5th key that Dr. Hyman discusses is enhancing detoxification. As I have discussed before, we are exposed to hundreds of toxins everyday. Our body works hard to eliminate them, but our systems become overwhelmed if our kidneys and liver aren't functioning as well as they could. I recommend going to www.ultramind.com/guide and do the quiz about detoxification to see if this is an issue for you. Some indication of difficulties detoxing are fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, and concentration and memory problems. Many of us experience these symptoms, and just accept them as normal. You should not have to experience the above issues, or others, such as depression, constipation, sinus issues, autoimmune disorders, and more. This is an area that I recommend working with a health practitioner to determine which organs and systems need support, and what toxins are causing the most issues. I am leery about going to the grocery store and buying a full body cleanse. I think that this is a major stress on many people's systems. This is due to the fact that if your organs of elimination are already stressed, doing a major detox is going to further stress those organs, leaving you feeling even worse. The toxins won't be released from the system, and may cause further health issues.
I am going to wrap up this book today, and then I am going to take a blogging break. I will periodically blog during the summer when I come across a topic of interest. The last two keys to brain wellness are boost energy metabolism and calm your mind. Dr. Hyman states that "Enough energy means a happy, healthy, focused, and sharp brain. Lack of energy meas slowed mental function, autism, mood disorders like depression, and ultimately Parkinson's and dementia." Some indications that you have a loss of energy, according to Dr. Hyman, are as follows:
* chronic or prolonged fatigue
* aching muscle pain or discomfort
* sleep problems
* poor tolerance for exercise
* trouble concentrating or remembering things
* irritable and moody
* prolonged stress
* overeat
* have been exposed to environmental chemicals
You can find the complete quiz at www.ultramind.com/guide. This loss of energy can be caused by a wide range of culprits, particularly being exposed to numerous toxins and stressors, and not having the needed nutrients to fight off the offenders. Dr. Hyman adds to this aspartame, MSG, infections, allergens and psychological stress.
Finally, calming the mind. I see more and more with my clients that this has become a difficult task with all of the stress that we are under on a daily basis. Many people need assistance with balancing the adrenal gland due to the harsh stress that it is put under. Stress is the baseline for the majority of afflictions that we experience. For both of the above steps to wellness, it is important to manage the stress response.
I wanted to spend some time addressing mental health. This is the time of year in Minnesota when people are really feeling the winter blahs. This is a normal progression in climates north of the equator, but it should not be a condition that should be ignored. Even living with little sunlight in the winter should not cause us to experience depression. There are things that we can do to insure that our mental health is good all year long. Many people shy away from discussing mental health. Our brains can be affected by illness just as our bodies are. In fact, the two go hand in hand. If you have ever experienced any mental health issues, you most likely were experiencing physical health concerns at the same time. Many times, mental health issues sneak up on us. We may want to sleep more, eat more or less, have little motivation for things that we used to enjoy, and may experience more overall health complaints. It is not until we feel better that we realize how much our mental health had an effect on our everyday lives. Dr. Hyman's book takes a realistic look at what is causing our mental health concerns. Many times, anti-depressants are the first line of defense for mental health issues. There is definitely a place for this treatment, but it is also necessary to look for the underlying causes of the condition. Dr. Hyman focuses on nutrition, hormones, inflammation, digestion, detoxification, energy, and calming the mind as avenues to pursue in balancing our brains. I will focus on each of these "Seven Keys to Ultra Wellness" as Dr. Hyman explains them. These seven areas address "depression, anxiety, memory loss, brain fog, attention deficit disorder, autism and dementia" and more. Dr. Hyman comes from the premise that "Everything is connected". We cannot fix our brains without fixing our lifestyles. The body affects the mind and vice versa. If you are concerned about your mental health, now is the time to begin looking at your daily routine and choices. Keep a diary if that is helpful - document foods, mood changes, stress levels, exercise and sleep patterns. You don't have to feel the way that you do if your mood isn't quite right. Next week, I will start with nutrition.
The Ultra Mind Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman
The first step in fixing the brain is fixing our nutrition. Dr. Hyan believes taht food is the most powerful tool available to change our overall health. According to Hyman, "Food is not just calories or energy. Food contains information that talks to your genes, turning them on or off and affecting their function moment to moment." If the main staples in our diets are the Standard American Diet (SAD) - fast food, processed foods, and soda, we are not providing our bodies and our brains with the nourishment that they need to work optimally. The steps that Dr. Hyman suggests for improving our brains through nutrition are stated below:
* Take out the bad stuff (the things that create imbalance, such as a nutrient-poor, processed diet; toixins; allergens; infections; and stress); remove what's bugging you. If you have ten tacks in your food, you can't take out one, pop an aspirin, and hope to feel better. You need to find and ake out all the tacks; taking out just one of them won't make you better.
* Add the good stuff (high-quality whole foods, nutrients, water oxygen, light, movement, sleep, relaxation, community, connection, love, meaning, and purpose), and the body's natural intelligence and healing system will take care of the rest.
When it comes to nutrition, once again, eliminating high fructose corn syrup, trans fats and extra sugars is a good starting point. Many times it is easier to add whole, clean foods which eliminates the need for toxic foods. Identifying food intolerances is also a step that can improve brain clarity. You can find more information in my blog archives in regard to nutrition. Next week - hormones and brain health.
The Ultra Mind Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman
The second step for balancing the brain in Dr. Hyman's book is hormones. Hormones are very complex. They are important for every function in our body. According to Dr. Hyman, "There are three big epidemics of hormonal problems in America today - too much insulin (from sugar), too much cortisol and adrenalin (from stress), and not enough thyroid hormone." Dr. Hyman provides some quizzes on his web site to determine if any of these areas are stressed for you - go to www.ultramind.com/guide - here you will find quizzes for all of the topics having to do with mental health. Hormonal imbalances can show up over a long period of time, or can hit us out of the blue depending on our life circumstances. Being exposed to certain toxins (pesticides, chemicals, preservatives) can affect us acutely, as well as being under severe stress. Following is a list of indicators that may indicate a hormonal imbalance according to Dr. Hyman:
- Do you feel your life is a song played badly out of tune?
- Does your mood and energy swing up and down, making your life crazy?
- Do you crave sugar or salt
- Are you overweight and putting on more and more belly fat?
- If you are a woman, do you have premenstrual syndrome or painful or heavy periods?
- Are you depressed?
- Do you sleep poorly?
- Are you less interested in sex?
- Do you have thinning hair, dry skin; do you feel sluggish in the mornings?
- Do you feel tired but wired?
- Do you have to live on coffee in the morning and a few glasses of wine at nigh just to wake up, and then calm down every day?
If you experience any of the above issues, you don't have to feel that way. Looking into balancing your hormones can go a long way into improving overall quality of life. Hormones are also influenced by the other areas in the Ultra Mind Solution, so it is important to balance the system overall, and not focus on one specific area.
The next step in balancing our brains is cooling off inflammation. Inflammation causes or plays a part in many of the maladies that we experience. According to Dr. Hyman, "...new evidence links hidden brain inflammation to almost every known 'brain disease', from depression to dementia, from autism to anxiety, from schizophrenia to sociopathic behavior." He also states that one in three Americans suffer from mental illness. This is alarming to think that this many people are suffering needlessly. Dr. Hyman gives the following list of things that cause inflammation in the body and affect the brain:
- Food allergens - mostly delayed reactions to food or hidden allergens that lead to "brain allergies"
- Imbalances in digestive function and the gut immune system that produce widespread systemic effects.
- Toxins such as mercury and pesticides (and the 85,000 mostly untested toxins in our environment) which have been linked to immune dysfunction and autoimmmune diseases.
- Low-grade, hidden, or chronic infections such as HIV associated dementia, syphilis, and Lyme disease, which can cause many neurological and psychiatric "diseases", that leads to OCD.
- Stress - emotional or physical, such as trauma.
- Sedentary lifestyle.
- Inadequate sleep - fewer than seven hours a night
- Nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin D, zinc and omega-3 fats.
An important, and often overlooked factor are food sensitivities. Because these food intolerances don't necessarily show up right after you eat a food (you may not react until 2 or 3 days later), people don't take them seriously. Identifying these foods can go a long way to healing the brain and the body. If you experience fatigue, mental fog and digestive issues, this is a good place to start.
This week's topic is digestion. We have all experienced some sort of intestinal discomfort in our life times. This can show up in gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn, skin issues, nausea, stomach pains, mouth sores and more. According to Dr. Hyman, our gut affects our mental health, because it is know as the second nervous system and has a lot to do with our immune function. When our gut is out of balance, so is our brain. The digestive system has a huge job in keeping our systems running optimally. Dr. Hyman lists the following roles of digestion:
* Breaking down your food
* Absorbing only the molecules we need, such as amino acids, fats, sugars, and vitamins and minerals through a one-cell-thick layer barrier to keep us properly nourished.
* While letting in the nutrients essential for life, it must prevent, block, or neutralize nasty toxins, bugs, and chemicals that flow through our inner tube of life.
* Bacteria that live in your gut (about three pounds' worth containing five hundred different species) produce vitamins and health-giving molecules that are all part of your gut ecosystem
* Your gut immune system makes up 60 percent of your total immune system and is called the gut-associated lymphoid tissue. It lies under that one-cell layer above through which nutrients are absorbed. Its job is to protect you from illness. When it is in balance, you are well. When it is out of balance, a host of problems can occur.
Dr. Hyman goes on to say that the solution to many of our gut issues is easy - "eliminate the dietary and environmental factors that are traumatizing your gut and feed it what it needs so you can live in harmony with it." Of course, this means cleaning up the diet. It is also important to eliminate parasites and other toxins from the gut (more on this next week). Many people benefit from taking a friendly bacteria to support the flora in our gut and supplementing with an enzyme. It is also important to keep your digestion moving.
The 5th key that Dr. Hyman discusses is enhancing detoxification. As I have discussed before, we are exposed to hundreds of toxins everyday. Our body works hard to eliminate them, but our systems become overwhelmed if our kidneys and liver aren't functioning as well as they could. I recommend going to www.ultramind.com/guide and do the quiz about detoxification to see if this is an issue for you. Some indication of difficulties detoxing are fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, and concentration and memory problems. Many of us experience these symptoms, and just accept them as normal. You should not have to experience the above issues, or others, such as depression, constipation, sinus issues, autoimmune disorders, and more. This is an area that I recommend working with a health practitioner to determine which organs and systems need support, and what toxins are causing the most issues. I am leery about going to the grocery store and buying a full body cleanse. I think that this is a major stress on many people's systems. This is due to the fact that if your organs of elimination are already stressed, doing a major detox is going to further stress those organs, leaving you feeling even worse. The toxins won't be released from the system, and may cause further health issues.
I am going to wrap up this book today, and then I am going to take a blogging break. I will periodically blog during the summer when I come across a topic of interest. The last two keys to brain wellness are boost energy metabolism and calm your mind. Dr. Hyman states that "Enough energy means a happy, healthy, focused, and sharp brain. Lack of energy meas slowed mental function, autism, mood disorders like depression, and ultimately Parkinson's and dementia." Some indications that you have a loss of energy, according to Dr. Hyman, are as follows:
* chronic or prolonged fatigue
* aching muscle pain or discomfort
* sleep problems
* poor tolerance for exercise
* trouble concentrating or remembering things
* irritable and moody
* prolonged stress
* overeat
* have been exposed to environmental chemicals
You can find the complete quiz at www.ultramind.com/guide. This loss of energy can be caused by a wide range of culprits, particularly being exposed to numerous toxins and stressors, and not having the needed nutrients to fight off the offenders. Dr. Hyman adds to this aspartame, MSG, infections, allergens and psychological stress.
Finally, calming the mind. I see more and more with my clients that this has become a difficult task with all of the stress that we are under on a daily basis. Many people need assistance with balancing the adrenal gland due to the harsh stress that it is put under. Stress is the baseline for the majority of afflictions that we experience. For both of the above steps to wellness, it is important to manage the stress response.