You may be familiar with the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland. He was a tad bit eccentric, to put it nicely. You might even call him crazy, 'off his rocker', a few fries short of a Happy Meal or just downright mad (meaning marked by mental disorder). But do you know where the term 'mad as a hatter' originates? The expression is linked to the hat-making industry and mercury poisoning. In the 18th and 19th centuries, industrial workers used a toxic substance, mercury nitrate, as part of the process of turning the fur of small animals, such as rabbits, into felt for hats. Workplace safety standards often were lax and prolonged exposure to mercury caused employees to develop a variety of physical and mental ailments, including tremors (dubbed “hatter’s shakes”), speech problems, emotional instability and hallucinations. Unfortunately, toxic mercury exposure has continued into this century as silver (mercury) fillings are still commonplace in the dental industry. These types of fillings can off-gas mercury vapors that you breath in. Chewing can also release small amounts of mercury. Do your brain a favor and plan to have any silver (mercury-based) fillings replaced. When it comes to brain health, prevention is always better than cure. Memory loss and dementia, like Alzheimer’s which accounts for two-thirds of dementia, are not conditions you suddenly get, like an infection. They are not the natural consequence of aging nor are they genetic. Only 1% of Alzheimer’s is due to genetic makeup. There is a lot you can do to ensure proper brain function for life. In addition to limiting toxic exposure (like mercury) to improve brain health, consider the good things you should be putting into the body for better brain function. We want to make you aware of a great organization whose goal is to raise awareness of the importance of optimum nutrition in mental health. Food For The Brain is a not-for-profit charity working to empower individuals to change their diet and lifestyle and take greater control of their own mental health. We highly recommend testing to get a baseline of your cognitive function here: https://foodforthebrain.org/the-cognitive-function-test/ There is so much great information on their website, including helpful foods for various brain conditions (anxiety, ADHD, depression, memory loss, etc.) Be sure to sign up for their newsletter, too.
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....take care of your brain! The saying goes that 'elephants never forget' and elephants live almost as long as we do. How is your memory doing? Just like breathing and a perfectly beating heart, we can take our brains for granted. It is a mistake to assume we can wait to take care of that grey matter between the ears only when we notice signs of forgetfulness or foggy thinking. Brain issues begin years before the symptoms become apparent – even 20–30 years before! However, there are things we can do now to help prevent (or at least postpone) debilitating mental illness. First, make sure you eat well! Your brain is dependent on the nutrition you provide your body. There are many resources available with lists of brain-healthy menus you can follow. One of our mentors has a theory that elephants have such good memories because of all the Gotu Kola leaves that they eat. Gotu Kola is excellent for cognition. You may not find the leaves as delicious as elephants do, so we suggest supplement forms you can take instead. Second, make sleep a priority. Getting at least 7-9 hours of sleep a day helps with memory retention. Your brain is also actually working to detox while you are sleeping. Don't skimp! Third, you need to exercise - body and brain. Physical activity that gets your heart pumping can literally grow new brain cells and new synapses in the hippocampus, a brain area critical for our ability to form new memories. (Taken from HFC website). Learning new things is a great way to exercise your brain - a new language, a new hobby, or a new skill. Playing games and doing puzzles will help keep your mind sharp. Don't feel like you have time for any of this? Just experiment with driving a different route to work or doing things with your non-dominant hand. Fourth, take care of your emotional well-being. Reduce stress as much as possible, hang out with positive people, watch a comedy....don't forget that 'laughter is like internal jogging'. Your brain will thank you! We understand that some people may be dealing with head injuries that require more than a 'do-it-yourself' approach and are happy to help with services using cold laser therapy and cranial work. We also use a 6-week supplement protocol to help 'regain the brain'. Even if you had a head injury many years ago, it could be causing you brain issues today. We hope we have given you some 'food for thought' when it comes to brain health. Make it a priority to take care of yours...before you forget! |
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