“If someone loses a limb it can be replaced with a prosthetic, if their heart goes bad they can have a transplant, but, if there brain goes bad then what?”
-- Gary Null
Modern medicine offers remarkable methods for replacing most organs, but not the brain.
So, what should we do when our brain begins to decline?
The best approach is to prevent it from happening in the first place.
There are numerous ways to maintain a strong and healthy brain, helping to ward off the deterioration associated with aging.
But first, here are some fun facts about the brain:
- The weight of your brain is about 3 pounds
- Your brain is approximately 75% water
- There are about 100 billion neurons in the brain
- There are no pain receptors in the brain so, your brain can’t feel pain
- There are 100,000 miles of blood vessels in the brain
- Your brain may consist of up to 10-12% lipids
Below, I have outlined three basic herbal superfood categories that when taken on a daily basis, and for an extended period of time, you will give your brain the supportive nourishment needed to function at an optimal level.
Again, in order to see optimal results, consistency and long term use are critical.
Let’s begin with a most important function in brain health; circulation.
There are no two greater herbs on earth that support healthy circulation than cayenne and ginger. If you are truly looking for optimal health, one of these herbs should be a part of your daily life.
Someone with stagnant or unhealthy blood flow is simply asking for a mountain of health issues within their lifetime. These two circulatory herbs are very powerful and only a small amount is required to see some amazing results. Simply begin your day with ½ teaspoon in an 8-oz glass of distilled water with the juice from ¼ lemon. If you want an extra boost, you can do this 3 times daily, but once per day is fine.
When broken down into its individual functions the brain can be very complex. Thankfully, our brain knows how to do all the little intrinsic things it is supposed to do. For this reason, we are going to use a tonic as the base of this program. After all, their sole purpose is to nourish and support the entire nervous system.
While there are many wonderful herbs for supporting individual brain activities, I am going to keep it a bit more general. My top two picks are bacopa and ashwagandha. Both of these herbs used individually or together have amazing brain and nerve tonic supportive effects.
Getting the whole herb or whole herb in powder versus something that is already prepared will give you a greater variety of ways to use it.
My final suggestion is the necessity of essential fatty acids.
Because your brain consists of up to 60% fat, it would make sense that these “good fats” are essential for nourishing the brain. My top two picks are chia seed and walnuts. Both of these foods are perfectly balanced with all the essential fatty acids you will need to support and nourish your brain. These two simple foods can be easily incorporated into your daily life for a truly powerful brain-nourishing effect.
Let me add one more important topic.
I believe most people walk around chronically dehydrated. This occurs for two reasons:
- First, we drink so many stimulants, like coffee, to keep ourselves going and in the process, we dehydrate ourselves.
- Second, is that we neglect the most simple necessity in our lives to drink clean, pure water.
To put it plain and simple, nothing in the human body will work at optimal levels if we do not keep our bodies properly hydrated.
I know what you are thinking, “What if I already have a condition of the nervous system and I need to raise or lower a specific neurochemical?” Well, believe it or not, the brain knows exactly how to do this on its own and in many cases this “disease” or “set of symptoms” is often caused by the fact that the brain was not getting the nourishment it needed.
This is the beauty of the body. If it is properly cared for, it is a perfect, self-repairing working machine.
Therefore, we don’t need to worry about looking at every individual action in order to achieve optimal brain health.
Nourish the body with the right foods and watch the magic happen!
In great health,
Mike
About Michael Stuchiner
Michael Stuchiner is an experienced Master Herbalist, the Head of Education for Z Natural Foods, a teacher and an accomplished author. With a 16-year specialization in medicinal herbs, Mike also has a vast knowledge in tonic and adaptogenic herbalism. Mike has enjoyed a 25-year career as an elite-level competitive powerlifter where he learned to heal his ‘mind and body’ as an avid user of herbal remedies.
As an “in-the-trenches” herbalist, Mike has done more than 85 speaking engagements, consulted with clients ranging from young to elderly, worked with athletes in virtually all sports and with clients who have “dis-ease” states of a wide variety. Mike also mentors student Master Herbalists and will continue to teach the next generation to grow a deeper wisdom of the human body through appropriate herbal remedies.
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