Bill's Brain Blog

Nutrition

Improving health including body and brain functions involves looking at nutrition because nutrients are the building blocks of the body. Each night as my brain builds/ rebuilds from my day. It seems to have a prioritized punch list of fixes to do and when all the nutrients are not there to complete the next one up, it either does a "band-aid fix" or moves on. 

Often people talk about getting all the nutrients I need for a specific function - say to build muscle or for better brain focus or eye health . . . It seems to me that we really need to look more comprehensively at all nutrients. 

There are a number of diets each of which seems to work well for some and not so well for others. My goal here is to look at the underlying nutrition as it gets to my cells. When that is complete and balanced my cells have the tools to function. When it is incomplete I function at less than 100%. 

Simple Nutrient Starts

Personal Energy level is very important for success in accomplishing your goals in life. 
Calories

Matching my total calories taken in and expended each day is critical to keeping my weight stable. 
Eat a rainbow

Different colors translates to different nutrients and phyto .   I find blue to be the hardest to find a range of options year round, 
    Eat 4 cups of Vegetables & Fruits Daily

    Needs to be weighted toward vegetables. Reported that when I do this I am 65% more likely to be alive 10 years from now. Probably a lot of reasons so a lot of small pieces that add up to a lot in total. 

      Nutrition

      I started examining the diet I was eating rather than a "standard American diet."

      My first step was to do a search for top 10 nutrient deficiencies. I started with a few of the ones that appeared on most lists. I was OK on some, not so good on others. I started to modify my diet with things I liked that 

      I chose to do a comprehensive blood panel on nutrients and some hormones using a nutritionist.

      I started studying my
      Measures
      Moodscope
      Nutrition
      • Omega 3 oils esp. ocean sourced
      • Selenium rich foods
      • Magnesium 
        • Food
        • Bath Salts
      • Whole Grains
      • Nuts
      • Live Cultures/ probiotics
      Behavior
      • Adequate Sleep
      • Meditation
      • Add Humor
      • Get fresh air
      • Breath 
      • Rhythmic activities like walking, jogging, cycling . . . any exercise

      Nutrition

      Nutritionist

      I use a nutritionist to do blood work and assess the nutrient levels to my cells. They can pro
      Measures
      • How long to fall Sleep
        • 10 to 15 minutes ideal
        • Less = you were too tired
        • Longer = trouble falling asleep
        • insomnia - when you don't fall asleep in 20 minutes better to get up and do something relaxing - reading, dishes . . . 
      • How long asleep
        • Varies with individual, age & circumstances.
          • Kids under 10 - 10-14 hr
          • Teens 8-10 hr
          • adults 7-8 hr.
        • Body needs time to rebuild
        • Mind needs time to set long term memory
      • How many times do you wake up
      • Quality of your sleep?
        • Shallow Sleep
        • Deep Sleep
        • Dream Sleep
      • How rested are you in the morning (S)
      SleepCoacher App
      Nutrition
      •  Large meals too close to bedtime may hurt
      •  
      •  Chinese Herbs
      Behavior
      • Meditation 
      • Yoga
      •  Cardio
      •  Weight Training
      • Test to determine how you respond 

      Stress Management

      Our bodies respond to occasional short lived dangerous situations by raising our respiration & heart rates and  blood pressure. This prepped us for a Fight or Flight reaction if needed. 
      Stressor Areas
      • Physical
      • Emotional
      • Mental
      • Spiritual
      • Health
      Measure
      • How do I Cope (S)
      • How do I Respond (S)
      • How much stress am I experiencing
      Welltory
      This app uses Heart Rate Variability to measure how the body is responding to stress. It has been used since the 60s on astronauts, is widely used in athletic training and is considered accurate and reliable.
      Nutrition
      • Magnesium - foods and baths
      • Omega 3 oils - 
      • Tea
      • Leafy vegetables
      • Crunchy vegetables
      • Chocolate
      Levels of Stress
      • Frozen
      • Panic
      • Crisis
      • Anxious
      • Worried
      • Agitated
      • Concerned
      • Highly productive
      • Calm
      • Serene
      Behavior
      • Acupuncture
      • Meditation
      • Exercise
      • Relaxation
      • Laugh

      Nutrition

      Thinking

      thinking is pretty important to most of us. What goes into thinking?  
      Measures
      • Learning Ability
      • Memory
      • Problem Solving
      • Focus 
      Nutrition
      •  Omega 3 Oils esp. ocean sourced
      •  A
      •  C
      Behavior
      • Try something new
      • Puzzles
      •  New Hobby
      •  New Activity

      Nutrition

      App

      General

      The mothers body is where conception and development occur and is where much of our 
      What is good Nutrition

      There are many good diets and people successful on them. I don't recommend one or another but rather that you find what is working for you and recognize that good ongoing brain performance requires you to supply both your brain and body with the building blocks they need. 
      • Water
      • Protein
      • Good Oils - fish, olive oil, avocado 
      • Look at top 10 nutrient deficiencies and identify which ones may apply to you. Address them and you go a long way to addressing the rest.  
      Deficiencies by Age
      Measures
      •  Memory
      •  Focus
      •  Attention span
      • Creativity

      Builders
      • Time with people we care about
        • Social
        • Work
      • Appreciation for work well done
        • Showing 
        • Receiving
      • Addressing Stressful situations
        • Differently
        • More Positive perspective
      Nutrition
      •  Identify top 10 nutrient deficiencies in American diet
      •  Identify which apply to you
      •  Choose how to eliminate them
      Probably will take more work and thought than you anticipate. The benefit is in the process as much as in the final result. 

      Our brains are the master control center so performance is impacted by shortages in key ingredients that affect all systems including points beyond the nervous system. 
      Behavior
      • Energy - brain uses roughly 25% of   body calories normally. 
        • Relaxed to sleep during
        • Careful to be alert when leaving

      • Mood
        • Avoid Toxic people
        • Avoid stressful circumstances
        • Share prickly with those close.

      • Sleep
        • plan for a little extra
        • May run out of steam a little early
        • Afternoon nap
      • Physical Activity
        • walking
        • normal workout
      • Meditation - 
      • Yoga - 
      • Controlled breathing
      • Thinking - 
      Alzheimer's SuscibilityTest
      Measures
      • Cognitive test above taken once a year.
      • Blood Homocysteine test 

      Nutrition

      App
      Behavior
      • Sleep
      • Physical Activity
      •  Meditation
      Nutrition
      •  Identify top 10 nutrient deficiencies in American diet
      •  Identify which apply to you
      •  Choose how to eliminate them
      Probably will take more work and thought than you anticipate. The benefit is in the process as much as in the final result. 

      Our brains are the master control center so performance is impacted by shortages in key ingredients that affect all systems. 
      Measures
      •  Memory
      •  Focus
      •  Chinese Herbs

      Contact Us

      Yes
      No
      1 Definitely Not
      2 Not
      3 Not Really
      4 A Little
      5 Very Much
      6 Extremely

      Nutrition

      App
      Behavior
      • Sleep
      • Physical Activity
      •  Meditation
      Nutrition
      •  Identify top 10 nutrient deficiencies in American diet
      •  Identify which apply to you
      •  Choose how to eliminate them
      Probably will take more work and thought than you anticipate. The benefit is in the process as much as in the final result. 

      Our brains are the master control center so performance is impacted by shortages in key ingredients that affect all systems. 
      Measures
      •  Memory
      •  Focus
      •  Chinese Herbs

      Moses Emotion

      0
      1
      2
      3
      4
      5
      Self
      Things
      People
      Yes
      No
      1 Definitely Not
      2 Not
      3 Not Really
      4 A Little
      5 Very Much
      6 Extremely
      HOPE Wellness Clinic
      9801 Fair Oaks Blvd. Suite 200
      Fair Oaks, CA 95628
      by Appointment: 
      9:00 am to 6:00 pm M-F


      Bill's Brain Blog
      Permission to reprint our articles with back links will most likely be granted but please tell us where and how in advance. 
      Thanks.   ©   2019