Improving Your Brain Health and Reducing Cholesterol Levels

 

Holistic Habits by Cheryl A. Mothes, Ph.D. Natural Health Nutrition Counselor

Content is a daily radio script from my KHIS radio spot - tune in at 6:15 (CST) every morning to Justin and Meredith’s morning show on 89.9 FM.

In terms of preventing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, data shows that those who consume meat, including poultry and fish, have two to three times the risk of developing dementia compared with vegetarians. Increased saturated fat intake, found mostly in meat, dairy, and junk food, was associated with a 40 percent increased risk of cognitive impairment and a nearly 90 percent higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease.  On just five days of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, they suffered impaired attention, speed, and mood. Every single blood vessel is impacted when you consume saturated fat – not just the arteries in your heart, but your brain, lungs, bones, and organs – all of you!   It is MEATLESS MONDAY everyone so understands that you are improving your brain power and heart health by crowding out meat, dairy, and junk food! 

People who eat berries or nuts show improvements in cognitive performance, raising the idea that “dietary supplementation with nuts, berry fruit, or both are capable of altering cognitive performance in humans, perhaps forestalling or reversing the effects of neurodegeneration in aging”—just with food. Researchers gave students banana bread with or without walnuts. Those eating the nuts showed significant improvement in critical thinking. Another study gave subjects smoothies made with lots of different berries and tomatoes. Not only did their bad cholesterol drop about ten points, but they also performed better on short-term memory tests. Bump up the berries and nuts to improve your brain power and THIS Sunday, move your wake-up time up 30 minutes – we’re changing times in a couple of weeks and gradual is better! 

Food affects our mood – and our cognition. Consumers of cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts) performed better in several cognitive tests than others. And women consuming the leafiest greens did better cognitively, effectively slowing their brain aging by a year or two. As we age, the amount of blood flowing through our brain drops, “which may be due to an age-related decrease in the production of nitric oxide that dilates our blood vessels. The reduction in blood flow to the brain is a major risk factor for the impairment of cognitive function and the development of diseases such as dementia. Plantify those plates to live longer and live stronger! 

Did you know that many of us can reduce our cholesterol and avoid or reduce medication by cutting out the three things that increase cholesterol? They are saturated fat, trans fats, and dietary cholesterol, all of which are found predominantly in animal fats, eggs, and junk food. Add in a whole bunch of high-fiber plant foods, meaning whole plant foods, and you can push your cholesterol down even further.  Again, ease into the time change by getting up 30 minutes earlier, starting Sunday! 

It's FIX-IT FRIDAY and many of us can't figure out how to use tofu.  Here's a great tofu scramble for breakfast, or any time, from the Blue Zones recipes, where people live the longest and best!

Ingredients:  

Spinach, 1 1⁄2 cups

Extra firm tofu,1 block.

Olive oil,1 tsp

Turmeric,1⁄2 tsp

Chili powder,1⁄2 tsp

Nutritional yeast, 2 tbsps.

Ezekiel Bread (0r other whole-grain bread), two slices

Avocado, one half

Cumin, 1⁄2 tsp

Hot sauce, 1 tsp

Directions

Produce Prep: Rinse the spinach.

Press as much water out from the extra firm tofu as possible.

 Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. (To make this recipe oil-free, omit the oil and use a non-stick pan.) Crumble up the extra firm tofu into the skillet. Add the turmeric and chili powder and mash the mixture with a fork until the spices are evenly distributed.

 Cook the extra firm tofu until it’s golden brown.

 Remove from heat and stir in nutritional yeast. Then, stir in the spinach. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 Toast the whole grain bread in a toaster, oven, or toaster oven.

 Top the bread with the scramble. Drizzle with hot sauce, additional spices, and/or more salt and pepper to taste.

 And here is a blast from the past!

 You may remember that in 2020, the FDA called for the immediate withdrawal of a popular acid reflux medication called Zantac because it had high levels of NDMA, a contaminant that has a cancer risk exceeding many potent carcinogens, including asbestos.  In the FDA's decision to pull Zantac off the shelves, they stated that the NDMA levels were similar to what you would expect to be exposed to if you ate grilled or smoked meats.... what?!!  Yes, they feel 96 nanograms a day is acceptable, and Zantac had 100.  Half a chicken breast contains 110. It is a great reason to give meatless Monday a try today!  Go to meatlessmonday.com for great ways to make it happen. 

Social media platforms have been in the news a LOT recently, and they use specific techniques to get us hooked on their technology.  Billions of us are addicted to our screens - and exploiting five universal psychological vulnerabilities is how it happens.  They give us intermittent, variable rewards (just like slot machines), fulfill our need to be seen, our need to reciprocate, the fear of missing out, and constantly comparing ourselves to others.  If you want to check your own habit, there is a free app called "Moment" that tracks your phone and app usage.  But it's more than that - we watch (on average) 5 hours of TV a day!  Rather than hoping regulation will fix it, start tracking your screen usage - you can free up 2 hours a day by getting it under control.  Have a terrific Tuesday, everyone! 

There is a growing interest in "simplifying" and becoming more minimalist, and considering the average American household is estimated to hold 300,000 separate items, it should be easy to cut back! Minimalism involves owning less, practicing sufficiency, and improving our quality of life by not indulging in consumerism.  Minimalist lifestyles result in more family and friend time, more volunteering, and less stress.  Clutter and lack of contentment, always wanting to have more is linked to depression, fatigue, and higher levels of stress.  So on this wonderful Wednesday, search for the "Living Lighter Checklist" to find ways to start the journey! 

We've talked about those who live the longest and best, the five areas of the world called the Blue Zones, all practice some form of "downshifting" - relaxation and meditation.  Meditation has been considered a "soft practice" that is maybe good in theory but probably not all that important.  But studies show a clear relationship between stress and aging, and between meditation and stress reduction.   Eastern traditions have long claimed that meditation slows aging and lengthens life - and there is now evidence that stress damages our genes, therefore our health, and we can indeed reverse it with meditation.  Try a free meditation app like Insight Timer to gradually build up to 15 minutes a day to live stronger AND longer! 

Getting a good night's sleep is important for our emotional, physical, and psychological health and even children struggle with it sometimes.  There is a "Baby Dream Machine" that is designed for children, but many parents end up using it too! It's a 5-in-1 cute machine that uses a night light, red light therapy, a sound machine, a cool-mist humidifier, and aromatherapy.  Sounds divine! Parents report that 93% of the children sleep better and longer - better for everyone!  Go to thebabydreammachine.com to check it out! Have a fantastic Friday everyone!