Do Not Kill Your Brain - SAVE IT! 4 Action Items, 9 Strategies & 8 Critical Supplements

Always remember your mind is a terrible thing to waste. Please continue to read to find tips on training your brain on different techniques.

Recently I was privileged to be personally invited by Joel Osteen, to attend his church in Houston. He had used my Eat Drink and Be Healthy program to teach, for 3 Sunday mornings on health. The church is phenomenal.

It's the old Compaq center Basketball Arena. I spoke there twice back in the 90's on the Success Circuit. Many of you have been with me so long that you may have attended that event or one similar. It was at those events where I had the privilege to share the platform with George Bush Senior, Barbara Bush, Colin Powell, Bill Cosby, and Larry King etc. etc. It was great to see the renovation and how beautiful the facility had become.

Specific nutritional recommendations are available at the end of this blog.

I met Joel and Victoria when they walked into the service. The first words out of Joel's mouth to me were, "I love your stuff", speaking of my books and CD's. My first words to him were "I love your stuff too". Well needless to say we really hit it off. I was able to spend quite a bit of time with him after the service. Interestingly enough, a group of Christian reporters were there from Germany. They were shocked when I started speaking German to them. Many of you may not know it, but my first language was German. The Germans wanted what Joel had. They wanted the joy of the Lord. During the television Interview they had with him, they were so enamored with the power, joy and love of God, which flows so freely through him. Many of you are probably thinking, well that's great! But what does that have to do with

killing your brain? I'm glad you asked. Our memory, whether we are speaking a foreign language, remembering scripture or remembering where you placed your car keys is critical to maintain a healthy happy productive life. (You see I did it. I sort of transitioned into the topic of this newsletter; well I guess I had to give it a good shot. LOL)

Until recently the standard medical belief was that we were born with a certain number of brain cells that would slowly die off and never be replaced resulting in a gradual mental decline usually ending in senility. In fact, "Benign forgetfulness of old age" remained a formal diagnosis.

Well let me tell you, you can forget all of that. Advances in brain imaging genetics and neuroscience now show that our body continues to create new brain cells throughout life. Also the neurons in our brains continue to change, develop and forge new connections even as we age. We actually have physical changes in our brain every time we learn something new. This evoking adaptability is called "Neuroplasticity". Some scientists believe that Dementia and Alzheimer's occurs when the brain loses this ability to grow and change. I think other causes include aluminum, lead and Aspartame (nutra-sweet) poisoning. In fact I wrote an excellent (well, I think it's excellent, at least Joel and I like my stuff. LOL) book entitled "Maximum Memory". That book is still available through my office. 1-800-726-1834 The sad reality of Alzheimer's is that 50% of all baby boomers will develop the disease. I am so glad that is not going to happen to any of you who read my newsletters and follow some simple advice.

Probably the biggest falsehood based on all this new information, is that growing old has to lead to deterioration of mental ability. Here are some great tips, supplements and neural exercises that I have used for years to keep my brain and memory sharp.

1. Exercise your brain. The brain is similar to your muscles. If you don't use it, you lose it. Exercise your brain daily. Crossword puzzles are another great brain exercise. But remember, crossword puzzles and number puzzles have to challenge you. They can't be simple. Go through old photo albums on a regular basis. Remember your friends and vacations long forgotten. Force your brain to recall "positive, happy" thoughts from your childhood.
2. Activities that involve multiple senses such as learning dance steps, or a new form of aerobics, or for those of you who are capable or inclined, Karate. Also excellent, learn to play a guitar or keyboard. Remember, any time you challenge your brain it renews itself, forming new dentrites and synopsis. That in turn prompts the brain to produce growth molecules. One quick tip, focus on what you are doing. Try not to multi task as much. Focus, focus, focus. Let me give you an example. I have four children plus a lot of employees. When I write a newsletter, I go to the back room of my office and close the door. I don't bring my phone and I don't take calls unless it is an emergency. Remember, I am 51 years old and I feel great. My mental acuity is as good as ever. Here are several more tips.
3. Stay social, don't be a hermit. Older adults who stay social after retirement, score much better on IQ tests. When you socialize it requires memory, logical function, interactive skills, communication, reasoning and thinking. Keeping active is so important.
4. Eat right. You knew I would get to this sooner or later.

1. Take Cod Blue Ice Cod Liver Oil every day. Take one to two teaspoons daily. The brain has to have Omega 3 fat to function. The brand that we carry and I personally take is simply the best. The right kind of Omega 3 fat also helps to burn body fat, fight depression (actually better than Prozac), increase IQ scores in children and adults, reduce inflammation and helps relieve joint pain. Well this list goes on and on. Take Cod Liver Oil daily. By the way, post -partum depression in most cases is caused by a lack of omega 3 fat in the brain of the mother. During the last trimester of pregnancy, the fetus requires large amounts of omega 3 for proper brain development. If the mother isn't taking an omega 3 supplement (like cod liver oil), the fetus literally sucks the omega 3 from the mothers' brain. This can cause severe mood swings and post-partum depression.

2. Avoid alcohol; it kills brain cells, enough said!

3. Avoid aspartame; it kills brain cells, enough said. Be sure to read my blog post on Aspartame.

4. Avoid MSG; it kills brain cells enough said. See Sharon's Healthy Country Cooking Cookbook for healthy alternatives.

5. Avoid hydrogenated oils and trans fats, they plug up the arteries, and reduce oxygen flow to the brain, which kills brain cells.

6. Don't use aluminum anything. Here is what I think happens with aluminum. Aluminum, lead and mercury have the ability to pass through the blood brain barrier. It gets into the brain. Aluminum, lead and mercury are incredibly toxic and also conduct electricity. The brain and our bodies are both based on bio-electrical development. Our brain literally sends a bio-electrical charge through our spine and then our nerves for us to move our hand. Thoughts are real things that can be measured. When we put metals in our brain that conduct electricity they have to affect neurological functions in a very negative way. The brain literally short circuits. It can no longer function the way God made it. Hence we are diagnosed with Alzheimer's or senile dementia, enough said. Other supplements, which are critical, are B-vitamins especially B 12 and Folic Acid. My B-vitamins are the best. Also vitamin E (mixed tocopherol) is important for blood flow. Remember to eat wild salmon (not farm raised). And use olive oil in cooking. Follow the recipes in my wife's two cookbooks, "Maximum Energy Cookbook", and "Healthy Country Cooking."

7. Exercise is always critical; it increases blood flow to the brain. Walking with a good pair of shoes, or using an elliptical running machine is great blood pumping exercises. In one American Academy of Neurology study, for every extra mile a woman walked per week, her risk of cognitive decline dropped by 13 %. In a study of more than 1,700 seniors, those who exercised three or more times a week had the lowest risk of Alzheimer's, according to a January 2006 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

8. Manage your stress. Stress increases cortisol a stress hormone. Cortisol kills brain cells. Don't get mad. Be happy. Rejoice in all things. Don't let the little things bug you. Remember, "stress erodes the brain". Researchers have found that one of the contributions to dementia is chronic stress. Just a side note, coffee also elevates cortisol.

9. Get 8 -10 hours of sleep a night. Before Thomas Edison developed the light bulb, people slept an average of 10 hours a night. A lack of sleep has been shown clinically to reduce neural plasticity. The brain can't grow new cells and rebuild itself. Remember, on the 7th day even God rested.

All of these high quality supplements can also be purchased by calling my office at 1-800-726-1834.