Make Lemonade, Or You're At Risk For Dementia.

After a suggestion from a friend I began researching the effects of stress on cognitive decline. I'm not sure this is the answer she was looking for. 

There are a number of studies supporting the fact that stress does contribute to developing Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease. Even stressful events that happened years earlier can trigger long lasting effects in the brain. Events like death of a loved one, divorce, chronic illness of a loved one, caring for someone with mental illness. Having multiple stressful life events compounds the problem. There is a dysregulation of the brain-pituitary-adrenal axis that continues to over produce chemicals that make it harder to think and establish poor coping mechanisms. 

When people are in stressful situations their fight or flight systems go to work. So if you are in a meeting or in class where you are supposed to concentrate and learn you won't be able to. Who can sit and do what they're suppose to do when the lion is getting ready to attack? When the lion is attacking your cortisol and adrenalin are pumping, flooding your brain with anxiety chemicals. Dopamine and Acetylcholine should be being produced which helps you be calm and learn.

Does that mean I doomed to develop dementia because I've had stressful events in my life? It is important to realize that people respond to stressful events differently. Only you can control how much you let the event affect you. As the proverbial phrase goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade". If you have adopted this way of thinking you may very well prevent the expected consequences.

Taking the right supplements may also give you a fighting chance to prevent cognitive decline. There are many formulas to chose from, but one research article that resonated with me and what I'm trying to do is this one. Phosphatidylserine(PS) is a type of fatty acid that makes up brain cells. Young healthy brains have a larger supply of (PS) than the brains of older people showing the effects of aging. There is clinical evidence showing that supplementing with PS can improve behavior and improve comprehension and thinking.

Take away: Don't let stress get you down and take your supplements.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Please do me a favor and leave a comment with your favorite way to combat stress.

Reference1 Johansson L, Guo X, Hällström T, et al

Common psychosocial stressors in middle-aged women related to longstanding distress and increased risk of Alzheimer's disease: a 38-year longitudinal population study

BMJ Open 2013;3:e003142. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-003142

Reference 2 Aging Clinical and Experimental Research April 1993, Volume 5, Issue 2, pp 123–133 Cognitive decline in the elderly: A double- blind, placebo- controlled multicenter study on efficacy of phosphatidylserine administration. Cenacchi, T., Bertoldin, T., Farina, C. et al. Aging Clin Exp Res (1993) 5: 123. doi:10.1007/BF03324139

Reference 3 STRESS AND COGNITION: A COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE Lyle E. Bourne, Jr. and Rita A. Yaroush February 1, 2003

Can Yogurt Help Treat Depression?

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Can yogurt treat depression? Really, what’s that all about?

Yogurt is a fermented food that has the good bacteria for your intestines. Real live cultures of Lactobacillus in the foods you eat can help balance the bacteria in your gut. That promotes a healthy gut environment so the balance of good bacteria out weighs the bad bacteria. This reduces the levels of anxiety and depression(1).

There is a high correlation of depression and anxiety in people that have irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s Disease(1). With these gut problems there is an imbalance of the good bacteria. They don’t make the right amounts of GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid). Other reasons for having an imbalance in intestinal flora is eating a diet high in processed sugary foods. Taking antibiotics will disrupt the normal bowel flora. As well as certain medications.

GABA (gamma aminobutyric acid) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system. It works to slow down the hyperactivity in the brain causing anxiety, then being overwhelmed with a sense of hopelessness and depression. By having a healthy gut, you increase your ability to make higher levels of GABA and decrease pathogenic bacteria.

Not just yogurt, but naturally fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and lots of other vegetables have the good bacteria in it. We need to be aware of where we get our fermented foods. The commercialized products we get at the grocery stores may not be the best source of good gut food. They are processed for mild taste and shelf life so the bacteria are not helpful. The yogurt you get out of the dairy case may be filled with sugar, High fructose corn syrup, dyes and additives which can even be more harmful for your intestines.

Making your own fermented vegetables is an option and might be fun. There are many recipes available online. However, shopping at local health food stores for unprocessed products and natural yogurts such as kefir and lassi.Drinking kombucha can provide good bacteria also. Eating a variety of different foods can increase your chances to help get all the right bacteria.

Don’t like fermented foods? Take a supplement to get your good gut bacteria, called probiotics. Get a good brand from a reputable source. The bottles need to be protected from the sun and heat. They are live cultures, you don’t want to kill them before you get them into your system. Everyone’s gut is different, so no one supplement is right for everyone. Rotate the variety of bacteria strains you take so you can get a broad spectrum. I have my favorite from this company.

There are more reasons to get your gut working properly and having a good balance of bacteria. Things like immune support, behavioral and learning issues in children, autism, food sensitivities and more. Maybe a subject for another blog post.

I’d love to hear from you. Please leave comment and let me know what you have  done to help your guts feel better.

Reference1 Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in a mouse via the vagus nerveJavier A. Bravoa,1,Paul Forsytheb,c,1,Marianne V. Chewb,Emily Escaravageb,Hélène M. Savignaca,d,Timothy G. Dinana,e,John Bienenstockb,f,2, andJohn F. Cryana,d,g, http://www.pnas.org/content/108/38/16050.short

Reference2 Microbiota alteration is associated with the development of stress-induced despair behavior,Ioana A. Marin, Jennifer E. Goertz, Tiantian Ren, Stephen S. Rich, Suna Onengut-Gumuscu, Emily Farber, Martin Wu, Christopher C. Overall, Jonathan Kipnis & Alban GaultierScientific Reports 7, Article number: 43859 (2017)doi:10.1038/srep43859MicrobiomeStress and resiliencePublished online:07 March 2017

How Can Your Daily Cup Of Coffee Be Good For You?

How can your daily cup of coffee be good for you?

The first cup of coffee in the morning can be more than just a habit. It can be the key to a successful day. When you have your cup of coffee you not only have the opportunity to sit and be grateful for the things you have, you also promote Dopamine transmission. Dopamine is a chemical in the brain that is active in cognitive function, motivation, arousal and movement.

Cognitive function? Do I mean that Coffee is good for how well your brain works? Yes! It can play a role in getting the spark and the drive you need for thinking, memory and getting things done. There are a number of studies that show long term of use of coffee, tea and caffeine will actually decrease your risk for age related dementia and the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease.

When I say coffee and caffeine can be good for your brain, that doesn’t mean that adding cream and sugar is good for you too. Those sugared up coffee drinks can actually erase all the good and be bad for your brain. No energy drinks either, Eeek! Read about that coming up. Learn to drink and enjoy the pure simple taste of a great roasted high quality coffee.

Even though it has been proven that there are benefits of drinking coffee and caffeine you have to keep your own experiences in mind. Do not start drinking coffee if you know you already suffer from adverse effects. Coffee can disturb your sleep if you don’t detoxify it well. We can talk about that another time. As always, please contact your own doctor starting or adding anything new.


Tamara Lund, Doctor Of Chiropractic, Diplomate American Chiropractic Neurology Board

References:

1Adenosine, Adenosine Receptors and the Actions of Caffeine †Authors Bertil B. Fredholm First published: February 1995DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0773.1995.tb00111.x  

 2Relationships Between Caffeine Intake and Risk for Probable Dementia or Global Cognitive Impairment: The Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study,Ira Driscoll,Sally A. Shumaker,Beverly M. Snively,Karen L. Margolis,JoAnn E. Manson,Mara Z. Vitolins,Rebecca C. Rossom,Mark A. EspelandJ Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci (2016) 71 (12): 1596-1602.DOI:https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glw078Published:27 September 2016

What's wrong with my popcorn?

I was having a discussion with one of my friends about popcorn being a good snack for her little girls, as long as it's not microwave popcorn. She looked at me as though I sprouted another head!
" It is microwave, why?" That lead me to realize that not everyone is aware of the health hazards and potentially toxic effects of everyday food.

It's not the popcorn that's the problem, it's the lining of the bag and the artificial butter flavor.
The coating on the inside of the bag gets hot and breaks down into a chemical called perfluorooctanoic (PFOA), a "likely carcinogen" says the EPA.

The second potential danger is the butter flavor that causes "popcorn workers lung". The workers in the popcorn factory get a dangerous form of bronchitis. I don't want that chemical flavoring in my body or my kids either.

We make our own popcorn at home.  I like air popped with real butter melted over it and sea salt or sometimes, garlic salt.  Plain and simple. My husband likes popcorn made on the stove. We refer to it as "fried popcorn".

I know my kids will go with convenient when out on their own at school and events, but I don't worry. I know the majority of their food is whole and natural. They are healthy and their immune systems are strong. They get regular Chiropractic care😉.

If you liked this blog post, or didn't like it, please leave me a comment. Also, let me know what else you would like me to post about.


As always, quality of life matters..
Tamara

www.communitychiro.org

Citation: Halldin CN, Suarthana E, Fedan KB, Lo Y-C, Turabelidze G, Kreiss K (2013) Increased Respiratory Disease Mortality at a Microwave Popcorn Production Facility with Worker Risk of Bronchiolitis Obliterans. PLoS ONE 8(2): e57935. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057935

Food Addit Contam. 2005 Oct;22(10):1023-31.

Perfluorochemicals: potential sources of and migration from food packaging.

Begley TH1, White K, Honigfort P, Twaroski ML, Neches R, Walker RA.

Can you help me?

Where is Dr. Tamara, Ricky's Brain Treatment, I need your help! View this email in your browser

What's been going on with Dr. Tamara? Its been  a great vacation! When I looked back and saw it was November when I sent you my last news letter I was floored! So much has changed around our office. Our long time receptionist Tammy has move to Tennessee to be near her grandchildren and is loving life. My longtime assistant and office manager Lindsay, left to be a stay at home mom. I have to say I was not surprised and happy for her to be able to live out her dream. In the mean time we have new staff!! Kara is my new assistant who came from being a stay at home mom. She has a huge learning curve and is meeting the challenge with excellence. Selena is our new receptionist. She has experience from a local optometrist and is bringing her patient service skill to you. Over Christmas vacation we took a family trip to Colorado. It was a family reunion in Colorado Springs. Since we were there, we might as well take advantage of skiing in Winter Park. The kids had a blast and many memories were made. Yes, I am ducking down to be in the front row. I am still the tallest in the family, but not by much.              We are making HUGE changes in people's lives with our Brain Treatments. I have been getting patient testimonials to help spread the word that we have technology to treat you, improving your brain without the use of drugs or surgery. Just listen to Ricky tell his story.    This is where I need your help. Many people tell me that they want to spend more time with me to tap into my knowledge. That is a huge honor and I am flattered. I am designing a free online webinar to be able to serve many of you at once. My question to you is, what do you want to learn more about? I have many areas that I love to teach and talk about, and need to pick one that will be interesting and valuable to you. Please email me or just leave a comment below about health topics you want to know more about. Possible areas include; Keeping your brain young, Successful aging, Hormone balancing, Weight Loss, Spinal health, Head pain and Migraines... I appreciate your help. As always, Quality of Life Matters! Tamara .

Copyright © *|2017|* *|Tamara Lund Chiropractor|*, All rights reserved. *|* *|Jan,22 2017 Newsletter|* Our mailing address is: 6 S. Forest Rd. Sonora, Ca 95370 209-536-9182