New Age Organic

‘Mental Health’

1. Jog your mind! Regular brain exercise can give you a memory boost by encouraging circulation to the brain, and by releasing hormones that will lift mood and kill pain.
2. Relax. Stress is a major cause of short and mid range memory loss, and will have a dramatic effect on concentration levels.
3. A good night sleep is essential for a healthy brain and nervous system, as well as memory. Research shows that people who are wakened during dream sleep fail to process memories from the day before, and with regular sleep interruptions will suffer a pattern of significant forgetful behaviour.
4. Watch your diet and eat for health. There is nothing better for your memory and your mind than a balanced, healthy diet with lots of fruit and vegetables. There is also research which shows that upping your intake of the minerals zinc and boron can revive memories.
5. Cut the Caffeine. Coffee, soda and other drinks with high caffeine levels are proven memory killers. More than one such drink per day will result in nervous system over-stimulation and affect your ability to concentrate. It will also interrupt sleep patterns which directly results in memory loss.
6. Stay mentally Fit. Several good studies show that participating in new mentally stimulating activities is associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and other mental dementia. Regular stimulation helps the older brain retain flexibility and alertness that often lags in those who fall back to pattern behaviours and mundane routine activity.
7. Be sociable. Studies show that relationships, laughter, human interaction, and the regular use of social skills improve memory and brain power. Another study also showed that a lack of friends and interaction late in life can double the likelihood of developing some form of dementia.

A bit of stress in our daily lives is healthy and provides needed adrenaline for periodic energy boost in dangerous or critical situations. Common stress today however is a different matter. In modern life we are often pushing ourselves to the brink every waking moment, be it fighting traffic, meeting deadlines, or just racing to keep up.

This kind of manic stress is implicated in virtually every negative symptom of the aging process. Let’s understand it and look at ways to eliminate stress for good.

Are you stressed?

Symptoms of stress include:

• Sleep Problems
• Head, Neck, and Back Tension
• Digestive Problems
• Hair Loss
• Fatigue
• High Blood Pressure
• Palpitations
• Chest Pain
• Skin Problems, such as Hives, Eczema, Psoriasis, and Rashes
• Jaw Pain
• Infertility
• Menstrual Problems
• Sexual Difficulties
• Depression and Mood Swings
• Irritability and Frustration
• Memory Problems and Lack of Concentration

If you think that sounds like a recipe for disaster, you’re right.  Let’s look at how we can restore balance to your life with natural remedies.

Siberian Ginseng
This adaptogenic herb helps your body to adapt to and cope with physical and emotional stress.  Studies have shown that ginseng helps improve stamina and endurance, and helps increase the body’s resistance to infections.

Essential Oils
Uplifting and relaxing essential oils can be helpful in reducing stress when combined with a massage or meditation routine. Stress reducing essential oils include: cedar, chamomile, jasmine, lavender, marjoram, neroli and rose. Use as massage oil or in a vaporizer to fill the room with their tantalizing aromas.

Vitamin B
Our bodies burn up the B group of vitamins rapidly when we are stressed. So it’s especially important to eat a variety of B-rich foods, such as whole grains, brewers yeast, meat, oily fish, eggs, brown rice, wheatgerm, beans, sunflower seeds, and nuts.  It is also recommended that you take a B-complex supplement daily to make up for shortages in diet, particularly in times of great stress.

Antioxidants
Antioxidants are the the nutrients that help repair the damage done by emotional, physical, and environmental stress. They also play a major role in protecting the body from the ravages of free radicals that break down our cells and promote aging. Eating plenty of fresh, preferably organic, brightly colored fruit and vegetables is a great start, but if your diet is poor or you are under stress a supplement is recommended.

Zinc
Zinc is crucial for anyone under stressful conditions. It is needed for cell repair, digestion, immune function and emotional health. Zinc is also needed for the production of the adrenal hormones, so the Zinc you get in your diet will be quickly burned up when under stress. Food sources are: yeast, eggs, pulses, liver, meats, pumpkin seeds, most seafood and whole grains. Of course if your diet is not balanced or incomplete you should take a good supplement to make up for the shortage.

Essential Fatty Acids
A shortage of essential fatty acids (EFA) has been linked to stress. A deficiency will exacerbate stress symptoms and diminish the body’s coping mechanisms, while the stress itself uses up your existing EFAs, setting up a vicious cycle that leads directly to further EFA deficiency. Eat nuts, seeds, and plenty of oily fish, and take a supplement in the form of flax seed oil.

The Importance of Staying Fit
Exercise reduces stress by burning up the adrenaline created by stress. It also creates endorphins, the feel-good hormones that improve mood, motivation, and tolerance to pain and stress. The next time you are stressed try turning to exercise instead of alcohol, tobacco, or binge eating, and feel the difference.

Exercise is also good for improving brain function. Aerobic exercise helps to increase the number of neurotransmitters in the the brain, so that messages are carried more quickly between brain cells. This increases mental flexibility and agility over longer periods of time.

Beyond all that, regular exercise increases the supply of oxygenated blood to the brain, which enhances concentration, alertness and intellectual capacity. All of these things are diminished in periods of stress, so the more you can train yourself to use exercise as a coping tool, the more effectively you will reduce the stress in your life.

No Caffeine, Please
Research has shown that drinking four to five cups of coffee or soft drinks, makes the body act as if it is under constant stress. This combined with other stressors will increase blood pressure significantly, leading to an increased risk of heart disease as well as damaging the adrenal system.  Because caffeine is so addictive you may find that cutting out coffee and soft drinks completely may be easier than simply cutting back.