Brain Health

Concerned about your brain health declining?  

Are you experiencing “brain fog” and inability to concentrate or remember things as well as you did before?  There seems to be a lot of shame admitting even to your loved ones if you are finding your memory or brain function seems to be declining.  Due to this, often people will continue to struggle without seeking help, worried that his is the beginning of a decline into old age.

However, brain function can be affected by many different factors and the sooner they are addressed, the better the outcome.

Some causes may as simple as correcting bacterial overgrowth in the gut, sugar dysregulation (think energy supply to the brain), nutrient deficiencies, hormone imbalances, or leaky gut to name just a few. Sometimes it can be due to a number of factors including lifestyle and environmental factors such as stress, sleep issues, infections and toxins.

Womens’ brains are functionally different to men and as we approach menopause, it can be a time when it is not uncommon to notice changes to mood and brain function.  This does not mean the beginning of the decline into old age but rather should remind us to refocus our attention on supporting both our brains and bodies so that we continue to live well through the years.

Preventative treatment is always the best approach to avoiding disease.  The earlier any disease risk is addressed, the better the improvement. Even if your symptoms may be due to more complex issues, greater improvements can be made if addressed early rather than hiding any decline in function, until it is obvious to others that you are struggling.

Up until recently, if you were diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease the common response from your doctor was to “Go home and get your affairs in order”.  However, there is hope!  Medical research is constantly evolving and what we now understand is that brain health is dependent on addressing multiple factors.

Susan Kath trained with the neurologist,  Dr Dale Bredesen in December 2016 and is registered to deliver the ReCODE protocol.   Designed by Dale Bredesen and MPI cognition,  the results are showing that mild cognitive impairment, early Alzheimer’s disease and dementia can be reversed.  Susan has continued ongoing training with Dr Bredesen and also completed further studies in December 2017 with The Institute for Functional Medicine on reversing cognitive decline as more research is conducted.

If you or a loved one are experiencing brain function challenges or have a family history of Dementia or Alzheimer’s disease and want to reduce your own risk,  I’d recommend reading   “The End Of Alzheimers, the first programme to prevent and reverse cognitive decline” written by Dr Bredesen.  Dr Bredesen has now released an updated book with additional information called “The End of Alzheimer’s Programme- The practical plan to prevent and reverse cognitive decline at any age”.

These books are a great start to understanding and correcting the factors that can contribute to your brain either working well or fogging out and affecting your ability to think, remember, concentrate, engage and function well.   We are all unique beings and understanding your own unique challenges and predispositions is key to creating a life plan that supports you. My aim is to assist you in identifying these and finding solutions to improve all aspects of your health and wellbeing.

If you’re interested in knowing more please contact us at info@aboutnutrition.com.au. I am happy to offer a complimentary 15 minute phone consultation if you wish to discuss the programme further.   

Elevate your mood with healthy fats

EPA & DHA the omega 3 essential fatty acids found in oily fish have many health benefits including improving your mood.  Along with healthy eating and exercise, fish oils help to regulate your feel good hormones Serotonin and Dopamine.  These neurotransmitters also help you to chill when you get stressed.  They also help to preserve the function of your nerve and brain cells and nerve transmission.
If you don’t like the “fishy” taste of oily fish, why not try this recipe for Ocean Trout with shitake mushrooms.  These mushrooms have fantastic immune boosting properties too and you only need a couple to enhance the flavour of a meal.  If you can’t find them fresh, you can buy them dried from Asian stores and good delis.  Salmon fillets, which are even higher in omega 3 oils can be used instead of the Ocean Trout.  I like to serve a variety of greens with it too and often sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds over them.  Let me know if you enjoy it.

Ocean trout with shitake mushrooms 

 Serves 2

Here is an Asian influenced way to cook ocean trout, a great source of omega 3 essential fatty acids.

Works well with Salmon too.

Ingredients

2 x 150g Ocean trout fillets

½ tspn extra virgin olive oil

4 shitake mushrooms sliced

1 eschallot sliced on the diagonal

1 tspn tamari

1 tspn freshly chopped coriander leaves

½ red chilli finely chopped (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180^oC

Place the fish fillets skin side down In a shallow ovenproof dish that has a lid.

Lightly coat/spray the fillet with oil .

Layer the mushroom slices, eschallots over the fillets

Sprinkle the ginger, coriander & chilli over the top

Drizzle on the tamari

Place lid over.  I use a glass pyrex bakng dish so that I can view the fish.

The fish will steam cook, which gently cooks the flesh.

Cook for 20-30mins depending on the thickness of the fish until flesh is just cooked on.  The flesh should gently separate.

Lift out of dish with a spatula and the skin will peel away from flesh.

Serving suggestion

Place fish on brown rice and steamed Chinese greens, e.g. bok choy, Chinese broccoli, snow peas.  Spoon juices from pan over fish and veges.