B-Vitamins Slow Brain Shrinkage

As we age our brains tend to shrink known as brain atrophy.     This brain shrinkage is linked to declining brain function and impacts memory and concentration.   Over time, lifestyle factors like alcohol intake, smoking, lack of exercise, and poor sleep habits can greatly accelerate this process.

Another factor involved in this process has to do with Homocysteine.   Homocysteine is a common amino acid, and high levels are linked to heart disease, brain atrophy and damage to blood vessels.   

This is where B-Vitamins come into play in a big way.     Key B Vitamins including B-12,  B-6, and folic acid can reduce homocysteine and come with other side benefits.      It is best to take the entire B-Complex – not just isolated B-Vitamins because there is synergy between the different B Vitamins.  

A study involving 168 (85 in active treatment group and 83 in the placebo group) showed the consumption B-Vitamin complex resulted in a 53% lower rate of brain atrophy in the treatment group compared to the placebo group!   To get a sense of this visually check out this link that shows typical brain scans pre and post study showing the difference in brain atrophy between the two groups:  https://www.elysiumhealth.com/en-us/matter/oxford-study

The B-Vitamin supplement used include B-6, Folic Acid, and B-12 along with a proprietary Omega-3 fatty acidd complex and Bilberry Extract and is sold at “Matter”.

Bioavailable B-Vitamins

The most bioavailable forms of B-Vitamins are important for many people because many people do not convert common forms of B-Vitamins to their active form.     An example is folic acid – a significant number of people have a genetic mutation that significantly inhibits their ability to convert folic acid to its active form called Methyl Folate for short.     This type of genetic mutation is linked to depression, anxiety, colon cancer, leukemia, chronic pain and fatigue and blood clots, stroke and heart attacks!   

The great news is that science has developed activated forms of B-Vitamin Supplements that bypass the inability to convert to active forms.    Good products include: 

Swanson Ultra Activated B-Complex

Natural Factors Active B-Complex

Jarrow B-Right

Reverse Lunge with Wood Chop Exercise

 

Everyone knows that lunges are a great lower body exercise.   However, if you have not tried the reverse lunge with a wood chop – you are in for a real treat!    By adding a strong rotational component, you dramatically increase glute and core activation.    It also adds a whole new level of stability and balance challenge.

You can start by using a broomstick and graduate to using something heavier including a dumbbell or barbell or any other weighted bar.

Start with feet together facing forward with hands spread apart and holding the object on both ends with hands at shoulder level and arms extended.

Then as you step back into the lunge with one leg rotate the hand down and to the opposite side of the leg stepping back – pausing briefly at the bottom with upper body rotated to the side – then return to the starting position and repeat to the other side.

Start of with sets of 10 – repetitions done 3 times and progress from there in terms on increased weight and/or sets.

To get a good picture of how to do this effective exercise check out this video:  https://matrixlearningcenter.com/exercise-library/reverse-lunge-with-wood-chop/

 

Sounds crazy – but it is true!   Caffeine is produced by many plants and acts as a natural pesticide to protect them against insects.   It also can help protect your brain function.

We usually consume caffeine for the energy boost it provides, but for the plants that produce it, caffeine serves as a pesticide that drives away insects and animals that would like to munch on their leaves and fruit.

 

Science has discovered that caffeine stimulates the production of an enzyme that can help fend off Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

 

The enzyme, NMNAT2 (nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyl transferase 2) helps improve  brain health in two ways:

• It protects neurons from the negative impact of stress.
• It helps prevent tau proteins from folding the wrong way and forming masses of harmful plaques in the brain’s neurons.

Improperly folded proteins are linked to Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) as well as Alzheimer’s.

 

Brain Cell Stress Reduction

Research has shown that caffeine reduces the activity of a receptor called adenosine A2A.  This receptor increases stress in brain cells and can slow your mental abilities as you age.   Reducing the activity of this receptor prevents it from interrupting memory circuits in key areas of the brain.

 

Caffeine and Alzheimer’s

While NOT a panacea – research has confirmed that daily caffeine intake up to 261mg per day (the amount in two – three cups of coffee) significantly reduced the chance of developing dementia.  

 

Dark Side of Caffeine

Keep in mind that too much of a good thing is not a good thing!   Caffeine intake beyond 261mg has NOT been shown to improve benefits so limit your caffeine intake.

 

In addition, there is significant variation in how individuals respond to caffeine with slow and fast metabolizers.      If you happen to be a slow metabolizer be very careful with how much caffeine you consume – and take none after Noon or you will likely disturb your sleep which is very bad for brain health! 

Non-Exercise Activity as Important as Formal Exercise

 

Everyone knows that exercise is good for the body, but formal exercise is not the whole story!    This becomes particularly important as we age because many experience injuries that limit their ability to exercise for long periods of time on a consistent basis.

So how can we boost our daily calorie burn without exercising to avoid weight gain and stay healthy?   As it turns out non-exercise movement – aka – non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is as important as formal exercise.    This scientific term refers to all movement – not just exercise and it all counts!

NEAT includes all movement including but not limited to:

Taking groceries from your car into your house

Going up and down stairs in your home during the normal course of the day

Taking your dog for a walk

Standing up and stretching during the course of the day.

Research shows that formal exercise does not necessarily compensate for many hours of inactivity, and that people who have higher levels of NEAT can often be leaner than exercisers who spend of the rest of their day sitting on a couch!

How Can You Increase NEAT?

It is actually very simple to increase your NEAT and make a big difference in your waistline in the process!     Here are some examples:

1.    Redesign your day around movement – Look around your home or office and see where you spend most of your time,   Then consider what you are doing in terms of movement.     Target opportunities to move more WITHOUT exercising such as:

a.    Taking a flight of stairs instead of an elevator

b.    Parking your car at the far end of the parking lot and walking back and forth to go to and from.

c.    Track your steps using a phone or tracker and look at your totals 4 times a day and take “movement breaks” to increase your step count.

2.    Prioritize doing household chores that involve movement

a.    Vacuuming

b.    Doing laundry – particularly if you have to go up and down stairs to access washer and dryer then put away clothing!

c.    Dusting

d.    Taking out the trash

e.    Gardening

f.      Walking to and from your mailbox

3.    Become a fidgeter!

a.    Consciously move more – even when sitting – tap your feet as you listen to music

b.    Stretch in your chair

c.    Stand several times each hour

d.    Consider setting an hourly alarm and moving around walking around your home or office.

e.    Take calls on your cell phone while walking around your home or office.

f.      Do a set of 10 air squats after all meals

Believe it or not the science is very clear – you can make a big difference in your waistline and your health by consciously moving more throughout your day WITHOUT exercise.    Even better do both!

How Exercise Reduces Pain

 

While not a panacea exercise can really help reduce inflammation and pain.    Exercising muscles directly oppose the pro-inflammatory signal produced by the cytokine Interferon Gamma.       This potent inflammatory chemical is an important messenger that is critical for mounting a fast and effective immune response to invading viruses and bacteria.   However chronically elevated levels lead to chronic inflammation which can cause tissue damage, swelling and pain.    Diseases like rheumatoid arthritis are characterized by this type of damaging chronic inflammation.

When scientists took an in depth look at muscle cells, they found that exercising muscle cells produce the same anti-inflammatory effect as two drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, Tofacitnib and Baricitinib, by blocking a signaling pathway that is upregulated by interferon gamma.

Exercise not only can help reduce excess inflammation and associated pain – it also reduces pain through other powerful mechanisms!

Exercise and Pain Perception

Exercise not only reduces pain perception – it also elevates mood and reduces stress and depression.      Stress and depression are almost always part of chronic pain conditions.    Exercise is a powerful tool in the management of these conditions.

There are multiple overlapping neuro-chemical mechanisms responsible for the reduction of pain through exercise.      One of these mechanisms is an increase in the production of endogenous opiates which are the body’s version of drugs like heroin and morphine.    Exercise can ramp up the production of these powerful pain-relieving chemicals without the problems associated with drugs!    Exercise also causes an increase in opioid receptors so cells in key of the brain are better able to take in these endogenous opiates!

In addition, exercise boosts key neurotransmitters (chemicals used by nerves in the brain and body to pass signals through the nervous system) including serotonin and norepinepherine.     This process is quite complex and it produces effects akin to tuning the entire nervous system.    

Many people immediately experience some level of pain relief during and immediately after exercise through these mechanisms.      The Goldilocks Principle is key here meaning too much exercise too soon or exercise that is to intense to soon can actually increase pain.     

Proper warm-up and gradual increases in intensity and duration of exercise are key to get the pain-relieving benefits without exacerbating pain.  

Always seek the advice of your physician before starting any exercise program if you have a chronic health condition!

Keys to Keeping Your New Year's Resolution!

 

As the saying goes “Talk is cheap”, and most New Year’s Resolutions end up not happening.    So here are some tips on how to make sure you actually follow through on your resolutions!   

Write Down Your Goal - the act of writing goals is a concrete action and makes you more likely to follow through in taking action to achieve the goal.  Use the SMART goal format:

Specific - vague goals are dreams and dreams never happen.

Measurable - being able to measure progress and success are key for something to be a true goal.

Achievable - do not set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals.

Relevant - make the goal is important to you!

Timebound - you have to set deadlines because without a deadline you are just day-dreaming!

Focus on One Goal at a Time - science has proven that we only have so much willpower and if we set to many goals we run out of steam.    Focusing on one goal at a time allows you to conserve your willpower and discipline enhancing your chance of reaching your goal.

Create Habits that Lead to Your Goal - When something becomes a habit it takes less mental energy to complete it.   Start with small, easy to achieve habits that help you move towards your goal.  For example committing yourself to a 5 minute walk each morning or evening is a simple and easy commitment.    Then when you actually do it you create a habit!

Plan Your Work Then Work Your Plan - Science shows that people who create a plan are much more likely to achieve their goal.  Part of your plan should be becoming aware of the triggers of your bad habits and planning on avoiding them.   For example, if you are trying to quit smoking and you know that going to a coffee shop is a trigger for lighting up – plan on avoiding coffee shops.   Many bad habits are associated with specific locations.

Share Your Goal with Others - Sharing your goals with friends, family or co-workers can help provide support.   Studies have shown that people who share weight loss goals with family are 22% more likely to succeed.

Plan on Mistakes and Focus on Progress Instead of Perfection - We all make mistakes, but just because we make a single error of judgement or have a short lapse in willpower does not mean we need to give up on a goal!    If you make a mistake, such as having a high calorie meal while trying to lose weight, do not give up on the whole effort.    Acknowledge the lapse – and get back on the horse!

By focusing on progress you put mistakes in context.    For example if your goal is weight loss and you have a week with 6 days of following your plan perfectly and have one bad meal - realize that overall you are doing well!

 

Strength Training = More Muscle Mass = Younger Brain!

 

Yes its true!    Strength training is not just good for the body – it is a very important tool to keep the brain healthy!     For example, in a recent study researchers did a 12 month-controlled trial with a group of 115 woman age 65 – 75.    The study was focused on the effects of strength training on White Matter Disease.

White Matter Disease is the wearing away of tissue in the largest and deepest part of your brain that has a number of causes, including aging. This tissue contains millions of nerve fibers, or axons, that connect other parts of the brain and spinal cord and signal your nerves to talk to one another. A fatty material called myelin protects the fibers and gives white matter its color.   White Matter Disease is diagnosed by doing an MRI of the brain and shows up as White Matter Lesions.

This type of brain tissue helps you think fast, walk straight, and keeps you from falling.    When it becomes diseased and the myelin covering breaks down the signals that need to flow through your nerve fibers cannot get through properly.   Symptoms include:

Trouble learning or remembering things.

A hard time problem solving.

Slowed Thinking

Leaking Urine

Problems Walking

Balance Issues and Falling

The researchers did MRI’s pre and post study to measure changes in White Matter Lesions.    The woman who participated in twice weekly strength training sessions showed significantly reduced White Matter Disease Progression and maintenance of walking speed.

Another recent study did a study on older people with a high risk of Alzheimer’s Disease due to mild cognitive impairment.    Mild Cognitive Impairment involves a decline in memory and other thinking skills despite generally intact daily living skills and is one of the strongest risk factors for dementia.    People with mild cognitive impairment are at a one-in-ten risk of developing full blown dementia within a year.

The long-term study showed that strength training led to overall benefits to cognitive performance and reduced degeneration in specific regions within the hippocampus.  The hippocampus is a complex structure of the brain that is critical for learning and memory.   The regions that were targeted by strength training were those known to be especially vulnerable to Alzheimer’s Disease.

 

Can a Humidifier Help Prevent Covid Infection?

 

While not a panacea – there is no question that Covid spreads more indoors with low humidity levels as per this article:  https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200820102503.htm

As the article points out “if the relative humidity of indoor air is below 40 percent, the particles emitted by infected people absorb less water, remain lighter, fly further through the room….”    At higher humidity levels the droplets mix with viral particles and fall to the ground earlier.     So respiratory viruses become more infective during low humidity!

Humidity and Respiratory Immune Function

It is critical to understand that - the respiratory arm of our immune system that defends against all respiratory infections including colds, flu’s, and Covid – depends on a mucous layer and cilia (small hairs) which work together to trap allergens, viruses and bacteria.    

The tiny cilia whip back and forth many times per second to transport the mucous and what it is carrying towards our throats where it is then swallowed or coughed out and thereby destroyed.

If the humidity is below 40% our mucous membranes get dried out, and this is particularly true at night when are asleep as we gradually dehydrate from the lack of liquid intake.

Mucous and Immunity

Mucous aka “snot” is a gross subject.   However, in addition to trapping viruses and bacteria for removal mucous contains antibodies that can kill viruses and bacteria as well as lysozyme which is an enzyme that destroys bacteria.

When mucous secretions dry up several bad things happen:

Your body inhales more viruses and bacteria.

You kill less inhaled viruses and bacteria.

Your cilia do not work properly to keep the airways clean.

 

Using a Humidifier During Winter Months

Since the air inside gets much drier in winter months using a humidifier properly can help!    In addition to supporting your respiratory immune system a humidifier often helps with painful dry throats; dry, itchy skin, and dry, itchy, red eyes that afflict many in the winter.

The key is making sure you keep it clean – or a helpful practice can cause issues due to the growth of mold.   Take these simple steps to prevent this issue and get the benefits of a humidifier:

1.    Change the water EVERY day and clean the tank of the humidifier thoroughly once a week.

2.    Use additives such as vinegar, tea tree oil, or hydrogen peroxide or you can purchase humidifier tablets designed to kill molds.

3.    Use distilled water rather than tap water.    Tap water is filled with minerals that help mold grow.

4.    Change the filters periodically.

5.    Turn off, clean thoroughly when it is not needed to prevent too much humidity.

Learn How Exercise Helps the Immune System Against Covid-19

 

Viral respiratory infections are the most common infectious diseases in the world.  Immune response to these infections (including Covid-19) depends on many factors including genetics, age, and physical state.  

Exercise is a known modulator of the immune system.  During and after exercise, pro and anti-inflammatory cytokines (chemical messengers) are released and immune cell circulation increases. This response starts with an increase in inflammation from exercise that then triggers the anti-inflammatory response.    

Physical exercise provide exercise for the immune system by stressing it.  This is well known, and many benefits of exercise come as a result of the inflammatory response caused by exercise which stimulates an anti-inflammatory response to compensate.   For example, free radicals dramatically increase during exercise but the body responds by turning on cellular pathways to increase the production of anti-oxidants resulting in improved cellular health and protection!   The key to proper immune response is an initial robust inflammatory response at the right time followed by an anti-inflammatory response to prevent the immune system from causing damage to the body.

Altered Immune Response in Cases of Serious Covid-19

In the case of Covid-19 more and more research points to the fact that those who have more serious cases do not mount a powerful innate immune response quickly enough.  The infection progresses more rapidly and then the immune system over-responds with very high levels of inflammation aka the “Cytokine Storm”.    

When things work properly immune cells react quickly to viral infection and secrete high levels of interferon which is an inflammatory cytokine that quite literally rallies the immune system cells.  This quick and robust response prevents the virus from progressing too far and then the body can begin to produce anti-bodies which requires more time.  

A suppression of interferon response has been noted with more severe cases of Covid-19 followed by cytokine storm and organ damage and failure.   Regular exercise strengthens the immune system and is a tool in preparing the immune system to fight Covid-19.

Exercise Intensity, Recovery and Immune Response

Moderate intensity physical exercise stimulates cellular immunity, while prolonged or high intensity exercise – without appropriate rest – can decrease cellular immunity.  Cellular immunity is the first line of defense against viral infection and consists of key immune cells such as Natural Killer Cells capable of locating and destroying virally infected cells.  The key is balance!   High Intensity Exercise followed by good recovery practices of rest, relaxation, sleep, hydration and good nutrition result in strengthening and tuning the immune system.

Short-term there will be a drop in immune function from high intensity and/or long duration exercise but this will generate a strong adaptive signal for the body to strengthen itself.       Remember all the benefits of exercise only occur if there is proper recovery!   

Key Practices to Enhance Recovery

Stay hydrated before, during and after exercise – this is very important for recovery!

Eat a meal consisting of carbohydrate and protein immediately after exercise – this will prevent much of the short-term drop in immune function from the stress of exercise

Take time for activities that help you relax and boost circulation following exercise including Hydromassage and Theragun

Prioritize Sleep – sleep is critical for exercise and immune system health – one night of poor sleep immediately depresses immune response and recovery from exercise!

For a more detailed review of the science behind exercise and immunity click here:  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10238-020-00650-3

The Best Ski Conditioning Program

 

Skiing is a challenging activity that requires:

Strength

Balance/Stability/Kinesthetic Awareness

Speed

Muscular Endurance

Ski Specific Strength

Skiing requires strong lower body muscles combined with a strong core and upper body.    What is unique in skiing is a strong emphasis on eccentric (muscle lengthening for shock absorption) and isometric (static contraction to prevent movement) muscle contractions.

To properly prepare it is important to choose specific exercises which challenge the lower body and core for the unique demands of skiing.

The reACT Trainer - The Ultimate Ski Specific Training Tool!

The reACT Trainer (see a video demonstration here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S86Vx_4253Q ) is by far the most effective tool for developing ski specific strength, endurance, power, balance and stability.    It emphasizes eccentric muscle contractions which are so critical for skiing while also demanding balance and core strength.   5 - 10 minutes twice a week for 3 - 6 weeks before ski season will make an incredible difference in your skiing performance.

To learn how to use the reACT Trainer check out these short video tutorials:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuwTn-fHAYmTlZ64o-wcMPYaWawTfKZnl 

Slideboard Exercise/Floor Sliders

Two other great tools for ski conditioning are slideboards and/or floor sliders.    Both place a strong emphasis on the eccentric aspect of key exercises like lunges and side lunges. 

A slideboard provides a ski specific challenge to the the lower body and core in a dynamic manner that demands strength, power and flexibility all while moving laterally which is another unique aspect of skiing.   This means the inner and outer thighs must be heavily conditioned to prevent premature fatigue on the slopes, and the slideboard is perfect for this!  Check out this video of the basic slide movement:  https://youtu.be/fpaFkIQx7FE For more ski specific slideboard exercises go to:  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL33FAB06632D708A6

Floor sliders/gliders can mimic some of the benefits of slideboard exercise by allowing the foot/feet to slide on the floor during lunges, side lunges and core exercises.    To get a sense of all the exercises that can be done using these simple and inexpensive gliders check this out:  https://youtu.be/xdn9M4rXEtA