Is Brain Starving?

After reading this fantastic article by my good friend and colleague Dr. Al Sears I asked him for permission to "reprint" it for my readers. Here you go! - Dr Jonny

Is Your Brain Starving?

Do you find yourself forgetting where you left your car keys... or just feel like your brain is in a fog sometimes?

Contrary to popular belief, forgetfulness is not just a normal part of growing older. As you age, your brain loses critical nutrients that it needs to fire on all cylinders.

If your mental spark plugs aren't firing like they used to, don't worry. I'll show you how to get your brain's engine back to running as smooth as a Rolls Royce. You just need to know what's missing and how to get it.

Your Brain is Begging for Nutrients

Your brain uses chemicals called neurotransmitters to transmit messages in the brain. There are millions of these messages happening every second. Neurotransmitters are conductors of these messages, allowing them to fire from one part of your brain to another.

One important neurotransmitter is acetylcholine (ACh). Your body uses ACh to help regulate your heart, breathing, and sleep. Your body even uses it to control your muscles and keep you fired up for the bedroom.

Here's the thing... your brain needs you to supply certain nutrients to make neurotransmitters.

But there's a key nutrient it uses to make ACh that is probably missing from your diet. It's called choline, and if you don't get enough, you're headed for trouble. Choline is a necessary nutrient for overall brain health and functioning and it is important to avoid nutritional deficiencies to keep your brain sharp and healthy.¹ When you don't give the body enough choline, the brain is forced to get it from other parts of your brain. It starts eating itself alive to get what it needs for vital functions like heart and lung regulation.

I'll show you ways to get the choline your brain needs in a second, but first let me introduce you to choline's partner - DMAE. DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol) works with choline to create ACh. In fact, it does such a good job, the FDA almost approved it as a drug. The only reason it didn't happen is that the manufacturer couldn't pay the expenses to get it classified as one.

But it is the main ingredient in a commonly prescribed drug in Europe. Called Centrophenoxine, it has been shown to boost cognitive functions.² Unlike Ritalin® and other brain substances, proper doses of DMAE are a safe and side-effect-free solution to support brain health and reduce age-related mental decline and mood/behavioral problems.³

Add These Critical Brain Saving Nutrients To Your Diet

To get the nutrition your brain needs to stay sharp and clear, you may need to combine food and supplementation. Here's how to get your ACh cranking:

DMAE - You need at least 35 mg of DMAE a day. Fish is a good food source, especially sardines and anchovies.

Choline - You need at least 425 mg a day as a woman, 550 mg if you're a man. The richest food sources of choline are (per 100 g of food):

• Whole cooked eggs - 272mg. Make sure you get free-range eggs without antibiotics or hormones. They'll help fuel your muscles as well as give you much-needed choline.
  
• Raw egg yolks - 682mg. Go ahead and crack open a couple eggs into your protein shake. It's only an urban legend that there's danger in eating them raw.
  
• Chicken liver - 290mg. Though some people get turned off by organ meats, they're a potent source of high-powered nutrition. And it's an old wives tale that they store toxins – they don't.
  
• Turkey liver - 220mg. Another great source of nutrition. Just like any liver, it also provides vitamin A, CoQ10 and iron.
  
• Pork - 130mg. Just like beef, you want to eat organic, grass-fed animals only for the proper balance of fats and zero hormones and antibiotics.

Choline is easy to replace and will help to promote a healthy mind into your golden years. If you're older, you may need more choline - as much as 1500 mg a day. That may require supplementation of this critical nutrient.

My Accidental Discovery in the Amazon Rainforest

Last year while hiking in the rainforest of Peru I was shown an herb the Indians of the Amazon River Basin have been using since before recorded history to prevent fatigue and increase physical endurance. I realized that by combining this ancient herb with choline and DMAE I could create a powerful new "anti-aging" formula for increased physical and mental stamina.

Read the rest of the story»

Dr. Sears, M.D. is a board certified clinical nutrition specialist, is a member of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, and is Board Certified in Anti-Aging Medicine. He has written over 500 articles and 7 books in the fields of alternative medicine, anti-aging, and nutritional supplementation.

¹Ferris SH, Sathananthan G, Gershon S, Clark C.. J Am Geriatr Soc 1977; 25:241-4.

²Mosharrof, A.H., et al., Effects of meclofenoxate on learning and memory--dependence on the experimental conditions. Acta Physiol Pharmacol Bulg, 1986. 12(3): p. 7-14.


³ Caille E.-J, Study concerning the bisorcate demanol effects upon quantified EEG, cortical vigilance and mood. Comparative double-blind, cross-over balanced design versus pirisudanol. Psychol Med.1986;18:2069-2086.

Recipe: Citrus-Stuffed Herbed Turkey

Here's a recipe I thought you might like, direct from the pages of "The Healthiest Meals on Earth" (which, by the way, has a lot of other ideas for holiday eating). See what you think!




Prep Time: Overnight to brine, overnight again for optional drying, and 30 minutes to prepare for cooking.

Cook Time: 3 hours and 45 minutes to 4 hours and 15 minutes, plus 20 minutes to rest before carving

Ingredients

Brining Solution
You will need 2 to 3 gallons (8 to 12 L) of brining solution for an 18- to 20-pound (8- to 9-kg) turkey.

Per gallon (4 L) of water:

• 1 cup (300 g) sea salt or kosher (not table salt)
  
• 1/2 cup (170 g) raw honey
  
• 2 teaspoons (4 g) finely grated lemon peel, optional
  
• 2 teaspoons (4 g) orange peel, optional
  
• 1/2 tablespoon cardamom pods, optional
  
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, optional

Turkey

• 1 18- to 20-pound (8- to 9-kg) free-range, not self-basting, turkey
  
• 8 sprigs each of fresh rosemary (young and tender, not woody), sage, and thyme (or other herbs of your choice), rinsed and lightly dried (should total 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups or 55 to 90 g when coarsely chopped)
  
• 2 shallots, peeled and halved
  
• 1 whole head garlic, peeled and crushed
  
• 1 lemon
  
• 1 orange
  
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick, or 55 g) butter, softened
  
• 2 tablespoons (28 ml) extra virgin olive oil
  
• Salt
  
• Ground black pepper
  
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) sherry

Starting with 2 gallons (8 L) of water, mix the brining solution in your roasting pan by combining all ingredients in correct proportions and stirring until the salt and honey are dissolved.

Rinse the turkey in plain water and pat it dry. Place the turkey in a lobster pot or large stockpot. (You can also use a plastic bucket if you line it with 2 or 3 clean garbage bags.) Pour in the brining solution to cover the turkey. If you need more brine to completely immerse the turkey, mix up another gallon. Place the turkey in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours. Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse very well under running water to remove all the brine, and dry thoroughly, including the cavity.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC, gas mark 6).

Stem and coarsely chop the herbs, setting aside about three-quarters of them (1/2 to 1 cup or 40 to 60 g of herbs). Mince the remaining one-quarter (about
1/2 cup or 30 g) and put into a medium bowl. Add the shallots and garlic.

Quarter but do not peel the lemon and orange and squeeze them gently to make a little juice, tossing the fruit and juice together with the herb mixture.

In a small bowl, using your hands, mix the butter with the oil until creamy. Moving carefully so as not to puncture the skin, work your hand between the turkey skin and the breast as far as you can go to create a pocket over both breasts. Smear half of the butter-oil mixture over the breasts, covering as much meat as you can reach. Place half of the reserved, coarsely chopped herbs (or whole sprigs) in each pocket (on top of each breast). Do this carefully and when complete, gently reshape (from the outside) the herb "pouches" above each breast to look rounded and smooth. Salt and pepper the inside of both cavities and stuff them with the fruit and herb mixture. Tuck the wings behind the back, tuck the skin folds over the cavities to close, and truss the legs. Smear the entire bird with the remaining butter-olive oil mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slowly pour the sherry inside of the breast pockets, working it around to the leg joints.

Place a V rack inside of a roasting pan and cover it with foil. Poke about 15 holes into the foil. Place the turkey on the V rack, breast side down. Bake for 45 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 325ºF (170ºC, gas mark 3). Turn the turkey bird breast side up, baste (you can supplement the juices with a few tablespoons of sherry if you wish), cover with foil, and continue to cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours more, depending on the size of the turkey.

Remove the foil to brown the breast and continue to cook for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until the thickest part of the breast and innermost parts of thighs and wings register 165ºF (74ºC) on a meat thermometer. (When the turkey is done, the legs should roll loosely on the joint, and the leg juices should run clear.)

Let the turkey rest on a cutting board for about 20 minutes before carving. Yield: For turkeys weighing more than 12 pounds, allow 1/2 to 3/4 pound (225 to 340 g) per person, so an 18-pound (8-kg) turkey can serve between 24 to 36 people.