Memory Health Made Easy

When you think of medicine, the picture that often comes up involves prescription medication, surgery, and other conventional procedures. But these kinds of treatments only come into play when your body is already broken, so to speak. So conventional treatments act to fix whatever is broken.

But this only puts you in a position of having to take medication for the rest of your life.

You might find that picture grim, but that is the reality for a lot of people. However, recent studies have shown that there is a way to strengthen your body to enable it to do what it wants, which is to heal.

This is where lifestyle medicine has stepped in and been at the forefront of this exciting opportunity.

Your health should not be determined by your genetic predisposition. You can still do something. Only you can empower your own body to do something not even medication can do.

In this show you'll learn about:

• What is Lifestyle Medicine and why does it matter?
• Valuable lessons Dr Shurney has learned and vast data that he has collated through clinical, workplace and national campaigns

In today's show, you will learn the power of simple daily actions and how they can have a huge impact and health benefit.

Listen To The Podcast Now.

About Our Guest

Dr Dexter Shurney, MD, MBA, MPH, FACLM is President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and Editor of the Journal of Managed Care Physicians. He is also Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Clinical Affairs for Zipongo, a San Francisco-based digital health and wellness company. Dr. Shurney serves on numerous boards including: the Global Business Group on Health and the National Association of Managed Care Physicians. Dr Shurney is co-author of the book, "Integrating Wellness into Your Disease Management Programs."

Why Lifestyle Medicine The Trajectory That Led Him To Lifestyle Medicine

• Dr Shurney talks about shifting in specialty from general surgery to preventive medicine.
• He remembers hearing about lifestyle medicine while devising plans and protocols for chronic disease management.
• He shares how he got interested and applied lifestyle medicine to himself to treat diabetes and hypertension.
• He recounts facing rejection from family members who are also medical professionals when he told them about his experience.

What Is Lifestyle Medicine

• Lifestyle medicine is a holistic approach to allowing your body to do what it wants to do, which is to become whole and well.
• Your body wants nutritious food and exercise.
• Doing the basics and fundamentals to strengthen your body to heal itself can cure 60-70% of chronic diseases.
• If you dial it up, you can even reverse chronic disease.

Lifestyle Is Often Neglected

• Most people don't know what it means to live a healthy life.
• People with a high genetic risk factor for developing dementia can reduce their lifetime risk by 30% through healthy lifestyle decisions.
• There is no medication in the market that can have the same impact.
• Two observation studies, one involving identical twins and another involving Japanese people living in the States versus those living in Japan, supported how lifestyle can be impactful in a powerful way.

Simple Actions That Have Huge Health Impacts

• Adding bits of physical activity or healthy food choices can result in non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT).
• There are many ways to include physical activity in the office environment to avoid being sedentary.
• Add more potassium to your diet to counteract too much sodium.
• Stop cooking with salt and instead put salt on the table to season the food when you're eating.
• Having a community of people around lifestyle medicine can empower people to make those healthy lifestyle choices.
• We live in a culture that pushes us in the wrong direction.
• Culture and environment drive the health and longevity of people.
• Integration and connection in all facets of our life, and creating a community that nurtures this are key.
• People living in Blue Zones have shown to benefit from health and longevity.

Working At Zipongo

• The use of a digital platform allows them to reach millions of people around the world.
• Their goal is to provide food that is convenient, affordable, and looks good.
• Their Food Smart program suggests food based on your allergies, preferences, and the gaps in your nutrition determined by their NutriQuiz. Discounts are also available.
• Ordering from their platform removes the temptation of buying unhealthy food.

New Frontiers In Lifestyle Medicine

• More and more physicians are becoming interested in lifestyle medicine.
• Research on gut microbiome shows lifestyle medicine has an impact on it.
• Gut microbiome also plays a role in how our brain functions.
• The bacteria in our stomach can affect our mood.
• Work around irritable bowel syndrome shows that it has a link to mental health.

Other Podcast Episodes

Here are the links to the other episodes mentioned in today's podcast:

• Ep 005: Food, Mood, Microbiome and Your Memory with Dr Amy Loughman
• Ep 008: How Your Gut Health Affects Your Brain and Memory Health with Scott C Anderson
• Ep 007: How To Heal My Brain After A Stroke with Bill Gasiamis

Previously Recommended Resources

Articles:

• Kicking Back Cognitive Ageing: Leg Power Predicts Cognitive Ageing after Ten Years in Older Female Twins

Steves, C. J., Mehta, M. M., Jackson, S. H., & Spector, T. D. (2016).. Gerontology, 62(2), 138–149. doi:10.1159/000441029 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4789972/

• TwinsU.K: The longitudinal ageing research includes normal brain ageing, investigating the genetic and environmental determinants of cognitive decline, and age-related cardiovascular changes such as hypertension

https://twinsuk.ac.uk/

• Blue Zones: Informed and inspired by the world's longest-lived cultures, Blues Zones help people live longer, better lives by improving their environment. https://www.bluezones.com/

• Some associations of vegetarian diets with lower cardiovascular mortality and lower noncardiovascular, non-cancer mortality were observed. Vegetarian diets have been associated with more favorable levels of cardiovascular risk factors.

Vegetarian Dietary Patterns and Mortality in Adventist Health Study 2

Orlich MJ, Singh PN, Sabaté J, et al. JAMA Intern Med. 2013;173(13):1230–1238. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.6473 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4191896/#!po=71.0526

• Adherence to a healthy lifestyle at mid-life is associated with a longer life expectancy free of major chronic diseases

Li Yanping, Schoufour Josje, Wang Dong D, Dhana Klodian, Pan An, Liu Xiaoran et al. Healthy lifestyle and life expectancy free of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: prospective cohort study BMJ 2020; 368 :l6669 https://www.bmj.com/content/368/bmj.l6669

• In the context of inherited (genetic) dementia risks it is possible to reduce your personal risk for dementia via your own personal actions: People at high risk of dementia who adopt healthy habits could be 32% less likely to contract the disease than those with an unhealthy lifestyle.

• The major international study, which involved researchers from the University of South Australia, analysed data from 196,383 adults and identified 1769 cases of dementia over a follow-up period of eight years.

• Association of Lifestyle and Genetic Risk With Incidence of Dementia

Lourida I, Hannon E, Littlejohns TJ, et al. JAMA. 2019;322(5):430–437. doi:10.1001/jama.2019.9879 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2738355

NEAT: Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT)

• Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) is the energy expended for everything we do that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like exercise. It ranges from the energy expended walking to work, typing, performing yard work, undertaking agricultural tasks and fidgeting.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12468415

Lifestyle Medicine Evidence:

• The evidence behind lifestyle medicine. By no means a total compilation of evidence it is a cherry picked handful of some the evidence supporting Lifestyle Medicine https://www.lifestylemedicine.org/ACLM/Lifestyle_Medicine/Scientific_Evidence/ACLM/About/What_is_Lifestyle_Medicine_/Scientific_Evidence.aspx?hkey=ed4b4130-6ce9-41bb-8703-211bc98eed7f

You can reach out to Dr Shurney on his LinkedIn or at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Visit Zipongo to learn more about their food programs.

Enjoy The Podcast?

If it's a "Oh Yes I did David!" Then please, do yourself a huge favour and subscribe to the podcast.

5 Star Review Worthy? If it is we'd love your review. It really does go a long way to help us reach and serve more people.

Do you want to help other people prevent avoidable memory loss? Yes? One simple way is to share what you've learned today.

Here's How: Take a screenshot of the podcast, post it on social media, make a comment and link to the show, is one, very easy way to help cement your learning and brings you closer to action as well as gifting to others the seeds of better memory health!

FREE Guide To Help Prevent Memory Loss

Grab a free copy of the 9 Principles for Memory Health For Life CLICK HERE. A simple framework to reduce your risk for memory loss. Go on, what have you got to lose?

We have a lot of resources and resources to help you stop avoidable memory loss. If you're interested to learn more about our services and programs, just go to the website.

Of course you can reach me, David Norris, here on the website and connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

To better memory health,

David

P.S. Did you get the free guide? If not, here's the link.

Disclaimer: The purpose of Memory Health Made Easy Podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a doctor or qualified professional. This podcast is provided on understanding that it does not constitute medical or personal professional advice or services. Instead, we would encourage you to discuss your options with a health care provider who specializes in your particular needs.

How Chronic Stress Contributes To Cognitive Decline

We often think of brain disorders as separate from the body. Anything that affects the brain occurred due to factors that affected the brain.

But our understanding of the relationship between the brain and the body is far too linear to fully grasp the complex network of interactions that occur.

We are seeing now how limited our knowledge is. More young people are dealing with depression. We believe this is due to an elevated allostatic load brought about by chronic stress.

The thing about chronic stress is that your body gets exposed to cortisol for a longer period of time. This leads to a disruption of your body's normal processes. To put it simply, your body being put under a long-term, stress-response state result in health problems.

While completely eliminating stress from your life might be impossible, having a better understanding of how stress affects your physical and mental health is key.

We're at the tip of the iceberg, but we have to keep on digging. The more we comprehend this fascinating, multidirectional interaction between the brain and the body, the more we can unearth the many facets of what contributes to mental well-being.

In this show you'll learn about:

• How your environment is key to influencing our health and well-being throughout your lifespan
• How your body's wear and tear is associated with your mental health
• What you can do to achieve an optimal level of living

In today's show, you will get a rich conversation on stress, allostatic load, and how it affects our cognitive fitness.

Listen To The Podcast Now.

About Our Guest

Prof. Zoltan Sarnyai is a medically-trained, PhD neuroscientist with real research interests in the neurobiological mechanisms of stress and psychiatric disorders including addiction, schizophrenia, and depression. Prior to his role in James Cook University in Australia, he was a university lecturer in pharmacology and a fellow of Pembroke College at the University of Cambridge. He has been awarded the Curt P. Richter Award by the International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology for his work in neuropeptides and brain functions. He was also the recipient of the Dupont Warren Fellowship from the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Stress and Allostatic Load His Background In Neuroscience

• Prof Zoltan shares being disillusioned while in medical school and getting excited over research involving neuropeptides and brain function.
• An outdated book on stress research piqued Prof Zoltan's interest.
• A research article on the impact of social hierarchy and general health among wild baboons opened Prof Zoltan to the idea of the environment influencing the body and brain.

His Fascination In Mental Health And The Environment

• Our understanding of mental health and the brain in relation to the body has evolved over time.
• Brain disorders were seen as something related to brain function.
• The brain does not work in isolation, but there is a multi-directional communication occurring between the brain and the body.
• We don't understand a lot about the interactions between the brain and the body.
• Now, we know that the gut microbiome has a lot to do with how the brain functions and the brain directs the local environment for these bacteria to change.

How Stress Affects The Brain and Gut

• Chronic psychological stress and trauma affect both the body and the brain.
• Chronic stress leads to a leaky gut syndrome, which leads to bacteria interacting in the bloodstream.
• Immune cells react and activate our stress biology.
• The body develops more cortisol.
• Things in our bodies are interconnected in a nonlinear fashion making it more difficult to grasp.

Variables That Contribute To Stress Resilience

• Our genetic makeup contributes to our susceptibility or resilience to stress.
• We have genes that are related to our biological stress axis.
• We can't do anything about our genetic background, but we can do something about what happens to us, specifically during pregnancy.
• Not just environmental stress, but environmental toxins like alcohol and nutritional factors during pregnancy also play a role.
• A low-protein diet during pregnancy has lasting consequences in the physical and mental health of a baby.
• There's also a long generational influence of the things that happened to our great grandparents that we see affecting their descendants.

How To Achieve An Optimal Level Of Living

• Since we are already aware that stress, trauma, nutritional factors, and others have an impact on mental health, we can get started on prevention.
• Our focus on studying the genetic makeup of complex, chronic non-communicable disease will only explain a percentage of the condition but not all.
• Prof Zoltan talks about a study on mice that had the gene for Huntington's Disease. Exercise and a complex cage environment were able to delay neurological deterioration in the mice.
• The early environment of a human is key to the development of the brain and mental health, with the first three years of life being critical.
• Nurturing makes a big difference.
• Early neglect has long-term consequences. Prof Zoltan shares the case of what happened in Romanian orphanages in the 1980s.
• A high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet is bad because it creates a low-grade, inflammatory response in the body.
• Exercise creates more newly-born cells in the hippocampus. Having more newly-born cells in the hippocampus contributes to better cognitive fitness. Thus, physical exercise helps to improve cognitive emotional and behavioural measures.
• The brain is very plastic. So while we cannot eliminate stress and trauma, we can devise interventions to help individuals recover.

The Future Direction Of His Work

• Prof Zoltan shares his ongoing projects, one on integrating different biological measures into an index to predict either disease development or treatment response, and another on allostatic load and predicting mental illness.
• Allostatic load is the wear and tear of the body. It measures the dysregulation that happens in the body when the body is chronically exposed to cortisol, the stress hormone.
• An elevated allostatic load is being seen among young people between 15 and 25. There is a link between elevated allostatic load and mental well-being.
• Elevated allostatic load is associated with cognitive decline. Major depression is characterized by a certain degree of cognitive impairment.
• Since sleep increases our bodies' ability to handle the challenges in the day, and stress hormones are highly biologically active, sleep research is expected to deliver exciting results.

Previously Recommended Resources

Prof Zoltan's Research Portfolio:

• Zoltan's research publication list can be found here: https://research.jcu.edu.au/portfolio/zoltan.sarnyai/

Episode 11 Articles and Publications:

• Salk Institute https://www.salk.edu/
• Bruce Sherman McEwen is an American neuroendocrinologist and head of the Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology at Rockefeller University. He is known for his work on the effects of environmental and psychological stress, having coined the term allostatic load.
  • A summary of Prof McEwen and Allostatic Load: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/allostatic-load
  • Prof McEwen's current lab: https://www.rockefeller.edu/our-scientists/heads-of-laboratories/863-bruce-s-mcewen/
• Allostatic Load and Cognition
  • Associations of Allostatic Load with Coronary Heart Disease and Dementia in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
    • D Cadar, J Abell, R Hackett, H Davies, D Llewellyn, G Batty, A Steptoe https://academic.oup.com/innovateage/article/2/suppl_1/271/5168920
• Scientists Brains Change in the Antarctic: The role of the environment and how the brain changes: Brain imaging in eight polar expeditioners before and after 14 months of isolation showed that the volume of the hippocampal dentate gyrus was lower than that in controls. This may reflect the effects on the brain of prolonged social and environmental deprivation.
  • Brain Changes in Response to Long Antarctic Expeditions https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1904905?query=featured_neurology-neurosurgery
  • Lonely Antarctic Expeditions Shrink People's Brains https://www.livescience.com/antarctic-expedition-changes-the-brain.html

Books:

• Stress of Life by Hans Selye

Sweedish Study:

• OverKalix Study: A Sweedish transgenerational study
  • "The Överkalix study (Swedish: Överkalixstudien) was a study conducted on the physiological effects of various environmental factors on transgenerational epigenetic inheritance. The study was conducted utilizing historical records, including harvests and food prices, in Överkalix, a small isolated municipality in northeast Sweden. The study was of 303 probands, 164 men and 139 women, born in 1890, 1905, or 1920, and their 1,818 children and grandchildren. 44 were still alive in 1995 when mortality follow-up stopped. Mortality risk ratios (RR) on children and grandchildren were determined based on available food supply, as indicated by historical data." Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96verkalix_study" Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96verkalix_study

You can reach out to Prof Zoltan on his university's research website to get an idea of his work and it also includes his email.

Enjoy The Podcast?

If it's a "Oh Yes I did David!" Then please, do yourself a huge favour and subscribe to the podcast.

5 Star Review Worthy? If it is we'd love your review. It really does go a long way to help us reach and serve more people.

Do you want to help other people prevent avoidable memory loss? Yes? One simple way is to share what you've learned today.

Here's How: Take a screenshot of the podcast, post it on social media, make a comment and link to the show, is one, very easy way to help cement your learning and brings you closer to action as well as gifting to others the seeds of better memory health!

FREE Guide To Help Prevent Memory Loss

Grab a free copy of the 9 Principles for Memory Health For Life CLICK HERE. A simple framework to reduce your risk for memory loss. Go on, what have you got to lose?

We have a lot of resources and resources to help you stop avoidable memory loss. If you're interested to learn more about our services and programs, just go to our website.

Of course you can reach me, David Norris, here on the website and connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

To better memory health,

David

P.S. Did you get the free guide? If not, here's the link.

Disclaimer: The purpose of Memory Health Made Easy Podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a doctor or qualified professional. This podcast is provided on understanding that it does not constitute medical or personal professional advice or services. Instead, we would encourage you to discuss your options with a health care provider who specializes in your particular needs.

Today's fitness industry looks at exercise as a means of improving and maximizing performance.

We see large biceps and stronger legs as indicators of a healthy body.

This pushes us to have a compartmentalized view of movement that focuses on specialized activities, where we have a leg day or a chest day.

But having a gym or simple fitness-oriented view limits your ability to be resilient, to be well-rounded. Basically it limits the potential of the exercises to challenge your cognitive abilities.

Compare that with how "we" used to move, for example, our hunter-gatherer ancestors.

Their movement isn't just about working on one muscle group, one routine. A diverse and varied range of movement triggers brain engagement. It allows our brains to grow and mature new neurons leading to better memory health.

This mindset about exercise and movement needs to change.

It's no longer about intensity. Having an awareness of the unique and challenging demands we can impose on our bodies to squeeze out more opportunities for neurogenesis is key. If we understand how neurogenesis works and how to prompt it, we have a better chance of preventing avoidable memory loss.

Our brains can continue to build and maintain a rich network of neurons if we understand how the human body as an organism works. We have the chance to tap into this power if we want to.

The truth is, we are meant to create and live a formidable life.

In this show you'll learn about:

• How we can squeeze more out of physical exercise by adding cognitive aspects to leverage neurogenesis
• Putting stress on the body through unique and challenging demands
• The phenomenon of movement poverty increasing our risks of sedentary dementia

In today's show, you will learn how to combine cognitive aspects to physical exercise to leverage neurogenesis and build a rich and dense hippocampus resilient to change.

Listen To The Podcast Now.

About Our Guest

Matt Rutley is a natural movement specialist in Australia. He is a bush skills instructor and the owner and head coach of health and fitness center, Stage Six. As one of the leading experts on moving your body the way it was designed to move, he has worked with clients of all ages including sporting teams, professionals, and Olympic athletes.

The Case for Neurogenesis Getting Interested In Functional Movement Exercise and Its Role

• Matt shares his childhood of doing a lot of physical and mental work, and his exposure later on to physical training.
• Opening his own gym to give people the opportunity to do the things he was doing as a child led him to realize the backward approach to physical fitness and health.
• Diving into research into the human organism led to more questions.
• Our physical and mental well-being aren't separate.

What Is Critical To Be Able To Navigate Our Will

• We are the drivers to fixing our problems.
• Having an inquisitive mind is important to understand why our body works and reacts to certain ways.
• If you don't impose a demand on your body, it will not get good at it. This is the principle Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands (SAID).
• Your body adapts to what you ask it to adapt to.
• Be specific about what you want, why you need it, and how the two correlate.
• Have an awareness of our physical capabilities and an understanding of what you want.

How To Get Better Transference In Life

• There are different kinds of fitness.
• We need to have a sustainable approach when it comes to exercise rather than being on edge all the time just to maximize performance.
• Most people don't really have a good idea of whether they might be able to do something.
• Movement is the reason our brains exist. Exercise boosts brain activity.

Leveraging Movement To Boost Our Hippocampus

• Movements that are complex and adaptive maximize neurological engagement.
• The lack of disease in Blue Zones and hunter-gatherer populations.
• Challenging ourselves more each time rather than getting used to a routine allows us to squeeze a bit more of the opportunities.
• Gamification and play-based activities provide a huge opportunity though there is resistance because of people's perception that exercise is punishment.
• Changes happen when we put our body under stress to push the limits.
• Stress signals changes in our body. But too much stress leads to injury.
• Stress applied should be about purpose and application instead of reinforcing the no pain, no gain mindset.
• Understanding why you need to go through that struggle allows you to be informed about the type of struggle and dosage needed.

The Problem With Mundane, Everyday Tasks

• Movements that are complex and adaptive maximize neurological engagement.
• If you have only one challenge, your body gets used to it.
• To be adaptable, we have to constantly shift the goalpost.
• High-intensity training essentially works to outdo inactivity, but the intensity is too much.
• It's better to spread out burning calories throughout the day in many different ways and with different stimuli and tasks. This is why people during our hunter-gatherer era are healthier.

Lowering The Risks For Sedentary Dementia

• Use an app to set a timer to get up and stretch.
• Uprooting ourselves entirely from our comfort zones would only make our bodies resistant to change.
• As our body adjusts, add a new demand that you can layer on.
• Adding variety such as changing the route or adding a different range of motion will add a new demand.
• Be brutally honest, practical, and realistic when goal setting.
• Aim for consistency and frequency.
• Cast a lens around a 6-8 out of 10 level of challenge to drive neuroplasticity or brain change.
• We are meant to be very formidable for life.

Harness the Power of Neurogenesis

• Do the things you want to get better at.
• Things will only get worse if you don't do anything.
• Be patient with your body, work with it rather than against it.
• There's no magic bullet, but there's a magic process.

Previously Recommended Resources

Articles:

• Psychobiotics in mental health, neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders

Cheng et al, (2019) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1021949819300158

• Melancholic microbes: a link between gut microbiota and depression?

Prof T. G. Dinan & Prof. J. F. Cryan: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nmo.12198

Books:

• Psychobiotics Revolution by Scott C Anderson

• Memory Wise by Dr Anne Unkenstein

This book explains how memory works and the changes that occur as we age.

You can reach out to Matt on his website to get an idea of the whole range of things they do.

Enjoy The Podcast?

If it's a "Oh Yes I did David!" Then please, do yourself a huge favour and subscribe to the podcast.

5 Star Review Worthy? If it is we'd love your review. It really does go a long way to help us reach and serve more people.

Do you want to help other people prevent avoidable memory loss? Yes? One simple way is to share what you've learned today.

Here's How: Take a screenshot of the podcast, post it on social media, make a comment and link to the show, is one, very easy way to help cement your learning and brings you closer to action as well as gifting to others the seeds of better memory health!

FREE Guide To Help Prevent Memory Loss

Grab a free copy of the 9 Principles for Memory Health For Life CLICK HERE. A simple framework to reduce your risk for memory loss. Go on, what have you got to lose?

Of course you can reach me, David Norris, here on the website and connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

To better memory health,

David

P.S. Did you get the free guide? If not, here's the link.

Disclaimer: The purpose of Memory Health Made Easy Podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a doctor or qualified professional. This podcast is provided on understanding that it does not constitute medical or personal professional advice or services. Instead, we would encourage you to discuss your options with a health care provider who specializes in your particular needs.

How well do you understand your body's signals to make decisions about maintaining your health and preventing disease?

Stress has a tremendous effect on our health and memory in a way that there is a downregulation in the signals sent by our brain to the rest of our bodies. There is a rich neurological symphony that comes under threat when we are stressed.

Our healthcare system is focused on traditional treatment methods of medication and surgery. But evidence-based research has come up supporting how lifestyle medicine can prevent and even reverse chronic diseases.

This is very crucial as the more we know how our bodies react to stress and how deeply it affects the cells, tissues, and organs of our body, the better we can help our bodies heal.

Because ultimately, this is the reason our brains are sending these signals.

In this show you'll learn about:

• Whether we are doing the best approach to improving our health
• Evidence-based support on ways to heal and reverse chronic diseases
• Why and how lifestyle medicine works

In today's show, you will learn the mechanism of how stress affects our bodies and what we can do to improve our life.

Listen To The Podcast Now.

About Our Guest

Dr Tom Guilliams has a doctorate in molecular immunology from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He has spent two decades investigating the mechanisms and actions of lifestyle and nutrient based therapies. He serves as an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin-School of Pharmacy and is VP of Science for Ortho Molecular Products. He is the founder and president of The Point Institute and has written several teaching manuals functional to the integrative medical community. He is the author of several publications, including The Original Prescription.

Understanding the Human Condition Why Does Dr Tom Focus On Lifestyle Medicine ?

• Dr Tom has always been interested in biology and how the world works.
• Working with a dietary supplement company exposed him to non-traditional ways of asking questions and looking at connections between healing and lifestyle medicine.
• Access to research literature allowed him to continue investigating the healing properties of the human body.

How Lifestyle and Environment Affects Our Bodies

• Our bodies will prioritize certain mechanisms, behaviors, and cellular performances that are most important when dealing with a stress response.
• The cumulative effect bad habits have on our bodies.

The Signals Of Life We Should Pay Attention To

• The seven areas we want to look at - diet and nutrition, physical activity, stress response, circadian rhythm, environmental factors, hygiene and health factors, and purpose and community.
• The seven areas are interdependent and aren't isolated from each other.

Our Concept of Stress

• People's perception of stress is tied to the the ability to control the outcomes they want to control.
• Most of the time stress has to do with time and responsibilities.

How the Exposure to Stress Changes our Bodies

• There are two levels of the stress response - the fight or flight response and the HPA axis.
• An imbalance happens when a physical response is triggered when there is no physical need for the energy generated.
• Our body maladapts to the constant disconnect between our stressors and our physiological needs.

Chronic Stress and Our Body

• Physiological functions in the body are downregulated by chronic stress.
• We learned to self-medicate through durational use of drugs and caffeine to distract ourselves from being under chronic stress.
• Our brain protects us from constant stress by downregulating leading to low cortisol levels.

How Do We Get People to Take Control of Their Personal Habits and Routines to Reduce Chronic Stress

• Clinicians and patients need to know the importance of understanding signals and how nutrients affect the body.
• We have to empower people so they'll realize that they make the choices on what they put in their body.
• We should shift our mindset from evidence-based medicine to medicine-based evidence.
• Our current system is not geared towards avoiding drugs or surgery.
• Answering a perceived stress questionnaire or doing a stress inventory are simple yet effective ways to increase awareness of stress.
• Think about what you can do about things that are NUTS - things that are New, things that are Uncontrolled, things that Threaten us or give us a Sense of disequilibrium.
• We need to think outside of the box and not deal exclusively with just cortisol or epinephrine.

The Epigenetics of the Stress Response

• One generation's stressors are passed down to the next generation.
• How we responded to stress while we were young affects our ability to deal with stressors later as we get older.
• Children do not produce Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which acts as a counter balancing beneficial hormone. This makes them more vulnerable to stress.

Reducing Your Risk

• Your genetics or the healthcare system should not dictate whether you're healthy or not.
• Healthcare professionals should believe and empower their patients to do the things they should do.

Stress and the Hippocampus

• Stress impairs many hippocampus-dependent memory tasks.
• The ability to connect and have a robust memory is reduced.
• The neural behaviour at the heart of learning is under threat by stress.
• Stress affects our buffering capacity or our resilience to deal with changes.

Resources

• The Original Prescription by Dr Thomas G. Guilliams with Roni Enten.
• The Role of Stress and the HPA Axis in Chronic Disease Management: Principles and Protocols for Healthcare Professionals: https://www.pointinstitute.org/shop/
• N.U.T.S (Novel, Unpredictable , Threat, Sense of Control): Detailed summary article for GPs and Health Professionals: https://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2013/august/chronic-stress/
• The recipe for stress are universal and so are the ingredients. Here's a short summary of N.U.T.S.: https://humanstress.ca/stress/understand-your-stress/sources-of-stress/
• A great article about applying N.U.T.S in education can be found in the Centre for Studies on Human Stress's monthly publication Mammoth: https://humanstress.ca/Documents/pdf/Mammouth-Magazine/Mammoth_vol5_EN.pdf
• Perceived Stress Scale: PSS : https://das.nh.gov/wellness/docs/percieved%20stress%20scale.pdf
• The Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory or Social Readjustment Rating Scale: (Stressful Life Events checklist. You can take the test here: https://www.stress.org/holmes-rahe-stress-inventory or learn more about the inventory's development, evidence and application: (https://www.simplypsychology.org/SRRS.html)
• Stress effects on the hippocampus: a critical review

Kim EJ, Pellman B, Kim JJ. Learn Mem. 2015;22(9):411–416. Published 2015 Aug 18. doi:10.1101/lm.037291.114 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4561403/

• Stress and your Memory (Hippocampus)

Goleman, D. (2006). Social intelligence: The new science of human relationships. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-13172-000

You can reach out to Tom on his website, where you can also access his whitepapers and ebook.

Enjoy The Podcast?

If it's a "Oh Yes I did David!" Then please, do yourself a huge favour and subscribe to the podcast.

5 Star Review Worthy? If it is we'd love your review. It really does go a long way to help us reach and serve more people.

Do you want to help other people prevent avoidable memory loss? Yes? One simple way is to share what you've learned today.

Here's How: Take a screenshot of the podcast, post it on social media, make a comment and link to the show, is one, very easy way to help cement your learning and brings you closer to action as well as gifting to others the seeds of better memory health!

FREE Guide To Help Prevent Memory Loss

Grab a free copy of the 9 Principles for Memory Health For Life CLICK HERE. A simple framework to reduce your risk for memory loss. Go on, what have you got to lose?

Of course you can reach me, David Norris, here on the website and connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

To better memory health,

David

P.S. Did you get the free guide? If not, here's the link.

Disclaimer: The purpose of Memory Health Made Easy Podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a doctor or qualified professional. This podcast is provided on understanding that it does not constitute medical or personal professional advice or services. Instead, we would encourage you to discuss your options with a health care provider who specializes in your particular needs.

You've no doubt sat in your science classes ( gosh that feels like a long time ago) and learned about the theory of evolution.

Quick refresher: It's about how the fittest survive the harsh changes in the environment and comes out as the victor.

But we regularly hear about new diseases, giving us more reasons to be vigilant about our overall health. How are we supposed to get through life as healthily as we could? With the spread of contagious diseases and health risks, our body needs a line of defense that would keep us immune and protected.

Hold up, don't get too stressed about it! We do have ways to protect our health, and it's not just through supplements.

Presenting... the armada of teeny-tiny microbiomes in our gut!

That's right! These microorganisms stand at the vanguard of all the dangerous battles that we face every day!

Did you know that aside from shielding us from potential harm from our environment, they can also affect our cognitive processes? They do so much of the heavy lifting to break food down into body building, brain nourishing information.

Yes, that's right. And knowing more about how it all works can definitely help us all have sharper minds and better memory health.Let's put your battle gear on as we learn from the National Geographic science communicator, Gut Bug Pioneer and author, Scott Anderson. He'll tell us how to build on our natural line of defense and train it to fight at its best. I'm sure you're now also asking, "How can I keep their numbers growing?" No worries, we got you.

In this show you'll learn about:

• The role of the gut microbes in your immune system
• How gut microbes affect your mental health
• How your diet plays a significant role in maintaining a healthy level of good microbes inside your body.

In today's show, you will learn how to optimise your health and cognitive fitness though the power of your microbiome!

Let's now power up our body's line of defense and boost the bugs for brain power!

Listen To The Podcast Now.

About Our Guest

Scott C. Anderson is a scientist who specialises in health and technology. He is the author of several science books, including Human Embryonic Stem Cells and co-authored multinational best selling The Psychobiotic Revolution.

The Role of Microbes and Our Brain Health Why Do We Have These Bacteria?

• We can never get away from bacteria. They are ubiquitous and coat every surface of the earth.
• Certain bacteria grew with us, and we grew up with them in a way that was beneficial to both of us. A lot of them are unique to humans.
• These bacteria have become used to us. They help in protecting us from pathogens.

Two Forms of Human Immunity

• First, the innate immune system is fighting bacteria in our environment.
• Second, the adaptive immune system helps us deal with things our body has never encountered before. This system functions more like hit or miss.

How Can Bacteria Build Our Adaptive Immunity

• It takes a bacterium to fight a bacterium.
• We need to live together with our gut bacteria and recruit them to fight the pathogens of the outside world.
• It can be good or bad, depending on who is in charge.
• A lot of those bacteria are what makes a good set of microbes in our gut called microbiota.

The Human Gut and Its Microorganisms

• The gut consists of the whole alimentary canal, starting from our mouth all the way to the anus.
• Our microbiome is composed of a broad variety of microorganisms that have specific roles to play within the alimentary canal.
• There are situations when some of the harmful bacteria, microorganisms and their metabolites can get into our blood system, especially when our immune system is down. That's when we get inflammation, the immune system's alarm bells are starting to ring.
• They can also get into the brain through the blood and cross the blood brain barrier. Bacteria associated with gingivitis have been found in people's brains living with dementia on autopsy.

How Bacteria Can Affect the Brain

• First, it can affect the brain through the vagus nerve.
• The second way is through the immune system.
• The third is through the hormonal system through the HPA axis (hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenal gland).
• Now, researchers are looking into whether bacteria can get to our brain through the metabolites they produce.

Drugs and Our Immune System

• Recent studies would show that some medications we are taking are fighting the bacteria; in the process, they are also killing our own cells.
• There is collateral damage when we try to fight bacteria and end up damaging our cells as well.

How Can We Create a Healthy Relationship with Our Microbiome?

• One of the challenges is not knowing enough about probiotics. Some of the available supplements in the market cannot be trusted.
• However, we can get probiotics without resorting to supplements. We can do this by consuming probiotic foods like kimchi, yoghurt and sauerkraut.
• Changes in diet can lead to a more diverse microbiota. The more different species you have, the better.
• The Mediterranean diet has been strongly associated with reduced inflammation. Fish, the main protein source in the diet, has high omega 3 ( DHA= docosahexaenoic acid), and EPA = eicosapentaenoic acid) which is a key fatty acid for the brain. Several studies associate higher omega-3 intake with decreased age-related mental decline and a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease
• You can also lower inflammation by feeding your gut bacteria fibre. Fibre! Fibre! Fibre! Oi! Oi! Oi!
• Almost every known chronic disease like cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes and Parkinson's have their roots in systemic inflammation. Many systemic inflammation comes from the gut.
• Aim to keep a robust balance of bacteria, as one pillar to supporting your memory health. There's almost a upside for every single organ in your body, especially your beautiful brain.
• It's a win - win game really. Happy Bugs = Happy Life

Bacteria and Protein Build-Up

• Our immune system tracks down and identifies some of the building blocks of the proteins involved with bacteria.
• The immune system may be in charge of the goodness or badness that comes as a consequence.
• Our immune system may react differently depending on the medicine that will be given to a person.

Food Recommendation

• Avoid foods which contain preservatives and emulsifiers and those that come farther than the source.
• Avoid foods with pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. These chemicals can be poisonous to your microbiome gut citizens.
• Try the Mediterranean, Nordic or Japanese diet.
• Eat whole foods and whole grains.
• Have as much fibrous food as possible.

Resources

• The Psychobiotic Revolution by Scott Anderson with John Cryan and Ted Dinan
• Healthy aging and dementia: findings from the Nun Study: The Nun Study is a longitudinal study of 678 Catholic sisters 75 to 107 years of age who are members of the School Sisters of Notre Dame congregation. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12965975

• How You Eat Directly Impacts Your Mood:

New Scientist article: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24332460-500-how-what-you-eat-directly-influences-your-mental-health/

• Gut and Mood

Valles-Colomer, M., Falony, G., Darzi, Y., Tigchelaar, E. F., Wang, J., Tito, R. Y., … Raes, J. (2019). The neuroactive potential of the human gut microbiota in quality of life and depression. Nature Microbiology, 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-018-0337-x

You can reach out to Scott on his website, Facebook, and Twitter account. You may also want to check out Psychobiotic Revolution to learn more about how microbes can affect your mood and help maintain your brain health.

Enjoy The Podcast?

If it's a "Oh Yes I did David!" Then please, do yourself a huge favour and subscribe to the podcast.

5 Star Review Worthy? If it is we'd love your review. It really does go a long way to help us reach and serve more people.

Do you want to help other people prevent avoidable memory loss? Yes? One simple way is to share what you've learned today.

Here's How: Take a screenshot of the podcast, post it on social media, make a comment and link to the show, is one, very easy way to help cement your learning and brings you closer to action as well as gifting to others the seeds of better memory health!

FREE Guide To Help Prevent Memory Loss

Grab a free copy of the 9 Principles for Memory Health For Life CLICK HERE. A simple framework to reduce your risk for memory loss. Go on, what have you got to lose?

Of course you can reach me, David Norris, here on the website and connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

To better memory health,

David

P.S. Did you get the free guide? If not, here's the link.

Disclaimer: The purpose of Memory Health Made Easy Podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a doctor or qualified professional. This podcast is provided on understanding that it does not constitute medical or personal professional advice or services. Instead, we would encourage you to discuss your options with a health care provider who specializes in your particular needs.

Here's How Bill Got His Brain's Mojo Back Bill Gasiamis's Personal Story of How He Healed His Brain After A Stroke

There's a famous saying that goes, 'Health is wealth'. Like going to the bank and making regular deposits- the benefits build up over time.

Easier said than done, though. It is challenging to eat right and stay active if it's not ingrained in your lifestyle.

But- when you draw down too much- the body and brain can take a hit.

Sadly for some we wait until a major health event, 1- 2 Kapow! combination and all of sudden you're on the floor.

When our health is threatened, our entire life gets affected. I can think of so many unhealthy habits that lead to disabling and fatal consequences. Overwork, excessive drinking, smoking... The list goes on!

Let's not wait for your system breakdown. Today's show with Bill Gasiamis is a real memory health warrior story of where it went completely pear-shaped to how he built and sustained brain optimising healthy habits.

This show is for you if

• You're pushing the red line
• You're compromising on healthy routines
• Your sleep suffering
• You're juggling life and feeling more stretched than Elasta-girl

Stroke, Brain Bleed, Cerebrovascular Accident or CVA - how can you come back from the MASSIVE impact this has on your physical, mental and emotional abilities?

In this episode, Bill Gasiamis shares his own experience with stroke and how his life has taken a turn for the better afterwards. He shares his key healthy habits, coping mechanisms and insightful lessons which were pillars of his recovery and now bedrock of his life.

There is a lot we can learn from how Bill Gasiamis got his brain's mojo back.

• Bill's unhealthy habits he didn't know were ruining his life (you might be doing them too!)
• How our beliefs about productivity can cause us to overwork and neglect our health
• How to change your habits and reclaim your brain after recovering from a disease
• Is there a single method to calming and improving your mind?
• The power of your brain to heal itself with the right nudges

Today's podcast will help you address how you perceive health, understand how your habits affect you, and move towards a healthier lifestyle for better brain health.

Stroke survivor or not, there is a lot here for you to learn from what it means to make massive change and the benefits of it.

You might just find healing too!

Listen To The Podcast Now.

About Our Guest

Bill Gasiamis is a four-time stroke survivor and founder of Recovery After Stroke. The community aims to help people heal their brains through a systematic process he has made himself. He also authored 7 Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Your Stroke and hosts webinars, coaching seminars and podcast episodes regularly.

Healing the Brain After a Stroke The Wake-Up Call

• In 2012, Bill found himself overworked and complaining about everything being difficult. It was far from his upbeat and calm demeanour.
• In February, he experienced his first brain haemorrhage. It was an arteriovenous malformation.
• This incident was Bill's wake-up call that his health was misaligned and he needed to do something with it.

Perception of Health

• Before all the stroke attacks, Bill had always thought he was a relatively healthy guy. He would describe himself as driven, motivated and focused.
• Looking back, Bill says he only thought he was healthy back then. In reality, his habits consist of a few healthy habits and a lot of unhealthy ones. He had vices like excessive drinking and smoking and some other bad habits like lack of sleep and lack of de-stressing activities.

On Being Overworked

• A huge reason why Bill wasn't able to track his health is that he did not have enough time for it.
• Not acknowledging unhealthy habits and being busy are a deadly loop you are putting your body in.
• Becoming busy can cause you to overlook small habits which can affect your health quickly.

Cultural and Historical Implications of Becoming Overworked

• Bill's parents came from a poverty-stricken place after World War 2. Hence, when they moved to Australia, working many hours to bring in more income became their mindset.
• We can inherit beliefs and routines from our parents, such as how they view their work or how they produce outcomes.
• It's important to realise that as humans, we need time off from work and our everyday tasks.

How Habits Contribute to Health

• Many of us may already be overworked and into unhealthy habits now.
• Long-term habits are hard to change, and it can affect our health in the long run.

The Fear of Losing our Brain

• Experiencing a stroke makes one fear for his/her cognitive skills.
• There is fear that the brain capacity will no longer be at par with how it used to be before the stroke.

Reclaiming Your Brain through Healthy Habits

• Reclaiming your brain after a stroke involves acknowledging that they may be some parts you cannot control. Instead, focus on areas which you can control, heal, and improve on.
• Bill started by stopping all his bad habits like smoking and drinking. Additionally, he also avoided consuming inflammatory foods.

Towards A Better Brain

• Healthier habits allowed Bill's memories to come back and his brain to slowly heal.
• Starting and sticking to healthy habits doesn't have a deadline. It will still benefit us at any time of our lives.

Connection Between Mind and Body

• The body's wellbeing affects the resilience of the mind and the heart.
• A well-balanced body also balances our emotional health and hones our decision-making skills.
• Ultimately, this will allow you to know which things you have control and no control over.

Resilience Despite Risks

• Be okay with the fact that there are some things you have no control of. Do not linger on these and focus your attention on things you can control.
• It is through difficult times that we thrive and grow. From this, our brain and body will benefit greatly.

Steps to Brain Health

• Build an effective support system.
• Get proper nutrition.
• Quiet the mind. Meditate, relax and always get quality sleep.
• Be grateful. No matter how hard it is, try to be thankful and give back to others.

Finding Your Own Path to Brain Health

• There is no single method to quieting the mind and making it better. For some, meditation may work; for others, it may not.
• It's all about connecting with yourself and figuring out what works best for you. There are several pathways to help the mind.
• Be curious and explore which one may work.

Effects on Personal Relationship

• Stroke can cause changes in a person's personality. It may suddenly make them more aggressive, thus resulting in more fights.
• It's helpful to remain honest, patient, and open to each other at all times.
• For Bill, stroke has made his wife and him better at communicating and giving people space.
• Moments like this can also be a learning opportunity for our partners to grow as well.

Dealing with Your Identity

• Recovering from a life-changing event such as a stroke can make a person develop a 'growth mindset'—that is, wanting to take on several opportunities and discovering new paths.
• Do not force the people in your life to move in the direction you want for yourself.
• Surround yourself with people who will support the changes in your life.

You can reach out to Bill Gasiamis on his website, www.recoveryafterstroke.com, where you can download his podcast episodes and his upcoming 10-step stroke recovery programme. He also has an Instagram account, @recoveryafterstroke, where you can send him a message about your concerns.

Enjoy The Podcast?

If it's a "Oh Yes I did David!" Then please, do yourself a huge favour and subscribe to the podcast.

5 Star Review Worthy? If it is, we'd love your review. It really does go a long way to help us reach and serve more people.

Do you want to help other people prevent avoidable memory loss? Yes? One simple way is to share what you've learned today.

Here's How: Take a screenshot of the podcast, post it on social media, make a comment and link to the show, is one, very easy way to help cement your learning and brings you closer to action as well as gifting to others the seeds of better memory health!

FREE Guide To Help Prevent Memory Loss

Grab a free copy of the 9 Principles for Memory Health For Life CLICK HERE. A simple framework to reduce your risk for memory loss. Go on, what have you got to lose?

Of course you can reach me, David Norris, here on the website and connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

To better memory health,

David

P.S. Did you get the free guide? If not here's the link.

Disclaimer: The purpose of Memory Health Made Easy Podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a doctor or qualified professional. This podcast is provided on understanding that it does not constitute medical or personal professional advice or services. Instead, we would encourage you to discuss your options with a health care provider who specializes in your particular needs.

If you've ever failed to make a new habit stick, you're soooo not alone on this one. New Year Habits - Schmabbits, that almost sounds like rabbits and they act like it, right?

Start off bouncing with energy, follow a path, get distracted with other greener, juicer patches, wanders off and all of a sudden it's breeding new ideas, guilt and all sorts of other charged up ideas about WHY it didn't work.

Well enough already!

Don't get me wrong, the new year ( or any other calamitous moment in life) is the trigger for many people, maybe like you, to focus on what's important, what you want. It revs the engine of possibility and hope so….

you set a plan, you get the gear, get the stuff to make it happen, you prioritise your focus and energy, you start.

But, life gets in the way right?

Yep, more likely than not, we end up forgetting about it or giving up on it. BUT, why does it work for some and not others. …I've often stared at the white wall and grabbed another Tim Tam and thought "Is there something wrong with me?"

Maybe I'm not dedicated enough, maybe I'm not motivated, maybe I'm not…

Sure, it takes dedication and commitment to form a new habit. There's also a lot we can learn from neuroscience on how you can crack the new habit code.

OK, time to put the Tim Tam down and turn it up because we're joined by Dr Melissa Davis of Renaissance Periodization. Dr Mel is World Champion martial artist, doctor of neuroscience and behaviour change coach.

Martial Artist Champion + Dr of Neuroscience + Behaviour Change = Knockout Habit Show

Exercise is no doubt a massive pillar to better brain health and Dr Mel offers up a recipe for achieving your goals. In the show, you'll learn about

• What exercise does and why it's an important liffe factor at any age - yes any age!
• The strategies and methods based in neuroscience you can use to make a physical exercise habit stick.
• Dr Mel shines a light on the big blockers to your success and what to do about them.
• How to pierce the veil on published information to see if it really does work and is it worth your time, energy and very likely dollars
• Dr Mel also busts a few nutrition myths along the way

Today's show will help you kick down the doors, throw old habits on the tatami mat and tighten your hold on what you really want.

Here's to forming memory health habits that stick!

Listen To The Podcast Now.

About Our Guest:

Dr Melissa Davis has ten years of research experience in neurobiology, with her works featured in Scientific American. She is a lifelong Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete and scholar, who has represented the United States in international Abu Dhabi World Pro Competition. She specializes in helping clients utilize tools in losing weight, gaining muscle, and performing.

Make Your Physical Exercise Habits Stick Understanding the Brain

• There is a lot of information in classes and in scientific papers that are not accessible to people because they haven't been trained to read papers.
• Reading a science paper takes training to understand the statistics and jargon.

The Role of Exercise in Longevity

• With retained muscle mass longer into old age, you get fewer chances of injuries that may lead to death or dependence on others.
• Through exercise, you get better cognitive function for a longer time.
• It increases the quality of life.

Why Don't Our Exercise Behaviors Stick?

• What you want to do differs from what you're used to doing.
• The new year's resolution effect: People want to make a massive change all at once.
• The biggest mistake is wanting a fast process and fast results.

Navigating the Space

• Forming a habit, or breaking away from it takes one step at a time—it takes time, work, and dedicated effort.
• Reward yourself for even the smallest achievement.

The Guilt Realm

• Give yourself credit for making little changes. Don't beat yourself up for not being perfect.
• Taking responsibility for your failures prevents the external locus of control that takes away your capability to make a change.

Engineer Success: 4 Tips To Make Your Habits Stick

• Take it in small steps. Start with three or four days a week, and then eventually every other day.
• Tie the habit with an activity that already exists in your lifestyle and schedule.
• Track what's gotten in your way this week and strategize how you will solve it for the next week.
• It's just a matter of finding ways to trick ourselves into doing it, sticking with it, monitoring how often we're doing it, and continuing to improve.

The Importance of Social Support

• Twofold benefit: It's not only helpful for achieving goals, but it's also helpful for mood and longevity.

Resistance Training and Nutrition

• Protein supports growth, and it also supports a better quality of life.
• Exercise, including resistance training, decreases the chances of developing cancer, according to the American Statistical Association.
• Anything where your muscles are contracting against resistance, is resistance training.
• Resistance training might be different from person to person depending on how long they've been training and the physical state in which they're starting.

Resources Articles

• Yuan et al, (2012) An enriched environment improves cognitive performance in mice from the senescence-accelerated prone mouse 8 strain Role of upregulated neurotrophic factor expression in the hippocampus: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4302529/
• Griñán-Ferré, et al, (2018). Environmental Enrichment Improves Cognitive Deficits, AD Hallmarks and Epigenetic Alterations Presented in 5xFAD Mouse Model https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6104164/

• Vanessa Doulames, Sangmook Lee & Thomas B. Shea (2014) Environmental enrichment and social interaction improve cognitive function and decrease reactive oxidative species in normal adult mice, International Journal of Neuroscience, 124:5, 369-376, DOI: 10.3109/00207454.2013.84844

3 Resources to Help You Read a Scientific Paper

• Infographic: How to read a scientific paper by Natalia Rodriguez on Elsevier
• An easy read introduction: how to read a scientific paper from Science Buddies
• How to Read and Understand a Scientific Paper: A Step-by-Step Guide for Non-Scientists by Jennifer Raff on HuffPost

Books

• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• The RP Diet For Endurance by Dr Alex Harrison, Michelle Hower, and Dr Melissa Davis

Supplementary Materials

• RP Diet App and RP Coaching
• Renaissance Woman

You can reach out to Dr Mel by sending an email to the Renaissance Periodization website. You may also connect with her on Instagram. Check out Dr Mel's comprehensive review of the Game Changers documentary.

Enjoy The Podcast?

If it's a "Oh Yes I did David!" Then please, do yourself a huge favour and subscribe to the podcast.

5 Star Review Worthy? If it is we'd love your review. It really does go a long way to help us reach and serve more people.

Do you want to help other people prevent avoidable memory loss? Yes? One simple way is to share what you've learned today.

Here's How: Take a screenshot of the podcast, post it on social media, make a comment and link to the show, is one, very easy way to help cement your learning and brings you closer to action as well as gifting to others the seeds of better memory health!

FREE Guide To Help Prevent Memory Loss

Grab a free copy of the 9 Principles for Memory Health For Life CLICK HERE. A simple framework to reduce your risk for memory loss. Go on, what have you got to lose?

Of course you can reach me, David Norris, here on the website and connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

To better memory health,

David

P.S. Did you get the free guide? If not here's the link.

Disclaimer: The purpose of Memory Health Made Easy Podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a doctor or qualified professional. This podcast is provided on understanding that it does not constitute medical or personal professional advice or services. Instead, we would encourage you to discuss your options with a health care provider who specializes in your particular needs.

In this day and age where everything is instant, it is crucial to take care of our mental and physical fitness. One of the ways to achieve a well-balanced and healthy mind and body is by taking care of what we eat. After all, we are what we eat. So for us to be healthy, we have to maintain a robust digestive system.

In today's episode, we're joined by Dr Amy Loughman of the Food & Mood Centre. We'll talk about the importance of the gut microbiome and how it affects and maintains our mental health. She will also discuss psychobiotics and how they affect our brain functions.

Tune in to the show to learn how healing can start in our guts!

About Our Guest:

Dr Amy Loughman is a post-doctoral research fellow who leads the microbiome research team at the Food & Mood Centre. She is clinically trained in neuropsychology and is an expert in memory function and brain diseases.

The Role of Gut Microbiome in Our Wellbeing Understanding Mood and Memory Changes

• There can be fluctuations across our lifespan, and a lot of them are normal.
• If you are experiencing low mood and other symptoms that are bothering you, it is not always a sign of dementia.
• Failures in your memory could be due to many things such as high level of stress.
• Depression can change the clarity of your thinking and the way your brain works.

Importance of Nutrition and Sleep

• Sleep can maintain cognitive health and fitness.
• High levels of nutrition throughout the lifespan, and particularly as we age, can significantly affect our susceptibility to cognitive decline and dementia.
• Sleep, physical activity, and stress combined provide a risk profile for people in terms of brain health in their older age.

What Is a Microbiome?

• It is usually referred to as the gut microbiome.
• The microbiome is a collective community of microorganisms that comprises mostly of bacteria, as well as fungi, algae, and other microscopic life forms.
• It is approximately a kilogram of massive microorganisms living mostly in the large intestine and throughout the digestive tract.
• It's also important in the oral cavity.

Recommended Diet for a Healthy Brain and Gut

• The Australian Dietary Guidelines is a useful resource.
• Some recommended foods are plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean animal proteins.
• Limit your consumption of processed food and snacks.

Psychobiotics

• It is a gut-directed therapy that aims to target the brain positively.
• Probiotic: living organism or bacteria that we take to add to the community of organisms
• Prebiotic: a type of fibre that feeds the bacteria or the probiotic
• Symbiotic: a combination of the two
• There have been animal studies which show that specific gut-directed microbiomes changed their brain function and improved their behaviour.
• It is, however, tricky to recommend a particular probiotic or prebiotic.

Maintaining the Robustness of Our Microbiome

• Take care of your physical health.
• Even if you drink antibiotics, the gut bacteria bounces back and replenishes with proper diet.
• Avoid foods which contain artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, and preservatives.

How Bacteria Communicates with Our Brain

• The vagus nerve connects the brain to almost all the organs of the body, including the gut.
• Bacteria produce short-chain fatty acids when they metabolize food. These byproducts can signal directly to the brain, as well as cells around the body, about the state of the gut.
• It signals the brain through the bloodstream that there's inflammation in the body.
• We can experience more inflammation as we age. We can mitigate this by keeping our health in check.

How the Gut Influences Disease Process

• An inflammatory response is also a factor.
• Bacteria are involved in the accumulation of amyloid beta-protein, which accumulate in the pathology of Alzheimer's disease.
• There are bacteria present in the brain tissue of people who have died without Alzheimer's disease.
• The bacteria found were in quite high levels that correspond to bacteria in the mouth. It again suggests that it's not just the gut bacteria but also the oral cavity.

The Healthy Brain Project

• It is a project run by Florey students for the people of Melbourne who might be interested in knowing more about brain health and taking part in an annual survey.
• It seeks to understand the lifestyle and biomarkers that relate to a risk of Alzheimer's disease in healthy middle age.
• They are looking at the earlier part of life to see whether they can identify the factors that are increasing or decreasing the risk.
• They are also finding specific biomarkers to give an insight into how the brain changes well before symptoms emerge.
• The project aims to generate preventive strategies for factors that impact the gut microbiome and the brain.

Resources Book

• Memory-Wise by Dr Anne Unkenstein

Websites

• Gut Microbiota For Health
• Australian Dietary Guidelines

You can reach out to Dr Amy by sending her an email. You may also connect with her on Twitter and Instagram. Check out the Mind Body Microbiome and Food and Mood Centre to know more about the microbiome and how it affects our wellbeing.

If you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe to the podcast. If you have any questions or insights, please don't hesitate to leave a review to help us reach more people in starting a discussion about memory health.

Grab a free copy of the Memory Health Toolkit today and know what you can do to reduce your risk for memory loss. You can reach me on my website and connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Disclaimer: The purpose of Memory Health Made Easy Podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a doctor or qualified professional. This podcast is provided on understanding that it does not constitute medical or personal professional advice or services. Instead, we would encourage you to discuss your options with a health care provider who specializes in your particular needs.

Cognitive decline is affecting more people every year. However, you can do a lot to keep your brain functions in top shape. People need to look at three aspects of their lives and see what they can do to optimise their brain health.

Welcome to the Memory Health Made Easy podcast. I'm your host, David Norris. In today's episode, I'll be tackling the three areas of your life related to cognitive function: physical activity, diet, and stress. You'll learn how to optimise each of these areas to keep your brain fit and healthy. You'll also learn about the importance of social connections. This aspect of your life can help you solidify the habits you need to protect your cognitive well-being.

Listen to this episode now and empower yourself with the steps you need to take to fight against cognitive decline.

How to Optimise Your Cognitive Function to Prevent Memory Loss The Rise of Dementia

• In 2015, 15 million people lived with dementia.
• The number of people struggling with dementia will double every 20 years.
• We might see more than 113 million people living with this disease by 2050.
• The total cost of dementia is 1 trillion USD, which will double in the next 10 years.
• Around 35 to 50% of people experience a subjective cognitive impairment.
• There are many ways to stave off memory problems and improve our brain fitness.

Physical Activity and the Brain

• You do not have to hit the gym to get the exercise you need, as long as your whole body is working out.
• Make sure to have both cardiovascular and resistance exercises throughout the week.
• Proper exercise encourages the formation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which helps the brain adapt and change.
• Exercise improves the blood supply of the brain.
• Exercises requiring coordination adequately challenges the brain.
• If you haven't exercised for some time, start moving to raise your heart rate.
• If you have a medical condition, contact your local medical practitioner about your exercise plans.

Dietary Factors

• Diets rich in various colourful fruits and vegetables are full of phytonutrients that are essential for brain health.
• Get most of your fat intake from vegetables, nuts and seeds, but make sure that you get enough fat.
• Target 30 grams of protein per meal if you're under 65 years old, and consume enough energy sources such as carbohydrates and fats.
• As much as possible, avoid foods with additives such as pesticides, hormones or antibiotics.
• Try to adopt a diet close to the Mediterranean diet, which has powerful protective effects on the brain.

Stress and Rest

• Stress hormones damage the ability of the hippocampus to store and manage memories.
• While low amounts of stress are useful, chronic exposure can impact your cognitive fitness.
• Stress also interferes with sleep, an essential activity for maintaining brain health.
• Sleep deprivation, which can come from chronic stress, limits the ability of glial cells in the brain to remove wastes.
• Performing a particular exercise a few hours before you sleep can improve your memory by as much as 30%.
• Stress reduction techniques include taking breaks, slowing down and engaging in meditation practices.

Social Networks

• Aside from the three areas mentioned earlier, it's also essential to consider the richness of your social networks.
• The quality of your social interactions matters more than the quantity.
• A sound social support system allows you to sustain healthier habits like exercise, healthy diets and stress reduction.

If you have any questions or insights, please don't hesitate to leave a review below to help us reach more people in starting a discussion about memory health. Subscribe to the podcast to stay in touch! Thanks for listening!

Grab a free copy of the Memory Health Toolkit today and start strengthening your brain building. You can reach me on my website and connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Disclaimer: The purpose of Memory Health Made Easy Podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a doctor or qualified professional. This podcast is provided on understanding that it does not constitute medical or personal professional advice or services. Instead, we would encourage you to discuss your options with a health care provider who specializes in your particular needs.

From board games to puzzles and handheld games, we all look for ways to improve our memory and logic, response time and overall mental functioning. With the surge of brain training games that are conveniently accessible in our smartphones, it can be worth asking if they really hold any cognitive benefit.

In today's episode of the Memory Health Made Easy podcast, we're going to explore and clarify some things about brain training games. We'll talk about the eight-point checklist that can help us identify whether brain training is worth our time and money. In addition to that, I will also introduce the "narrow" and "broad" effects.

To know more about the real-life benefits of brain training games and what you can expect from them, keep your ears open and make sure that you tune in to the show!

How Brain Training Games Work Murky Waters Around the Cognitive Science of Online Games

• These games often have a cost involved.
• We rely on the validity of how well these exercises are going to translate to improved cognitive fitness.

Narrow & Broad Effects of Brain Training

• The exercises in these apps have a narrow effect; in other words, it doesn't go wider to other cognitive skills.
• For example, if we practise attention, it's not going to translate to insight, awareness and judgement.

• Broad effect is the desired effect that translates to other cognitive skills and in different domains of life.

Eight-Point Checklist: Determining Whether Brain Training Is Worth Your Money and Time

1. Is there an established evidence history?
2. Does it establish a personal baseline for you?
3. Are they continually challenging?
4. Does it target a specific skill set?
5. Is it novel and engaging?
6. Has it got auditory and visual components?
7. Does it track your performance over time?
8. Does it give you feedback on areas to focus on?

Dual N-Back: The One Brain Exercise You Should Do

• Research findings are split about the effectiveness of these programmes.
• However, unlike many other training exercises, Dual N-Back, created by Susanne Jaeggi and her team in 2008, has been proven to transfer training results to other brain activities.
• A study done by John Hopkins University showed a 30% improvement in working memory using brain training. The optimal time to do the training is 1 to 2 hours before sleep.
• To maintain the cognitive gains, it's essential to come back and dose up on this particular exercise over time.
• Make sure that at the core of what you're doing, you've got good sound exposures to the Dual N-Back exercise.

Can Brain Training Improve Memory?

• Science proves brain-training games can be an essential part of your toolkit in reducing the risk of memory loss.
• However, it is vital to look at the biological risk factors such as sleep, exercise, eating, social relationships and stress management, among others.

If you have any questions or insights, please don't hesitate to leave a review below to help us reach more people in starting a discussion about memory health. Subscribe to the podcast to stay in touch! Thanks for listening!

Grab a free copy of the Memory Health Toolkit today and start strengthening your brain building. You can reach me on my website and connect with me on LinkedIn or Twitter.

Disclaimer: The purpose of Memory Health Made Easy Podcast is to educate and to inform. It is no substitute for professional care by a doctor or qualified professional. This podcast is provided on understanding that it does not constitute medical or personal professional advice or services. Instead, we would encourage you to discuss your options with a health care provider who specializes in your particular needs.