Now, how do we reach that, you say?  In review of part 1 (yesterday’s article), we now know from yesterday’s article Part 1 – the basics of how the brain waves operate with how the brain waves work with a healthy brain as opposed to unhealthy brain but now we need to know how do we reach that steps of keeping the brain healthy and there are a few steps to take.  Those steps will train your brain waves to become balanced more effectively in both motor and cognitive function.  This includes the following:

1.) Diet (foods you eat on a routine basis 24 hours/7days week on your routine diet foods, with including exceptions of occasionally treats when you are in ideal weight range or ideal body mass index range)

2.) Balance both rest and exercise

3.) Learning healthier habits (from types of foods you eat including all the food groups, when to eat, how large a meal, how many times a day, what exercise keeps you healthy, and how the body works with our metabolism).

4.) The hardest and most promising ingredient, if it’s reached, is you are effectively training & practicing the healthy habits of daily living with having all brain waves working appropriately.

To obtain this goal you need to know the area(s) that need to be improved to make your life a healthier one.  You know what your routine lifestyle is like now and what health habits you’re not doing now. (Ex. Either needing to sleep more=8hrs a day is healthy, or increase your cognitive/problem solving more with the brain from reading to crossword puzzles daily to looking at the news daily or even college classes register for or  take up a hobby=ceramics to simply learning how to play an instrument, or just simply eating better foods).  At first this may take discipline but then it becomes a natural way of living or just a routine you adapted in your life style.

You know yourself better than anyone else and if you feel you need a little help to get in the right direction in reaching a healthier state than you came to the right blog for a helping hand.  Our diet plus Dr. Anderson’s guidance with his book “Dr. A’s Habits of Health” will help increase the brain’s function with learning what healthy habits are and you choosing what changes to make for your life regarding diet, exercise & habits.  First doing this you need to learn this knowledge in steps using an outlined, structured, and time period that is suitable for you.  So set a goal for yourself that you find reachable.  Most importantly, you actually practicing the healthier habits forever which become a breeze for you when you understand the logic behind the diet and healthy habits we teach you.  Learning proper eating, proper health habits routinely is not just for 6 months or less but for life with understanding why you’re making the change so you’ll be more inclined to  doing them.  Brain wellness.com even further expands my article with the following; it agrees that the following are important in your life advertising to learn about 11 DOMAINS of brain health:

To learn all about foods, food groups, with supplements, our metabolism, how fast foods work as opposed to healthy ELEVEN (11) DOMAINS OF BRAIN HEALTH™
1. Nutrition and Hydration: Memory Preservation Nutrition®
2. Physical Exercise
3. Mental & Cognitive Stimulation including Cognitive Education/The Serper           Method™, Memory Techniques & Medication Management
4. Management of Stress and Depression
5. Social Engagement & Support
6. Sleep needed for brain health
7. Balanced Chi (Energy)
8. Music (listening to and playing music) and Other Creative Arts & crafts, story-telling.
9. Spiritual Practices – Pray, Meditate, Forgive, Let Go, Be Kind & Loving, Practice Gratitude, Be Positive
10. Humor, Fun, Laughter & Joy
11. Sense of Meaning and Purpose in Life

If you want to learn healthy habits to bring into your routine day to day schedule with learning about all 4 food groups, how to eat the foods you like 5-6 times a day every 3 hours to 4 hours a day, and for those who even want to learn how to lose weight safely and effectively.  Yes you’re interested, than what are you waiting for click onto heathyusa.tsfl.com.   We are not just a diet to lose weight but much more.  All these ingredients will help keep your brain healthy and even enhance it depending on what you choose to achieve (the ball is in your court).   The key is to live a healthy life with all your body systems.  This consists of diet, exercise or activity and practicing healthy habits routinely in your life that will help prevent or assist you in treating illnesses/diseases (not add to them like obesity and anorexia can).  Ending result it makes you feel great both inside and out.  The better we treat ourselves regarding health the higher the odds we will live a longer, more active and healthier life.

There is not just one food to eat or one type of exercise to do or one healthy habit to perform that will keep you healthy; there are choices.  Come onto my website which is no fee, no charge, no hacking, it will just let you check us out to look further in understanding how to take a shape for your life with Dr. Anderson and even myself as your health coach in helping you learn what these healthier habits or changes are for a better life that will help keep your brain and overall body healthy (again, mind and body).   It allows you to make all the decisions in what you want to do regarding what to eat (diet), do as exercise/activity, and practice as healthy habits added in your life.  We just provide the information and even the healthy foods in your diet; you decide if you want them.  I eat them 5 to 6 times out of the day with one meal my meat or fish (high protein) and vegetable (lean and green) to help keep my metabolism on a steady rate.  I have lost over 20 lbs. and find it to be cheaper than the foods in the supermarket.  You make all the choices.  Wouldn’t you want less disease/illness for yourself and for even others throughout the nation including the future generation.  Well than click on over and take a look with what Dr. Anderson and myself provide.  We both have been in the health care system; Dr. Anderson over 30 years and myself over 25 years.  Dr. Anderson is the co-founder and medical director of “Take Shape for Life”; so click on to http:// healthyusa.tsfl.com.  Thank you for reading my blog.  I know you will benefit from it, and from my blog you will learn daily about health, disease and illness caused by just bad habits, poor diet and no exercise/activity in your life.  So don’t stop reading my blog articles and I hope to hear from you soon at my website under comments.  Listening to other mind perceptions is an open mind.

There  is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies.   My brain and my  heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.
Dalai  Lama

Let’s start with how the brain operates; think of the human body as a car for a moment.  The brain of the car is a computerized disc that allows a lot of the operations to take place in making the engine and more run proper and safely when the key is turned on (if that car is at least late 1980’s or newer).  The battery is like the nervous system allowing connection of electrical currents to many parts of the car enabling them to do their job (Ex. lights turned on at night).  Well we can’t live without the brain (sort of like the computerized disc in the car).   Our nervous system works with the brain in allowing currents to be sending messages to our body parts to function (sort of like our car battery).  To provide a MD with accuracy in evaluating how your brain is operating or if dysfunctional (Ex. Seizure disorder, Alzheimer disease-dementia, etc…) he or she uses a tool that is called an electroencephalogram (EEG) and he looks at your brain waves (alpha, beta, delta, & theta waves).  Well how the car is diagnosed is through a diagnostic scanner that connects to your car telling the mechanic how the car is functioning, to see why certain car lights are on at the dash board when they shouldn’t be (ex. Like when the brake light or engine light or temperature light is on) well the doctor uses as a diagnostic tool also to evaluate these brain waves of the human body called an electroencephalogram (EEG).  Well during certain times of human functioning the brain shows certain brain waves which gives information to MD’s on the patient’s brain normality regarding its function.  There are the 4 traditional brain waves that researches in 1930-1940 have identified.  These brain waves show us what is going on in the body.  The following is a breakdown of what these waves represent in action:

Alpha-appear when you are relaxed and calm.

Beta-appear when we are actively thinking or actively doing problem solving.

Delta-appear during sleep

Theta-are associated with deep relaxation (like a hypnotic relaxation), in sleep, and visualization.

These brain waves are measured in what we call Hertz=Hz, for abbreviation. So Alpha=(8-13 Hz), Beta=(13-38 Hz), Delta=(below 4 Hz) Theta=(4-7 Hz). Since these brain waves were introduced into medical profession, other types of brainwaves have been identified and the traditional 4 have been further subdivided into 2 other groups; they are: 1)Sensory Motor Rhythm- This involves with some brain and motor function and 2)Gamma rhythm- This is more involved with mental activity of the brain.  Our overall brain activity is a mix of all the frequencies at the same time, some in greater quantities and strengths than others.

So what is the meaning of all this?   The answer is Balance with having Flexibility.  This generally means being able to shift ideas or activities when we need to or when something is just not working.  We don’t want to regularly produce too much or too little of any brainwave frequency.  Just like the car, if you’re constantly in overdrive or the opposite it will stress the overall engine and its associated parts to the point that the car is no longer running effectively or productively.  This is the same with the brain; it should not constantly be in cognitive thinking or problem solving 24 hours/7days a week, but not a zombie either.  Living your life in keeping your brain waves balanced along with eating a balanced diet and doing regular exercise (2 to 3 times a week up to daily) with rest will help you maintain a good weight that is beneficial for your mind and body.  Same principle as the car just constantly doing one of these activities, staying in the same gear or activity mode will hurt you (Ex. Prevent vitamin deficiency like calcium deficient which puts bones at risk of getting a fractured or broken bone.  From too much work out with no rest=sprain or injury of the body.   Without staying within a healthy weight can put you at risk for anorexia or obesity and both can cause injury to the body, like anemia or cardiac/diabetic diseases.)

How do you make or manage a healthy brain?  Well, first being able to control the brain through balance and flexibility with resilience; that is the capacity of humans to come out of an extreme shock, damage, injury and trauma followed by getting back to a normal life (like run with the ball but don’t drop it.)  Simply it is saying we bounce back positive after a negative stress in our lives (deep depression, become hateful or resentful, drink heavy to increasing or a smoker with increasing packs smoked/day rather than quitting cold turkey=unhealthy for the brain and their overall body).   This is surely not saying it’s easy but that is why brain training yourself with healthy habits will help you deal with stress in your life better.   Stay in a negative state, this keeps your brain in the same mode (Ex. Depression) and become stagnated.  It can be hard to get out of especially the longer you stay in it; and it brings yourself down further into the negativity (depression, lack of confidence in oneself).  So whatever stresses, injury, emotional hard time, pain, or fatigue that is due to never balancing your life (brain waves) you need to take the step to support your health both mentally and physically by directing your brain waves to something else positive in particular.  It may not always be simple but no matter the hardship there is someone else in this world in the same boat as you or worse off than you.  The more you think along those lines the easier it gets in dealing with life.  Without brain balance, flexibility with resilience we holistically cannot function effectively; just like the car without the battery or computerized disc in today’s vehicle the car won’t function properly, unless it runs on electricity but it still won’t function correctly if the computerized disc is not working.  We need all our brain waves balanced to sustain our wellness and health.  Again, this generally means being able to shift ideas or activities when we need to or when something is just not working (like being healthy).  We don’t want to regularly produce too much or too little of any brainwave frequency.

Well now you know how the basics of how the brain operates, how the brain waves have to operate to stay healthy but now we need to know how do we reach that step and that’s tomorrow’s article Part 2 but if you want to know how to get healthier for your brain and the body overall right now than go to my website http://healthyusa.tsfl.com/. , otherwise see you tomorrow for Part 2.

Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship.
Buddha

A strong, positive self-image is the best possible preparation for
success.

Joyce Brothers

Everybody starts at the top, and then has the problem of staying there.  Lasting accomplishment, however, is still achieved  through a

long, slow climb and self-discipline.

You say HOW?  They are high in vitamins, minerals, some with antitoxins (helping the immune system) and have anti-inflammatory effects that can help you build up to your optimal health.  Some fruits have soluble fiber in them that slows down the breakdown of complex carbohydrates and helps reduce blood sugar.  Fruit taken in proper portions (moderate amts.) can even help lower blood cholesterol.  Soluble fiber is not just in rye, barley, oats, and vegetables but in fruits as well.  Insoluble fiber can’t be absorbed or digested by the human body but can still provide the body with advantages like reducing hunger, stimulates regular bowel movements, and can be found in fruits as well as vegetables, seeds whole wheat bread and other foods.  One of my healthy eating rules is know what the food’s makeup is before eating it; yes this includes calories, fat, sugars, carbs and sodium but knowing the energy density in the foods you eat is very important too.  Foods with the lowest density are foods that help curb your appetite that can help you maintain or even lose weight.  The lowest energy density food group contains healthy foods like most vegetables and fruits with based broth soups & skim milk.  The highest density groups are cookies, chips, nuts, full-fat condiments, chocolate and butter (not the best nutritional foods to be eating regularly).  Remember, if you’re trying to be healthy or even losing weight than know fruits are high glycemic foods.  If you eat too much fruit at one time it will result in high glycemic amounts in your body at that one time putting you at risk for fat storage=weight gain.  You see, digestion of the foods whether calories, carbohydrates, sugars, or some fats get broken down into simple or complex sugar molecules=glucose or fructose.  One of the body’s major fuels for energy so we can function with working properly & survive is glucose (the same concept like fuel for a car=gas=it operates).    

The body utilizes glucose after digestion takes place in the stomach where the foods break down into simple and complex sugars than transferred into our bloodstream as our active fuel for energy (like our car’s tank sending gas to the engine to be able to run).  Our fuel, being the glucose, then gets sent to all our tissues and into our cells but only for the amount they need at that time (sort of like the car in filling the gas tank to full).  When our body reaches full for all energy needed to all areas of the body at that time if there is extra un-needed glucose in the bloodstream it has to go somewhere and the body stores it=fat storage=weight gain.  Take the car, the storage reservoir is the gas tank it only stores in the tank, but if the tank reaches full with gas (its energy) it would just overflow as opposed to the human body with extra glucose in the bloodstream=our extra fuel which doesn’t overflow by leaving our body somehow but gets stored in our body as fat storage. Thus, when it’s needed (glucose) it will be released back in the bloodstream.  If you more frequently have in your body more overflow of glucose versus the need for it you’ll have more fat storage occuring as opposed to energy utilized by the body.  This causes you to be at a higher risk of becoming overweight to obese (that’s the logic in eating 6 small low glycemic meals a day which prevents this from happening).  To prevent a high risk of becoming overweight to obese stay off of 3 large meals/day and high sugar snacks during the day.  Also, don’t have constant healthy frequent high glycemic meals day in and day out especially with no activity/exercise other than your regular activities of daily living, which doesn’t count as exercise.

Remember, eat fruits in moderation not in excess; including the size of your meals (don’t allow the size of the plate greater than 9” including NO second helpings).   The key to eating healthy is to include all 4 food groups (Meats/Fishes, Vegetables, Fruits, and Dairy).   If you want to learn more information about this to begin eating healthier with the 4 food groups and in the proper portion sizes than go no further.  My website can give you the information in knowing how to eat so that it affects your metabolism and weight distribution in the body therapeutically.  You can also learn exercise that fits into your lifestyle (ranging from walking fast 30 minutes for 2 to 3 times a week to daily workouts) with knowing healthy habits to add in your life to stay or get within your ideal weight.  The ending result is you feel better, look better, and have higher odds you’ll live a longer life that allows more excitement in it due to being in better shape.   Let Dr. Anderson through his book and myself, being your health coach, give you direction onto the pathway you need until you get yourself on the right track of health independently.   Before going to my website here is also information on how sugar affects the body on disease and illness.

Part2:  How sugars impact on disease & illness:  Fructose is a simple sugar found in fruit, is metabolized to fat in your liver, and eating large amounts has been linked to negative metabolic and endocrine effects.  When eating fruits in very large amounts=High levels of fructose or glucose in the bloodstream which can logically increase your risk number of health conditions, from insulin and leptin resistance to even cancer.  Insulin and leptin work together to control the quality of your metabolism and to a great deal your rate of metabolism (the resistance of them are associated with obesity).   Research shows fructose can impact risks on pancreatic cancer.  It has been proven fructose is used by pancreatic cancer cells for cell division=an increase in the spread of pancreatic cancer.  So eat fruits with vegetables in 50% of your meals and it will impact more of a positive effect on your health and can even help with weight maintenance or weight loss if used right in proportions. Studies have shown fructose (in many fruits), especially taken in large proportions can induce the following in the human body, that are:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   *elevation of triglycerides           *abdominal obesity                  *endothelial dysfunction                  *kidney damage                                                                                *metabolic syndrome                * hypertension (high b/p)            * fatty liver disease                   * microvascular disease         * diabetes and more.                                         So make fruits with vegetables part of your daily life with eating them in 50% of your meals and it will surely impact more of a positive effect on your health.  It can even help with weight loss if used in proper proportions.   Fruit is delicious but if not a fruit fan there is plenty of ways it can be added to vegetables and your meats or fishes=high protein, where you end up falling in love with fruit alone or just find it a great flavor added with other foods as an extra treat.  Making this diet adjustment with having fruit and other good low glycemic foods in your diet can help you reach your goal in losing weight with reaching your optimal level of health in time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              For further information, go to healthyusa.tsfl.com and join me with others who have seen this pathway work in our own lives.  So far, I lost over 20lbs. through the guidance of Dr. Anderson’s healthy habits which covers all types of foods in your diet, to types of light exercise to even work out (it you want it in your life) and so much more.  Now you know where to look, it’s up to you to make the right choice.  Take a peek with no charge or fee or obligation, just a simple way of adding new ideas possibly to your life to only make it better.  This will make you and possibly impact the people around you with wanting to reach this happier, healthier and longer lifetime.  Just like the car, the better you treat it the longer it lasts the same principle with the human body.  Only you make the choice with possibly spreading this good news that puts a decrease in diseases/illnesses for you and others.  Wouldn’t it be great if this knowledge could spread to the future decade and further on.  Haven’t we lived long enough making poor decisions in our society relating to health overall.  Do you want this to go on in America’s future?  Make the change for the people that make up our country.  Should we just let our politicians and government do the deciding on how much we can drink or what we are allowed to eat.  They only got involved when it started affecting our economy drastically with not enough citizens doing the right healthy habits to keep our health care system affordable, which it isn’t for many.  Let us, the people, make the right choice.  Click onto healthyusa.tsfl.com if you want to take that step for no money, no hacking but just to peek on what the website offers.   Remember to check with your general practitioner before starting any new diet or exercise program, especially if you have any health concerns or diseases.

If you’ve got a big gut and you start doing sit-ups, you are going to get
bigger because you build up the muscle. You’ve got to get rid of that fat! How
do you get rid of fat? By changing your activity and diet.

Jack LaLanne