Boosting Brain Health

WHY BRAIN BOOST

Since 2020, a common issue people experience after serious virus infections is brain fog, difficulty concentrating, and memory problems.

The most common symptoms I’m seeing in post-virus clients include:

• Anxiety.

• Brain and nervous system inflammation (neuroinflammation).

• Chronic fatigue.

• Depression.

• Diminished mental focus.

• Gut pain.

• Headaches.

• Insomnia.

• Magnified stress responses.

• Mental exhaustion.

• Muddled thinking.

• Nervous system disorders.

• Neuralgia.

• Poor memory (forgetfulness).

• Reduced motivation.

To aid recovery, I use a three-way approach:

1 – Reduce viral load and neuroinflammation (brain and neural tissue).

2 – Restore the gut microbiome.

3 – Boost brain nutrition.

In this blog I’m sharing some general ways you can use to help restore brain health, including:

1 – A morning drink to help reduce viral load and inflammation, and boost brain function.

2 – A list of nutraceutical brain foods you can add to your daily diet to improve brain health.

3 – And lifestyle skills that promote physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

GUT-BRAIN AXIS

The trillions of microorganisms (microbiota, microbiome) living in your gut play an essential role in the functioning of your brain, the state of your mind and emotions, your energy level, and mental health.

Your gut microbiome communicates with your brain through what is called the gut-brain axis.

Your gut and brain are in constant communication via a network of nerves in your central nervous system (brain and spine – CNS) and gut (enteric nervous system – ENS).

Your gut-brain axis is a two-way communication system that is continually signalling each other and directing functions throughout the cells of your body to ensure a continual state of balance (homeostasis) that you experience as health.

Your gut-brain communication system is crucial for coordinating various physical, emotional, and cognitive functions in response to the many changes and challenges your body experiences.

Think of when you’re hungry, or angry, or hot, or cold, or challenged by a virus invasion.

Your gut and brain are talking to each other (and you) to create solutions so they can continue to maintain harmony and balance (survival).

But when dysfunction occurs in your gut-brain interactions (DGBIs), your body experiences digestive symptoms (reflux, nausea, bloating, constipation and diarrhoea), neurodegenerative disorders and disease, poor immune function (infections and allergies), mood changes, anxiety, depression and even cognitive dysfunction like poor memory and difficulty concentrating.

It works both ways too.

Your gut affects your brain, and your brain affects your gut in a never-ending cycle.

The first steps in rebuilding brain health are to clear pathogenic (disease causing) microbes, establish a rich population of diverse beneficial microbes in your gut, and reduce chronic neuroinflammation (brain and central nervous system).

Our brain boost drink is designed to feed your gut microbiome to promote a healthy and diverse population of beneficial microbes, lower pathogenic microbes, nourish your brain, and reduce inflammation.

I also give you a list of foods (nutrition) that nourish your gut and brain.

What you eat matters.

Beneficial gut microbes convert the nutrients in the food you eat into microscopic molecules (metabolites, microbial signalling molecules) that help regulate your blood-brain barrier and brain function, create energy, and play a crucial role in communication between your gut and your brain.

Healthy nutrition is a powerful tool for improving brain health and begins with a morning drink before you eat any other food.

BRAIN BOOST DRINK

RECIPE

100ml of organic, cold-pressed blueberry juice.

1 metric teaspoon of organic freeze-dried goji berry powder.

1 metric teaspoon of Nourish prebiotic powder.

1 metric teaspoon of coconut MCT oil.

1 probiotic capsule designed to support the gut-brain axis (see below Recipe Ingredients).

INSTRUCTIONS

Add all ingredients to a glass (liquids first) and use a handheld drink frother to thoroughly blend the ingredients together.

For one month, drink every day before breakfast, about 15 minutes before you eat food.

Then reduce to two to three times per week to maintain your gut microbiome and optimum brain health.

This recipe is designed for general use.

For severe or chronic gut-brain symptoms, consult your naturopath or health practitioner so that all aspects of thorough health care are covered.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS

BLUE BERRY JUICE

Studies have found that blueberry supplementation reduces inflammation in the brain, spine, and central nervous system (neuroinflammation), reduces viral load, and improves mental processes that include thinking, attention, language, learning, memory and perception (cognition).

Pure organic, cold-pressed blueberry juice is widely available in Australia from health food stores and specialty grocers.

GOJI BERRY POWDER

Goji berries have been found to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and improve neuroinflammation and your brain’s ability to change and rewire itself (neuroplasticity), especially after traumatic injury or stroke.

Goji berries also contain antiviral properties and enhance immune functions.

I use freeze-dried goji berry powder because more nutrition is captured and preserved than most other drying methods.

If you live in Australia, the best price I’ve found for organic freeze-dried goji berry powder is from FORUN Organic Australia.

FORUN is a health food ingredient supplier that anyone can buy from online, and the products are certified.

I buy 200 grams of freeze-dried goji powder from FORUN for less than other brands I’ve seen online, and the quality is great.

The packaging isn’t fancy, but I’m more interested in the contents, and I store it in an airtight container once it’s opened.

WEBSITE: https://forunstore.com

If you cannot access freeze-dried goji berry powder then use 1 tablespoon of organic goji berry juice concentrate.

Keep in mind though, freeze-dried powder offers a more complete nutrient profile than juice due to preserving more of the total berry.

NOURISH PREBIOTIC POWDER

Prebiotic foods nourish beneficial gut bacteria that protect and regulate your gut-brain axis.

I created Nourish to help reduce inflammation and improve the density and diversity of beneficial gut micro-organisms.

Nourish is available only from Rener Health Clinics.

MCT COCONUT OIL

Studies have shown that MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) prevent neurodegeneration.

MCTs convert into ketones that serve as an alternative energy source for the brain, improving cognitive function and memory.

MCT oil is widely available in Australia from health food stores and online retailers.

We use Melrose Brain Power MCT oil because it’s derived from organic coconuts, and free from palm oil.

We use Melrose Brain Power MCT because it is a special blend of C6, C8 and C10 medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) that are combined to create the most ketogenic formula for fuelling the brain to increase mental energy and clarity, and help banish brain fog.

Contact us if you can’t find Melrose Brain Power MCT locally.

NEURO PROBIOTICS

Certain strains of probiotics (particularly lactobacillus and bifidobacterium) have been found to reduce neuroinflammation, and improve stress resilience, energy, mood, brain and cognitive function by regulating your gut-brain interaction.

Brain boosting probiotic strains include bifidobacterium lactis • lactobacillus rhamnosus • lactobacillus plantarum • lactobacillus casei and lactobacillus acidophilus.

Ask your naturopath or pharmacist about the best probiotic formula for brain health and add one capsule to your brain boost drink.

BRAIN FOODS

There are specific nutrients that are essential for optimal brain function, development, cognitive abilities, memory, and overall brain health.

Studies indicate that these nutrients have beneficial effects on brain health, including antioxidant nutrients, flavonols, amino acids, calcium, carotenoids, choline, magnesium, fibre, iron, zinc, nitrates, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, cobalamin (B12), thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), vitamin C, vitamin D with K2, and vitamin E.

A diet rich in these nutrients can help protect your brain from damage and cognitive decline.

You can download our BRAIN BOOST Drink Recipe & Foods Sheet by clicking on the link. It’s free.

And if you want recipes, the Mediterranean Diet offers numerous neuroprotective benefits.

You can also download our free eBook that focuses on vegetables and delicious dressings made with healthy fats.

VEGETABLES

Beans.

Beetroot.

Beetroot juice (see our beetroot blog recipes).

Bok choy.

Broccoli.

Capsicum (bell pepper) – red and green.

Carrots.

Cauliflower.

Celery.

Collards.

Corn.

Cruciferous vegetables.

Eggplant.

Kale.

Leafy greens.

Lions Mane mushroom (see our mushroom blog).

Maca powder (root vegetable).

Peas.

Pumpkin.

Seaweed.

Spinach.

Sweet potato.

Tomato (cooked to release powerful antioxidant lycopene).

White radish (daikon).

Zucchini.

FRUIT

Apple (organic only).

Avocado.

Bananas.

Berries.

Blackcurrant.

Blueberry.

Cherries (sweet and tart).

Citrus fruits and peel.

Dates.

Goji berries (wolf berry).

Goji berry juice.

Jujube berries (Chinese red dates).

Pears.

Raisins (organic only).

Red grapes.

Tart cherry juice.

HERBS & CONDIMENTS

Black pepper (piperine)

Ceylon (True) cinnamon.

Ginger.

Mustard (white and black seeds).

Nutmeg.

Nutritional yeast

Oregano.

Rosemary.

Saffron.

Sage.

Thyme.

Turmeric (curcumin).

SWEETENER

Raw, unprocessed honey (sleep aid).

OILS

Hemp seed oil – cold pressed, organic.

Olive oil – cold pressed, virgin, organic.

MCT coconut oil.

Healthy fats (omega-3) – see our Healthy Fats blog for food list.

NUTS & SEEDS

Almonds.

Brazil nuts.

Chia seeds.

Hemp seeds.

Linseed (flax seeds).

Pumpkin seeds.

Sunflower seeds (tryptophan).

Walnuts.

GRAINS & LEGUMES

Barley.

Black Rice.

Brown Rice.

Dietary fibre.

Fermented brown rice bran.

Lentils.

Oats.

Probiotic fibre.

Quinoa.

Soybeans (edamame).

Wholegrains.

PROBIOTIC FOODS

Acidophilus.

Coconut yoghurt – containing ‘live’ probiotics, no fillers, organic only.

Fermented foods.

Greek yoghurt with probiotic strains that include Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus rhamnosus – organic only.

Kefir.

Kimchi.

Kombucha.

Kvass.

Natto.

Sauerkraut.

Tempeh.

PROTEIN

Free range, organic eggs.

Legumes – chickpeas, soybeans, lentils, pinto, kidney and black beans.

Tofu.

Wild caught salmon.

Wild caught fatty fish – sardines, mackerel, halibut, herring.

BEVERAGES

Ashwagandha (Withania) tea.

Bacopa tea (Brahmi).

Cacao.

Coffee, arabica (morning only, plant-based milk only).

Coffee, robusta (morning only, plant-based milk only).

Ginko Biloba tea.

Gotu kola tea.

Green tea.

Lemon balm tea.

Panax ginseng tea (Korean ginseng).

Passion flower tea (Passiflora incarnata).

Rhodiola (rose root) tea.

Turmeric latte.

Tulsi tea (holy basil).

AVOID CONSUMING

It’s well established that foods high in refined sugar and unhealthy ultra-processed fats impair brain, eyesight, and cognitive function.

And long-term consumption of alcohol can also lead to damaging effects on the brain, including structural and functional changes, cognitive impairment, shrinkage of total brain size, neurotoxicity, and an increased risk of dementia.

Avoiding alcohol is important for improving and preserving brain health.

AVOID

Alcohol.

Artificial sweeteners.

Biscuits/cookies (refined, processed) – make your own healthy biscuits.

Deep fried Foods.

Diet drinks (sodas).

Fast Foods.

Hydrogenated oils.

Lollies (sweets, candy).

Margarine.

Processed junk foods.

Red meat.

Refined grains

Sugary drinks.

Trans fats (hydrogenated) – found in many processed foods including baked goods, snack foods, fried foods, shortening, margarine, and some protein powders.

Exercise, rejuvenating sleep, being in nature, creating peace, effective communication skills, healthy boundaries, regulating your emotions in a balanced way, stress management skills, and learning how to relax your mind are essential life skills that promote brain and cognitive health, especially as we age.

EXERCISE

You need to move your body every day to increase blood flow and oxygenation to your brain.

At the very least, go for a walk for half an hour three times a week, even if you don’t feel like it.

But if all else fails, then 10 minutes of exercise is a good place to start.

Doing some exercise is better than nothing.

It’s recommended that adults exercise for 3-5 hours of moderate activity per week or 2-3 hours of vigorous exercise.

Moderate exercise that elevates your heart rate and breathing and makes you feel warmer includes swimming, yoga, pilates, brisk walking, leisurely cycling, using light weights, dancing, gardening, vigorous house cleaning, hiking.

Vigorous exercise that expends a lot of energy, elevates your heart rate and breathing significantly, and makes you sweat includes jogging, running, interval training, aerobics classes, zumba, rock climbing, swimming laps, weight training, cycling at a fast pace, playing a sport or tennis.

Sit less and be more active.

Your brain will thank you.

BETTER SLEEP

Sleep is the time your body and brain repair, rebuild, and revitalise.

A lack of quality sleep undermines your health, cognitive and immune function, and your ability to manage emotions and stress.

To promote better sleep, limit exposure to light-emitting sources at least 30 minutes before bedtime. This includes your mobile phone, tablets, laptops, and television.

The blue light emitted from electronics can interfere with the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for initiating sleep.

Don’t consume sugar or caffeine after midday but especially 6 hours before bedtime.

This six hour window of time includes sugar in foods, sweets (lollies), chocolate, cakes, biscuits, desserts, tea, coffee, and soft drinks.

Sugar and caffeine can make it harder to fall asleep and can cause restless sleep.

Avoid alcohol too. It has a negative effect on your deepest sleep rhythm – Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep.

Doing calming activities before bedtime, such as guided meditations, taking a warm bath infused with magnesium salts and lavender oil, diffusing calming essential oils, or listening to meditation music can also promote better sleep.

Keep your room cool, dark and quiet to create a sleep-inducing environment.

And if you suffer from insomnia, talk to your naturopath about magnesium, calcium, vitamin D, GABA, L-theanine, melatonin, and herbal formulas that promote relaxation and sleep.

SLEEP MUSIC

 Your brain waves synchronise with sounds you hear. That’s why music can be used to calm your mind and body.

Controlled studies with people suffering from painful medical conditions suggest that binaural beats and music tuned to 432 Hz help people fall asleep faster and rest more deeply.

432hz is used to reduce stress and anxiety and slow down your heart rate and breathing, which leads to a deeper and more restful sleep.

YouTube has a variety of binaural 432HZ music you can explore.

Listen to 432HZ frequency music an hour before bed.

You will need headphones and a comfortable chair.

Make sure you dim the lights and turn off all other distractions.

Close your eyes, relax your shoulders, and breathe gently into your belly and evenly out as you listen to the music.

Children can also benefit from this relaxing practice too.

And if you can’t switch off and relax, 432 Hz music and binaural beats can be used while reading a book (avoid thriller or suspense filled content).

CREATING PEACE

One of the most common struggles I hear from clients is how stressed they are and devoid of peace, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Their lives are filled with tension, and they don’t know how to switch off.

This type of chronic (prolonged) stress undermines brain health and can lead to functional changes in your body that impair cognitive abilities, decision making, mood, and increase the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.

Health is so interconnected.

Gut and brain health affects your mind and emotions.

And how you think, perceive life, and feel affects your brain and gut and every cell in your body.

Your health is not just the end result of what you eat or how fit you are.

Ultimately, health is an integrated state of peace and harmony and flow between all aspects of you – physical, mental emotional and spiritual.

Learning to breathe deeply, relax your body, still a chattering mind, manage stress, connect to your inner life and love, and communicate needs are essential life skills for healing and maintaining neurological health, and creating peace in your life.

We are not born with these skills.

But we can explore and learn life skills, and practice them daily to become the peace we seek.

MEDITATION

Whether you listen to guided meditations, attend a class, or join a mediation group – meditation promotes physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

Meditation is a powerful act of self-love I recommend to my clients to help create peace and manage stress.

The following teachers offer guided meditations on YouTube you can explore to find meditation methods that resonate with you:

• Eckhart Tolle.

• Jack Kornfield.

• Jon Kabat-Zinn.

• Pema Chödrön.

• Sharon Salzberg.

• Thich Nhat Hanh.

NON-VIOLENT COMMUNICATION

Another life skill I highly recommend learning is how to understand and communicate your needs.

So many misunderstandings and arguments and stress is created because we don’t have the skills to understand, communicate and negotiate our needs, or create healthy boundaries in loving, supportive ways.

I’ve found Non-violent Communication (NVC) by Marshall Rosenberg is an effective, compassionate communication skill.

With NVC you learn to understand (and hear) your own deeper needs and those of others.

With practice, you become more capable of connecting and communicating in positive ‘win-win’ ways.

Events, workshops and even personal training are available all around the world.

WEBSITE: https://www.cnvc.org

HEART-BRAIN COHERANCE

Mastering our mind and emotions are key to creating a more fulfilling life with less stress.

The science-based practice of synchronising heart and brain rhythms is a powerful way to create harmonious alignment between our mental processes and emotional states.

This alignment balances the nervous system and creates coherence (a unified whole) between your heart, brain, mind, and emotions — also known as heart-brain coherence, heart coherence, and heart math.

When our heart and brain are synchronised, our mind and emotions are more able to work together in harmony, rather than fighting against each other.

Heart-brain coherence is associated with increased emotional stability, improved emotional regulation, mental clarity, reduced stress, improved cognitive function and general well-being.

Coherence is achieved through focused breathing techniques, mindfulness, guided meditations, cultivating positive emotions, and is well worth investigating.

WEBSITE: https://www.heartmath.com

NATURE THERAPY

Living on the coast of Western Australia, my favourite place to be is on the beach, running in the water, followed by a swim and floating.

And if I’m with my sister-in-law (who won’t get out of the water) my floating becomes an extra hour of bliss.

We need to connect to nature, our bare feet grounding ourselves to the earth.

Spending time in nature is linked to cognitive benefits, including better memory, clarity and concentration • lower stress, anxiety and depression • and improvements in mood, mental health and emotional well-being.

Nature connectedness is also associated with lower levels of poor mental health, and a reduced risk of psychiatric disorders.

Studies have found that we need to spend a minimum of two hours a week in nature to gain significant benefits.

And nature has a wide definition including parks, rivers, beaches, hiking outdoors, sitting in your garden, tending a veggie patch, walking along tree-lined streets, walking barefoot on grass or sand and grounding, or growing indoor plants or a patio garden.

When I was a child, we played outdoors for hours each day, in our backyard or down by the river.

And mum taught us how to garden and grow fruit and vegetables.

She would even make me and my siblings hug a Jacaranda tree in our backyard if we were upset, to help us calm down (and it worked).

To this day, I love trees and nature and being outdoors.

My advice to everyone is try to spend time in nature every day.

Stress just melts away.

PRACTITIONER SUPPORT

There is a direct relationship between nutrition and brain health.

Studies have shown that deficiencies of various nutrients, high levels of inflammation, chronic stress, and poor gut health impair brain function and cognition.

Our brain boost drink recipe and food guide are designed for general use to help nourish your gut microbiome, improve your gut-brain axis, and reduce neuroinflammation.

And I love sharing nutrient-rich recipes and guides that can help you create better health.

But the information I share is not meant to replace professional support.

If you suffer from serious health symptoms, always consult your health practitioner.

All the very best,

Lisa Rieniets ND.

RELATED BLOGS

Nourish Prebiotic Breakfast Drink Powder

https://www.renerhealthclinics.com.au/nourish-prebiotic-breakfast-drink/

Your Gut Microbiome & Why Prebiotics Are Essential

https://www.renerhealthclinics.com.au/gut-microbiome-prebiotics/

Nutrition Therapy – HEALTHY FATS

https://www.renerhealthclinics.com.au/nutrition-therapy-healthy-fats/

Free E-Book Download: Nutrition Therapy – VEGETABLES

https://www.renerhealthclinics.com.au/free-e-books-health-healing/

Healing With Mindfulness

https://www.renerhealthclinics.com.au/healing-with-mindfulness/

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