Back to School BLUES?

Millions of children suffer needless reprimands and rejection at school – simply because they do not obtain the right food!

Picture the all-too-familiar scene: Monday morning before school. Everyone gets up in a rush. Where are the socks? And the ironed shirt? Quickly pull a brush through the hair, swallow a few mouthfuls of the latest craze in breakfast cereals and away we go……

“So, what is wrong with that” – you may ask?

Most breakfast cereals consist of little more than refined carbohydrates. They are very quickly converted into glucose and this in turn causes a rapid spike in blood sugar levels.

Now, while all our cells need some glucose for energy, too much glucose in the blood is effectively toxic.

What makes glucose the ideal energy source? The fact that it ‘burns’ easily.

That means, it is chemically extremely reactive. 

It reacts with almost everything it comes into contact with, causing a massive increase in free radicals (oxidants) in the blood. 

The damage caused by free radicals to the cells lining the blood vessel walls, causes inflammation which leads to atherosclerosis.

This is why the body goes to so much trouble to ensure that the blood glucose levels remain strictly within the optimal limits. 

The Sugar See-Saw (Inter-Med Copyright)

•  Too much glucose triggers a flood of insulin which quickly removes as much glucose as possible from the blood. This panic reaction by the body may over-shoot the mark and as our blood sugar sinks too low we become jittery, depressed and grumpy – commonly known as ‘dumping’.
• Now, with too little glucose in the blood, the brain triggers ‘hungry’ signals and off we trot to the fridge or the vending machine (or the school lunch box) for our next sugar ‘high’.

This is the deadly honey-trap of refined carbohydrates which results in diabetes and all the pain, illness and heartache that goes with it.

Get YOUR kids off the sugar See-Saw!

And increase their ability to concentrate, learn and remember. Help them to ENJOY their school experience and make the most of it.

Make sure they enjoy a healthy diet with plenty of vegetables, proteins and whole grains. Save the refined carbohydrates for an occasional, special treat rather than the early morning staple. 

Brain Health will also help to ensure that you and your child obtain all the nutrients your brain needs to function at its best!

Is Stress killing you?

Are you under extreme pressure due to Year-End procedures? Is your boss expecting you to complete miracles? Are you studying for exams and struggling to keep an even keel?

For more info see: www.stress.org 

I have also heard the rumours about ‘good’ stress. There is a lot of information available on ‘Dr Google’ to make the most of it. But what if the stress affecting you is causing you to feel panicky when you get up in the morning? What if the weight of responsibility is squeezing the breath out of your lungs or your financial debt is crushing your passion for life?

These are the realities many of us are living with on a daily basis and sometimes it becomes overwhelming.

Is there anything we can do?

Yes indeed!

Firstly, we need to be honest with ourselves. Many of the causes of our stress, are self-inflicted. Reduce these by planning and preparing ahead, saying ‘NO’ to unnecessary commitments, and even lowering our standard of living if need be. Your health is WORTH IT!

That said, for the stress we cannot avoid - there IS HOPE!!

Stress occurs in three phases:

1.       Fight-or-Flight when adrenalin levels are high, together with energy levels, blood sugar levels, heart beat and blood pressure. Once the situation has passed, adrenalin levels return to normal.

2.       Resistance (adaptive) phase during which adrenalin levels remain higher than normal as the brain becomes used to sustained stress levels and does not react so effectively to the ‘stop’ signals.

3.       Exhaustion phase: the brain can no longer maintain the high levels of stress, and disease sets in. The exhaustion phase may eventually lead to adrenal insufficiency, which we also call ‘Burn-out’.

‘Excessive’ stress causes havoc with our hormones, including melatonin which plays a key role in sleep. Various neurotransmitters are affected (Norepinephrine and serotonin) and the body’s reserves of Vit B1, B6 Vit C, Calcium, Chromium, Magnesium and Potassium are depleted. Stress is also linked with a deficiency in Vit B5 as the body tries desperately to maintain the production of corticosteroid (adrenal) hormones.

WHAT can I do?

First prize is to find a way to reduce the stress levels you are dealing with.

The next step is to begin by ensuring that the depleted vitamins and minerals are supplemented in generous quantities. Cholesterol is essential for the production of hormones, so have the breakfast egg and enjoy it! Meat, nuts, sprirulina and pumpkin and pumpkin seeds are excellent sources of tryptophan (which the body uses to build serotonin).

Avoid caffeine and substances containing it (cacao, cola’s, coffee, tea, etc)

One of the unpleasant side-effects of stress is inflammation, so using a good Omega-3 fish oil supplement is valuable. Another is indigestion which can be improved by the use of pro-biotics, digestive enzymes and/or humic acids. Another distressing side-effect is the build-up of toxins with a whole host of unpleasant side-effects. These can be counteracted by taking supplements to support the methylation process (mainly the whole group of B-Vitamins). Excessive stress also has a negative influence on our immune system and our emotions. Vitamin D3, exercise and exposure to sunlight can all play a role in boosting our overall health and happiness.

Inter-Med can assist with any of the supplements mentioned in this blog. For more information contact us on 012-8047918

MIND Diet

The MIND Diet has hit the news again, as the #2 most healthy diet selected by a panel of experts. That is quite an achievement for a relatively new diet, and worth looking at in more detail.

So what is the MIND Diet? 'MIND' stands for 'Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay'. It sounds a bit forced but the idea is clear - to try and stop the onset and/or progression of such diseases as Alzheimer's and Dementia through diet. Both the Mediterranean Diet (which is believed to aid in weight loss as well as the control of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc) and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets appeared to have brain health benefits as well.

The design of this diet was the result of a study commissioned by the National Institute on Ageing (USA) to investigate the possible benefits of diet for neurodegenerative conditions. The overall results were positive, leading the researchers to design the MIND Diet (Reference: https://www.rush.edu/news/diet-may-help-prevent-alzheimers).,

The MIND Diet is effectively a combination of the Mediterranean and the DASH diets. It divides foods into 15 food groups, 10 healthy and 5 unhealthy (to be avoided). To quote the researchers: "Dieters must limit eating the designated unhealthy foods ...to have a real shot at avoiding the devastating effects of Alzheimer's"

One of the most positive points to emerge from the research is that every little bit helps. If it is not possible or practical to adhere to the diet strictly at all times, even moderate compliance bears measurable benefits.

The researchers are the first to admit that a lot of further research is required (possibly including several changes to the diet as we learn more) before any real claims can be made about the MIND Diet. Nevertheless, we sincerely hope that the MIND Diet fires up people's hope, grabs their imaginations and obtains a huge following. For, even though we have a lot more to learn, if truth be told, the knowledge that our diet has a direct correlation with our brain function is not new. (See http://www.foodforthebrain.org/nutrition-solutions/dementia-and-alzheimer%E2%80%99s-disease/about-dementiaalzheimer%E2%80%99s-disease.aspx amongst many others). Sadly, for many years this was not acknowledged by main-stream health care providers (and in many instances still is not to this day) causing untold, unnecessary suffering.

Let us start with the 'bad' news.
The 5 unhealthy food groups identified in the MIND diet are:

·         Fried or fast food: Less than one serving a week

·         Cheese: Less than one serving a week

·         Butter and margarine: Less than a tablespoon daily

·         Red meat: Less than four servings a week

·         Pastries and sweets: Less than five servings a week

       

The healthy food groups are:

·         Green leafy vegetables (Spinach, kale, cabbage, salad leaves, etc): At least six servings a week

·         Other vegetables (carrots, pumpkin, cauliflower, etc): At least one a day

·         Nuts: As a snack 4 - 5 times a week

·         Berries: At least two servings a week

·         Beans: At least three servings a week

·         Whole grains: Three or more servings a day

·         Fish: At least once a week

·         Poultry (like chicken or turkey): At least twice a week

·         Olive oil

·         Wine: One glass a day

In the meantime, allow us to point out a few factors we (in South Africa) should bear in mind:

• Fish is the main source of Omega-3 (EHA/DPA) which most of the fish available in our supermarkets, does NOT contain. The exceptions include fresh tuna, sardines (NOT those in vegetable oil!), mackerel, salmon or other cold water, oily fish. Watch this space for further discussions on this topic!  
• The researchers specify blueberries which are super-scarce and expensive to come by in SA, for their brain-protecting properties. Strawberries are also mentioned. Clearly we need to supplement our anthocyanins from other sources.   
• Nuts (also expensive) contain many valuable fats and minerals which may be damaged or destroyed in our favourite, roasted versions.
• There are many other dietary factors required for good mental health. Some general tips:
• Use your common sense. Maintain a good balance and eat healthy to stay healthy.
• Eat a generous 'rainbow' of fruit in addition to the vegetables and the berries
• Sauces, condiments, convenience foods and processed foods contain many hidden chemicals and ingredients which are not beneficial and should be avoided.
• If you can't go organic, choose local, fresh and in season for the highest nutritional value
• Remember to drink a lot of good quality, fresh water every day
• Use a high quality vitamin/mineral supplement such as the Inter-Med Absolut or I-Strength products and an Omega-3 (fish oil) supplement daily to ensure that the basics are covered.    
• Other factors that are critical to maintain good mental health include:
• Activity (hobbies, friendships, pets, crafts, 'brain training', etc)
• Exercise
• Daily doses of sunshine for vitamin D (go for a walk with a friend and get all three in one!)
• and many more

There are many reasons why it is not always possible or feasible to obtain all the nutrients we require, from our diet.

Staywell Brain Health was specifically designed to assist in providing your brain with 

ALL the nutrients it requires to function at its best.

If you are struggling to fulfil your daily nutrient quota's and are beginning to feel stressed and run down, feel free to contact us on 012 804 7918 for more information on Staywell Brain Health and other products