brain Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Kingston Integrated Healthcare Inc.

Between Brain Plasticity ‘s Evolution and Ancient Cogitations

Written by KIHC on March 1, 2014. Posted in Blog, Newsletters.

Please click here to view our entire online March e-newsletter, Brain Health.

Carol Belanger, BA, RM, BHS

Given the amount of information available to us these days, the plasticity of the brain is more interesting and useful than ever.

Plasticity refers to the how much we can change and influence our brain. It turns out we can change and influence our brain quite a bit potentially. It seems we can ‘teach an old dog a new trick!’ In his books on brain training, neuropsychologist Dr. Rick Hansen talks about how we can help sustain positive mental outlooks, heal negative emotions and memories, build resiliency and more. I like the simplicity of the concepts of his work and use them in my work.

For example, information is stored in our memory banks in several areas of the brain. New information enters the front part of the brain in the prefrontal cortex. When stored information comes up, bring to mind something positive to help that memory go back into storage with the positive. Gradually, you can help shift your interior landscape. There are some brain training techniques that involve tapping – EFT for example – on the front of the forehead while saying certain positive words to positively influence how we are thinking and influence our memories.

Aging Does Not Cause Memory Loss

Written by KIHC on March 1, 2014. Posted in Blog, Newsletters.

Dr. Sonya Nobbe, ND

Memory is one of our most precious assets and I meet many people seeking ways to protect this life-enhancing attribute. Unfortunately, many of these people address their concerns by taking a variety of natural health supplements that claim to improve memory, including CoQ10, B-vitamins, and ginkgo, without a clear understanding of whether they’re working. The effectiveness of these products lies in matching one of them to the underlying cause of the change in your memory, and many people are surprised to learn that “aging” is not one of these.

The components in the brain responsible for memory require a substantial number of nutrients, adequate blood flow, hormones, and other chemical messengers for optimal function. The key to improving memory lies in understanding the underlying cause of the decline, specific to the person. Is it decreased blood flow to the brain caused by impaired heart function or a motor vehicle accident? Nutrient deficiencies caused by poor digestion or by daily liver and kidney detoxification of prescription medication? Or perhaps it’s hormones –

Engage your Heart-Mind

Written by KIHC on June 1, 2013. Posted in Blog, Newsletters.

Please see our entire May e-newsletter, Reversing Heart Disease, here.

by Carol Belanger, BA, RM, BHS

Our heart can be both the strongest and the most tender organ in our body.

On the strong side of things, according to standard calculations the entire volume of blood within the circulatory system is pumped by the heart each minute (at rest). During vigorous exercise, the cardiac output can increase up to 7 fold (35 liters/minute). That means a healthy heart pumps about 4-5L of blood through approx. 97km of blood vessels in our body in about 1min. The heart is responsible for keeping activity happening in a crucial way and needs to be kept functional and tuned-up. The brain uses approximately twenty percent of the body’s blood and needs twenty-five percent of the body’s oxygen supply to function optimally. Rejuvenating activity helps keep blood oxygen levels up.

On the tender side of things, our heart is exposed to every strong to nuanced emotion that passes through our body, that changes our hormone levels, nervous system signals, influences how our organs are functioning, how tense our muscles are etc., and how our heart is responding to it all. The heart, and more accurately, the heart-mind, is the epicentre of us. It’s just that we give more of our attention to our minds, mistakenly believing that it alone is ‘running the show’.

High Cholesterol, Blood Pressure and Blood Sugar Put Me at Risk of… Dementia? Really?

Written by KIHC on May 1, 2013. Posted in Blog, Newsletters.

Most patients associate having high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugars with their risk of having a heart attack, stroke or developing type 2 diabetes. A fascinating new look at some old data from the famous Framingham study has found that these risk factors also accurately predict the 10 year risk of developing cognitive decline and dementia. Some symptoms of cognitive decline could include forgetfulness, difficulty following instructions, trouble making decisions or irrational thoughts and emotions.

Another 2013 study in Sweden took these findings further by following approximately 500 women at high risk of a heart attack or stroke, as determined by the Framingham risk assessment. This assessment takes into account blood pressure, cholesterol levels, age and smoking. Some of the women in the study were treated with 81mg aspirin per day.

Healthy Memory Program

Written by KIHC on April 1, 2013. Posted in Blog, Newsletters, Programs and Events.

Facilitated by Occupational Therapist Megan Edgelow, BSc(OT), MSc(RHBS), OT Reg.(Ont.)

This program is based on leading research from the Baycrest Centre for Brain Fitness.

Wednesdays 9:30-11:30am for 5 weeks at KIHC
May 22-June 19 OR August 7-September 4
$150 for the 5-week series, registration includes a participant workbook

To register, call Megan Edgelow at 613-331-1449, or email healthymemorykingston@gmail.com

Designed for people 50+, this 5-week program is intended to answer your questions about memory and aging:

Memory and Aging: A complex puzzle

Written by KIHC on April 1, 2013. Posted in Blog, Newsletters, Programs and Events.

By Megan Edgelow, BSc(OT), MSc(RHBS), OT Reg.(Ont.), Occupational Therapist

Memory and aging can be a source of worry for many people. Common questions include: What memory changes should I expect as I grow older? What is normal and when should I seek health expertise? If I sometimes forget, is something wrong with my brain? Can I improve my memory?

These are excellent questions to ask, and an interest in your memory shows that you are invested in your health and well-being as you age. The good news is, there are many things you can do to improve your memory and daily function. Difficulties with memory are not an inevitable outcome of aging.

When someone’s memory or daily function is obviously impaired, seeking medical assistance is a natural step; the healthcare system is equipped to manage conditions such as dementia. However, for people who notice their memory is changing with age, but don’t have a serious memory impairment, a gap is left. They are often too well to need typical medical treatment, but can be left concerned about their memory, and frustrated by changes they notice.

Typical age-related change:

What Causes Depression

Written by KIHC on February 1, 2013. Posted in Blog, Newsletters.

Dr. Sonya Nobbe, ND

So you’ve been told that you have a deficiency of the “happy” brain chemical serotonin, and that a drug will help you feel better by increasing your body’s response to serotonin. But what caused that serotonin deficiency in the first place? And what will happen if you neglect to address this underlying cause by relying solely on the medication?

Research clearly demonstrates that chronic stress can cause serotonin deficiencies and depression. Many of us would agree that spiritual or emotional stress incurred during childhood or in our jobs and relationships, can lead to depression. But chronic ‘stress’ also applies to physiological (body) stress. Stress from chronic illness can stimulate biochemical processes (e.g. inflammation), in the body that “steal” nutrients otherwise used for serotonin production, thereby contributing to depression symptoms. This stress biochemistry is a survival strategy that our bodies have used theoretically since the caveman age, and we haven’t adapted yet to our fast-paced North American culture.

Our bodies are built to manage short bouts of high stress, such as what you might feel if suddenly attacked by a wild animal. Our bodies are not biochemically equipped to manage any amount of chronic stress, no matter how low grade, and no matter whether emotional, environmental, or physical. When “healthy” biochemical processes are put on hold in favour of those that support our stress response, nutrients are depleted, normal wear and tear on our bodies is not repaired, our bodies switch to inefficient energy production processes (i.e. we feel tired and ‘old’), and chronic disease progresses.

What common health conditions can cause this shift in our body’s biochemistry and drop in serotonin?

Tag: brain