Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats, which means that even though your body needs them, it is not able to make them. It must get them from the foods and supplements that you eat.
 
Why does the body need omega 3s?
Omega 3s play important roles in the body as part of the structure of cell membranes. DHA, in particular, is especially high in the retina, brain, and sperm. In addition, omega 3s (along with omega 6s) provide energy for the body and are used to form eicosanoids. Eicosanoids are hormone-like signaling molecules; they have wide ranging functions in the body’s cardiovascular, pulmonary, immune, and endocrine systems. Omega 3s and omega 6s compete for the synthesis of eicosanoids, with the omega 3 based eicosanoids having more anti-inflammatory activity versus the more pro-inflammatory omega 6 based eicosanoids.
 
It is estimated that a whopping 70% of Americans have insufficient levels of omega 3 fatty acids and typically an abundance of omega 6s. No wonder the population suffers from widespread, inflammatory, chronic health conditions! Nevertheless, it is not something that is typically tested by your doctor. We find an OmegaCheck Blood Test to be a valuable tool in addition to our testing of other nutrient levels to help us support your health. It’s part of our Brain Nutrient 360° Special Deal this month.
 
How do omega 3s impact brain health?
Our brain cell membranes go through a deterioration process as we age, and this plays a role in the development of memory loss and cognitive decline.  Omega 3 fatty acids are key in protecting against this decline and increasing gray matter brain volume.  Their anti-inflammatory actions improve blood flow to specific areas of the brain and can help with scores on cognitive tests, problem-solving and memory.
 
Depression and anxiety are impacted and caused by many different factors. Nutritional deficiencies and imbalances play a role in a person’s vulnerability to mood disorders. Increasing the intake of Omega 3s is an important support because Omega 3s facilitate proper messaging between nerve cells, as well as a reduction in inflammatory chemicals that have been linked to depression.
 
Brain injuries contribute to approximately 30% of all injury deaths in the United States, and those who survive these injuries can suffer their impact for the rest of their lives. Traumatic brain injuries are a result of a blow to the head that damages brain cells and can lead to symptoms ranging from confusion and impaired thinking to loss of sensation, memory, movement, and even to mood disorders and personality changes. Omega-3 fatty acids can provide valuable protection against inflammation and support regeneration of damaged neural cells. Similar benefits are available to those who have suffered strokes.
 
Enter your email to subscribe to our blog Amanda’s Musings to get our tips later in the month on improving your Omega 3 intake and balance.
 
Don’t forget to check out our Brain Nutrient 360° Special Deal this month if you’d like to work on your brain and overall health with us.

You’ve probably heard about lots of the benefits of taking magnesium due to its many important roles in the body. Perhaps you also know that many of us are magnesium deficient, estimated at around 80% of the US population. Maybe you’ve even heard about its benefits for brain health but here’s something you may not know about…
 
Certain forms of magnesium have benefits for those suffering from anxiety related disorders such as social anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, specific phobias and others.
 
You may know someone dealing with anxiety. Anxiety disorders impact a whopping 18% of the US population and are the most common mental illness.
 
Here’s what’s happening:
When in real danger, fear is essential for survival. Fear triggers the brain to use its Cognitive Ability and respond with many split-second changes in the body to prepare to defend against the danger or to avoid it. This response is a healthy reaction meant to protect us from harm.

In anxiety disorders, the fear memory continues or is triggered even when the danger is no longer real or present. Cognitive ability is not sufficient to control the fears.
 
Boosting Cognitive Ability:
Magnesium, in the form of Magtein™, magnesium I-threonate, has been shown in studies to improve magnesium concentration in the brain, which boosts cognitive ability and enhances control of fear and anxiety. Other forms of magnesium have low brain bioavailability and are not able to effectively raise the brain’s magnesium levels.
 
You can find products containing Magtein™ at our dispensaries with EmersonWellevate, Natural Partners NPScript (use code W2O) and Fullscript You’ll SAVE 5% off the retail price when you use our dispensaries compared with going direct. FREE SHIPPING on orders over $49.
​We also love Xymogen’s Magtein™ containing products. Contact us for information and to discuss your needs and we can provide you with a referral code plus a 5% DISCOUNT there on your first order site wide.

Do you ever wonder whether your hormones are balanced?
 
Here’s what wonderful hormonal balance looks like:

• You have great energy levels throughout the day.
• Your moods are stable.
• You don’t experience cravings.
• Your hair is shiny and full.
• Your skin is clear.
• You have a good libido.
• It is easy to maintain your weight.

 
If you don’t identify with this picture then the chances are you are experiencing some hormonal imbalances. One important way to improve things is to takes steps to minimize your stress levels. Here’s why:
 
How does stress impact my hormones?
 

• When you are stressed your adrenals increase production of the hormone cortisol, which raises your blood sugar levels ready for “fight or flight” activity. This increases your body’s production of the hormone insulin to take that glucose to the cells. When your insulin levels are raised your body will start to store fat, typically around the middle of your body, which is the most dangerous place to have extra fat stores.  If your blood sugar is perpetually elevated due to chronic stress and production of cortisol then the cells can become resistant to insulin and it becomes more difficult to control blood sugar levels. This can cause problems with cravings, shakiness between meals, poor mood, anxiety, broken sleep and more.

 

• Cortisol is a steroidal hormone. Other steroidal hormones are estrogen, progesterone and testosterone – our sex hormones. They are all made from the same base ingredient, cholesterol. When cortisol is needed to handle stress our body can find there isn’t enough cholesterol left to make our sex hormones and we can experience symptoms of imbalance. Take a look at my blog on Sex Hormone Imbalance to find a list of possible symptoms.

 

• Production of thyroid hormones is in delicate balance with the production of stress hormones so stress can exacerbate hypothyroid conditions and increase symptoms like mood issues, fatigue and weight gain.

 
I recommend that you do a stress audit. Identify where you are dealing with unnecessary stress in your life so that you can take steps to minimize it.  If you want to learn more about other natural ways to balance your hormones then consider joining me on July 2nd for my 2 hour workshop on Nourishment for Hormonal Harmony. I would love to have you join me.

As I’ve been focused on writing a new workshop on Anxiety, I’ve been digging more into the many connections between food and nutrition on the one hand and mood and brain functioning on the other. Despite the fact that there are so many logical links between the two, what I find is that many people really don’t think of nutrition and food as serious contenders when they are considering ways to deal with their mental health. More often than not, people go straight to pharmaceuticals or to a therapist before they consider cleaning up their diet.
 
If you think about it though, you already know that food makes a difference in how you feel and your brain functioning. If you’ve ever been really hungry, you have probably experienced feeling grumpy and angry, plus it’s hard to focus and you make more mistakes. If you’ve never been really hungry then just ask anyone you know who’s been on a very calorie restricted diet and they will confirm…It is just not fun!
 
For more evidence on this matter of hunger impacting mood, we can look at Judges’ decisions, which we tend to hope and believe will be logical and balanced. But no, not entirely! Did you know that Judges make more lenient decisions just after they have eaten breakfast or lunch, whereas before a meal break they are more likely to rule unfavorably?
 
This is a blood sugar issue and something that many people overlook as a very simple way to improve their mood and brain functioning.  Just in the last week I’ve had several clients who skip breakfast or go most of the day without food. Sometimes people are trying to eat less to lose weight (which is often counter productive anyway!) and sometimes people say they are just too busy to pay attention to it.
 
Clearly many people are just not connecting the dots and realizing the impact that food has on their brain. Blood sugar is just the tip of the iceberg. We also need to consider neurotransmitters, hormone balance, micronutrient deficiencies, gut health, and more. But if these links are just not tangible enough for you, then how about this?
 
Recently, the SMILES Trial was published. It is the first randomized controlled trial to test whether dietary improvement can actually treat (yes, I did say ‘treat’) depression. In the trial, dietary changes from a junk food diet to a real whole foods diet reduced depression in 30% of the participants.
 
I can only imagine what the results could have been if the participants had taken a deeper nutritional dive and been given more individualized dietary changes to work on.
 
So if I haven’t already made it clear, if you’re experiencing mood or brain functioning issues, I highly recommend paying attention to your diet. The brain is a key organ connected to the rest of our body and it cannot function well without the body functioning properly. If you can fix your body, you can likely fix your brain.
 
If you have questions or need further help the please reach out to us. We’d love to support you!