Are You Having Trouble with Stress & Insomnia?

Yet we probably spend more time and energy clothing our bodies and feeding our stomachs and preparing for big events (such as competition) with little or no attention to the care and feeding of the brain. We just take it for granted! Some of us even stretch our bodies and brains to extremes by over-indulging in alcohol, stimulants, drugs, over or under-eating, and staying up late from time to time, with never a thought about the damage to that little organ upstairs in the head!

Fortunately, the body has natural built-in healing properties and has special protection mechanisms for the brain, shielding it from many of the toxins that find their way into our bodies. However, most of the stress and strain is placed there by our own thoughts and beliefs.

It is not so much the stress in our life that is extreme, but the belief we hold about that stress. Much of this comes from wanting to do good and be good: the desire for the perfect wedding is a great way to whip the brain up into a frenzy. The worry and anxiety may come from underlying beliefs that need to be explored with a professional. A good therapist or a personal life coach can be of great help in times of stress. Additionally, seeing a relationship professional prior to the wedding can be an immense help with putting a couple on the right track for a successful marriage.

 

 

1. Reduce stimulants in your diet, and environment. Yes, this means cut down on caffeine, not just coffee but also sodas and alcohol. Reduce the stress in your daily life if you can by avoiding loud people, places and activities. Take the worry out of your wedding by getting others to help. Reach out to friends and family.

2. Increase your daily exercise, preferably through enjoyable activities that also get your heart rate up. Studies show that exercise promotes healthy natural sleep at night. And the side effect is that it will help with weight control.

3. Ensure you supplement your diet with natural vitamins and herbs with known anti-stress benefits. All the B-complex vitamins are essential for healthy nerve functioning. Even if you have this in your daily vitamin regime, take an additional B-complex supplement.

Using Aftermath before stressful events is another way to minimize feelings of anxiety*. As it does not have any strong sedative properties, there is no risk of feeling groggy or disconnected. Aftermath is clearly a natural alternative that is effective for counteracting the harmful effects of stress and anxiety. There are no known side effects.

Science and the Mind
By Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D. California Licensed Psychologist PSY 15493

Achieving and maintaining a healthy brain is becoming more of a goal for health-conscious adults. Brain health used to be primarily a concern for medical professionals concentrating on preventing and curing diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Today there exists an expanding need for finding ways to take care of our brains through good health habits and natural supplements.

In 2000, one baby boomer turned 50 every nine seconds. The U.S. Census reports that people over 50 comprise 68.2 million, or one-third of the adult U.S. population. In the next 20 years that number will increase to 115 million, a 60 percent increase.

The quality of the mind is at the core of quality of life. Perhaps the asset we wish to hold on to the most in our advancing years is our cognitive abilities, our abilities to think, to remember, to learn and to continue to meet the demands of every day life. There is some inevitability and acceptance about losing physical strength and competencies with age, but none at all when it comes to losing our mental faculties. We all want to remain young at heart, and in order to do so, we must maintain mental clarity and the ability to think.

Studies show that mental functioning starts to decline after 35 years, with great variation in subjects. There are more and more conditions (childhood autism, attention-deficit disorders and depression) that are increasing throughout the life cycle. While medical treatments are available, all require attention to health and nutrition and can benefit from natural supplements such as vitamins, and herbs.

Cognitive health, memory and learning ability, protection against the effects of stress, anti-anxiety and mood balance are all important to maintaining brain health. There are products that have central nervous system antioxidant activity, for example, that will soon be made available to the public through natural supplements from Mind-FX Science.

 

What does it mean to be “in flow?”

Flow is a term that was defined by Mihali Csikszentmihalyi, a professor of social sciences at the Peter Drucker School of Business at Claremont University. He investigated and scientifically documented this state of gratification we enter into when we feel completely engaged in what we are doing.

Many varied activities can evoke this state. Athletes may know it as “the zone.” It describes the psychological components of gratification in notably similar ways. Such activities and the feelings they evoke all have similar components:

• The task is challenging and requires skill
• We concentrate
• There are clear goals
• We get immediate feedback
• We have deep, effortless involvement
• There is a sense of control
• Our sense of self vanishes
• Time stops

In order for the brain to be able to enter into this optimal state, it must be nourished and the brain nutriments essential for neurotransmission efficiency must be available through oxygen and blood flow. Any and all health habits that we can adopt to ensure better cerebral health will assist us in feeling better and being able to have optimal functioning. It makes sense to spend time and attention to exercise, diet and nutritional supplements for both our bodies and our minds. The ingredients in both NeuroCharge and Maxx Impulse enable effective nutritional enhancement of the brain. Aftermath assists in recuperation and recovery.

A recent article, “Nutraceuticals for the Mind”, by Tim Wright ( Nutraceuticals World, June 2003 ), describes some of the workings of two of the ingredients in NeuroCharge , gingko biloba and vinpocetine.

Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo biloba is also a vasodilator that has a long track record when it comes to stimulating circulation. It enhances cerebral blood circulation, inhibits the binding of platelet-activating factor to membrane receptors and provides strong antioxidant protection of brain cells or neurons against lipid peroxidation and free radical damage that destroys certain neurotransmitters. Poor cerebral blood circulation may result in short term memory loss, depression, headache, tinnitus and early Alzheimer’s disease. Even before long term effects are evident in disease, poor cerebral blood circulation is evidenced in minor complaints such as brain fogginess, lack of concentration and focus, and fatigue.

A recent study showed that ginkgo biloba extract has the potential to buffer the nervous system from oxidative stress. A further study has shown that ginkgo biloba may help attention characteristics, short term visual memory, operational components and integral operator performance index in patients with asthenic disorders.

Since ginkgo is used as a pharmaceutical product in much of Europe, there are hundreds of studies conducted on the herb, most using the standardized 24% ginkgoflavonglycosides and 6% terpene lactones ginkgo biloba extract.

In terms of U.S. studies, the most recent study found that ginkgo had no effect on the memory and verbal skills in a study population of 200 people older than 60 and in good health. This study has been challenged by various groups including the American Botanical Council, Austin, TX, which presented impressive evidence based on clinical trials published in medical literature which supported the benefits of ginkgo for memory and other mental functions.

Vinpocetine
Vinpocetine has only begun to receive attention in the U.S. within the past few years. Outside the U.S., particularly in Europe, it has been used for several years in connection with brain health. Vinpocetine is derived from vincamine of the lesser periwinkle ( Vinca minor L ). It was approved by the FDA in July 1999 and hits popularity as an ingredient in brain nutraceuticals is growing. MindFX Science uses the finest grade in its NeuroCharge product.

Vinpocetine is a substance that increases blood flow to the brain, hence it is a vasodilator. Vasodilation is achieved by improving the rheological properties of blood through inhibition of platelet aggregation and by increasing the deformability of red blood cells. Blood viscosity and resistance of blood flow in cerebral vessels are reduced, allowing the circulation of more oxygen to brain cells, thereby promoting lucidity and mental alertness.

Vinpocetine also inhibits phosphidiesterase, the enzyme that breaks down ATP to ADP and AMP. Since ATP is the energy that fuels biochemical reactions, inhibiting phosphidiesterase increases ATP levels in cells. This means an increase in energy is available to neurons. Increased metabolism in neurons is indicated by increased glucose metabolism in the brain brought on by increased blood flow due to vinpocetine.

The actions of vinpocetine are both preventative and specific. Its reported anti-aeschemic activity, enhancement of blood flow and cerebral circulation are positives for maintenance of overall brain health. An increase in the rate of ATP synthesis and consumption of cerebral glucose would be considered more system specific. In both cases, the actions of vinpocetine may help in the management of Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease and both have been areas of clinical studies with vinpocetine.