Recently I have been talking more and more about brain health.  I was inspired after a recent conference where 3 different physicians spoke about both the complexity and the ability to change the brain.  For those of you who have hear me speak recently or have been in the office you know that we have been having more conversations about your brain and how to keep it healthy, if we haven’t connected yet on your brain remind me and we can.  I have put together a list below that has several resources across the internet that give us steps to help keep our brain healthy and in some cases even reverse the effects of some early stage brain injuries/diseases.

More often in the media we are getting the “New” specialized diet.  While they do regularly show improvement, they all have common threads-eating whole fresh food, cooking at home using healthy oils, reducing added sugars, eating more fresh fruit and veggies, reducing process grains and consuming nuts and seeds.  There can be many modifications to the framework based on your food intolerances and sensitivities.  If you aren’t sure how to start send me an email at drseth@risingsunchiro.com and I can send you our list of anti inflammatory and energy producing foods.

The list below consists of several lab tests that you may have had in the past.  If not let us know and we can go over how to talk with your doctor and finding out if you can do them.  We also have access to all the labs below if needed.

The MEND protocol below is based on the most common factors in controlling inflammation and normalizing dietary choices.

MEND: 25-Step Memory Program

Goal	Approach	Notes
Optimize diet: minimize simple carbohydrates, minimize inflammation.	Patients given choice of several low glycemic, low inflammatory, low grain diets.	Minimize inflammation, minimize insulin resistance.
Enhance autophagy, ketogenesis	Fast 12 hr each night, including 3 hr prior to bedtime.	Reduce insulin levels, reduce Aβ.
Reduce stress	Personalized—yoga or meditation or music, etc.	Reduction of cortisol, CRF, stress axis.
Optimize sleep	8 hr sleep per night; melatonin 0.5mg po qhs; Trp 500mg po 3x/wk if awakening. Exclude sleep apnea.
Exercise	30-60′ per day, 4-6 days/wk
Brain stimulation	Posit or related
Homocysteine <7	Me-B12, MTHF, P5P; TMG if necessary
Serum B12 >500	Me-B12
CRP <1.0; A/G >1.5	Anti-inflammatory diet; curcumin; DHA/EPA; optimize hygiene	Critical role of inflammation in AD
Fasting insulin <7; HgbA1c <5.5	Diet as above	Type II diabetes-AD relationship
Hormone balance	Optimize fT3, fT4, E2, T, progesterone, pregnenolone, cortisol
GI health	Repair if needed; prebiotics and probiotics	Avoid inflammation, autoimmunity
Reduction of Aβ	Curcumin, Ashwagandha
Cognitive enhancement	Bacopa monniera, MgT
25OH-D3 = 50-100ng/ml	Vitamins D3, K2
Increase NGF	H. erinaceus or ALCAR
Provide synaptic structural components	Citicoline, DHA
Optimize antioxidants	Mixed tocopherols and tocotrienols, Se, blueberries, NAC, ascorbate, α-lipoic acid
Optimize Zn:fCu ratio	Depends on values obtained
Ensure nocturnal oxygenation	Exclude or treat sleep apnea
Optimize mitochondrial function	CoQ or ubiquinol, α-lipoic acid, PQQ, NAC, ALCAR, Se, Zn, resveratrol, ascorbate, thiamine
Increase focus	Pantothenic acid	Acetylcholine synthesis requirement
Increase SirT1 function	Resveratrol
Exclude heavy metal toxicity	Evaluate Hg, Pb, Cd; chelate if indicated	CNS effects of heavy metals
MCT effects	Coconut oil or Axona