Nutrients for Better Mental Performance

Google Tech Talk December 2, 2009 ABSTRACT Presented by Steven Wm. Fowkes. The talk will answer questions like: 1. Which nutrients promote optimal brain function? 2. What nutrients are commonly deficient enough to impair mental performance? 3. How can you get a better nights sleep without Ambien? 4. What nutrients counteract aspects of aging? 5. Is there an alternative to serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) antidepressants? 6. What modern nutrition myths lead us to consume products that sabotage healthy brain function? 7. What tests can you get from your doctor? 8. What nutrients affect appetite, alertness, and tension? 9. What nutrient combo will prevent hangovers 90% of the time? About Steven Wm. Fowkes Steven Wm. Fowkes is the Director of the Cognitive Enhancement Research Institute and a co-author of the book Smart Drugs II. He has appeared on Larry King Live and in two anti-aging documentaries. Steve will explain how different nutritions can help people of all ages treat various physical and mental conditions, spanning from genetic disorders such as Down syndrome, to adolescent behavior problems and on to senility and Alzheimer's disease in the elderly. He will also speak about using nutrients to address memory problems as well as verbal and multi-tasking challenges that the testosterone-poised homo sapiens (ie, men) are commonly known for. In the Q&A feel free to ask him how to use nutrients to improve ones sense of humor.

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Managing Stress Due To Mental Illness

It might have started with a panic attack during your algebra exam in high school. It then might have progressed into depression in college, and post partum depression after the birth of your first child. At times, you might have even felt so desperate that you wanted to commit suicide.



Or perhaps you have a brother who seems in the grips of full-blown paranoia. No matter how much you try, you just cannot reach him.



He's convinced that the FBI is watching his every move, and no one can convince him otherwise. You want him to seek professional help, but he is reluctant to do so.



Mental illness can create tremendous stress for a family. Because the illness is so misunderstood, there is the problem of the stigma attached to it.



You might be ashamed or embarrassed, either by your own mental illness or that of a close family member or friend. You may feel as if you are all alone, that no one else could possibly understand what you are going through.



Mental illness routinely creates financial stress for families. Sometimes, overspending is a sign of manic-depressive disorder. A depressed person might invest too much of the family income on a collection of guns or hunting knives. Disputes over finances can create great tensions for families, making it difficult for them to cope.



In addition, mental illness creates tensions within interpersonal relationships. You might be angry with a partner's mood swings not understanding that it is a situation beyond his or her control.



You may be frustrated with a brother who doesn't seem able to hold down a job. You may simply not understand a sister whose promiscuous lifestyle you consider to be dangerous.



The important thing to realize is that, while the stress of mental illness can seem unbearable at times, it is entirely manageable.



If you are the individual suffering from mental illness, make an appointment to see a reputable therapist. He or she can help you sort out your problems and can recommend a psychiatrist who can find the medication that is right for you.



Part of the stress of mental illness can be the difficulty involved in finding a medication that works. You may find the side-effects of a particular drug difficult to deal with at first.



Psychiatrists say it is best if you follow the doctor's recommendation and try to manage the side-effects as best you can. Going off your medication can have disastrous consequences and can lead to a great deal more stress.



At times, you might find that your mental illness requires you to go into the hospital for a time. Such hospitalizations can increase your stress level. However, if you think of the hospital stays as just steps on the road to recovery, you will be able to handle the stress much more effectively.



Coping with another's mental illness can be even more stressful. Mental illness can be quite unpredictable, so it can drain your emotional reserves. It can be highly difficult dealing with a situation that changes so abruptly from one minute to the next.



One of the best things you can do for yourself is to join a support group for family members of the mentally ill. This can be tremendously cathartic. You will be able to talk to other people who are going through the same things that you are going through.



You can draw comfort and strength from this network of individuals. Some members of your support group may even allow you to call them at home to discuss your problems further. There is no substitute for a listening ear, especially in the rough times.



You may also want to consider family counseling. In this way, the entire family can be involved in a loved one's recovery from mental illness.



You'll be able to learn healthy coping strategies for dealing with another's illness, and you will be able to communicate in an open, supportive atmosphere.



There is little doubt that mental illness can lead to life-long stress. However, with a little bit of effort, you can learn to manage this stress effectively. And you will find that you and your family are better off as a result.

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Your Mental and Emotional Health Needs Exercise to Remain Healthy

We are all aware of the benefits of proper exercise on the health of our body. We know it tones our muscles, burns fat, helps circulation, and reduces our disease risk. But what about the benefits exercise has on our mental health?

While the majority of fitness research efforts focus on the physical and health benefits of exercise, there is a growing body of work demonstrating that exercise promotes mental and emotional health as well.

Firstly exercise makes you feel good. When you exercise (with some effort of course) there are a cocktail of hormones released that stay in your system for some time after you finish lifting your mood and banishing any trace of any negative feelings.

Some of the exercise benefits that can make life so much better are:

o By reducing stress hormones (cortisol), which are linked to depression
o By restoring sleeping and eating patterns, raising energy levels
o By releasing endorphins, the 'feel good' hormones
o Getting in better physical shape improves self-esteem
o Manage feelings of anxiety, sadness, tension and anger
o Improves blood flow to brain, cut Alzheimer's risk by 40 percent
o Great alternative treatment for depression

Our mental health is important and its health does not lie with taking antidepressants. Prescriptions for antidepressants have increased by 33 per cent in the last six years with a third of the adult population taking a mood altering drug. Yet research shows that physical activity has the same effect as chemically addictive antidepressants and unlike these drugs has no negative side effects.

It is so much better for your health to avoid using drugs if possible as they can interfere with brain biochemistry. Our knowledge of how drugs affect the brain is in its infancy.
Proper exercise will give you an instant feel good boost, unlike drugs that can take weeks to kick in.

It gives cause for concern when doctors are so freely writing out prescriptions for these unnecessary drugs. The same prescription pad could be used for a much healthier alternative - exercise. But then there would not be any money to be made with a recommendation like that.

Attitudes need to change so that people take some responsibility for their own health and wellbeing and stop being doctor and drug dependent. There are much healthier options available that address the cause of the problem not just mask it, and that is exercise.

Take some time out for a proper exercise program and discover how you can feel joy and pleasure just being in your own body. Don't say no to exercise say no to something else.

Exercise is not a task or punishment and vigorous movement is something the human body needs to maintain wellness and can be viewed as a preventative that can help prevent physical, mental and emotional conditions.

You don't have to spend hours to gain these benefits; just a couple of sessions each week of strength training exercise will make you feel fantastic. Just make sure you get some help from a fitness professional so you can be reaping the most benefits from your program and enjoy life to the fullest.

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