Memory, Imagination & Good Brain Health

Memory, Imagination & Good Brain Health

Research using brain imaging reveals remarkable similarities in the patterns of brain activity when we are remembering a past event and imagining a future one.

The same areas of the brain are activated during these 2 mental tasks, and researchers believe the reason for this is that we use memories to piece together an imagined picture of the future.

What this means is that as we develop the ability to remember the past, from around the age of 5 onward, we also develop our ability to reflect and imagine the future.

For most people, this ability to “Time Travel” in the mind is honed by the age of 9.

The ability to travel through time in our mind, backward and forward, lies at the heart of our most sophisticated mental abilities that define humans. One of the reasons why we care about tomorrow is because we remember yesterday, and this allows us to make plans to create a better future.

It also gives us the power of abstract thought, creativity, and problem solving.

If no one had memory, no plans would ever be made, and we would all mull through each day at random. We would have no industries or modern technologies; projects that require a great deal of planning, organizing, and follow-through.

Memory is the mental faculty that has allowed man to stake a claim at the Top of the food chain, as it allows us to learn from past mistakes, and imagine what the outcome might be if we change our actions.

Memory is essential for the survival of our species.

It is also thought that language and advanced problem solving skills are a direct outgrowth of the human memory function.

How to stay acute and cognizant

Research from the Mayo Clinic has revealed that diets rich in carbohydrates are associated with an 89% increased risk for dementia, while high-fat diets are associated with a 44% reduced risk.

This combination of very little sugar and carbs, along with higher amounts of healthy fat is essential not only to address Alzheimer’s, but diabetes and heart disease, since all of these conditions are rooted in insulin and leptin resistance.

Understanding this can make life a lot easier.

We do not need to memorize the Do’s and Don’ts for each disease we seek to avoid.

The Key is to shift over to a mindset that is focused on optimizing health. Disease prevention then becomes a “lucky extra.”

Below are 4 dietary instructions that are Key for maintaining brain health and staving off Alzheimer’s, as follows:

1. Eat real food, ideally Organic. Avoid processed and ultra-processed foods of all kinds, they contain a number of ingredients harmful to your brain, including refined sugar, processed fructose, grains, genetically engineered (GE) ingredients, and pesticides like glyphosate, an herbicide thought to be worse than DDT, and DDT has already been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s.
2. Keep added sugar levels to a minimum and total fructose intake below 25 grams per day, or as low as 15 grams per day if you already have insulin/leptin resistance or any related disorders. Opting for Organic produce will help one avoid synthetic pesticides and herbicides, many of which are associated with neurological dysfunction.
3. Choose Organic grass-fed meats and animal products, as animals raised in confined animal operations (CAFOs) are routinely fed GE grains contaminated with pesticides, along with a variety of drugs. Some researchers have even suggested Alzheimer’s may be a slow-acting form of Mad Cow Disease, acquired by eating contaminated meats, and mad cow disease originated in the CAFO system, which forces herbivores to eat animal parts.
4. Vegetables in particular are beneficial for slowing down age-related cognitive decline. Nutritional intervention with vegetables may even play an important role in reversing such conditions, courtesy of the antioxidants they contain.
5. Replace refined carbohydrates with healthy fats. The human brain does not need carbs and sugars, healthy fats such as saturated animal fats and animal-based omega-3 are FAR more critical for optimal brain function.
6. Healthy fats to add to your diet include: Avocados Butter made from raw, grass-fed organic milk Raw dairy Organic pastured egg yolks. Coconuts and coconut oil, coconut oil actually shows promise as an effective Alzheimer’s treatment in and of itself.  Unheated organic nut oils. Raw nuts, such as pecans and macadamia, which are low in protein and high in healthy fats.
7. Avoid all trans fats or hydrogenated fats that have been modified in such a way to extend their longevity on the grocery store shelf. This includes margarine, vegetable oils, and various butter-like spreads.
8. Avoid gluten and casein; primarily wheat and pasteurized dairy, but not dairy fat, such as butter. Research shows that your blood-brain barrier is negatively affected by gluten. Gluten also makes your gut more permeable, which allows proteins to get into your bloodstream where they sensitize your immune system and promote inflammation and autoimmunity, both of which play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s.
9. Optimize your gut flora by avoiding processed foods (sugar, GE ingredients, pesticides, and various food additives all discourage healthy bacteria in your gut), antibiotics and antibacterial products, fluoridated and chlorinated water, and by regularly eating traditionally fermented and cultured foods, along with a high quality probiotic if needed. There is a compelling connection between the microbiome and brain health connecting it to a number of neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s.

Mental challenge and stimulation, especially learning something new, is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s.  Researchers suspect that mental challenge helps to build up the brain, making it less susceptible to the lesions associated with Alzheimer’s disease.

Eat healthy, Be healthy, Live lively,

HeffX-LTN

Paul Ebeling

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