In the theme of "Loving your Body" for the month of February, I wanted to talk about my top ways to love your brain. Without proper maintainence, the brain begins to deteriorate as we age. Alzheimers and dimentia are right now two of the most talked about diseases, probably because they are on a rise in older adults. The brain is the motherboard of the entire nervous system, directing not only the spinal cord and motor functions that we control, but the autonomic system controlling movements such as heartbeat and other regulatory actions. We need to be reminded of the importance of this organ. The brain needs to be fed and exercised too!!

Here are four of my easy to follow tips:

1. Eat brightly colored fruits and vegetables.

Aim for 8-10 servings (1/2 cup equals one serving) of vibrant colors from your fruits and veggies per day. Orange sweet potatoes, purple berries, even those red kidney beans are high in antioxidants which support healthy brain function.

2. Fight inflammation.

Inflammation of the brain is very common, and is a side effect of your body fighting sickness, infection or disease. High levels of mercury and lead, emotional stress, lack of exercise, excess sugar and animal fats are all prime triggers of brain inflammation. We all know these factors have either negative (mercury and lead, white sugars and animal fat ingestion from water and food sources) or positive (healthy benefits of exercise and stress reduction) effects on the body, and their impact to the brain is another motivation to control them.

3. Use your head.

Stimulate your brain by using it!! Solve crosswords and other puzzles, try to write using more complex sentence structure, and surround yourself with people and activites that are intellectually stimulating,

4. Clean house.

Environmental toxins are very difficult to avoid, however you have the control in your own home more than anywhere. Toxins such as mercury, lead, herbicides, and pesticides are found in our food, water, cleaning chemicals and toiletries. Try buying green products, organic foods and filter your water. Try keeping your fiber intake high, your colon is prime realty for toxins to fester in your body. I highly recommend the master cleanse for detoxifying, if any of you decide to get ambitious I would love to provide support.