I was watching PBS the other day (Yes, I’ve donated too!) and became very interested in a book on there called The UltraMind Solution by Dr. Mark Hyman.
Basically it’s all about proper nutrition as a form of “Functional Medicine” to help people improve their physical and mental health. Apparently, eating well is good for you. What’s that I hear? “Duh…”
But it’s not quite that simple.
Dr. Hyman (Not Dr. Hymen – get your mind out of the gutter. How old are you?) maintains that there are seven basic keys to all disease. What are these seven “keys” that Mark Hyman claims can help us combat everything from depression and anxiety to autism?
First Key: Optimize Your Brain Nutrition
Food isn’t just for the body. Food also feeds the brain, and if you see the effects of a poor diet on your body (high cholesterol, increased fat, less energy) then you can imagine what it’s doing to your brain, causing such problems as depression, insomnia, memory loss and lack of concentration.
Second Key: Balance Your Hormones
Your hormones control things like mood, behavior, and body composition. Keeping hormones properly balanced (and you’ll learn how in the book – see below) not only makes you look better, but literally makes you feel better. Not only that, but it will help protect you from diseases like diabetes.
Third Key: Cool off Inflammation
What do sore throats, swollen joints and skin rashes have in common? They are all forms of inflammation. The difference between these types of inflammation and inflammation of the brain, however, is that you FEEL a sore throat or a swollen joint – but not in the brain. Instead, it manifests itself in many ways, like depression or dementia. Learn how to calm down and cool off inflammation with proper diet.
Fourth Key: Fix Your Digestion
Did you know that your gut has more neurotransmitters and serotonin (happy-mood chemicals) than your brain does? High fat and high sugar foods make you “feel good” briefly before crashing you down mentally and physically in the same way that a mood-enhancing drug might effect the brain. Dr. Hyman says he can help you feel better longer without these body-damaging “food drugs”.
Want to know what the rest of the keys to your UltraMind? Go buy the book…
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