THE PAUSE A NEWSLETTER TO MAKE US PAUSE AWESOME THE BRAIN HORMONE We’ve reached that age where our hormones are pausing due to menopause and andropause. When this happens, brain function starts to diminish, and we start experiencing:
Once I became paused, I noticed that my recall of names had diminished. I’ll be discussing something with my family, and I will go, you know that guy, what’s his name, he works at the grocery store, we’ve known him for years, he used to coach Seth’s little league team. My family looks at me with astonishment. Are you talking about Ted? Yes! Him! Dad, how can you forget his name? He’s … If you are paused, you may have started experiencing one or more of the symptoms above. Another symptom not listed that my clients often reveal to me is… “Doc, I find myself standing in a room. I came to get something but can’t remember what it was.” When our mind starts to slip, we get concerned, and our family gets concerned because nearly all of us have been touched by someone with dementia. The symptoms of Dementia are all of the above plus:
Once I started researching cognitive dysfunctions associated with dementia, I saw that poor spatial skills were listed, which made me step up my research on how to optimize brain function. As I entered my 60s, my family noticed that I was spatially disoriented. They thought it was funny and started making fun of me. When I parked our car in a parking lot, I parked it much further back than necessary. This is a sign of spatial skill dysfunction. When it first started happening, I laughed too. But now that I know this sign is occurring, I creep the car a bit further forward when I park, and when I walk to the front of the car, I see that I still misjudged the front of the space by several feet. I laugh at myself, but I know it’s not funny. That is when I decided it was time for me to slow down, stop, and even reverse my aging brain. And it's working! I still can trim a few feet off the front of my parking space, but it is much better. So…where did I start? Since we are nothing more than a reflection of our hormones, I started by investigating how our hormones are involved in the symptoms of an aging brain. “Some of the most common symptoms (of menopause/andropause) are deficits in attention, processing speed, and memory, which subsequently manifest as lack of focus, slow thinking, and forgetfulness.” Common sense told me to begin my investigation with the hormone most directly involved with women and men being paused: estrogen. But, once I began my research, I realized that I needed to start at the beginning of the hormone cascade. THE OVARIAN/GONADAL HORMONES AND THE BRAIN The production of our ovarian/gonadal hormones cascades from cholesterol.
CHOLESTEROL The liver produces cholesterol through a process called biosynthesis. When you eat sugar, your body releases insulin, which signals your liver to make cholesterol. The liver makes approximately 80% of your body's cholesterol, with the remaining 20% coming from food. Now, you can see why The Meso-Menu is an important part of being Pause Awesome: its primary purpose is to keep insulin bottomed out. We will get into the Meso-Menu and its importance in brain optimization later in the Course. But first...I want to veer here a bit. The most prescribed medicine in America is statins, which are used to decrease our cholesterol levels. Did you know that low cholesterol exacerbates dementia and its symptoms? “...randomized controlled trials show no beneficial effect of statin treatment on late-life cognitive function. Lowering cholesterol levels may impair brain function…” Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease And remember, there are two types of cholesterol: “bad” and “good.” The LDL may cause plaque that narrows your arteries, which can cause cardiac arrests and strokes. The LDLs are obviously considered the "bad" cholesterol. The " good " cholesterol, HDLs, cleanses the LDL out of the arteries. FYI: Research has found that walking 30 minutes daily is the best way to increase HDLs for those in their “Third Act” of life and, therefore, the best way to flush out the “bad” cholesterol. Okay, let me get back on track. The liver produces and releases cholesterol into our bloodstream; specialized proteins then transport cholesterol to our adrenal glands and ovaries/gonads, which have special enzymes that turn the cholesterol into the "grandmother of all hormones," pregnenolone. PREGNENOLONE Many of you have yet to hear of pregnenolone. This hormone has two nicknames:
Pregnenolone is a neurosteroid that can positively affect brain function in many ways: Pregnenolone Increases Myelin Production Myelin is a fatty layer of tissue that protects neurons and, therefore, our brain’s cognitive functions. The more myelin we produce, the more synapses we have, and the more synapses we have, the better our brain remembers and performs. Remember the word synapses. Synapses are the microscopic gaps that allow a signal to pass from one neuron to another. The more synapses we have, the better our brains perform. The more working synapses we have, the younger our brains are.
“Synapse loss is associated with sensory, motor, and cognitive impairments in a variety of neurodegenerative conditions, such as major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as well as aging.
Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience Neurotransmitters Pregnenolone reinforces neurotransmitters that can decline with age. But we are not going to allow that to happen. Right? Pregnenolone helps keep your brain sharp by blocking the action of GABA, a neurotransmitter that inhibits neurons from firing rapidly. Increased GABA occurs with aging, inhibiting our ability to think quickly. “The older we become, levels of neurotransmitters like pregnenolone and GABA can become unbalanced, making it harder for your brain to function at its optimal capacity. Pregnenolone promotes healthy levels of acetylcholine, a vital neurotransmitter required for healthy brain function.” “Acetylcholine (ACh) is an important neurotransmitter that plays a role in brain functions, such as memory, and body functions, such as muscle contractions to move your muscles. Low levels of acetylcholine are associated with memory issues and muscle disorders.” In a nutshell, pregnenolone impacts our moods, brain health, memory, and sleep. THE FIRST STEP I TOOK TO SLOW MY AGING BRAIN. I INCREASED MY PREGNENOLONE LEVELS The best way to have a healthy brain and pregnenolone levels is to eat a high protein, high fiber menu combined with daily consistent activity. As we age and our pregnenolone levels decrease, supplementation may be necessary to optimize pregnenolone levels. Below, I have placed an Amazon link to the pregnenolone supplement brand that I use. I take 100 mg in the morning on an empty stomach. Whenever I begin a new supplement, I purchase one bottle and reassess my health status upon completing the bottle. In this case, there are 100 tablets in one bottle; therefore, in 100 days, I will reaccess the benefits. If I have positive results, I will continue with the supplement. Most research indicates that it takes about 90 days before results are seen, As with any supplement, you should first speak with your healthcare provider before incorporating pregnenolone, as improper use can lead to adverse side effects. I always follow the directions and dosage on the bottle. If you experience adverse side effects, stop taking the supplement immediately and inform your primary healthcare provider. AMAZON LINK TO THE PREGNENOLONE WE USE As I have mentioned often, my Have in my Me Strand of life is to dance at my grandchildren’s weddings. For that to happen, I must live to be in my 90s. The key here is ti dance. I have the genes. My grandfather and uncle both lived to be over 100 years old, and my mother is still alive in her 90s. I have longevity genes. My job is not to screw them up. I'll explain how we can screw up our genes, not only for ourselves but for our children and grandchildren, later in the course. So, maintaining healthy levels of pregnenolone is my first step to Having a highly functioning brain into our nineties? In the next newsletter, we will examine the mother of all hormones, another very important step to slowing down, neutralizing, and reversing an aging brain. BE COACHED FOR FREE! Due to my full client roster, I only accept referrals from current and past clients. But... Each week, I coach three readers of this newsletter FOR FREE! I coach you for a week free so you can see how easily and quickly you can lose weight and feel great while being paused. The key to a healthy brain is a healthy body. The features of our FREE-WEEK program include:
The Benefit
CLICK HERE TO BEGIN YOUR FREE WEEK OF COACHING Don't hesitate; I only have room for three of you! THIS WEEK’S US-IE My daughter asked me the other day why I left my busy practice in Los Angeles and returned to my hometown. I actually told these fellows that I would never come back. Then, one weekend, I came home to visit and realized that here, home, I was SOMEBODY! (Think of Steve Martin opening the telephone book in The Jerk.) Home is more than where your family lives; it is where your friends are, those who love you even though they KNOW your story. We are all sliding into 70; some at the table slid right over it, and we still love hearing old stories and making new ones. Nearly every week, we get together and bathe in the blessing of still being around. Love these guys! And remember... "IT'S ALL ABOUT YOUR HORMONES!" "Because when your hormones are sound, your weight, health, and mind will follow." 😄 Doc © 2024 | Doc Mac Coaching The FDA has evaluated none of the statements on this website. Furthermore, none of the statements within this post should be construed as dispensing medical advice or making claims regarding the cure of diseases, nor can these products prevent disease. You should consult a licensed healthcare professional before starting any supplement, dietary, or exercise program, especially if you are pregnant or have any pre-existing injuries or medical conditions. The Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated these statements. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent diseases. |
I have practiced hormone, weight, health, and mind optimization for over forty-three years. As we age and or become chronically inflamed, our hormones become disrupted, making us feel out of sync, overweight, sickly, and negative. Our internal chemistry, our hormones, governs the way we feel and look. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter on how to optimize our lives by optimizing our hormones.
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