Today we are sharing some highlights from the 2015 Young Living Convention. Dr. Tom Reed spoke passionately about our brains and ways to support their health.
THE BRAIN: UNIQUE & MYSTERIOUS—Dr. Tom Reed (Part 1)
This was one of our favorite sessions and it’s hard to condense it!
Quick Facts about the Brain and Brain Conditions
- The basic foundational unit of the brain is the neuron. The dendrites receive messages from other neurons. The brain contains 100 billion neurons, each connected!
- The left and right brain talk to each other. The left is the academic, logical side, while the right side is the creative, imaginative side. Until children are 9 years old, they operate in the left brain.
Addictions: Whenever you receive a stimulus that makes you feel good, it stimulates a release of dopamine. Cocoaine, obesity, caffeine, and sugar all deplete dopamine stores. Because you are addicted, you are trying to get good feelings back but you cannot because dopamine is gone.
Alzheimer’s: This is NOT an “old folks” disease. Alzheimer’s actually begins 30-50 years before the symptoms are manifested.
Minor traumatic head injuries can also cause major emotional ongoing symptoms such as homelessness, alcoholism, depression, panic attacks, ADHD, PTSD, suicide, etc.
Brain plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to change and adapt with learning. You literally can change people’s brains and therefore change their lives!
Epigenetic influences are all the things that happen to a child in the womb and in early development (up to about 6-7 years of age). Any traumatic injury (i.e. chemicals, battered wife syndrome, etc.) during these years can interfere with gene expression. Evidence now suggests that autism may be associated with chemical exposure that occurs between 19-30 weeks gestation.
Methylation: This process determine who we are, what we look like, how we feel and behave.
High levels of stress, especially in early childhood, can alter methylation processes. Methylation basically turns certain genes on and off early on. (Bioactive) vitamins B9 & B12 are extremely important in the methylation process. About 75% of the population doesn’t have enough folate (B vitamin…folic acid is NOT the same as folate).
Other major sources of brain toxins/stress: Fluoride (water, toothpaste), MSG, artificial sweeteners, carrageenan.
Stress (i.e. from injury, chemicals, environment, diet, lifestyle, drugs, etc.) sets up a chemical cascade of events that ultimately leads to destruction of tissue and inflammation.
Medicine/drugs: if “cognitive disfunction” is listed as a side effect, that is a code word for dementia. Always do your research on drug side effects.
Application: This is not the most cheerful article so far, but next issue we will share more about how to support your brain health! We encourage you to be very aware of the chemicals and diet that you are allowing in your life.