Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Written by: Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]† In our last blog we started talking about the anatomy of the brain. Today we will continue this topic and even expand into some structures that are important to our …
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. KEEPING THE BRAIN CLEAN WITH RESVERATROL, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 645 Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health …
Written by: Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]†
In this next series we will be covering a topic that my fellow nutritionists and I get asked about all of the time. This is an important topic that affects almost everyone be it directly or indirectly via a family member or friend. What is this topic you ask? This topic is brain health and along with brain health is of course memory. In this series we will cover a number of different subjects ranging from tests that are important to different brain health concerns such as Alzheimer and dementia. I will also cover such concerns such as strokes and concussions. †
To start with I wanted to go over a very general anatomy lesson regarding the brain. Now I know that you might be thinking eek that’s going to be complex!! I don’t want to read that! Don’t worry I’ve tried to keep it as simple as possible. While I know that the brain is much more complex than what I have gone over here like I said this is an overview that will hopefully help you understand things later on when we get into more condition specific blogs. †
Everyone has heard of the fact that the brain has white and gray matter. But what exactly does this mean? In the brain’s gray matter is the darker outer portion whereas the white matter is the lighter inner section. Please see the attached picture (1) †
The gray matter and white matter look different because they are different. The cells that make up the gray matter are what we call somas, and they are basically round cells. The white matter on the other hand mostly contains axons which are long sticks that connect the neurons together. † Please see the attached picture (1)
In addition to looking different these two parts of the brain have different jobs. The gray matter conducts, processes and sends information to the rest of the body. In other words, it processes and interprets the information. The white matter which receives sensory information from the rest of the body interprets the received information and sends it on to where it needs to go. † (2)
Why is this important to know? Because when it comes to brain health this means that different parts of the brain react differently to injury. And in that case will show different symptoms. For example, an issue in the gray matter can affect your brain’s ability to interpret sensory information and may even lead to symptoms such as muscle weakness, and even tingling. Damage to the white matter can affect your ability to move and respond to outside stimuli. † (1)
Going further into brain anatomy we break the brain down into the cerebrum, brain stem and the cerebellum. Please see the attached picture. † (1)
Now remember the brain isn’t actually blue or red or yellow. It’s actually those white and gray parts we spoke about. Now to start with the largest part of the brain as you can see is in the front. This called the cerebrum; this part of the brain is divided into 2 parts or hemispheres; I will speak about this more later. But what does the cerebrum do? It helps to control speech, judgment, thinking, as well as problem solving. It also controls emotions and learning. Additionally, it helps initiate and coordinates movement as well as regulate body temperature. Lastly it also helps regulate vision, touch and the other senses. † (3)
The brain stem is exactly what it sounds like and is a “stem” connecting the cerebrum with the spinal cord. It is made of 3 parts- the mid brain, the pons and medulla. The brain stem affects abilities such as hearing, movement, and the ability to create responses to our environment. It also affects tear production, chewing, vision and balance as well as the ability to change our facial expressions. It also controls sneezing, vomiting, coughing and swallowing. Lastly and perhaps most importantly it regulates important bodily functions such as heart rhythm, breathing, blood flow and our oxygen/carbon dioxide balance control. † (4)
Lastly the cerebellum or “little brain” is at the back of the brain. This part of the brain is responsible for voluntary movements and helps with posture/ balance equilibrium. As we learn more about the brain, we are learning that the cerebellum has roles in our thoughts/behavior as well as in our emotions. † (5)
Next week, we will continue our introduction to brain anatomy and the different structures that are important in our brain. We will cover such topics as the cranial nerves as well as circulation in the brain and just what supplies the important nutrients to this vital organ. †
REFERENCES
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. DO I NEED TO TAKE A MULTIVITAMIN? INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 644 Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed …
Subscribe Today! Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode. HELPFUL TIPS FOR HEALTHY BLOOD PRESSURE, INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 643 Hosted by Amanda Williams, MD, MPH *Intro Music* InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: [00:00:04] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed health …
Written by: Dr.Claire Arcidiacono, ND
For further questions or concerns email me at [email protected]†
We have reached the end of our conversation on joints. In this blog series I have tried to cover the most common joint dysfunctions that can occur. In addition, I have tried to cover those treatments that are both most commonly used as well as most studied. Thus, there will be some supplements that you may have “heard on the grape vine” that were not mentioned. Feel free to ask any Invite nutritionist about them. Joint health is a complex topic that can affect everyone, including men and women as well as different age ranges. One of the points that I hoped to make in this blog series on joints is that joint disorders can vary from person to person. It is important to find out exactly what is going on in your joints so that we can give you the best recommendations possible. †
Depending on what is going on in the joints, there different treatments available. Thus, it is important to not only what is going on but what stage it is. I will be rehashing some of the most researched supplements that I have found clinically to be some of the most helpful in working with joint disorders. I will also be recommending some recipe ideas to help with inflammation! †
ICYMI:JOINT SURGERY, PART 2 & SUPPLEMENTS THAT CAN HELP POST-SURGERY.>>READ NOW!
Supplements that can help!
DIGESTIVE HEALTH PART 10: ANAL FISSURES, FISTULAS & LEAKY GUT>>READ NOW
RECIPES: Here are some ideas to use our products in fun ways! †
6. Green eggs I say! This is an easy way to add greens to a breakfast. Place your eggs and 1 scoop of Greens Hx in your blender. I like to add 1 scoop of Greens Hx to 2 eggs so it’s very flavorful. Then add a big handful of baby spinach. Add any spices you like, blend until smooth. I like to cook these just like scrambled eggs. They may look interesting, but the green color is fun and perfect for certain holidays! †
I hope that I gave you some ideas on healthy eating. There is no right way or wrong way to make a recipe. If you have an idea, try it! If it’s good, yay! If it’s bad, you know for next time :-)†
Now that we are done with joints, we will be moving on to our next topic soon! †
REFERENCES