May/June 2000
Articles on the theme "Food For Thought"
Think of These Things
compiled by Bob Gonzalez
Some thoughts on thought. A compilation
of quotations.
Feed the Mind -- Enthusiastically!
by Charles Larsen
Opening the mind to new ideas and experiences
-- an important factor in our growth.
Thought Pollution!
by Dr. Audrey Craft Davis
Thoughts as 'things'. How to control
our own thoughts and the thoughts of others.
Why Kids Kill
by Nancy L. Buchanan
The theta brain and how it makes children
more vulnerable to impressions of violence.
Water For Your Thoughts
by Ernesto J. Fernandez
Your brain may be suffering from dehydration
without you knowing it. The signs and what to do about it.
Improving Brain Function
by Chuck Homuth
Some of the healthy foods and supplements
that can help improve brain function.
Thinking About Thought
by David Findlay
Of consciousness, thought and telepathy.
The Right To Die?
by Constance Snow
Should we feed the body when there
is no consciousness? A discussion about the right to die.
Brain Food
by Marty Kliesh
Nutrients that improve the functioning
of the brain.
Spiritual Tools of Thought
by Rev. Pat Cross
Of self-induced spiritual indigestion
and true spiritual food for thought.
A Diet For Mental Health?
by Patrick Plaskett
What we put in our minds is just as
important as the food we eat. What a healthy mental diet consists of.
Other Feature Articles
Natural Health Q & A
by Lisa Raphael
Of holistic healing. The meaning of
psychosomatic. Cellular memory. The difference between 'transformational'
and 'transformative'.
2000 & Beyond!
by David Findlay (editor), Carol Withrow (contributing writer)
What is... GE (Genetically Engineered) Food?
by Laurie Powers
What GE, GM or GMO means. The risks
and what can be done to limit them.
Minerals from Mother Earth
by Judy Power
Features stones for May and June: anyolite
and fluorite.
Brain Food
Marty Kleish
The function and health of the brain require a great amount of energy, which must be supplied by a constant availability of glucose (not table sugar) and oxygen. When circulation to the brain diminishes, it sets up a chain reaction that disrupts membrane function and which leads to death of the brain cells and memory loss.
In our office we use a form of analysis called iridology which indicates weakness and stress in the body by looking at and studying the colored part of the eye. When we see the indications in the iris of long-term poor digestion, we invariably see weakness represented in some area of the brain. Food is our body's source of energy; proper digestion must take place to break that food down into energy. Our country suffers from some of the worst digestion in the world.
There are foods that improve the health of the brain, as well as herbs that assist brain function, but they need to be digested properly to have a positive effect. Let's look at digestion first. I would encourage you to read some books on correct food combing to take stress off of your digestive system and balance your blood sugar. "Fit for Life", by Harvey Diamond is probably the best known, but there are others. Two other deterrents to proper digestion are consuming sugar and drinking fluids with meals. Sugar depletes your body of B vitamins and zinc, which are essential to digestion. Drinking fluids with your meals weakens the effectiveness of your stomach's hydrochloric acid and excuses us from the need to chew thoroughly. Your grandmother probably told you to chew twenty times per mouthful. It was good advice. In Chinese medicine the instruction is to chew thirty times and Ayurvedic medicine encourages chewing fifty times per mouthful. It may seem time consuming, but the time taken is an investment in your future. It's easier than you think, just put your fork down between mouthfuls and chew! Don't just wash food down with liquids.
Water is an important element to the brain (water is the clear stuff that has no bubbles.) Most of the other stuff we drink to entertain our taste buds, such as coffee, tea and soda, actually dehydrate us. Your brain is 76% fluid. It needs water to maintain that ratio. Your stomach also needs water to help make hydrochloric acid but not at the meal. The rule is eight 8 ounce glasses of water a day. One of those glasses should be consumed half an hour before you eat and another an hour after your meal. A sip of water after the meal can cleanse the pallet, but much more than that can bring on the symptoms of stomach distress, like heart burn or bloating. There is an excellent book called "Your Body's Many Cries for Water", by F. Batmanghelidj M.D. that explains how important water is to our overall health and healing. I would encourage you to read it.
Brain cells contain the highest percentage of unsaturated fatty acids of any cells in the body. The protective sheaths surrounding the brain are also composed of a fatty substance called lecithin. The current fad of low-fat/fat-free foods is bound to have a detrimental effect over a long time. We burn fat for energy, so it must also be replaced. This is not a green light to eat lots of ice cream or pizza, but your diet needs to include plant oils like olive, sesame and flax, plus cold water fish oils. Lecithin supplement is often recommended as we age to improve the health of the brain, heart, veins and liver. Most supplemental forms are derived from soy beans and are high in the B vitamins choline and inositol, plus an essential fatty acid.
B vitamins and foods that are high in those vitamins are important to your diet. Black teas, coffees, sodas, alcohol and sugar destroy these vitamins. B3/niacin, has been important for clinical treatment of dementia and schizophrenia. Biotin, another B, has been called the 'mental health vitamin'. Long-term use of a single B vitamin is not recommended, they are synergistic and should be taken in a complex form. Foods that are naturally high in B vitamins include sunflower seeds, whole grains, raw green leafy vegetables, brown rice, nuts, fish, and broccoli.
The most popular herbal food for the brain would be ginkgo biloba. It has reached celebrity status over the last couple of years for improving memory. It does this by enhancing the utilization of oxygen and glucose (see the first paragraph). Ginkgo works as an antioxidant with free radical scavenging effects that stabilize cell membranes. These membranes determine the integrity or health of the cells. All of this helps improve the flow of blood to the brain and proper utilization of nutrients.
The least expensive way to get blood to the brain is to breathe. All of us should be involved in some kind of exercise that gets our lungs working everyday. Go to the gym, take a brisk walk, join a tai chi or chi gong group. Regular dancing can be wonderful or just practice yoga breathing, but get those lungs filling with new stuff and let go of the old. Emotionally, if we don't let go of the old stuff, we begin to live in it . . . does that sound like Alzheimer's?
Marty Kliesh is a holistic healer with a degree in natural health (ND) and a PhD in religion. Clearwater, FL (727) 467-0056. E-mail: drkleish@tampabay.rr.com. Internet: www.herbs-health.com.
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