Protecting Your Brain from Damaging Habits

PROBLEM-SOLVING

Dr. Don Colbert is known for helping people live healthy lifestyles. As a medical doctor who has treated over 50,000 patients, he says the answers to people's ailments are almost always linked to what they eat.

Growing up, Colbert’s father began showing signs of dementia in his mid 50s. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in his 60s and it progressed into severe Alzheimer’s. He lived in a nursing home for over 10 years before he died at 80. 

His mother, who worked in a bank full-time until she was 82, started developing dementia and her cognitive function continued to decline. Then, at 86 she got COVID and was in a comatose state, near death. During this time Dr. Colbert was writing Dr. Colbert’s Healthy Brain Zone and he decided to put the things he was learning into practice with his mom. He began by lowering her homocysteine levels to reduce brain inflammation. He used a mix of folic acid (folate) which is found in dark green leafy vegetables and beans, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12. Vitamin D and testosterone were also used to help repair her brain synapsis. The results were amazing! She began to improve quickly and her cognitive function dramatically improved. 

Dr. Colbert says, “25 percent of us have the ApoE4 gene that increases our chances of getting Alzheimer’s yet very few doctors check.” One of the main causes of Alzheimer’s is insulin resistance in the brain. Several doctors are now calling Alzheimer’s Type 3 Diabetes. When they autopsy the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s, they find amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary tangles. 

FUEL YOUR BRAIN

In his book, Colbert shares the following 25 ways to fuel your brain:

1.   Lower homocysteine levels.
2.   Sharpen your focus (gotu kola, MCT oil, etc.). 
3.   Increase your brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BNDF).
4.   Protect with DHEA.
5.   Get more DHA (Omega-3 fatty acids like fish oil, etc.).
6.   Support brain health with Synapsin nasal spray.
7.   Take lion’s mane for better memory.
8.   Help heal leaky guy with bone broth.
9.   Curb inflammation with curcumin.
10.   Maintain brain health with vitamin D.
11.   Boost key hormones (pregnenolone, DHEA, testosterone, etc.).
12.   Consume healthy fats (extra virgin olive oil, avocado, coconut oil, nuts, etc.).
13.   Heal your gut (probiotics, etc.).
14.   Get adequate zinc.
15.   Increase choline (found in egg yolks, chicken, fish, meat, & dairy).
16.   Up your vitamin A (retinol).
17.   Enjoy coffee.
18.   Get well, deep oxygenated sleep on your side.
19.   Increase activity.
20.   Raise your nerve growth factor (NGF) levels.
21.   Deal with stress. 
22.   Take phosphatidylserine supplements.
23.   Consider lithium orotate supplements.
24.   Increase your magnesium threonate intake.
25.   Don’t discount the power of faith!

BRAIN HEALTHY FOODS

Dr. Colbert says the best way to reverse brain damage is to go on a healthy keto and Mediterranean diet. He provides several recipes in his book, like:

•    Breakfast scramble
•    Cilantro Chicken Soup
•    Macadamia Nut-Crusted Wild Tilapia
•    Mediterranean- Keto Pizza 
•    Hearty Vegetable Frittata
•    Salmon and Avocado Lettuce Wraps