Miracle of the Mind
While we marvel at the miracles of nature all around us, the biggest wonder of the universe is right inside our own heads. It is the human brain. How little is really known about the workings of the brain, it's involvement with movement, memory, vision, speech, sensation, and every facet of life. What is the brain? It is a wrinkled, spongy mass about the size of a grapefruit. It weights about 3 pounds and contains more nerve cells than there are stars in our galaxy -- an estimated 100 billion of them. 
Neurotransmitters
The brain is like a computer bathed in fluids. Instead of wires and circuits carrying the electrical impulses of knowledge and information, the fluids act as the carriers of thought. These fluids are called "neruotrannsmitters." Each of our billions of brain cells depends on these brain chemicals to carry impulses of thought, feeling, mood and behavior.Most protein we eat is broken down into amino acids that are then reassembled into body tissue. But some amino acids are taken up directly into the brain to form neurotransmitters. If all the amino acids were available in the right proportions, brain chemistry remains stable. But when one amino acid is present in greater or lesser proportion, a manipulation of mood is possible.
Serotonin -- One neurotransmitter that is getting attention is "serotonin". This is a brain chemical that lifts depression and induces sleep. Serotonin is dependent on the intake of the amino acid, tryptophan, which is present in all animal protein foods. Many people use tryptophan in large amounts at bedtime to induce sleep. It does a good job of helping the insomniac get a good night's rest by increasing serotonin levels.
Aceylcholine-- This is another neurotransmitter produced in the brain. It is involved with motor coordination, sleep and memory. As we grow older most of us experience more and more difficulty with memory. In tests that have been done with the elderly, there has been improvement in memory when lecithin is added to the diet. Lecithin is a rich source of phosphatidyl choline. this has the abity to raise the level of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which sharpens the mind and improves the memory.
Neurosis and Psychosis
Illnesses of the mind may be thought of under two headings: neurosis and psychosis. The neurotic person has some abnormal ideas or feelings, yet is in touch with reality. The psychotic person is out of touch with reality, with distorted perceptions, or even hallucinations. It has been explained humorously that the psychotic person hears voices telling him that two plus two is four. The neurotic person knows it is four, but feels guilty about it.
The most common treatment for mentally troubled people seems to offer little in the way of tangible improvement. Psychotherapy attempts to talk out the trouble. Electroconvulsive therapy tries to shock it out. Drug therapy simply blanks it out. None of these actually gets to the root of the problem. Many such patients face life in a sort of twilight existence, in the zombie-like trance of powerful drugs. Others spend colossal sums for years of psychoanalysis in a search for some insight that might spark a cure.
Orthomolecular Medicine
What if a treatment were discovered which could generate tremendous improvement in mental disorders, and prevent further illness in susceptible individuals? What if this method also offered hope not only to the mentally ill, but to the common forms of depression, anxiety, and irritability that plaque us all from time to time?
A growing number of medical practitioners believe that this treatment already exists. While the majority of doctors approach mental illness with anti-psychotic drugs, tranquilizers, and psychoanalysis, a new branch called "orthomolecular medicine" treats mental illness with nutrition.
According to orthomolecular physicians, mental illness is the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain due to nutritional deficiencies. One thing that led to this opinion was the fact that similar symptoms could be induced in a healthy individual by depriving him of certain nutrients, and could be relieved by supplying them again in the diet. Pellagra, for example, is a deficiency disease brought about by a lack of Vitamin B3. It is accompanied by psychotic and neurotic behavior. It can be brought on by a deficiency of this nutrient, and it can be relieved by including it again in the diet.
Can your eating habits actually drive your insane? We know that improper diets are capable of triggering PHYSICAL illness. Diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, and cancer are all affected by diet. Many doctors believe that poor nutrition can also provoke MENTAL disorders such as depression, anxiety, phobias, and hallucinations. Since our behavior and mental functions are affected by essential nutrients in the brain, we should seek to keep it well supplies with all that are required. Natural food supplements taken on a regular basis help provide a healthy mental environment.
When our son died at age 23 from Anthrax Vaccine Leukemia after never leaving the hospital for 9 months. I never left his side, and my eating habits where barely survivable, along with sitting literally day & night by his bed, no exercise. When he died, I was in a deep depression. It was natural to be depressed over the loss of our only son, after being with him so long, and holding him in my arms his last 45 minutes of life. The Doctors wanted to pump me full of medications, antidepressants and tranquilizers. I refused, it's a natural process to grieve someone you loved so dearly. Through my supplements from NeoLife (which we were taking on and off about that time), I was able to pull myself back to a reality of normal life.
My husband is going through stage 4 kidney cancer now, after just a year ago having thyroid cancer. This time being far worse of course. He's had episodes that have literally scared me to a point I wasn't able to stop crying, I was hysterical and understandably so, at the fear of losing someone else I dearly love. Upon our return home for the periods between his treatment. I went on full scale of NeoLife nutritional supplements. I had finally taken time to get a few medical concerns looked at for myself from my Dr. I had a surgical removal of an over sized lymph in my throat, that was not cancerous. I was on the low side of high cholesterol, so I was placed on Crestor which I don't like, and am determined to bring back under control. In just 6 months, it's already less than 1/2 where it was. I'm also now borderline, pre-diabetic, which could be hereditary through my mom, and is also stress related. I'm losing hair, stress related. I was losing weight before all this began, and had dropped 56 lbs. Then it stopped, again lack of sleep & stress raising cortizol levels to a point I couldn't drop weight again. It's finally begun to go down again, recently down 8 lbs now. What have I done differently? I've put myself on a strict, full dose, complete (nearly everything) supplements, changed my diet, a little (not enough yet) more exercise, sleeping better in my own bed. Things are turning around for me. I'm determined not to be on medications, but would rather spend my money on NeoLife or Zija supplements and be "Healthy" not medicated false health. But I also noticed, my mood. I'm not depressed, I'm not distracted and foggy. I'm doing 100% better, and I can really tell it's the nutrition, as I'm not on any mood or mental state altering medications at this time.
Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior
What is a neurotic compulsion? It is the uncontrollable need to perform an act which has no real functional purpose. It may involve repetitive rituals, like washing one's hands over and over again. It may be habitual, such as checking to see that the door is locked over and over again. It often involves unrealistic concerns about death, illness, contamination's or germs.
All of us have experienced feelings that could technically be called compulsive or obsessive. What distinguishes the true obsessive-compulsive neurotic person is lack of control. A definite state of anxiety prevails until the ritual act is performed. The victim feels totally unable to stop thinking, feeling or doing obsessive acts without creating an intolerable sense of anxiety. For the obsessive-compulsive individual, the most important neurotransmitter is serotonin. It controls emotions and perceptions of pain, promotes calm, lifts depression and anxiety, and is needed for normal sleep. Serotonin levels are directly influenced by the amino acid tryptophan. By a proper mixture of food, you can elevate, maintain or lower brain serotonin levels by increasing or decreasing tryptophan intake.
This is of particular importance to people caught in cycles of obsessive-compulsive behavior. Medical tests consistently show that such individuals have low level of serotonin in their body.
This may be due to several factors:
- Dietary imbalance
- Hereditary weakness or exaggerated demand for tryptophan and other brain nutrients
- stress that depletes ordinary nutritional reserves (Low tryptophan levels also mean a reduced supply of Vitamin B3. Well-known for its control of schizophrenia, B3 is manufactured from tryptophan).
Depression
Depression is one of the most common illnesses in our land today. Estimates are that 15% of the population -- 35 Million Americans -- suffer depression at least once during their lifetime. "Normal depression" is usually associated with specific traumatic events such as death of a family member, divorce, or loss of employment. Just as I went through after our son died. This is a transient state which is usually dispelled by the support of friends and passage of time. Clinical depression or depressive illness, on the other hand, is a serious medial problem which inflicts deep chronic suffering, and can be fatal, in that it often ends in suicide.
The five most common symptoms of depression are:
- Feelings of sadness
- fatigue
- loss of interest in social environment
- self neglect
- insomnia
When our son was in the hospital for 9 months. I lived on fast snacks, a donut, very poor nutrition and no exercise. I sat watching him suffer & decline for 9 months in a hospital room with him. I was away from my husband and our 4 daughters for most of the time, as they were either in school, or my husband had to keep working of course. And we were in different States as well. After he died, again, my husband worked away from home. Everyone was grown and moved on for school. I was alone in our country home, and I literally sewed (quilted) for 12-18 hrs a day, nibbling at my sewing room, no movement, no exercise, no healthy meals. My depression over my son, compiled deeper with lack of nutrition. Once I began to make changes, going back on my nutritional supplements, making real meals when my husband's job changed to bring him home evenings and weekends for me to have someone to cook for again. When I started to get interested in "life" and learning about health, in hopes to prevent this ever happening to us again. Then my depression turned around as well. Now, I have a "fear-stress-depression" watching this happen again, to my husband this time. However, after years (it's been 9 yrs ago since we lost our son), I've had time, opportunity, and strong interest in learning about health, nutrition, and ways to make changes. This time, I'm able to cope better, although the stress at times is still near unbearable. I can "feel" the difference since I moved from a daily multi-supplement (which was very good) to individual supplements in full doses, I really can tell the difference in my mood, my thinking, my activity- energy levels, my more restful sleep, and I'm regaining my health (labs showing improvements), and coping better as well.
Conclusion
Mood and food are being more and more closely linked together by science. To be able to cope with all of life's stresses and face the future with good mental capability we must consider diet. To neglect to supply the brain with the proper balance of nutrition is to invite sluggish thinking, moodiness, poor memory -- and in a "worst case scenario," full blown mental disease such as depression, obsession, or schizophrenia.
What NeoLife products are rich in the nutrients that maintain mental health?
- Super Ease and NouriShake protein supply the amino acid building blocks for neurotransmitters. I take my protein drink (we love the chocolate) as I take my nutritional supplements every morning.
- Stress 30, Sports 30, Active Forty Plus, Formula IV, Formula IV Plus, B-Complex, all contain a rich supply of natural B vitamins for calmness and serenity. I take Super B and Formula IV daily now, and after I rotate twice through at full supply, I'll be stepping into a maintenance stage starting with Stress 30, then Active Forty Plus, then Pro-Vitality.
- Lecithin contains phosphatidyl choline for improved memory. I take this daily in my nutritional supplement routine. After my step down to maintenance, I'll move to the Herbal Mind Enhancement Complex.
- Vitamin E improves circulation and helps prevent stroke As my weight could still come down 40-50 lbs, and my cholesterol is still the low side of high, this is also added to my daily supplement routine.
- Herbal Rest and Relax for better sleep Try sleeping in an ICU room for 5 nights, and do this twice a month. Then sleeping between for 14 days not in your own bed, but as a guest or in motel rooms. Nothing beats your own bed, quiet in our country home. This is helping me to have a more restful night when I'm not in my own home-bed.
- Mind Enhancement Complex for clearer thinking As I'm on Lecithin first, this will be my step down maintenance next step.
For only $49 you can have a membership in NeoLife with NO selling pressure, I've been a member for 35 years, mainly for the discount to save on products we do use.
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