Lessons for A Healthier Brain (Brain Awareness Month)

June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, and I’m thrilled to see all of the conversations and advancements in this area.

What it means for many of us who have watched parents or grandparents experience cognitive decline in the past is that there are new tools and techniques that bring new hope so that we don’t experience this same decline.

What are the tools and techniques that can help us today to bolster our mental acuity and performance even into our “golden” years?

Some possible solutions have arisen from conversations I’ve had recently with guests on my podcasts, Mountain Mantras: Wellness and Life Lessons.?

These guests are experts in genetics and epigenetics (lifestyle interventions that allow us to “turn up/turn down” expressions of our genes).

Most of us have heard about the cardiovascular and brain-health risks associated with APOE status -related to the variations in SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms).

However, what you’ll learn from this article is that we are NOT “stuck” in any situation related to our genes. The takeaways are meant to empower you to make choices, hopefully starting today, to create a brighter future with a healthier brain.

I’d like to share these solutions in the form of three “lessons” you’ll read about in this article.

I want to thank my guests for their insights, detailed below, for uncovering the following ways you can better take care of your health:

Lesson #1: Transformation must start now so that we can help future generations for the sake of humanity. (Dr. Mickra Hamilton & Dr. Dan Stickler)

Lesson #2: A holistic approach can solve multiple things at once while bringing more joy to life. (Dr. Jackie Kilraine)

Lesson #3: There is no such thing as a “depression gene” (our brains and emotions are much more complex than that). (Andrea Lahti)?

Lesson #1: Transformation must start now so that we can help future generations for the sake of humanity. (Dr. Mickra Hamilton & Dr. Dan Stickler)

Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Sticker are co-founders of Apeiron Zoh Corporation, a Precision Performance Ecosystem that Curates Limitless Expression. They focus on genetics and epigenetic lifestyle strategies along with scientific research, advanced biologics, and leading-edge technologies.

Here are pertinent lessons (called “mantras”) from their interview about genetics/epigenetics and optimization of the human system:

Mantra #1: Humans are evolving based on wellness optimization and complex systems (be open to transformation)

Mantra #2:? The evolved human requires a healthcare system that is not broken (our current system is broken and may not be fixable)

Mantra #3: Change is not linear

Mantra #4: When it comes to genetics, the important word is “variation” (not “mutation”!)

Mantra #5: Genetic information does not have to be scary; it can in fact be validating and positively motivating

Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Sticker talk about Hope, Love & Holistic Medicine, and how you can start taking better care of your health today. These powerful strategies target the physiological, emotional, mental, and energetic aspects of the “human system” to enhance life, improve relationships with the internal and external environment and impact the collective environment.

Lesson #2: A holistic approach can solve multiple things at once while bringing more joy to life. (Dr. Jackie Kilraine)

Dr. Jackie Kilraine is the Director of Neurotechnologies at Apeiron Zoh and the CEO of Expressing Optima and Healthybox.me and her nonprofit, The Free Brain Initiative. She is the author of the Expressing Optima journal which is part of her Rediscovering You program and co-author of the Codes of Longevity. She is highly skilled at solving complex problems using a very individualized approach. This approach is designed to restore energy, remove fear, regain clarity and help clients look and feel ten years younger.?

Here are more “mantras” from the interview:

Mantra #1: Neurofeedback is about training the brain through its reward system (and it is work!).

Mantra #2:? Audio-Visual Entrainment (AVE)? is passive.?

Mantra #3: All brain waves have their purpose and function.

Mantra #4: The gateway to Gamma is through Theta. “Theta is the Magic Carpet to Gamma.”

Mantra #5:? Gamma waves are associated with creativity (“aha” moments) as well as healing. Studies show that Gamma waves can reduce amyloid plaques in the brain.

Mantra #6:? COMT is a high-impact SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism).??

Seeing the trend as we start to summarize these “mantras” or takeaways? We don’t have to be resigned to our genes. We have more power over our health than we think.?

Lesson #3: There is no such thing as a “depression gene” (our brains and emotions are much more complex than that). (Andrea Lahti)?

Andrea Lahti is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Epigenetic Coach. She studied genetics and ethics as an undergrad at the University of South Carolina, then pursued her Masters in Social Work at the University of North Carolina, to gain skills in being an informative and protective liaison between cutting-edge technology and people’s everyday lives.?

Andrea has spent years developing a Neurotransmitter panel that includes 20 biochemical signals that help an individual better understand their brain and has focused recently on the complexity and yet simplicity of serotonin.?

Here are her “mantras” from the interview:

Mantra #1: Neurotransmitters are like an orchestra creating a symphony in the brain.

Mantra #2: The obstacles to having one’s individual genes analyzed (cost, access) are getting lower and lower every day.

Mantra #3: A genetics analysis is not scary- it can in fact be validating.

Mantra #4: An epigenetics coach incorporates the client’s goals as the basis for genetics read with epigenetics interventions.

Andrea emphasizes using a systems approach to provide a mix of state-of-the-art technology, education, products, and services to help people understand the way their bodies and minds function so they can make changes that will help them feel their best. She has years of experience as a medical social worker to help people balance the emotional, mental, and physical aspects of their health.?

References and Resources:

Parts of this article were originally published on my podcast show-notes posts at www.MakeEverythingFun.com .

Mountain Mantras (https://makeeverythingfun.com/mountain-mantras-podcast/ ) features wellness experts to share actionable advice about how we can improve our health and performance. I summarize the takeaways from guests as “mantras” that listeners/viewers can take as actionable advice for their daily lives.?

Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Sticker: https://makeeverythingfun.com/radio/e099-hamilton-stickler/ ?

Dr. Jackie Kilraine: https://makeeverythingfun.com/radio/e104-jackie-kilraine/

Andrea Lahti: https://makeeverythingfun.com/radio/102-andrea-lahti/