Tag: exercise

Posted by Christine Pope on in Ageing, Alzheimer's, Detoxification, Health Care, Healthy Ageing, Sleep

What is the Glymphatic System and how does it maintain your brain health?

Have you ever woken up feeling refreshed after a good night’s sleep? Or perhaps after a workout, you noticed your mind feels clearer? This isn’t just a coincidence; it’s linked to something called the glymphatic system. Let’s dive into what it is, how it works, and how sleep, exercise, and nutrients can support it.

What is the Glymphatic System?

The glymphatic system is a waste clearance system in the brain. Think of it as your brain’s cleaning service. It helps remove toxins and waste products that build up during the day. The name “glymphatic” comes from the combination of “glial” cells (support cells in the brain) and “lymphatic” (the system that removes waste from other body tissues).

You are probably more familiar with the concept of the lymphatic system which accounts for the movement of about ten percent of fluid in the body and hosts the immune system. The lymphatic system is activated by muscles to move the fluid around the body.

How Does It Work?

The glymphatic system primarily functions during sleep. Here’s a simplified breakdown of the process:

  1. Fluid Flow: When you sleep, your brain cells shrink slightly, creating more space for cerebrospinal fluid  to flow through the brain. This fluid carries waste away.
  2. Waste Removal: As the cerebrospinal fluid circulates, it picks up harmful proteins and toxins (like beta-amyloid, linked to Alzheimer’s disease) and helps transport them to the lymphatic system for disposal.
  3. Role of Glial Cells: Specialized glial cells, called astrocytes, play a crucial role by forming channels that guide this fluid through the brain.

The Importance of Sleep

Sleep is crucial for the glymphatic system to do its job effectively. During deep sleep, the brain is most active in clearing out waste. Here are some tips to enhance your sleep quality:

  • Stick to a Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day.
  • Create a Restful Environment: Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool.
  • Limit Screen Time: Reduce exposure to screens before bed to help your brain wind down and also do not leave devices in the bedroom.

For more information have a look at my blogs Can You Build Up Sleep Pressure and Six Sleep Myths Debunked .

Exercise: More Than Just a Workout

Exercise not only benefits your body but also supports your brain health and the glymphatic system. Here’s how:

  • Improved Blood Flow: Physical activity boosts circulation, which can enhance the delivery of nutrients to the brain and improve waste removal.
  • Enhanced Sleep Quality: Regular exercise promotes deeper sleep, allowing the glymphatic system to function optimally.
  • Stress Reduction: Exercise helps lower stress levels, which can improve overall brain health.

Nutrients That Support the Glymphatic System

A balanced diet plays a significant role in maintaining brain health. Here are some key nutrients to consider:

  • Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Found in fish, flaxseeds, and walnuts, these fats support brain function and may aid in reducing inflammation.
  • Antioxidants: Fruits and vegetables (like berries, spinach, and kale) are rich in antioxidants that help combat oxidative stress and support brain health.
  • Hydration: Staying well-hydrated is essential for optimal brain function, including the glymphatic system’s performance.

Conclusion

The glymphatic system is vital for keeping your brain healthy by clearing out toxins, especially during sleep. By prioritizing good sleep, staying active through regular exercise, and consuming a nutrient-rich diet, you can support this important system. So, the next time you feel energized after a good night’s sleep or a workout, remember: your brain is hard at work, cleaning up and maintaining your mental health!

For more information on ageing well have a look at my free webinar Feel Sharper Stronger and More Energised; Three Mistakes to Avoid.

Posted by Christine Pope on in exercise, Health Care, Online Courses, stress, Travel

Upskilling and recharging

Spending time at home gives you the opportunity to try things that you may have been wanting to try but may never had the time.  One of my goals is to meditate daily and work my way through all the webinars I signed up for but never got the time to watch. Below are a few ideas to keep you occupied over the next few weeks whilst nurturing mind, body & spirit.

Take an Online course

There are lots of online courses available to cater for every need. TAFE NSW is currently offering 21 courses free of charge.  These range from business administration through to e marketing and are aimed at upgrading skills and giving a qualification which can be used to get back into the workplace.  Further information can be found at Tafe NSW Fee Free Courses .

Coursera offers a range of courses from business and universities, some of which are free.  These are mainly IT and technology based.

Khan academy offers short videos on a range of subjects from mathematics, science through to history.  These are informative and very easy to follow.

Udemy also offers a wide range of short courses free of charge.

Exercise

Staying physically active is important not only for cardiovascular health but also for flexibility.  If you are not used to exercise, then it is important to start with postural exercise to prevent injury.  If you use Instagram then #Move U have some good stability demonstrations.  If you are looking for classes then the Les Mills app is great for classes ranging from Bodypump through to Bodyjam which is a dance type class. F45 in Mona Vale are live streaming HITT classes but do require a membership.  Conny Pulvermacher is livestreaming Yoga classes from The Yoga Room at St Ives have a look at the timetable and see what works for you.

Get Google Arts and Culture

Google arts and Culture, allows you to take virtual tours of some of the top museums, galleries and theatres of the world.  So whether you want to visit  the Natural History museum in London or the teatro bibiena then try Arts and Culture google.

Meditate

Life at the moment can leave many of us feeling stressed, anxious and overwhelmed not knowing what the future will bring.  Meditation and mindfulness apps can help aid in relieving some of these feelings.  Puregym gives a good summary of some of the more popular mindfulness apps. My personal favourite is Gaia which offers you the option to choose the length as well so I have a favourite 12 minute meditation.

Ferment

Fermented foods are great for gut health and general wellbeing, but can be quite expensive.  They include Kombucha, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Kefir and a whole range more.  Each different type of ferment has a different array of friendly bacteria.  Once you get the hang of them they are very simple to create and quite addictive to make.  If you would like to know more then Holly Davis has written a beautiful book called Ferment.  She also has some beautiful recipes on her website .

Learn a language

There are a number of free online language courses available so if you have ever thought you would like to expand your lingual skills try these websites.

French http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/

Spanish http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish/

Italian http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/italian/

Go to the Theatre

Whilst we can’t travel overseas one advantage of the current situation is that theatres are opening up production libraries to enable us to have the experience from the comfort of home. Time Out has produced a list of productions with streaming options in New York and London and Sadler Wells dance company is offering a range of shows free online as well .

Christine Pope is a naturopath and nutritionist based at Elemental Health at St Ives. You can make appointments for an online consultation currently but she will be back in her clinic at St Ives from 1 May.

Posted by Christine Pope on in Health Care, Minerals, Multiple Sclerosis, Nutrition, probiotics, Research

Terry Wahl’s diet for Multiple Sclerosis

shutterstock_227550832At the Bioceuticals Symposium in Melbourne recently I was fortunate to hear from keynote speaker, Dr Terry Wahl’s on the program which put her Multiple Sclerosis into remission. One of the refreshing things about this presentation was the strong focus on diet first, then exercise second and then supplements. The benefit of this approach is that it isn’t just suitable for MS but also anyone suffering from an autoimmune disease and current indications are that this could be in excess of 20% of the population.

Dr Wahl’s was diagnosed with MS in 2000 and used conventional therapies to manage the symptoms. She deteriorated to the extent that she was in a tilt wheelchair and needing to resign from her position at the hospital. Motivated by the downward spiral and with a background in clinical research she started looking for options in the medical literature and looked more broadly at other degenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and Huntingdon’s disease. The drug therapies being tested were decades away so her research then led her to vitamins and supplements. What she found was a number of nutrients that slowed the pace of her MS but did not resolve the underlying condition. After discovering Functional Medicine in 2007 she decided to redesign her diet to try and incorporate those nutrients from food. This had such a significant impact that she went from a wheelchair to walking in one year.

The basis of her program is significant dietary change, basically flooding the body with nutrients. This is done by removing gluten, dairy and sugar and replacing it with a lot of nutrient dense vegetables and phytochemical rich fruit as well as small amounts of good quality protein and fats. The program encourages the use of butter which has been demonised for so long although ideally only the butter of grass fed cows so its rich in nutrients. It also includes small amount of organ meats, ideally organic, for their nutrient density. So pate is back on the menu but you can’t eat it with bread!

Key components of the diet are as follows;

  1. Up to 9 cups a day of vegetables and fruit of which ideally 3 cups are green leafy vegetables and 3 cups are sulphur containing vegetables and the remaining are brightly coloured vegetables and fruit.
  2. Small quantities of good quality protein ideally grass fed or organic.
  3. Fermented foods in small quantities initially to assist in feeding beneficial gut bacteria.
  4. Seaweed to provide adequate amounts of the essential mineral iodine
  5. Organ meats such as liver or heart once or twice a week, these should ideally be organic but particularly important to have organic liver as many toxins can be stored in the liver.
  6. Good quality fats such as olive oil and  grass fed butter.

For more information on the specifics of this diet her book is invaluable and she also has many resources on her website including meal plans.

In addition to the dietary changes, adequate sun exposure for Vitamin D as well as regular exercise are critical. Typically exercise is often difficult for MS patients however she recommends working with a suitably qualified exercise therapist to ensure that activity is appropriate and builds up gradually. The advantage is that regular exercise increases the number of mitochondria which assist in building energy, so this is helpful with the fatigue associated with MS and other auto-immune conditions.

Christine Pope is a Naturopath based at Elemental Health at St Ives and can be contacted for appointments on 8084 0081. Christine works with clients to optimise the diet and support them with supplements and herbal medicine.