Gary Null - Reboot Your Brain:A Natural Approach to Fighting Memory Loss, Dementia, Alzheimer’s, Brain Aging, and More

A Natural Approach to Fighting Memory
Loss, Dementia, Alzheimers, Brain Aging,
and More

Dr. Gary Null, PhD

Copyright 2013 by Gary Null

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Gary Null Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Gary Null Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Gary Null Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or info@skyhorsepublishing.com.

Gary Null Publishing is an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

Visit our website at www.skyhorsepublishing.com.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

ISBN: 978-1-62636-123-2

Printed in the United States of America

Every effort has been made to ensure the information contained in this book is complete and accurate. However, neither the publisher nor the author is engaged in rendering professional advice or services to the individual reader. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained in this book are not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician. All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. Neither the author nor the publisher shall be liable or responsible for any loss or damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this book. The opinions expressed in this book represent the personal views of the author and not of the publisher.

In addition, the recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The publisher is not responsible for specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.

Furthermore, the publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the authors rights is appreciated.

This book is designed for individuals who have, or are specifically concerned about, only one of the conditions discussed on the following pages. To promote brain health and protect your brain, you should follow my protocol for optimal brain health in chapter 2.

In the chapters that follow, Ill recommend protocols for specific conditions. The vitamins, minerals, and supplements I recommend should be incorporated into the protocol from chapter 2. In some cases I will recommend increasing the dose of a particular vitamin or supplement to impact a specific condition. In these cases, you should increase the daily dosage from chapter 2 to the level recommended for that specific condition.

Do not combine the protocols in these chapters with each other. And do not add more than one additional protocol to the one given in chapter 2. If you are concerned about more than one of these brain conditions, consult with a health professional about how you can safely impact multiple conditions. If you are taking medications, or have any food restrictions, you should consult with your doctor before beginning any supplement program. Supplement overdoses are rare, but possible, and certain combinations may affect individuals adversely.

PART I

WHAT IT MEANS TO
REBOOT YOUR BRAIN

As of 2013, ninety-three million people over the age of forty-seven live in America. They make up the largest group of aging people in our countrys history. Most of these individuals are overweight or obese and have poor diets. Many of them experience a high-stress lifestyle and turn to smoking, drinking, drugs, and prescription medications for short-lived fixes. Our health care system makes matters worse through overtaxing and placing little to no emphasis on prevention. Given this state of affairs, the prognosis for America is a virtual pandemic of brain dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation leading to dementia, Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, insomnia, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Current estimates by health care experts tell us that by 2050, two billion people worldwide will suffer from dementia, costing approximately one trillion dollars in medical expenses annually.1 These projections may well become a reality unless we make some radical and fundamental changes.

This book is the culmination of thirty-five years of my own research into anti-aging sciencesthirty of them spent as a research fellow with the Institute of Applied Biologyas well as my clinical experience counseling more than ten thousand individuals as a nutritionist and dietitian. I have come to the conclusion that all the conditions mentioned above can be prevented and reversed with lifestyle modifications. It is my firm conviction that it is never too early or too late to change your behaviors to successfully maintain vigorous mental and physical health as you grow older. These claims are well-supported by thousands of studies published in peer-reviewed scientific literature.

Science has told us we have approximately 65,100 trillion cells. We know that there are more than ten thousand gene alterations per cell per day. The reason our brains lose function as they age is that we damage them, rather than help them repair themselves. Coffee, cigarettes, white bread, hot dogs, hamburgers, pizza, french fries, milkshakes, cheesecakes, pretzels, bagels, grilled cheese sandwiches, white rice, colas, candies, and other junk foods allow for the biochemical reactions that cause oxidative stress, inflammation, free radical damage, and glycation that destroy, harm, or alter DNA. Such damage occurs all the time, and it will continue as long as we are doing nothing to change it.

A wealth of scientific evidence demonstrates that engaging in physical and mental exercise and adhering to a healthy, vegan diet rich in phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can effectively prevent DNA damage and help us maintain good health. In Reboot Your Brain, I gather knowledge from hundreds of the latest peer-reviewed studies from around the world showing that our lifestyle choices play a central role in keeping the brain fit and functional. In this book, we will review cutting-edge research showing that consuming a plant-based diet rich in nutrients, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids can effectively protect against dementia and Alzheimers disease. We will explore how modern science has identified the ancient practice of tai chi as a powerful treatment for individuals suffering from Parkinsons disease and depression. In addition, we will look at new evidence linking cognitive degeneration with a sedentary lifestyle and investigate the connection between staying mentally stimulated and maintaining a healthy brain.