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When it comes to our brain health, there are so many overlooked avenues to optimal wellness that can be used as a complementary solution to improve outcomes. Often, the emphasis for causative factors is limited to genetic predispositions, age related decline, social conditions, or grief.
However, looking through a functional lens, just as there are a multitude of causative factors that can negatively affect our brain health. These include areas such as poor gut health, undiagnosed infections, neuro-inflammation, toxin build-up, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, and stress/trauma. The great news is that there are just as many ways to support our cognitive function!
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Signs and symptoms that this important organ needs some extra support include what’s often referred to as ‘mental health’ or cognitive health decline, which can show up as:
- Frequent low mood and various degrees of depression
- Feeling anxious or experiencing panic attacks
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
- Attention Deficit Disorders
- Memory loss, Dementia, Alzheimer’s
- Extreme irritability or bursts of anger
- Addictions
- Brain fog and mental fatigue
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While it’s normal to experience symptoms occasionally, especially during times of extra pressure or stress in our lives, it’s worthwhile to explore new possibilities for your brain health from a natural approach.
One research backed avenue to optimal brain wellness includes medicinal mushrooms. Let’s explore some ways we can use them to increase neuroplasticity, meaning our brain’s ability to regenerate and heal.
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Here are some ways medicinal mushrooms help with optimal brain health:
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Reduce Neuroinflammation
Chronic low grade intestinal and neuro-inflammation is one of the root causes of depression and neurodegenerative disease. Chronic neuroinflammation can have many root causes, such as brain trauma or concussion, unmanaged stress, toxin build-up and nutrient deficiencies or excesses. Increased brain inflammation and proinflammatory cytokine IL-1 have the capacity to influence the synthesis, release, and reuptake of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which can lead to neurodegeneration, mood disorders and memory loss. Neuroinflammation is associated with Alzheimer’s disease progress, leading to Dementia. Mushrooms like Chaga, which contain one of the highest antioxidant values on the planet, help to reduce inflammation and protect our brain and nervous system against damage from stress. Lion’s mane is another mushroom showing reduction in inflammatory pathways in the digestive system.
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Help Your Mind Adapt to Stress
The brain is the organ in the body that interprets and perceives experiences as threatening or nonthreatening, which determines the behavioral responses in all situations. Chronic emotional (mental tension, over worry, fear) or physical stress (toxins, inflammatory foods, alcohol, blood sugar ups/downs, overexertion) can increase C-reactive protein and inflammation, and damages neurons in the hippocampus & prefrontal cortex, key areas involved in memory, attention, and decision making. Stress also causes hypertrophy of neurons in the amygdala, an area of our brain responsible for emotions like fear, anxiety, and aggression. Reducing stress triggers & increasing recovery tools to manage cortisol, can help to mitigate the effects of stress on brain health. Plants with adaptogenic properties influence the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Axis (HPA axis) and other key mediators of the stress response, therefore helping us become more resilient to stress and promote recovery and homeostasis in the body. Medicinal mushrooms, such as reishi and lion’s mane, contain stress apoptogenic properties to support cognitive agility, mental calmness & elevated mood.
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Support Neurogenesis
Incorporating cognition enhancing nootropics like Lion’s Mane mushroom can help by stimulating the production of neuron growth factors to activate the brain, supporting the reduction of brain inflammation, helping neurons in the brain communicate with each other, leading to healthy memory and mood. This mushroom is a superb nervous system tonic as it helps to repair the function of our neurons & has a regenerative effect on our peripheral nerves, which are in charge of the communication between your brain cells & your body. In therapeutic doses, it has been proven to regenerate brain cells, which helps to lift brain fog, enhance cognition and memory, and improve mood; lowering anxiety, depression & stress. Eversio wellness Focus blend offers 8gr of Lion’s Mane fruiting bodies, without any fillers. This way you get the most benefit & quickest results for cognitive support.
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Beneficial to Your Microbiome
Support for a healthy microbiome is imperative, as the latest research shows a clear connection between the beneficial bacteria in the gut and its effect on our brain health. The impact of poor gut health has a correlation with a wide range of conditions such as ADHD, autism, chronic fatigue, OCD, anxiety, and depression. Important mood regulating neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, are found mostly in the gut, and they have a significant effect on brain disorders. The polysaccharides called beta-glucans found in mushrooms like Lion’s Mane, Reishi, Turkey Tail and Chaga support the Gut-Brain Axis by providing anti-inflammatory effects, prebiotics and antioxidant nourishment for the microbiome.
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Provide Antioxidant Protection
Medicinal mushrooms contain powerful antioxidants that help to repair damaged cells, clear toxins and reduce inflammation. Our brain detoxes and repairs through a vascular glymphatic system. When this system is disrupted, we can experience an increase in toxin buildup and neuroinflammation, leading to brain fog. Reishi mushrooms have a calming action on the nervous system, increase restorative sleep, and help to support the detoxification from environmental exposures, therefore leading to better brain health.
Therefore, in addition to nutrition and lifestyle changes, adding medicinal mushrooms to the mix has amazing benefits for our brain health!
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How to Consume Medicinal Mushrooms
You can add medicinal mushrooms to cooking, like dressings, sauces, or soups. Add them to your favourite crackers or energy balls, coffee, smoothie, or make a fun elixir.
To get the therapeutic benefits, use a company that has guaranteed potency for efficacy through proper extraction methods, such as hot water and/or alcohol. You’ll also want to understand how the mushrooms are grown; ideally organically or wild harvested. Because mushrooms have an affinity to store heavy metals, you’ll want to make sure they are tested for contamination. And lastly, look for a brand that uses only the fruiting body of the mushrooms, as that’s where the most benefits lie.
Start slow, and take consistently for 2-6 weeks to see best results. Make sure to check for contraindications while on medications, if you have a mushroom allergy, and if you’re pregnant/nursing.
To try medicinal mushrooms and get the highest quality benefits, check out Eversio Wellness organic mushroom extracts. You can use one mushroom at a time or a combination that is offered in a blend. I have been using the Balance, Chill, Focus, and Awaken blend for the past 3 months and absolutely loving the results. I feel calmer, sleep better, have more focus, and have a lot more energy. You can use my affiliate code (ANNALIISA15) to save 15% at checkout.
* Since I may not be your healthcare provider, please check with your physician before making any lifestyle, nutritional or supplemental changes. Not medical advice.
The Winter Season of AOK Nutrition Plan Program featured theme is: Cognitive Health
We combine empowering education about how your body works with simple weekly tweaks and action steps to support your brain health.
- Find solutions to root causes of brain fog, memory loss, and changes in mood
- Learn how to optimize your cognitive health & mood through nutrition & lifestyle strategies for mental clarity & reducing irritability, anger and even overwhelm
- Understand which hormones, neurotransmitters & systems in the body impact your mood & how to detect which areas need your attention most
- Learn to make simple swaps in your daily foods that have a big impact on your mood, memory, and mental clarity
- Find out if your current lab results are in the optimal range, how to request functional testing + how to decide which test is the most important one to start with for you
Investment includes:
- 10 Seasonal DFY Meal Plans to make meal planning easy and effortless
- Step by step prep guide to save you time
- Shopping Lists for Each Plan to save money and time
- Brand & Pantry Guides to take the guesswork out of which brands to buy
- Extra Seasonal Recipes Booklet for fun & easy weekend, drink, and dessert recipes
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER. (USE SAVINGS CODE AOKWINTER FOR EARLY BIRD SAVINGS)
