Sleep is a restorative process and sunlight affects circadian rhythms. The less sunshine we are exposed to the more we increase our risk for insomnia. Hormones, digestion, blood sugar imbalances, and neurotransmitters are thrown off when we don’t sleep well. And, mood disorders and psychological imbalances are directly linked to lack of sleep. The truth,‘lack of sleep’contributes to psychological alterations.
Continuing on this path, inflammation sets in. A high carb diet and obesity increases inflammation and our chances of suffering from insomnia. Inflammation in our brain means there’s inflammation in our gut.
Because of the discovery of the gut-brain axis, we know the mind, brain, and gut are intimately connected.
The mind decides!
What we eat,
How we live,
Hormonal activities – such as exercise.
The point? A stressed out mind and lack of sleep contributes to indecisions, brain fog, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s is a close relative to Diabetes. Research has pointed to the fact that the gut microbiome is an important contributor in the development of type 2 diabetes. Our brain is an insulin-sensitive organ lending to the notion that diabetes and obesity are associated with reduced brain insulin action. Obesity, we’re told, wears out insulin receptors, shortens telomeres, changes moods, causes brain atrophy, and increases our risk for premature aging. And when asked, no one admits to deliberately trying to age prematurely.
What we need to know
1- Our bacteria are responsible for how we communicate, work, sleep, and feel. This means all self-care habits will affect our very survival. My father had suffered from Alzheimer’s 25 years before he was diagnosed. That means he was about 50 years old when he started losing his mind. His comfort foods included coffee, pastrami sandwiches, donuts, coke syrup, and a bowl of ice cream before bed. But truth be told, he was NEVER comforted. He was full of anxiety and suffered from insomnia most of the time. He unknowingly traumatized himself and all who had the pleasure to know him. In the end, it was his lifestyle that seriously eroded his mind.
2- Brain Facts and the Circadian System. Insomnia is linked to a diet full of sugar, obesity, poor gut microbiome, a toxic brain, and toxic emotions. Relying on sugar from early morning until late evening is like relying on battery acid. This means weight gain and inflammation from a poor diet not only adversely changes our gut microbiome, but destroys sleep patterns, and is directly linked to imbalanced hormones, obstructive sleep apnea, and Alzheimer’s.
3- Melatonin and serotonin affect our gastrointestinal tract and our mind. These work best when we are exposed to natural sunlight, less stress, and less air pollution.
5 Things we can change before we loss our mind.
1- Avoid eating without intention. Eating with intention involves chewing our food instead of gulping. But, it also means knowing which foods promote balance or increase anxiety in your body. Also decrease the sugar in your diet.
2- Keep your indoor environment clean and safe. Notably, air pollution is notorious for increasing our chances of Alzheimer’s, confusion, accelerated brain aging, and insomnia. Air pollution includes toxic plug-ins, air fresheners, candles, and disinfectants.
3- Make it a habit to release stress daily.
The gut microbiome is an endocrine organ. It influences stress, metabolism, reproduction, the immune system, weight, sleep, hormones, the central nervous system, brain function, and our neurotransmitters. Poor gut microbiome can keep us forgetful, stressed, and lethargic. How we deal with stress is directly linked to the nutritional crosstalk of our gut to our brain.
4- Get about 15 min. daily sun exposure, but not sunburn.
5- Limit television and get 8 hours sleep a night.
Connie Rogers is a Certified Health Coach & Brain Health Coach.
She is the author of Memory Stealers on Amazon and video.
Connie believes health and wellness are established with proper nutrition, fitness, and mindfulness. Connie takes a natural and holistic, common sense approach to rebuilding wellbeing from the ground up.
