10/26/2024
Boost your brain with these spices:
1. Turmeric.
Turmeric is one of the most popular spices around the world. It has a chemical known as curcumin that can help your mental function. You’ve probably heard of the benefits of drinking turmeric milk, but did you know it is a powerful spice in itself? Beyond its culinary uses, one of the best ways to make sure you’re getting the benefits of turmeric is to add it to your meals – it’s a spice that will stack on top of your meals and work instaneously to provide health benefits.
Turmeric may help you fight depression, strengthen your memory, and have more positive moods. Turmeric may also help fight the plaque that can build up in your brain over time and lead to Alzheimer’s. Researchers are studying this powerful spice so it can be used to help Alzheimer’s patients.
2. Oregano.
Oregano is the common name for several species of the Mediterranean herb, Origanum vulgare. Oregano has been used as a food flavoring in Turkey, Greece, and the Middle East for at least 3,500 years. It has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years. For example, it is used for digestive problems, respiratory problems, and as a disinfectant. It is also believed to help increase one’s brain power. Today, we use oregano in our cooking and enjoy its many health benefits. Oregano has multiple health benefits, and one of them is helping your brain. Oregano is a strong spice, but even a little bit in your cooking can make a difference in your brain.
This spice has many antioxidants. It’s well-known for fighting free radicals that can damage your cells and tissues.
In several studies, oregano has shown an ability to help people uplift their moods. It can reduce anxiety and depression. It may also help you concentrate and remember things better.
The compounds in oregano have a direct impact on neurotransmitters in your body and brain. This is why it’s such a powerful way to strengthen your mental function.
3. Black pepper.
You probably have this in your kitchen cupboard already, but you may want to use it more often. Black pepper has a chemical known as piperine, which can boost your brain power. Piperine is the main ingredient in black pepper, which is the world’s most popular spice. Piperine is also found in many other foods, like coffee beans, black tea, chocolate, and red wine among others. It may be the most important ingredient in the ancient tradition that claims black pepper improves memory and cognition, but it has also been linked to a variety of health benefits and has even been shown to reduce inflammation.
The chemicals in this spice can help lighten your mood, strengthen concentration levels, and make you feel more relaxed.
There’s another benefit to black pepper that researchers are focusing on right now. It’s related to Parkinson’s disease and the possibility of using concentrated black pepper to help people fight the negative brain effects of this condition.
, Top 3 Brain-Boosting Spices, Dr. Nicolle
How to Use These Spices
If you’re not used to cooking with turmeric, oregano, or black pepper, it may seem overwhelming. However, you can start off small and increase how much you use over time.
Follow these strategies:
1. Invest in fresh, high-quality herbs and spices.
You may have these spices in your kitchen, but are they fresh? Spices lose their flavor and potency over time, so purchase new supplies if you’ve had them for a while.
2. Add these spices to your current recipes.
Can you add one or more of them to your favorite soup or stew without hurting the classic? It’s sometimes easier to integrate spices into current dishes that you already make.
3. Discover new recipes.
Consider learning to make new dishes that rely on turmeric, oregano, or black pepper for their flavor. This will help you expand your cooking skills and introduce you to new ideas.
Spices are an easy way to help your brain each day. You can add them to your meals throughout the week and watch the benefits increase over time. You may even notice a change right away. Spices are a powerful way to make your body stronger and healthier while making your cooking taste better.
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, Top 3 Brain-Boosting Spices, Dr. Nicolle
I really wanted to talk about this topic today because your natural health and wellness is important. You can adopt healthy lifestyle practices that improve your health, your environment, and enrich your life, which can in turn improve the lives of those close to you. You have the power to break the cycle of poor health, including chronic disease, so that you can leave a legacy of health to your loved ones.
I use functional medicine and lifestyle medicine as the first line of treatment, before medications, to treat lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Lifestyle-related chronic diseases include diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and some cancers, just to name a few. Lifestyle practices, such as eating a whole-food plant-based diet and regular physical activity, can help you lose weight, reverse some chronic diseases (if you suffer from them), and can even help you with detoxification. In certain cases, these approaches may even outperform pharmaceutical therapy.
But I always tell my patients that conventional medications may be appropriate at this time to prevent catastrophic illness, but over time, you can work to make the necessary lifestyle changes to possibly reduce and/or eliminate medications. Please remember to always consult your physician for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any decisions whatsoever.
Is Dietary Supplementation Right For You?
For some people, vitamin and mineral supplements offer important health benefits. Supplements are designed to fight deficiencies found in our diet and complement the food we eat regularly. Supplements are basically “helping hands” to our daily food.
If you suspect that you aren’t getting the nutrients you need, consider shifting your focus from supplements to eating better.
But it is very important to note that we are not eating the same foods we ate years ago because the soils have been depleted of critical nutrients through current industrial farming practices. And because the soil is not as good as it used to be, the food supply (grown from the depleted soil) is not as good as it used to be. For example, you are not getting the same levels of magnesium as you would have gotten 30 or even 50 years ago.
Second, much of the food has been genetically altered, which can impact the inherent and unique nutritional composition that each food possess. For example, ancient einkorn wheat has less gluten, more protein, more Vitamin A, and more beta carotene, than modern genetically modified wheat.
Third, the toxic load in the environment today is much higher than 100 years ago. We can see this with global warming, toxic landfills, polluted oceans and waterways, etc. Toxicity levels interfere with nutrient assimilation and absorption not just into the foods, but into our bodies as well.
So… if you are unable to eat better, the supplements in my MaxHealth Essentials Bundle may provide the extra boost you need.
MaxHealth Essentials Bundle
These are my favorite Wellness and Immune-Boosting Supplements to use! This MaxHealth Essentials Bundle will ensure you have the intake of the important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to decrease inflammation and boost your innate wellness day and night. Taken together, it’s a solid plan for increasing your body’s natural resiliency.
For best results make sure you use the supplements with dietary changes including a whole food plant-based diet, regular exercise (at least 2-3x per week), regular sleep (8 hours per night), and intermittent fasting (at least 1-3x per week).
Weight Monitoring
Since weight management is very important in combatting chronic diseases, I recommend that you be mindful of your weight and its fluctuations, and that you monitor your weight AT LEAST on a weekly basis. I recommend a scale that includes a body composition monitor (*this scale cannot be used with a pacemaker or other implanted devices).
Physical Activity
Physical activity (or exercise) can improve your health and reduce the risk of developing several chronic diseases like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, just to name a few. Physical activity can improve your mood, boost your immune system, help you maintain a healthy weight, and is a great way to detox your body!
I often recommend yoga and resistance training for physical activity, but as you are aware, there are plenty of forms of “movement” that you can do! But for the basics, especially if you’re just getting started, yoga and resistance training are where I would start.
Yoga
Yoga can be a great way to improve your strength and flexibility, manage your stress, improve your heart health, and lose weight! I recommend using a grounded yoga mat to connect yourself with the earth and reduce inflammation.
Resistance Training
Resistance training is the mainstay for overall health. It not only has beneficial effects on reducing body fat, it also increases muscle size and strength. Check out some basic dumbbells/free weights that I recommend to everyone.
Another alternative for dumbbells/free weights are resistance bands. They are great for physical therapy, yoga, strength training, and excellent for traveling.
Remember, living a healthy lifestyle including eating a whole foods plant-based diet, regular physical activity, and reducing stress are the best ways to maintain a healthy weight. Let me know what you think in the comment section below.
Picture of Dr. Nicolle Martin
Dr. Nicolle Martin
Dr. Nicolle is double board-certified in Family Medicine and Preventive Medicine. As one of the nation’s most acclaimed primary care and public health physicians, she is a nationally recognized author, speaker, researcher, consultant and media personality. She is the Founder and Chief Medical Advisor of DrNicolleMD.com, where she discusses actionable ideas and real-world strategies to help people take control of their health using integrative therapies and lifestyle change. Dr. Nicolle also shares her knowledge via her popular social media accounts “Maximize Health” to help people pursue a healthier life. Her motto is simple: Minimize Medications, Maximize Health. With her credentials and warm “bedside manner,” it’s no wonder that the doctor is renowned as “America’s Favorite Family Physician.”
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