Happy birthday to Wild World, Joyful Heart (WWJH), published five years ago in October 2019. One of the many things I worked at during the 2+ years of creating this book was writing it in a way that helps it stay relevant. While five years isn’t terribly long, I’m pleased that it has stayed relevant—one could argue some sections are even *more* relevant—and is continuing to empower people around their well-being.
Whether you want to…
- Create lasting positive habits
- Build health in your body
- Become a better steward of your mind (ie: stress resilience)
- Have more inner peace
- Increase the intentionality of your connection to spirit
- Improve relationships, or
- Help the world be a better place
…Wild World, Joyful Heart is for YOU. It’s reportedly an especially great read right now, as we once again navigate polarized pre-election politics in the US of A. It’s a book that folks read and re-read (or listen and re-listen) as they get more out of it each time. I always love to hear from readers so don’t be shy about reaching out to me with your post-read thoughts!
“What’s going on with my brain?!?”
Millions of Americans of all ages find that their brain doesn’t work as well, as they get older. Many folks start to notice changes in their brain function as early as their late 30s or early 40s:
- Memory loss
- Brain fog
- Depression, anxiety
- Difficulty learning
- Dwindling focus and concentration
- Tire easily when working, driving, reading, writing, etc
- Decreased motivation, drive or passion
What a drag! And here’s the thing…
Skin wrinkles are part of aging; it happens to everybody. Yet most of us know people who are mentally sharp well into their 80s, 90s or even beyond. Clearly brain degeneration is not “part of aging.” So what gives?
Here’s the scoop. People often think of the brain as separate from the rest of the body. I mean, it IS off by itself in a private penthouse room (the skull). Yet, the brain is simply another organ of our profoundly integrated body. This means that just as our lifestyle choices and habits affect our body below our neck—weight, heart health, proper digestion, blood sugar balance, liver function and on—they also deeply affect our brain health.
Our 50+ trillion cells—regardless of what organ or tissue they’re associated with—all have similar needs. Let’s explore…
What do brains love?
How do you create brain health? What do brains love? Top five…
- Food Sass®
Whole, nutrient-dense foods as close to their original state as possible, and organic where it matters. - Mind Savvy®
Awareness and conscious direction of how we use the mind, while continually stewarding that use in a way that supports our health and well-being. - Exercise
Movement increases oxygen levels. All our cells love oxygen, and the brain is one of the top three oxygen hogs in the body. - Sleep
While you’re sleeping your brain is reorganizing, repairing cells, making hormones, processing memories, and removing waste. In the same way that a football stadium needs to be cleaned up, repaired, restocked and have waste removed after every game, our brain needs to do all that stuff every night. And it can become cluttered and disjointed when we don’t mindfully create good sleep hygiene. - Water
There’s a reason why we get a headache when we’re dehydrated. We’re losing water all day, every day, so replacing it with clean water is imperative.
There’s also a companion list of things that the brain DOESN’T love. That list includes, of course, the opposites of each of the “happy brain” bullet points above. Other top billers for damaging brain health and function are: unmanaged stress with accompanying high cortisol levels, sugar & empty carbs, alcohol, gluten, and toxins.
While the “yay” and “boo” lists apply to all our cells, the brain is the main “computer” that runs our body. Hence, if the brain isn’t functioning well, it also directly affects every other part of our body, above and beyond the memory loss, brain fog, difficulty learning, etc.
Help for brain health
“Can I just take one of those brain supplements? Like ginkgo biloba, feverfew, turmeric, bacopa or butcher’s broom?”
Well, you *can*, and that’s a good list of brain supplement candidates. However, as is always the case, supplements are…well…supplemental. They can be helpful when incorporated with the lifestyle habits that your brain loves, but they’re not going to move mountains (create brain health) on their own.
It’s never too late to take better care of ourselves. Our body—including our brain—WANTS to heal. It’s hardwired for healing. But it needs our attention, intention and care. This is exactly why I wrote Wild World, Joyful Heart. It’s why I created 28toGreat® and The Body Sass® Cleanse—world-class programs that nourish the body, balance your blood sugar, remove toxins, and empower you around self-care.
The boost in nutrients, blood sugar balance, and water…alongside a reduction of the body’s toxic burden…is why program participants often comment on how much better their brain is working. If folks get that kind of healing in only 2-4 weeks, imagine what creating a continual supportive lifestyle will do!
Our health is our greatest wealth. Start with just one of the 5 lifestyle habits that your brain loves and take it one step at a time. And as Jim Rohn said, “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”
To your empowered well-being,
Laurie
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