[TT] Have you charged your (cellular) battery?

How well do you know your Mitochondria?

3 interesting facts about your mitochondria:

🌟 it started out as an ancient type of bacteria, that during evolution, fused with the more complex cells for their mutual benefit with energy production and survival

🌟 it has its own genetic code (DNA)! In rare situations, inherited mitochondrial DNA defects cause neurological disease, which I see in my clinical practice.

🌟 it produces ATP, our energy currency for being alive

So they are like little batteries within our cells, which need care – just like how you would keep your mobile phone regularly charged.🪫🔋

📍How is this relevant to your Brain Health?*

Mitochondria health is a key part of a healthy functioning brain, for multiple functions from cell repair to neurotransmission.

Keeping our mitochondria healthy supports better memory, learning, cognitive abilities and prevents cognitive decline.

Hence, relevant for focus and productivity.

And reducing migraines, as oxidative stress to the mitochondria has been linked with migraine attacks.

📍4 ways to care for your Mitochondria for Brain Health:

1️⃣🌟 Feed…

Feed it with nutrients it needs including B vitamins and micronutrients such as iron, magnesium, zinc.

Obtain this from a whole-foods diverse diet that includes seeds, nuts and dark green leafy vegetables.

Consume antioxidant rich foods such as beans, berries, and dark chocolate (yes, dark chocolate! Just avoid the sugary ones and have it after a meal to stabilise blood sugar).

2️⃣🌟 Move…

Physical activity boosts the function of mitochondria and enhances their resilience.

Lots of ‘moderate intensity’ (Zone 2) movements, e.g. brisk walking is great to build you baseline resilience.

3️⃣🌟 Rest…

.. and take a breath, with Mindfulness! 😊

Practices like mindfulness and meditation reduce oxidative stress and protect your mitochondria structure.**

4️⃣🌟 Sleep…

Sleep is another way to “recharge” your hard working mitochondria, giving it the time to repair any oxidative damage

The above is another rationale for the BRA(i)NS® programme for brain health, which incorporates the above aspects – to Build Brain Resilience and Balance Your Autonomic Nervous System (shortened to BRA(i)NS® with an added (i) for my expertise with eye/vision and brain spelling 😀)

** Oh, you may not have heard yet 🤣 I have a book Mindfulness for Brain Health 📕

Available on Amazon: paperback / hardcover / audiobook / Kindle.

And in Spanish/ French/ Italian/ German 🙂 – and audiobooks in these translated languages, which I admit, I enjoyed listening to, during quality checks (language revision! 😆)

Perhaps you may enjoy listening to another language for your cognitive training!

In conclusion, 👉Proactively keep your (cellular) batteries charged regularly to avoid this: