For centuries the heart has been touted as the seat of love and rightfully so. It appears to bear the brunt of all emotions; missed beats, fast pace or absolute peace all depending on how one is feeling.

You have probably also felt “butterflies” in your belly when love is close by. That is the miracle of brain-gut relationship, a testament to the interaction between the first and second “brains”. It is actually the brain that controls all our emotions and holds the cards to the release of all the feel-good hormones, the cuddling hormones and everything else that makes the heart go lub-dub.

July 22^nd marked World Brain Day and the theme was “Brain Health & Prevention”.

STATISTICS THAT MAKE YOU SIT UP

1. Top brain disorders in Ghana (outpatient data, Akpalu et al) are Epilepsy, Movement Disorders, Cerebrovascular Disease and headaches.
2. A whopping 84% of brain challenges can be prevented by healthy living (90% of strokes, 40% of dementia and 25% of epilepsies are preventable.
3. 1 in 3 of us will get dementia or stroke during our lifetime

STEPS TO BRAIN HEALTH

1. Improve blood flow to your brain
   1. Exercising/ movement is key
2. DO NOT retire from work
   1. Continue to task your brain at all times. You “lose” a brain not is not being used
   2. Work on puzzles, try out new games, hobbies, challenges etc. – do difficult things
3. Check Inflammation
   1. Relaxation, Cocoa, Omega 3 and Probiotics come in very handy here.
4. Modify your environment to tame genetics
   1. That’s when eating balanced meals are crucial. Curry/Tumeric for instance comes in very handy
   2. Green vegetables, fruits, a lot of water, good fats such as avocado, olive oil and nuts are all very important. Get your portions!
5. Protect your head from trauma
   1. Try to avoid falls as much as possible
   2. If you have to ride a bike, keep a good helmet on
   3. Wear your seatbelt at all times when in a moving car
6. Avoid Toxins
   1. Alcohol, cigarette smoking, shisha, hemp and other hard drugs as well as sugar
7. Spice up your Mental Health
   1. Smile often, dwell on positive thoughts since all your cells are “listening”
   2. Practice gratitude at all times
8. Boost your Immunity this also protects you from infections
   1. Get a good dose of vitamin D from Sunlight or even a supplement
9. Check your hormones
   1. Watch your thyroid hormones. You health professional will help
10. Control Lifestyle Diseases
    1. Monitor and keep blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol and weight under control.
11. Optimize Sleep & Social Wellness
    1. Do not cheat yourself on sleep
    2. Spend quality time with loved ones and reduce SCREEN time

ALWAYS LAUGH OFTEN, ENSURE HYGIENE, WALK AND PRAY EVERYDAY AND REMEMBER IT’S A PRICELESS GIFT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS (blood sugar, blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI)

Dr. Kojo Cobba Essel

Health Essentials Ltd (HE&W Group)

(dressel@healthessentialsgh.com)

*Dr. Essel is a medical doctor with a keen interest in Lifestyle Medicine, He holds an MBA and is an ISSA Specialist in exercise therapy, fitness nutrition and corrective exercise. He is the author of the award-winning book, ‘Unravelling The Essentials of Health & Wealth.’

Thought for the week – “

Reference:

1. Fact Sheet from Neurology Society of Ghana 2024
2. Data from Professor Amen and Amen Group of Clinics