Healthy Living with Jilisa Ghareeb: Brain Health

Happy Fall

BOO! It is October! Did I scare you? October sneaking up like that scared me too. Scared or not, it is here, and it is coming in with fall vibes full force. I love it!!

I am going to be open and brutally honest here…I have been drawing a blank on what to write about this month. I have been so busy, and it seems like everything is happening all at the same time and at lightning speed. Which sends my brain into a tailspin. Have you ever felt that way? There is so much going on that your brain is paralyzed, and you end up not doing much of anything. Or at least it seems that way because your brain is still spinning. Just me? Ok then moving on. By the way, if you do not ever feel this way, please contact me, and let me know how. I want to adapt to your lifestyle.

Healthy Brain Tips

Maybe you do some of these things to help keep your brain healthy, or maybe you are younger than me and you have not reached this stage yet.  If you are older and the above does not happen, then you probably do these 5 things and more to keep your brain healthy.  Now you are going to look at this list and say “Jilisa, you keep repeating yourself with some of this.” To which I reply with “That is because they are that important!”

1. Sleep – Starting with the first one that you have read time and again from me. The one thing that I strive to do better with. One of the first things that is sacrificed in order to get more things done. Sleep. If you are getting less than 5 hours a night of sleep, you are aging your brain (and your body) faster than you think. If you are getting 6-7, you are doing better. If you are getting 7-8 you are in the group of people who are going to make it. You fine folks are going to be helping the rest of us. I want to be you. Please note this is consecutive hours of sleep, not broken sleep. If you are struggling with sleep apnea that is causing you to wake every couple of hours, please see your doctor. Sleep helps solidify memory. Think about this, kids get lots of sleep and they can remember everything. Well younger kids anyway, I am not sure what happens with teenagers. It is believed that the interstitial space may increase during sleep, allowing the brain to flush out toxin that builds up during the day. The list keeps going for the benefits of sleep, but we need to move on to the next item.
2. Exercise – Did you guess it before you read it? If you did not, then you may be new here. Intentional movement is good for your body, mind, and spirit. When specifically speaking of your brain, physical activity improves your cognitive health. That means it helps you think, learn, problem-solve and be more emotionally balanced. It improves memory (just think with the right amount of sleep and exercise, you will remember everything). I could go on and on about exercise, but there just is not enough time or space. Trust me when I say that moving your body daily for at least a half hour will make you a whole new person.
3. Nutrition – You all know me so well. Eat healthy! As many vegetables as possible and make most of them green. Eat healthy fats (avocado, almonds, walnuts (they look like brains), coconut, cacao (and I do not mean a peanut butter cup). Dark chocolate when eaten in moderation is very beneficial to the body and brain. I will not lament on how incredibly important it is to eat as clean and healthy as possible. I think that most of you already know that.
4. Mentally active – We all know that we need to exercise the muscles in our bodies, but sometimes I think we forget that our brain is a muscle too. We need to exercise this muscle as much as we need to exercise all the rest of them. If we do not use it, we will lose it. We need to keep our brain sharp by learning new things, doing jigsaw puzzles, crosswords, word searches, reading or playing cards. If you have kids or grandkids play the memory game with them, not only are you spending time with them you are helping them and you too.
5. Be social – Hang out with family and friends in person (not online). Social interaction helps to ward off depression and stress – both of which contribute to memory loss. Go to an exercise class and then out for a healthy lunch. I am not going to suggest taking a nap together because that would just be weird but grab a friend and learn how to play an instrument. Tell your spouse that he or she is taking a dance class with you (smiles all around!). Not only are you spending time with your spouse and other people, you are also learning and moving.

I know this list is a lot like some other lists you have read. Sleep, exercise, and nutrition will always be the top 3 things in leading a healthy lifestyle.  These are possible to do for everyone (yes even you). It takes a willingness to change and a commitment to yourself. There are times when these things fall into place and there are other times when some are sacrificed for a time. The point is to never give up and keep trying to be the best version of yourself that you can be. Speaking of food (ok maybe I was not speaking of food, but I was thinking about it), let’s talk about the recipe of the month.

Recipe of the Month: Breakfast

You are right, this is not a recipe. Breakfast is probably my 2^nd most favorite meal (can you guess the first). I love what I consider a traditional breakfast: eggs, potatoes, meat and now I include veggies. Traditionally breakfast is the first meal of the day because you are breaking your fast. Fasting is when you have not eaten for an 8-12 hour period (some will go longer than that), for the vast majority of people this is when you are sleeping. Without going into a lot of detail, intermittent fasting improves various metabolic features known to be important for brain health. Breakfast or breaking your fast is the first meal that you eat, and this meal should not include loads of carbs and sugar. When you eat these things first your insulin will spike, and you are more likely to crave these foods throughout the day. Load your breakfast with healthy fats and protein! My breakfast plate does not look that different from my dinner plate, in fact eating breakfast for dinner is one of my favorites.

Move of the Month: Glute Bridge

There are a few ways to do a bridge. You can have your feet on the ground or on a bench. You can add weights and use a band. I want to start with a basic bridge. Lay on the floor with your knees bent. Tuck underneath your pelvis by drawing your pubic bone toward your head. Doing this will maximize the engagement of your glutes and help you engage your abdominals. Rotate your sternum down (like doing a crunch with your chest) and pull your belly in toward your spine. This does not mean to suck is your stomach as hard as you can while holding your breath. Pull your belly toward your spine to make your stomach hard but do not hold your breath (you should be able to talk). Now while doing all of that, lift your butt straight up. Before you add any weight, use bands, or put your heels up on a bench, perfect your form. This glute bridge is about your butt not your lower back. If you are not doing what I said above, you are most likely just thrusting upward and squeezing your lower back. This is a tough move when done correctly, but (no pun intended) it is a great move to firm up your glutes.

Remember to keep your knees above your ankles.  In the second group of pictures you can see that my feet are too far away from my knees.  Also, when you lift keep your knees in line with your hips. Do not let them flare out to the sides.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. Starting and navigating a new journey can be intimidating and overwhelming. Working with someone who has been in your shoes is extremely helpful and encouraging. Journeys are better when in the company of others.

Jilisa Ghareeb has been a Beachbody coach for 6 years.  Her favorite part of being involved with fitness and nutrition is watching her clients change and open up a whole new world.  As a coach, she is able to help others by introducing them to a change that is often scary, intimidating, and full of “what ifs” to an encouraging and inspirational lifestyle full of “I cans”. She uses her own story to show others that everything is possible with hard work and determination.  If you’re interested in reaching out to Jilisa for more information you can contact her via email, on Instagram, or Facebook.