Oxygen, Aging and Your Mental and Physical Health – How to stay vital, alert and active

By Dr. Dennis Maness, HealthWalk MindSoul Division

Oxygen is a great source of energy for every cell in our body and without it we couldn't live more than a few minutes without irreparable damage. Oxygen serves as a major fuel to the brain; it displaces deadly free radicals, neutralizes environmental toxins and destroys anaerobic bacteria, parasites, microbes and viruses. It also enhances our memory, cognitive processing and aids in the body’s absorption of vital nutrients, amino acids and proteins. Understanding this helps us realize the importance of oxygen to the brain, how it affects our overall health and aging process.

When we think of breathing and oxygen absorption we think of respiration. Respiration occurs as an exchange of gases as we inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Where do we receive and employ this oxygen? Our first thoughts are from the nose and lungs. While this is the most popular gateway for breathing, it is not the only one. There is another one just as important to the body for the delivery of oxygen, the Vertebrobasilar System.

The gateway for oxygen to the brain is through the Vertebrobasilar System. This system is made up of the two vertebral arteries and the Basilar Artery and is essential for proper mental and physical health. The brain is the control center for the entire body. The better is your brain health; the better will be your physical stamina and general health. Without oxygen, brain cells deteriorate quickly and die. This is why the second gateway to breathing is so vitally important.

There is a very close correlation between how you well you breathe and your emotional state. Improper breathing limits oxygen and valuable nutrients to the brain causing mental fatigue, tiredness and brain fog. When we breathe from our upper chest, we miss out on so much of the oxygen and nutrients supply that breathing from the diaphragm offers.

Why is diaphragm breathing so important to the brain? You get a higher exchange of oxygen/carbon dioxide and a greater amount of nutrients by breathing from the diaphragm, especially when you are consuming live foods.

Just as a common cold will congest our nasel passages and our lungs, the Vertebrobasilar System can become congested with improper oxygen flow. The congestion will manifest as mental and physical fatigue, depressive type symptoms, irritability, headache, nervous tension to name a few.

Let’s draw some paralell's between nasel congestion and Vertebrobasilar congestion.

• When your airways are congested, breathing becomes difficult and challenging. You inhale deeply only to find the nasal passages become strained. Nasal congestion can interfere with the ears, hearing, and speech development.
• When your Vertebrobasilar Systeam is congested, you feel cognitively challenged. You feel mentally fatigued and/or clouded with brain fog. Your ears may start ringing and you may develop depressive like symptoms.
• Vertebrobasilar congestion can also affect your speech causing slowness of thought and even memory lapsces.

Now that we know the Vertebrobasilar System can be a major cause of our low mood, physical fatigue and premature aging, let's look at some of the things that impair its efficient operation.

Smoking:
Smoking constricts the gateways of oxygen to the brain. Although it does carry a stimulant to the brain, its effect is short lived and is usually followed by a downer which makes many smokers reach for a second and a third cigarette.

Diet:
High fat and high sugar diets also cause Vertebrobasilar congestion.

What about diet drinks? Aspartame is commonly used as a sweetener in diet sodas. What momma may not have told you is that Aspertame contains chemicals called excitotoxins that can cross the brain / blood barrier. In some, excitotoxins can trigger headache and mood swings along with its negative effect on the oxygen supply to the brain.

Certain foods can constrict the supply of oxygen to the brain causing a headache. How often have you stopped to rub your temples in order to find relief of a throbbing headache? Pay close attention to what you consumed before the onset of the headache.

The Solution:

The brain uses about 20% of the oxygen we consume to make energy to fuel all of our cognitive processes. Serotonin is a chemical produced by the brain that functions as a neurotransmitter to help improve your mood. Low serotonin levels are associated with mood disorders, particularly depression. With a diet rich in live food, we can help improve our mood as Serotonin is found in many mushrooms, plants, fruits and vegetables.

On your first visit to HealthWalk’s MindSoul Brain Technology and Brain Entrainment, you will learn how to breathe for the optimal benefit of your brain and body, how to relax the brain and also exercises that will keep your mind and body alive and vibrant. MindSoul Brain Technology and Brain Entrainment can change your entire mental and physical outlook on life for the better.