Professor Dr. Bankole Johnson (2013 – 2019) served as The Dr. Irving J. Taylor Professor and Chair in the Department of Psychiatry, and Professor of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Medicine, Neurology, and Pharmacology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He directs all brain sciences across multiple departments at the School under the aegis of the Brain Science Research Consortium Unit, which grew in NIH funding from $21M-$35M from 2013-2018. Professor Johnson serves as the Director of the Clinical Neurobehavioral Center in Columbia. Professor Johnson is a licensed physician and board-certified psychiatrist. He is the Principal Investigator on National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded research studies from basic science to molecular and clinical studies and has been funded continuously for over two decades. Haute MD expert Dr. Bankole Johnson discusses tips on how to make the most of your morning with mental acuity, strength, and alacrity.
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Few of us wake up in the morning with the thought – I am going to take my brain for a run and tune it up. Indeed, for many, waking up is a slow and uncomfortable process, and for some, it is marked by a state of almost sleepwalking, eyes half-open, and gradually letting in the light. None of this is particularly good for you!
In my book trilogy, Six Rings, I start to describe why the morning is so important for the rest of the day for your mental acuity, strength, and alacrity. When you are awake, be fully awake, and when asleep, be fully asleep. Sounds simple, but perhaps not so for so many of us. We will deal with sleeping another time except to say that it is best to have about 12 hours between your evening meal and ingesting anything in the morning. So, for now, let’s understand what the morning should be like. Wake up with me today!
The sleep-wake cycle is under genetic control, and yes, we do have a “clock” gene, but we do have some power to influence it. Genetic function is not destiny – just probability. The first, strategy to waking up is to open your eyes wide and start to move. Do not get up too quickly but raise your feet to increase blood flow to your heart and brain. Move from side to side, and once alert, get on your feet. Create a wide berth with your arms in large swooping movements, opening your chest, at least 10 times to get your circulation going quickly. Now, you really should be awake and done right, this has taken you about five minutes.
Your first drink of the day needs to be plain high PH (8+) natural water. Best of all, normal temperature water not cold refrigerated water. Ingesting cold refrigerated water will not only provoke the body to slow down through what is called a vagal reflex, but once it hits your stomach, it will tighten your gastric sphincter and you will feel bloated. About one standard glass of water should be about enough to begin to stimulate your metabolism.
Your next drink should be your first brain juice of the day. In my book, Six Rings, I emphasize the need to reduce a biochemical phenomenon called oxidative stress in the brain and body. Oxidative stress will not only hasten aging but can have a profound effect on your mental state including but not limited to increased anxiety, depression, and a reduction in the ability to pay attention and concentrate. So, what are the ingredients of your first brain drink?
Whilst there may be several variations of your first brain drink, my goal here is to make this very easy through a personal proposal. You need to enhance six specific brain and body mechanisms – 1) antioxidation; 2) replenish and augment essential oils and nutrients, 3) boost the immune system, 4) increase gut microbiome activity; 5) stimulate cellular metabolism &; reduce inflammation (which may have a knock-on effect to reduce cancer liability), and 6) improve the function of your heart and circulation. I will describe here some important organic nutrients for each category but note that some of these have multiple overlapping positive effects and thus are not confined to one category of effect. The key here is to get all the nutrients working together for your brain and body. I understand that you may not have all these ingredients all the time, so if not, try to pick at least one in each category. So, here we go! Take out your blender and add the following ingredients: 1) antioxidants - one chopped pawpaw, one pulped or squeezed large grapefruit, ½ a passion fruit or 1/4 of a small cup of pure and natural passion fruit juice (a natural mood enhancer containing alkaloids as well as containing vitamins A & C, and proteins), half a bunch of celery, and one teaspoon of turmeric; 2) essential oils – one handful of macadamia or almond nuts or a combination (provided you are not allergic to nuts), a teaspoon of omega-3 oil (you may find it more palatable to take the omega-3 as a capsule) and half an avocado (which contain lutein – that is critical to helping with focus and attention); 3) immune system – one large skinned and chopped orange (if you are using orange juice it must be freshly squeezed), one spoon of flax seeds if you have them and are not allergic to them, 4) gut microbiome activity – just one or two spoons of low fat Greek strained yoghurt (this is more controversial as we do not know fully how certain probiotics enhance gut-brain function); 5) cellular metabolism/anti-inflammation and electrolytes - one cup of coconut water for volume – which contains potassium, calcium, and magnesium (and also has overlapping benefits on circulation to lower blood pressure) and 6) Circulation and “cleansing” enhancement – one carrot, and two slices of water melon. If you really must add a sweetener, even though I personally think it is not needed, blue agave (due to the low glycemic index) is my only suggestion. And my two favorite supplements, zinc (15 mg – 30 mg/day,) – which has a possible triple action - to enhance immune function - now recommended by the World Health Organization to prevent and hasten recovery from COVID-19, enhance cardiac health, and assist with blood sugar control, and chromium (30 mcg/day) – which may help with balancing neurological function although this data remains somewhat controversial, and might help in the control of blood sugar level.
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If you have been following this short article closely, you will note that the control of blood sugar is important to the juice blend I have suggested. It’s not only because in the USA we literally have a diabetes epidemic but also sugar is the primary fuel of the brain, and its balance in the body can affect mental function significantly. Indeed, many of the immediately debilitating symptoms of diabetes or poor glucose control are neurological and can include but are not limited to fainting, disorientation, lack of mental clarity, and gait disturbance.
Notably, making this blended juice in the morning will take about 7 minutes, and when done efficiently, you will have plenty to share with perhaps someone else in your household. Resist the temptation to make the juice the night before and store it – this just degrades its nutritional value. So, take the luxury of time, and clear your thoughts of concerns or potential challenges whilst preparing your beverage. Make this your time. You could use some of the strategies in my book, Six Rings, like trying to “listen” to your heartbeat whilst making your drink, which should be done calmly and not in a rush just before you bolt out of the door. That would surely defeat the purpose of looking after the health of your brain. Contrary to what some might believe, living through stress does not necessarily strengthen you; however, there is no possibility of going through life without stress. Stress is, however, not good for the brain or your body and the best life is one that minimizes it. Of course, some people show “resilience” through stress and conquer their “demons”, but this is more the exception than the rule. In fact, a calm individual with mental balance may be more likely to succeed through novel challenges than someone who is highly charged and stressed all the time.
It is critical for me to mention that my suggestions are not intended to treat or prevent any known disease, and this is not in any way a prescription. I have deliberately avoided providing a compendium or research articles to bolster each statement and to avoid this being taken as gospel. Indeed, my comments as to the important nutrients to be taken in the morning should be taken at the level of advice, and my experience, to which you may or might not agree, and you should certainly consult your doctor for the assessment, diagnosis, or treatment of any disease. It did not escape my attention that the juice blend proposed may for some have added effects like reducing hunger and weight control, but that is not the direct intent of this juice, which is to enhance brain function. Furthermore, some may enjoy this juice blend and wish to drink it all day. There isn’t a good reason not to do so but be mindful that it’s likely to be alerting and I would suggest a different blend for the evenings to enhance sleep.
My introduction to juices started over half a century ago by my father, one of the first physicians and nutrition specialists in the world, who was perhaps the first juicer I know. He made something for us every day called "too much protein" enriched with one omega-3 capsule, to build us up physically and mentally. It is, therefore, a pleasure for me to start to pass on that old knowledge with my scientific updates. From father to son, to all of you!
Now it’s time for your second glass of water, and perhaps breakfast (which at best should contain some protein, irrespective of source), and which I shall discuss at a different time. By the way, you can follow my suggestions in detail in Six Rings, and if you are fortunate to be a member of Privée Clinics which opens in the fall, all the detailed research and education and help to prepare your brain each morning will be available to you!
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