stress hormones [glucocorticoids] & brain aging…….

"Elevated glucocorticoid levels putatively damage specific brain regions, which in turn may accelerate cognitive ageing. 
"In this study, 90 men, aged 73 years....."

"Significant associations between reactive cortisol at 73 and cognitive ageing differences between 11 and 73...."
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"These data support the hypothesis that glucocorticoids contribute to cognitive ageing differences from childhood to the early 70s, partly via brain white matter structure."
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S.R.Cox, et al
Does white matter structure or hippocampal volume mediate associations between cortisol and cognitive ageing?Original Research 
Psychoneuroendocrinology -- Volume 62 December 2015 -- page 129

essential fatty acids for concussion & brain injury……
“Traumatic brain injury…..remains a clinical challenge. Clinical studies thus far have failed to identify an effective treatment strategy.”
“……controlling aspects of neuroprotection, neuroinflammation, and neuroregeneration is needed.”
“Omega-3 fatty acids offer the advantage of this approach.”
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“…..there is a growing body of strong preclinical evidence and clinical experience that suggests that benefits may be possible from aggressively adding substantial amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids to optimize the nutritional foundation of traumatic brain injury, concussion, and postconcussion syndrome patients.”
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“Early and optimal doses of Omega-3 fatty acids, even in a prophylactic setting, have the potential to improve outcomes from this potentially devastating problem.”
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“….Omega-3 fatty acids should be considered mainstream, conventional medicine, if conventional medicine can overcome its inherent bias against nutritional, nonpharmacologic therapies.”
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M.D.Lewis, et al
Concussions, Traumatic Brain Injury, and the Innovative Use of Omega-3s
Journal Of The American College Of Nutrition — Volume 35 #7 — July 2016 — page 469

TheETG applied sport sciences
Concussions.
In the words of a few doctors working in the medical research portion of the U.S. government, as a country we do a poor job of disseminating and proliferating research information to doctors, as well as to the public. Estimates are that only about 15% of information that we acquire as a species from research gets disseminated. Most doctors don’t read research, and many resist information that contradicts strongly held beliefs.
Some research based information that we as a species have known for many years…….
One of the major mechanisms of long term damage to brain caused by repeated concussions is the production of things called oxidants that cause something called oxidative damage.Thus, avoidance of long term damage to brain from repeated concussions is a matter of anti-oxidant supply. As tends to be the norm in our popular culture in areas of cancer and heart disease, etc…on the subject of concussions, brain research and brain researchers specializing in nutrition medicine are being ignored. Logical, science based approaches to resolving such issues fail to attract the attention of the popular media, and people suffer as a result. Hence a commonly used slogan..”my people perish from a lack of knowledge.
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Long term oxidant induced damage to brain cells is one of the major mechanisms of aging. Dramatically accelerated oxidant induced damage to brain cells caused by -very- high levels of stress, repeated concussions, or traumatic brain injury causes dramatically accelerated aging in brain cells. This kills them off by the million, a rate exceeds the rate of regeneration. Thus obviously the fix is to reduce the level of oxidants by supplying anti-oxidants. And at the same time, engage in activities and consume foods to elevate brain cell regeneration levels. Engaging in these for one or 2 months post-concussion will likely prove sufficient to resolve concerns of long term brain injury.
—– Consume foods and supplements to reduce oxidants……..
Consume at one time, the combination of these mixed berries…..strawberries– black berries– blue berries– raspberries– grapes
Consuming at one time, the combination of these 4 vegetables…..broccoli florets– chopped carrot– chopped romano tomato– chopped cucumber

The combination of these 4 anti-oxidant supplements….selenium [200mg]– beta carotene [25,000 IU]– vitamin E [400 IU]– vitamin C [500mg]
—– Consume other anti-oxidant supplements……..resveratrol [100mg]– n-acetyl-Cysteine [500 – 600mg]
—– Consume a gluthathione [anti-oxidant] producing probiotic……probiotic brand called “Reg’Activ”
—– Engage in activities to elevate brain cell regeneration levels…..autogenic relaxation– meditation– math problems [do in your head, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division

Exercise –vs– Antidepressants………
“Depression is common in patients with cardiac disease, especially in patients with heart failure, and is associated with increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Some evidence suggests that aerobic exercise may reduce depressive symptoms…..”

“Objective — To determine whether exercise training will result in greater improvements in depressive symptoms compared with usual care…..”

“The difference between the effect of a placebo and the effect of an anti-depressant is minimal for most people.”
“People get better when they take the drug, but its not the chemical ingredients in the drug that are making them better, its largely the placebo effect.”
Irving Kirsch [Associate Director Placebo Studies, Harvard Medical School]

60 Minutes segment….Treating Depression: Is there a placebo effect?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zihdr36WVi4

60 Minutes segment….The placebo phenomenona
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fG4AXXMPXc

Personal Power

The most powerful people in this world, are not those who have power over others, but those who have mastery over themselves. You are not your social status, your bank account, your grades, or your job title. You are, above all else…..Powerful. You are in this world;

— to discover that

— to grow into living it

— to overcome the distractions from it

— and to help others do the same.

Love is power. Self-love is the root of Personal Power. Show kindness and love to yourself and others by aggressively pursuing self-improvement as a way of life. Improving yourself provides more things about yourself for you to value and hold in high esteem…..producing a more powerful self-image and higher levels of mastery over self. Self-improvement is a process of improving one’s thoughts, choices, behaviors, and actions. You can never say that you love yourself while you are unwilling or resistant to change and improve yourself.

The purpose of life is not to see how many personal problems we can choose to deny or do nothing about, or to see how many limitations we can set or accept for ourselves. The purpose of life is to grow into living your personal power. Fill your life, not with the distractions of substances, things, or shallow relationships, but with the shameless pursuit of self-change, improvement, and growth.

The true source of abundant happiness, is not outside yourself, but within. All of your possessions in this world are within you. What you….choose…..to do with them, is what life is all about. The instruction to “Preach to all nations the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”, is an instruction of Self-Change through the conscious, intentional, and aggressive pursuit of self-improvement.

“The universal human journey is one of becoming conscious of our power, and how to use that power.” [Carolyn Myss….Anatomy of The Spirit]

“The personal power that comes from principle-centered living is the power of a self-aware, knowledgeable, proactive individual, unrestricted by the attitudes, behaviors, and actions of others or by many of the circumstances and environmental influences that limit other people.” [Stephen Covey….7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, page 123]

“Not that I have already obtained, or am already perfected, but I pursue.” [Apostle Paul….Phillipians 3:12]

Your 5 Outlets Of Power

— What you are

— What you do

— What you say

— What you give

— What you pray

“Many studies have confirmed the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a treatment for depression. This study explored the mechanism of cognitive behavioral therapy from the perspective of individuals’ problem-solving appraisal.”

“Findings supported the research hypothesis that the more individuals improved their problem-solving appraisal, the more their depression decreased.”

“Additionally, it was discovered that the poorer individuals’ problem-solving appraisal before the cognitive behavioral therapy, the more improvement they had on depression and problem solving appraisal after the cognitive behavioral therapy .”

“In sum, findings suggested that problem-solving appraisal might play an important part in cognitive behavioral therapy for depression reduction…..”

Szu.Y.Chen et al
The Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) on Depression: The Role of Problem-Solving Appraisal
Research on Social Work Practice……Volume 16 #5……September 2006…..page 500 – 510

Cognitive Behavior Therapy [CBT]

Cognitive Enhancement Therapy.

Tend to be the among the only treatments for depression, schizophrenia, and various forms of “mental illness” that address the underlying issues of brain cell loss. Arguably “mental illness” is due to brain cell loss. The drug approach focuses on neurotransmitters, ignoring the loss of brain cells that produce the neurotransmitters.

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“The evidence base for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression is discussed…….identifies the need to deliver evidence-based psychosocial interventions and identifies cognitive behavioral therapy as having the strongest research base for effectiveness….”
G.Whitefield, et al
The evidence base for cognitive–behavioural therapy in depression: delivery in busy clinical settings
Advances in Psychiatric Treatment….Volume 9….2003…..page 21 – 30

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“Depression is one of the most prevalent and debilitating of the psychiatric disorders. Studies have shown that cognitive therapy is as efficacious as antidepressant medications at treating depression, and it seems to reduce the risk of relapse even after its discontinuation.”

R.J.DeRubeis
Cognitive therapy vs. medications for depression: Treatment outcomes and neural mechanisms
Nature Reviews Neuroscience…..Volume 9 #10….October 2008….page 788 – 796