Relief For Brain Illness Is More Achievable Than You Think
I think we’ve all known someone in the family or among our acquaintances who went from a healthy, independent person to a mere shell. Mental decline can ravage a person – an intelligent, functional adult seems to regress to a child, dependent upon others for their day to day functioning. It is not nice to see. Is this an inevitable part of aging? Do we have to resign ourselves to the possibility of dementia and diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and so on? No, says functional medicine psychiatrist Dr. Kat Toups! Hers is a fascinating story and one that she shared with me recently.
Dr. Kat Toups’ change of circumstances.
Dr. Toups had spent years reviewing and studying research relating to Alzheimer’s disease and other types of cognitive decline. The more she delved into the subject, the more she realized that popping pills was never going to be any kind of solution. At best, medications could provide temporary relief. We have to truly understand the reasons behind cognitive decline to prevent it, and in the case of Dr. Toups, to actually reverse it.
Dr. Toups told me how at age 50 she started to have all sorts of allergies and chemical intolerances. She struggled with skin rashes and hives, and fatigue so acute she couldn’t get out of a chair. Even more worrying was the sort of brain fog that seemed to have descended upon her. She couldn’t remember things, and tasks that she would otherwise do effortlessly suddenly seemed beyond her. Driving, operating the computer, mundane tasks, and even understanding what she was hearing became difficult. It was inflammation that seemed to be doing this to her brain – a frightening thing for a 50-year-old to contemplate! During our conversation, she explained it all in actual medical terms.
Reversing the inflammation.
One of the things that Dr. Toups – and many of us – did wrong was to presume that a low fat diet is a healthy diet. In fact fats are necessary Dr. Toups explains. They form the myelin sheath round our nerves and conduct our electrical impulses to our brain. She suggests healthy fats that actually help protect the brain.
Another thing that is vital for brain health and wellbeing is detoxing. The sort of pollution and toxins that surround us means that there may be undetected mercury, lead or other heavy metals in the bloodstream causing inflammation. Sweating is a good way to naturally detox the body. Dr. Toups also suggests certain supplements to support the liver with detox enzymes.
There is also the fact that with age, the immune system becomes weaker. She also explained how inflammatory cytokines impact the brain— something we have seen a lot of now during the COVID-19 pandemic— and how herbs can help support the immune system.
Dr. Toups and I spoke about many other key factors for brain health. It is her view that wheat or gluten in other forms is a major factor in inflammation. She also explained how it is possible to eat meat in healthy ways, and how all beef is not bad(thankfully for many of us). It was an illuminating and educative chat. Don’t miss it!
