Brain Breathing

 Good blood flow to your brain is vital for so many functions and there might not be an obvious side effect or symptom of it. Some of the most common symptoms, potentially, of low blood circulation to the brain include, fogginess, difficulty concentrating, headaches, sleep issues, memory problems, low motivation, low energy level, cold hands and feet, toenail fungus, cold tip of the nose, pale colored nails, and higher heart rate. However, if you have one of these symptoms it does not automatically determine that you have low blood flow to the brain with the exception of chronic cold hands and feet or toenail fungus. With these two signs, you can bet there is low oxygen to the brain. Factors that make this worse include not exercising, high stress, anemia (not enough red blood cells), low serum B12 levels, smoking, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, poor lung function, and high or low blood pressure (below 110/70 or above 130/90).

A strong stream of oxygen in the brain is one of three things the brain absolutely needs to survive. Oxygen, fuel/glucose, and stimulation are the three vital necessities. Therefore, improving oxygen flow to your brain can drastically improve many brain conditions. Oxygen is transported by blood. If blood circulation is poor, oxygen levels to the brain will be poor. If your blood pressure is too low, you will have problems. Any way to increase blood circulation will help.

Exercise is the most important activity a human can do. But it has to be enough to increase your heart rate! We are not talking about taking a stroll through the neighborhood, or walking on the treadmill while watching TV. I am talking about running to the point you cannot engage in conversation, playing a sport, or even lifting weights until the point of failure. Increase in heart rate will increase blood circulation.

Acupuncture is another powerful way to increase blood circulation. Any time a needle is inserted near a major blood vessel, a chain reaction occurs just like if you got a splinter in your finger. When you get a splinter your brain and body react by rushing blood flow to force the spliner out. What the body and brain are doing is they are recruiting a plethora of blood cells to find out what is happening. Through western research certain acupuncture points have been clinically proven to help increase or decrease blood pressure and circulation.

Acupuncture has been proven to increase the natural compound called Nitric Oxide. Nitric Oxide is a very powerful and important chemical that is responsible for blood vessel dilation (increase blood circulation). It also dissolves plaque from arteries, improves glucose uptake in the brain, increases energy in the brain, and optimizes brain focus. Nitric Oxide is a natural compound that has three different forms, one is bad, the other two are good. You can also take synthetic Nitric Oxide, however, I highly recommend instead of ingesting a synthetic form, to give your body the components of what it needs to build Nitric Oxide instead. These compounds include Vinpocetine, ATP (Adenosine 5' -triphosphate), Huperzine A, Xanthinol niacinate, Alpha-Glycerylphosphorylcholine (Alpha GPC), and L-acetyl carnitine.

I personally love Nitric Balance from Apex Energetics. Apex is one of the only CGMP certified & FDA certified supplement lines around. Which is beyond important given all of the recent scandals that have been uncovered in the supplement industry. For my patients I exclusively prescribe Apex Energetics because I know exactly where is comes from and I know precisely what is in each product. I take Nitric Balance everyday before I workout. It is so powerful I have been able to cut caffeine out of my diet completely. Nitric Balance not only provides the strongest natural energy boost I've experienced but its primary purpose is for circulatory support. It helps the body produce a significant boost of oxygen to the brain. Nitric Balance enhances that vital flow of blood and oxygen to the brain that I talked about in the beginning of this blog. All Apex products are clinically tested by Apex's very own scientific advisory board!