Building Better Brain - Softcover

Lakhera, Dr Nivedita

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0998434922 ISBN 13: 9780998434926

Publisher: Nivedita Lakhera, 2024

Synopsis

The Ultimate Brain Boost Book: A Tale of Stroke Recovery, Medical Marvels, and Literary Triumphs! Once upon a time, in the whirlwind world of medical training, a physician was struck down by a stroke-right in the middle of her studies! But this wasn't just any physician. She was a force to be reckoned with, and instead of letting the stroke define her, she turned it into her greatest comeback story. Not only did she bounce back and complete her medical training with flying colors, but she also went on to work successfully as an inpatient physician for more than a decade. And as if that wasn't impressive enough, she unleashed her creative genius, producing a wealth of art and literature that took the world by storm. She didn't just write one book-she wrote three! And these weren't just any books; they went on to win awards and found their way into university syllabi in not one, but two universes. (Okay, maybe just two universities, but it's still epic!) Now, this physician has compiled all her hard-earned wisdom into your soon-to-be favorite go-to book. It's packed with actionable items you can start doing right now to supercharge your brain health, shed those extra pounds, and age like a fine wine-healthy and gracefully. Every recommendation in this book is backed by the latest and greatest science, so you know it's the real deal. Get ready to laugh, learn, and love the journey to better brain health, all while being guided by someone who's been through the trenches and come out on top-stroke, medical school, best-selling books, and all!

About this title

About the Author

Dr. Nivedita Lakhera is a physician with 16 years of clinical and academic experience, she was nominated for Pulitzer-, and the for The Max Cranbrook Global Peacemaker Award. Her first book, Pillow of Dreams, is an award-winning poetry and art book and remains the best-reviewed poetry book amongst almost 100,000 poetry books on Amazon. At the age of 27, during the second year of her Internal Medicine Residency, Dr. Nivedita Lakhera suffered a massive stroke followed by a traumatic divorce. Despite the setbacks, she did not let herself be defined by these events. She picked herself up and turned to study lifestyle medicine, neuroscience, nutrition, literature, and art to heal herself and others. From her personal experience, Lakhera learned that tragedies such as hers can strike anyone at any stage in life. In the end, she came to realize how we can thrive through such tragedies. Lakhera’s second and third book, "I am not a Princess, I am a Complete Fairytale" and "The Life Currency," is included in the Peace and Justice syllabi of Wayne State University and Michigan State University. "The Life Currency" was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Her upcoming fourth book, Building Better Brain- Building Better Life- is about using neuroscience, neuroplasticity, nutrition, and lifestyle medicine to build a better life in all fronts. Lakhera has been interviewed on NPR, NBC, and USA Today. An op-ed she wrote for USA Today on mental health is one of its all-time top seven editorials and she has been cited by the publication as one of the leaders of change. She is also a strong advocate for the white coats for the black lives matter movement and has spoken out on the issue of health care disparities amongst minorities. Over the years, Lakhera has also been invited to keynote events, corporate talks, and universities where she discusses philosophy, art, poetry, neuroscience, nutrition, and lifestyle medicine as a way to heal and grow. She is currently practicing as an inpatient physician/ hospital-based physician at Washington Hospital in Fremont and Kaiser, Santa Rosa.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Snow White and the Glymphatic Adventure: How Neuron White Discovered the Brain’s Janitor Once upon a time, in the Kingdom of Cortex, Princess Neuron White was troubled by a question: how did her brain stay so fresh and sharp after a night of sleep? She knew her neurons worked hard every day, producing thoughts, memories, and—unfortunately—waste. Yet somehow, every morning, her brain felt brand new. That’s when she met Glitch, the kingdom’s janitor dwarf, sweeping up stray thoughts and toxic proteins with a mop made of neurons. "How does my brain stay so clean?" Neuron White asked, watching Glitch at work. "Ah, Princess, it’s all about the brain’s janitorial system," Glitch said with a grin. “While you sleep, your brain goes through two important stages: Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep and Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. This is when the brain’s deep-cleaning process kicks in, thanks to a system called the glymphatic system (Iliff et al., 2012).” NREM Sleep: Neurons Take a Break- Glitch explained that during NREM sleep, the neurons in Princess Neuron White’s brain actually shrink. Like royal subjects taking a break from their duties, these neurons contract and stop firing off electrical signals as intensely. This reduced activity allows microglia (the brain’s immune cells) to take a rest too. With less activity, there’s more room in the brain’s tissues for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)—the brain’s cleaning fluid—to flow freely (Xie et al., 2013). "This contraction," Glitch said, “opens up the spaces between your brain cells, creating a path for CSF to swoosh through and flush out the day’s trash, like misfolded, amyloid-beta and tau proteins. These are the culprits behind diseases like Alzheimer’sif they pile up (Xie et al., 2013; Mestre et al., 2020). NREM sleep is basically like your brain doing a deep clean after a long day.” REM Sleep: Memory Expansion "But that’s not the whole story!" Glitch exclaimed, twirling his mop. "In REM sleep, things are different. Parts of your brain—especially those involved in emotion processing and memory consolidation—expand and become highly active, almost like they’re partying after hours! During REM, the brain switches from cleaning to consolidating memories, linking emotions to the day’s events. This makes it vital for mental health and emotional regulation (Lyu et al., 2015)." While some parts of the brain are off-duty in NREM, others in REM are wide awake and hard at work, creating a pumping action that helps move CSF through the brain, keeping the cleanup going even during your dreamiest adventures (Shokri‐Kojori et al., 2018). The magic behind this cleaning process? It’s something called Aquaporin-4 channels, Glitch revealed. These channels are found in astrocytes, the star-shaped cells in the brain. Aquaporin-4 acts like a water faucet, allowing the cerebrospinal fluid to flow through brain tissues and wash away waste products. “If these channels don’t work properly, it’s like your kingdom’s plumbing gets clogged,” Glitch explained. “Waste builds up, and that leads to serious trouble—like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and even faster cognitive decline (Schain et al., 2020; Mestre et al., 2020). Princess Neuron White blinked thoughtfully. “So, if I don’t get enough sleep, my brain’s janitors can’t clean properly?” Glitch nodded. “But it’s not just about how much sleep you get, Princess—it’s also about when you sleep. Your brain’s cleaning system is synced with your circadian rhythm—your body’s internal clock (Nedergaard, 2013).” If you sleep at different times every night, it’s like messing with the janitors’ schedule. When your sleep is out of sync with your circadian rhythm, the glymphatic system doesn’t operate at peak efficiency, and your brain may not clear out waste as effectively (Peng et al., 2018). Disrupting this rhythm can lead to a buildup of toxic proteins and inflammation, raising the risk for neurodegenerative diseases over time. "Going to bed at the same time every night helps your brain’s cleaning crew know exactly when to clock in. When you have a consistent sleep schedule, the glymphatic system can work its magic at the right time every night, clearing out the waste and leaving your brain sparkling fresh (Nedergaard, 2013)." Why Going to Sleep at the Same Time Matters Glitch continued, "Your brain’s internal clock, or circadian rhythm, controls when different sleep phases occur. If you consistently go to bed at the same time each night, your brain knows exactly when to shift into NREM sleep, allowing you to maximize that deep healing phase (Borbély & Achermann, 1999)." He explained that the deepest and longest periods of NREM sleep occur in the first part of the night. These early NREM cycles are when your brain is doing most of its heavy lifting—clearing out waste, repairing tissues, and consolidating memories. This phase is like the prime cleaning window for the brain. "But if you go to bed later than usual," Glitch warned, "you cut into your deep NREM sleep. And here's the thing—NREM sleep gets shorter and shallower as the night goes on. The longer you stay awake, the less time your brain has to do its best cleaning and repair work (Van Cauter et al., 2000). You can’t make up for the lost deep sleep by sleeping in later. By then, you’re mostly getting REM sleep, which is important for emotional regulation but not as good for deep cleaning and healing." If you consistently go to bed late or at irregular times, you shorten this precious window of deep, healing NREM sleep. Even if you sleep the same number of hours, you don’t get the same quality of sleep because the deep cleaning happens less effectively. As the night progresses, your sleep cycles shift, with NREM sleep becoming shorter and REM sleep getting longer. REM sleep, while critical for emotional regulation and memory processing, doesn’t offer the same deep physical and neurological recovery as NREM sleep (Carskadon & Dement, 2011). "So, if you miss out on that early NREM sleep by going to bed late," Glitch said, "your brain misses its chance to clean up properly. And once that window closes, there’s no getting it back. The later part of your night is dominated by REM sleep, which doesn’t offer the same level of recovery." Princess Neuron White’s eyes widened. "So if I stay up late, I can’t just sleep in and get the same benefits?" "Exactly," Glitch replied. "NREM sleep is front-loaded, meaning it’s packed into the early part of the night. If you miss it, you can’t make up for it by sleeping later. The later you stay awake, the less time your brain has for deep healing. It’s like missing the first part of a party—you can’t just show up at the end and expect to have the full experience." He continued, "Studies show that sleep deprivation or irregular sleep patterns, where you skip out on early NREM sleep, can increase the build-up of harmful proteins in the brain and raise the risk for cognitive decline (Shokri-Kojori et al., 2018). So, maintaining a regular bedtime is crucial for long-term brain health." "Princess Snow," Glitch began, floating beside her in a burst of digital pixels, "I’ve scoured the realms of science, and I have four recommendations to help regulate the water flow in the kingdom. You must enhance the power of the aquaporin-4 (AQP4) gates—the guardians of water balance." "Tell me more, Glitch," the Princess urged. The Keto Spell "First, the ketogenic diet," Glitch explained. "It's a powerful spell involving high fat and low carbohydrates. When cast, it enhances transcription factors, increasing AQP4's strength in managing water and keeping the blood-brain barrier intact (Salman et al., 2021). Your kingdom will have fewer floods, and oxidative stress will be minimized (Tzenios et al., 2023)." Snow Neuron thought of the kingdom’s pantry stocked with avocado and butter. "A curious spell indeed." Nitric Oxide Elixir "Next," Glitch continued, "is nitric oxide (NO). It whispers to AQP4, especially in astrocytes, regulating water transport across the blood-brain barrier (Salman et al., 2021). You can brew this elixir with foods like beets and leafy greens, though more research is needed to fully prove its connection to aquaporin in humans (Kozaeva et al., 2022)." Snow Neuron jotted this down, making a note to gather beets from the royal garden. Curcumin Charm "Then, there’s curcumin, the golden spice of healing," Glitch added. "This charm not only enhances AQP4 but also battles inflammation, protecting your kingdom from swelling and oxidative stress (Feng & Meng, 2022; Wu et al., 2022). Perhaps add a dash of turmeric to the royal banquets?" Snow Neuron nodded, already imagining golden milk flowing through the castle kitchens. Omega-3 Shield "Finally, omega-3 fatty acids," Glitch said. "These magical fats improve the fluidity of cell membranes, aiding aquaporins in their water-regulating duties (Lv et al., 2021). Fish and flaxseeds will bolster your kingdom’s defenses." Sleep Position Matters Princess Snow Neuron, determined to keep her brain sharp, turned to Glitch for more wisdom. “Princess, sleeping on your right side isn’t just cozy—it’s crucial for brain health!” Glitch began. Sleeping on the right side uses gravity to boost this drainage, keeping your brain free of harmful buildup (Reddy & Werf, 2020; Yan et al., 2021).” Research shows body posture affects how cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flows through the brain. Right-side sleeping optimizes CSF drainage better than other positions, reducing intracranial pressure and enhancing brain cleaning (Reddy & Werf, 2020; Ferini-Strambi, 2024). “It’s like positioning a water slide perfectly,” Glitch added. “But remember,” Glitch warned, “sleep disturbances or deprivation reduce this process. Lack of deep sleep means less amyloid-beta clearance, risking cognitive decline (Liu et al., 2023; Ju et al., 2017).” Glitch also shared that improving sleep quality—through techniques like acoustic stimulation—can enhance memory and help remove harmful waste (Wunderlin, 2023; Madhu, 2024). Glitch, with a wink and a swirl of pixels, offered Princess Snow Neuron a few golden tips. Get 7-9 Hours of Sleep: “Your glymphatic system works best during deep, uninterrupted sleep,” Glitch said. “Aim for at least 7-9 hours, with plenty of NREM phases to keep your brain pristine” (Mohan et al., 2023). Stick to a Regular Sleep Schedule: “Consistency is key,” Glitch advised. “By going to bed at the same time every night, you’ll sync your circadian rhythm with your brain’s cleaning schedule” (Peng et al., 2018). Snow Neuron resolved to banish all late-night banquets. Stay Hydrated: “Water, water, water!” Glitch exclaimed. “Your brain’s janitors need fluids to sweep up the mess, so make sure you’re properly hydrated” (Sillay et al., 2019). Snow Neuron raised her goblet—filled with water, of course! Exercise Regularly: “Physical activity boosts blood flow to your brain and supercharges the glymphatic system’s cleaning efforts,” Glitch noted (Holstein-Rathlou et al., 2018). Snow Neuron started scheduling daily walks around the royal gardens. Manage Stress: “Chronic stress can throw the glymphatic system off its game, so it’s crucial to practice relaxation techniques,” Glitch said wisely. Snow Neuron took up meditation, knowing that a calm kingdom was a clean kingdom. And she lived happily ever after, with a happy and healthy brain.

Edition details

• Publisher: Nivedita Lakhera
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0998434922
• ISBN 13: 9780998434926
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 371