How Entrepreneurs Can Boost Brain Fitness Naturally By Balancing Neurotransmitters
If you want to know how to maximize brain fitness as a high performing entrepreneur, you need to understand how to balance neurotransmitter function.
Do you suffer from any of the following?
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Brain Fog
- Memory loss
- Inability to Focus
- Depression
- ADD/ADHD
- Insomnia
- Fatigue
- Weight Issues
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Migraines
It could be that your neurotransmitter levels are imbalanced causing a range of symptoms.
Harvard molecular biologist, George M. Church, is working through the brain activity map. Out of the human genome project, a collaborative research initiative was launched to map every neuron in the human brain in 10 years. Great progress is being made, and thanks to new lab testing technologies I can see specifically what your neurotransmitter levels are through “neurotransmitter testing”.
Neurotransmitters are chemicals that the brain uses to deliver messages throughout the nervous system.
Made by your nerve cells there are excitatory neurotransmitters, which control motivation, excitement and focus and inhibitory neurotransmitters which control calming and relaxing the mind and body, inducing sleep and help to filter excess messages to the brain.
A healthy nervous system has just the right balance of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters, however, many people have an imbalance or a low amount of some neurotransmitters which can have a range of different effects on your body.
Imbalanced neurotransmitters block high performance, productivity and focus. Therefore improving the health of your nervous system can have not only amazing effects on your health but also on your business.
Entrepreneurs typically have too many excitatory neurotransmitters stimulating the brain. This overpowers the inhibitory neurotransmitters that are supposed to calm the brain and help your mood.
How Stress Depletes Healthy Neurotransmitters & Affects The 3 Major Systems of Your Body
Stress increases neurotransmitter activity and affects your nervous system by producing cytokines (inflammatory chemicals) and hormones that affect the nervous system, immune system and endocrine system. Depleted neurotransmitter levels from chronic stress can also create irritable bowel syndrome, cardiovascular disease and PTSD.
Entrepreneurs typically deal with higher levels of stress than the rest of the population. That’s why it’s essential to maximize brain fitness through learning how to naturally balance your neurotransmitters, which we will get into in one moment.
Chronic stress can cause tight muscles in your neck and low back leading to more inflammation and pain. Stress can trigger autoimmune issues and decreases the healthy function of your thyroid, adrenal and sex gland function.
As you can see in the diagram above, there are a number of things that can cause neurotransmitter imbalances and reduce brain fitness that often stem from chronic stress. Because the body is so holistically connected, when you affect the immune system and endocrine system it affects your brain and neurotransmitter levels.
Conversely, this also means if you balance your neurotransmitters it doesn’t just help you focus and increase mental performance, but it can help indirectly boost immune system function, deal with stress better and even balance hormones.
Balancing excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter activity is essential to maximized health. So what are some of the things we can do to naturally increase or lower neurotransmitter levels?
NOTE: To understand where your neurotransmitter levels are specifically and get a customized neurotransmitter balancing plan, you can order it in a high-performance consultation with Dr. Jones here or Dr. Accurso here.
How Entrepreneurs Can Balance Neurotransmitter Levels Naturally
Here are some of the key neurotransmitters you need to know about and what you can do to change their levels in your own body.
Excitatory Neurotransmitters
DOPAMINE
Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter that controls your ability to focus as well as your ability to stay motivated or your drive. Super important for busy entrepreneurs as it also impacts productivity. Dopamine is responsible for:
- Feelings of pleasure
- Feelings of satisfaction
- GI Track health
- Muscle function and control
- Focus
- Motivation
When Dopamine is too high:
- Poor intestinal function
- Developmental delays in children
- Attention issues
- Lack of motivation
When Dopamine is too low:
- Urges
- Cravings
- Impulsivity
- Movement disorders
Stimulants such as caffeine and sugar boost dopamine temporarily, which is why you may feel more focused after a cup of coffee or an energy boost after a chocolate bar. However over stimulating dopamine can cause depletion of dopamine levels over time, which may see your focus and motivation levels suffer.
So what are some more sustainable, natural ways that you can boost your dopamine levels to skyrocket focus and productivity?
Lifestyle Strategies
- Meditation and exercise are great dopamine boosters and improve motivation levels, mood and concentration
- Relaxation yoga can increase the production of dopamine.
Food
- Add foods high in the amino acid tyrosine (dopamine is made from tyrosine) into your diet such:
- Almonds
- Fish
- Apples
- Avocado
- Beets
- Green tea
- Green leafy vegetables
- Sea vegetables
- Pumpkin seeds
- Watermelon
- Turmeric and
- Fava beans
- Improve the health of your gut microbiome with probiotic and fermented foods. The health of your gut microbiome is directly linked to your production and balance of neurotransmitters.
Nutrients
- Try the following supplements:
- Mucuna cochinchinensis
- N-acetyl-cysteine
- N-acetyltyrosine
- Curcumin – the active ingredient in turmeric
- Ginko biloba
- L-theanine – also found in green tea
- L-tyrosine
NOREPINEPHRINE
Norepinephrine is another super important neurotransmitter for entrepreneurs as low levels are associated with a lack of focus, decreased energy levels and sleep problems. Too much norepinephrine can be an issue too as elevated levels of this neurotransmitter can cause anxiety. It also plays a role in how well you remember details and your ability to focus. Norepinephrine is responsible for:
- Mental focus
- Emotional stability
- Endocrine function
High Norepinephrine levels:
- Anxiousness
- Stress
- Excessive energy
Low Norepinephrine levels:
- Fatigue
- Lack of focus
- Lack of motivation
- Low mood
- Sleep difficulties
- Hot flashes
- Headaches
So balancing norepinephrine levels is super important. Try the following:
Lifestyle Strategies
Exercise can improve norepinephrine function and can make you feel more alert and focused throughout the day. When Richard Branson was asked what are his best tips to increase productivity the first thing he responded with was exercise!
Food
Foods high in tyrosine such as almonds, apples, avocado, beets, green tea, green leafy vegetables, sea vegetables, pumpkin seeds, turmeric and fava beans can also help to regulate norepinephrine levels.
EPINEPHRINE
Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline is released by the adrenal glands in times of stress. Unfortunately in todays world stress is becoming an epidemic! Epinephrine also regulates blood pressure and heart rate, which is why these are directly related to stress levels.
Epinephrine is responsible for:
- Motivation
- Energy
- Mental Focus
High Epinephrine levels:
- Anxiousness
- Sleep difficulties
- Attention issues
Low Epinephrine levels:
- Fatigue
- Low mood
- Lack of motivation
Some natural ways to reduce your epinephrine levels include:
Lifestyle Strategies
Exercise can help to balance out your your epinephrine levels or try meditation or yoga to reduce stress levels and epinephrine levels which are elevated in so many of the busy entrepreneurs I work with.
Food
Avoiding caffeine, sugar and alcohol can be helpful to help balance your epinephrine as these all increase your epinephrine levels
Nutrients
Try a supplement such as CALM which helps to promote relaxation during periods of stress.
GLUTAMATE
Entrepreneurs that have elevated levels of glutamate deal with anxiety, insomnia and restless leg syndrome and it could be causing a whole range of other neurological disorders. That’s because although glutamate is an extremely important neurotransmitter that stimulates your brain so you can process information, talk, think, remember and pay attention. If in excess, it over stimulates your brain cells resulting in inflammation.
Glutamate is responsible for:
- Learning
- Memory
- It’s your primary excitatory neurotransmitter
Glutamate too high:
- Anxiousness
- Low mood
- Activated immune system
Glutamate too low:
- Fatigue
- Learning difficulties
When Glutamate is high GABA (see below an Inhibitory Neurotransmitter) is low and vice versa. The balance between Glutamate and GABA is what is required for an optimally functioning nervous system.
So what can you do to restore the GABA/ Glutamate balance?
Lifestyle
Meditation and activities like yoga can help reduce glutamate levels and result in lower anxiety levels.
Food
- Reduce sugar, caffeine and any artificial sweeteners or flavorings as these can deplete GABA levels.
- Vitamin D and Vitamin K are fat-soluble vitamins and are important for re-establishing the calcium balance. The best sources of these vitamins are found in grass fed dairy products and dark leafy green organic vegetables.
Nutrients
- Calcium in excess contributes to the GABA/ Glutamate imbalance and damage to your cells. Increasing magnesium and zinc in your diet will help to bring your calcium levels down which may help to restore balance. Other herbs and nutrients such as wormwood, lithium orotate and boswalia can also help reduce calcium levels.
- L-Theanine found in tea leaves helps to boost GABA and positively interacts with dopamine, and serotonin to increase focus, memory and learning abilities.
- CALM supplementation also helps to modulate the balance between GABA & Glutamate with Cordyceps Militaris, Taurine, GABA, green tea catechins, and vitamin B6. Find out more about CALM HERE.
Inhibitory Neurotransmitters
PEA (Phenylethylamine)
PEA helps to potentiate the activity of dopamine and can act as a potent antidepressant in both sexes. During orgasm, you have a significant increase in PEA within your brain.
PEA is responsible for:
- Focus
- Concentration
PEA too high:
- Mind racing
- Sleep difficulties
- Anxiousness
PEA too low:
- Decreased focus and attention
- Difficulty thinking clearly
- Low mood
- Fatigue
So you are going to love one of the natural ways you can boost PEA. Yep its Chocolate! Chocolate contains PEA on small quantities and triggers the release of pleasurable opium-like endorphins.
SEROTONIN
Serotonin is best known for being responsible for making you feel “love”. And although your serotonin levels can have a big impact on your mood it actually also influences brain cells related to sleep, appetite, memory and learning, temperature regulation and sexual desire and function.
Serotonin is responsible for:
- Mood
- Sleep
- Appetite
- Sexual Arousal
Seritonin too high:
- Stress
- Platelet aggregation
Serotonin too low:
- Low mood
- Sleep difficulties
- Uncontrolled appetite
- Headaches
- Hot flashes
Making sure your serotonin levels are sufficient is crucial for the busy entrepreneurs I work with as this neurotransmitter helps to balance out any excessive excitatory neurotransmitters that are commonly firing with today’s stressful lifestyle.
Manufactured by the brain, almost all cells in your body are influenced by serotonin levels. So what are some things we can do to make sure our serotonin levels are high enough?
Lifestyle
- Exercise
- Get enough sleep (Find out my best tips for increasing sleep quality HERE).
Food
Food high in the amino acid tryptophan, which is the pre-cursor to serotonin are helpful. These include:
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Beans
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Fish and
- Turkey
Eat quality food including lots of healthy fats which are essential for hormone and neurotransmitter production and when trying to balance serotonin avoid sugar, caffeine and alcohol.
Nutrients
- Vitamin B, Calcium and Magnesium levels can all impact serotonin levels
- Get some sun – sunlight naturally stimulates
GABA
Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) is an amino acid which acts as a neurotransmitter that calms the body and mind, reducing nervous activity.
GABA is responsible for:
- Relaxation
- Calmness
- Being the primary inhibitory neurotransmitter
GABA too high:
- Excessive energy
- Anxiousness
- Sleep difficulties
- Headaches
GABA too low:
- Uncontrolled excessive energy
- Uncontrolled anxiety
- Uncontrolled sleep difficulties
- Poor impulse control
You can purchase GABA as a supplement to help calm and relax you and assist with sleep. Low levels of GABA have been linked to chronic pain, anxiety, mood disorders and elevated glutamate levels (see above).
When you increase GABA you can often overcome sleep challenges and anxiousness. Furthermore, you want to boost GABA when glutamate and PEA are high.
Lifestyle
As with balancing out many of the nuerotransmitters, getting enough sleep, yoga and meditation can all be beneficial.
Food
Although you cannot get GABA directly from the food that you eat some foods do help to impact how GABA works in the brain and may be beneficial to add to your diet. These are fruits and vegetables, teas such as green tea and red wine.
Nutrients
- 4-amino-3-phenylbutyric acid
- Taurine
- CALM supplement (Click HERE to find out more)
GLYCINE
Glycine is responsible for:
- Calming
- Relaxing
Glycine too high:
- Anxiousness
- Low mood
- Stress-related symptoms
- High immune activity
Glycine too low:
- Mood disorders
So what can you do to balance glycine levels?
Nutrients
Glycine can be taken as a supplement however to work out if this will be most effective for you book in to talk to Dr. Jones or Dr. Accurso by clicking on their names.
HISTAMINE
Histamine is responsible for:
- Controlling sleep-wake cycle
- Energy
- Motivation
Histamine too high:
- Hypersensitivities
- Sleep difficulty
Histamine too low:
- Fatigue
- Sleep difficulties
If you think it could be a histamine imbalance causing you issues try some of the following:
Food
Try adding some more vitamin C rich foods to your diet as your bodies vitamin C levels help to regulate your level of histamine release. Foods such as bell peppers, dark leafy greens, citrus fruits, blueberries, broccoli and papayas.
Nutrients
You can also try some Himalayan salt in a glass of water in the morning or if you feel like your histamine levels are too high.
DOPAMINE
Dopamine is actually considered to be an excitatory and an inhibitory neurotransmitter. (See above for tips on balancing dopamine levels).
So What Are Some Things You Can Try Today to Help Naturally Balance Your Neurotransmitters and Boost Brain Fitness?
1. Lifestyle Strategies
- Sleep is really important. Find out why and how you can improve the quality of your sleep HERE.
- Meditation just has so many benefits to your health including balancing your neurotransmitter levels. Many successful entrepreneurs also put meditation up there as one of their most important tools for success.
- Exercise can have an awesome effect on not only your neurotransmitters but your productivity levels and mood so try an incorporate some movement or exercise into your day to improve neurotransmitter balance.
- Get outside. Getting some sun can help boost your mood and serotonin levels and the fresh air and movement can help to relax you and clear your mind.
2. Foods
- Add healthy fats and vegetables to your diet every day
- Reduce sugar, caffeine and artificial flavors colors and sweeteners as these all negatively affect your neurotransmitter balance.
3. Nutrients
Some great supplements to use to help balance your neurotransmitter levels include:
- CALM : Use calm at the end of each day to help you get a higher quality of sleep and help support your nuerotransmitters, hormones, thyroid and more. It helps to promote balance between glutamate and GABA and so can be really great to help with stress management, weight management and more! Find out more HERE.
- Neurosyn – This can be used in a great combination with the CALM, taken at the beginning or in the middle of the day. It helps with cognition and memory and supports healthy brain ageing by helping to balance neurotransmitter levels. Find out more HERE.
- Brain Vital – Brain Vital is an awesome supplement to help maximize brain function by providing support for your brain to repair neurons and also contains ingredients to help build cell membranes and revitalize your brain. Find out more HERE.
The Ultimate Neurotransmitter Balancing Solution is a Customized Approach Through Lab Testing
Balancing out these neurotransmitters can have such a transformative impact on your focus, productivity, mood, and ability to concentrate and brain function! Getting these firing exactly as they should can really elevate you to high performance and give you the energy and brain power to really achieve goals at that next level.
The problem with the information above is the fact that you don’t know what your specific neurotransmitter imbalances are. You could guess, but why not get specifics?
If you want to access high performance, then you’ll want to get lab test analytics on what specifically is going on within your body. No more guess work. Know exactly what you levels are, and what you can do to balance them naturally. We will give you a customized supplementation program specific to your lab results to help you maximize your brain function and productivity.
Here are the steps to doing this the fastest and most efficient way possible:
1. Get a consultation with Dr. Jones or Dr. Accurso by clicking on their names.
2. Order the comprehensive Neurotransmitter profile
3. Get a customized plan for balancing your brain and maximizing performance and productivity
I’ve done this test on myself to help get rid of restless leg syndrome. I was twitching throughout the night and didn’t know why. Once I figured out what neurotransmitters were high, I balanced them out and now my sleep is much better and my wife is much happier!
This is what people I’ve worked with have addressed by getting this information:
- Deeper more rejuvenating sleeps
- Increased levels of energy
- Remember and recalling things much easier
- Maximized focus and mental clarity
- Overcoming depression
- Melting anxiety
- Creating more peace and relaxation in your life
Understanding this critical information I believe can also prevent neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s in the future. Click here to get started today.
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