Bloggin Noggin

A quick Q + A on why gut health is so incredibly important, not just for our brain health but also general wellbeing. How Does Gut Health Affect Brain Health?The gut-brain connection goes both ways as a troubled digestive system also sends signals to the brain. So for example, distress in a person’s digestive system can lead to stress, depression, or anxiety. How Does Gut Health Affect Mental Health?The gastrointestinal tract can be fairly sensitive to our emotions, so feelings like anxiety, anger, excitement, and sadness can all trigger symptoms in our digestive tract.The brain can also directly affect our intestines and our stomach, even just thinking about eating can make the brain release stomach juices before we take in food. Can Your Gut Affect Your Mood?Absolutely, this is because the gut and the brain interact very closely, which is why we can feel quite sick when we’re nervous, or we feel intestinal pain when we’re stressed.Our moods and emotions can combine with physical factors to cause digestive pain and other bowel symptoms. Psychological stressors can also influence the symptoms and the actual physiology of the gut. What Does Your Skin Tell You About Your Gut Health?Digestive problems and indigestion can affect the way your body retains the nutrients in your diet which in turn can affect our skin.Poor gut health leads to poor absorption of antioxidants, minerals, and the vitamins we need to keep skin healthy and this issue might also potentially worsen any existing skin conditions.Can Your Gut Bacteria Help You Lose Weight?Gut bacteria can affect your weight by influencing how your body digests different types of food and certain species of digestive bacteria can digest dietary fibres, which can also support weight loss.A healthy gut microbiome can digest flavonoids, antioxidants found in plants, which can help prevent weight gain. It may also influence how the intestines absorb and store dietary fats.How Does Gut Health Affect the Immune System?A healthy gut microbiome keeps bad bacteria from outnumbering and overpowering the good bacteria in our system. It also stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies that prevent intestinal inflammation caused by bad bacteria, fungi and viruses. This really exciting area is being updated all the time-there is still SO much we are learning about gut health, the microbiome and its role in general health and and our brain health. Keep Well Dr Clara Russell

Anyone else feeling a bit blah, meh or feeling their 'get up and go' has 'got up and gone'? I write this as I too, as well as a friend I spoke with just the other day, are both feeling all of the above.These feelings can manifest in a number of ways.It may be the time of year with the seasons changing, the wet weather or worry as we navigate Covid, the uncertainty it brings.It could be taking longer than you anticipated to adopt new regimes when it comes to working, education and day to day living. Or it could just be for any reason. These feelings can manifest themselves in a number of ways:- what is the point- wondering what the world is coming to- finding a million ways to procrastinate and avoid doing the job or task you should be doing- not wanting to get off the couch- wanting to eat copious amounts of food, the more unhealthy the better- drinking wine as a consolation reward- not feeling inspired. At all.- beating yourself up about not feeling like doing anything that day or the day before or the day tomorrow- not really seeing the point (you know there is a point but right now you just can't be bothered!) - wanting to stay in bed- feeling guilty for feeling ‘blah'- unsure whether to just indulge in the ‘blah' or fight itEveryone has these days but these feelings can be especially heightened right now if you’ve been made redundant, are unwell, lost your business, are furloughed and worried about job security or your health. It’s also a very difficult and unstable time if you're self employed, freelance or a business owner and your livelihood depends on you not feeling very ‘blah’.Here are some steps to tackle the ‘blah' factor. If however you are worried about your own mental health or of that of a family member, please speak with your GP.There are also a number of mental health charities and services online you can check out, the NHS has a full list here. Acceptance  It’s ok to not be ok and we all have those days. Accept it and sit with it, don’t fight it. You won’t win. Distraction Do something, anything, but don’t go on social media as this may make you prone to fo the comparison thing which is never good but especially when you don’t feel like you’re firing on all cylinders. Trust me, I’m a Doctor. InspirationWatch Gone With The Wind or another worldly movie, take a virtual tour - visit these amazing museums from around the world from the comfort of your own home or listen to an educational and inspiring podcast. Shake it up a bit when it comes to media and what you tend to watch or read. ExerciseA 20 min walk works wonders for your mood. Even though the weather of late has been distinctly un-summery if you can get out, you will feel the benefits.Though do make sure you’re wearing adequate clothing. Nothing adds more to the ‘blah’ vibe than getting soaked to the skin in the wind and rain. Phone A FriendTexts and WhatsApp messages are all well and good but somethings need to be said and also heating someone else’s voice can lift our mood. Don’t be hiding away, phone a friend if you can, even a quick 5mins can lift your mood and theirs. So win, win.  Manage PressureDo you have to do all the things you think you have to do, today? Will doing it today rather than tomorrow have a negative or positive impact on the outcomes? When feeling ‘blah’ I only concentrate on exactly what needs to be done, so prioritise because your health and wellbeing is SUPER important. Think Like Scarlett O’HaraHave faith that all will be well and remember that famous line from that wonderful movie, Gone With The Wind "After all, tomorrow is another day!"  Keep Well, Dr Clara Russell

New habits, new neural pathways - 8 hobbies great for your brain health Research from Harvard Medical School and neurologists tell us that learning a new skill has a variety of effects on the physical structures of the brain itself. New information introduced to our mind connects new neural pathways, which makes our thinking more agile and more efficient and crucially, maintains good brain health.It also makes our brain matter denser, speeding up our thinking even more and this has even been shown to help the elderly avoid the effects of dementia and slow our cognitive ageing.  With this in mind, here are some new skills you can learn from the comfort of your home. Join an Online Choir Music charity Nordoff Robbins invites you to sing together from the comfort of your own home using video platform Zoom. Find out more here. Learn a new language Whether it’s just a few conversational basics or if you want to learn in-depth, apps like Babbel and Duo Lingo mean you can learn some new lingo. You could try Polish to Danish, Norwegian to Turkish and a few more besides. Cook up a storm Google celebrity chefs on You Tube or look up your favourite chef on Instagram or Facebook and you’ll find chefs sharing their best how-to recipes for simple suppers or midweek meals. One of our favourites is Tom Kerridge on Facebook. Embrace Mindfulness The Headspace or Calm apps on Google play come highly recommended. This online course from Be Mindful is also excellent.  Learn Flamenco If dancing floats your boat and you’d like to learn, this website has lots of videos, tips and blog and lessons online. Learn CalligraphyExplore your creativity and learn a new art form. Skillshare has lots of courses on creativity. Make a Macaron or two There are lots of online forums dedicated to these French custardy little cakes. Apparently they’re quick tricky to make though this website makes it look quite easy! Get into Quilting If you’ve ever fancied learning how to do this, you can do it on this website which is dedicated to Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit. Keep Well Dr Clara Russell

Yes! Research has shown that catching a few Zzzzz during the day can be good for your brain. A number of famous names are notable for their love of napping. Sir Winston Churchill managed on just four hours sleep a night during World War Two — but insisted on a two hour nap in the afternoon. Albert Einstein reportedly slept for 10 hours a night, plus daytime naps. The Kardashians also manage to nap with their young family, though that might have been pre-Kanye’s erratic behaviour in the media. There’s also scientific from Harvard Medical School supporting the belief that having a nap can give our brains some much needed downtime. When Greece started phasing out its siesta in the 1990s, and keeping stores open longer during the day, researchers from Harvard University’s School of Public Health attempted to quantify the impacts of this cultural change. Though none of the participants had a history of heart disease or stroke when the study began, by the end of the six-year period, those who had stopped taking their regular siesta suffered a 37% increased risk of death from heart disease compared to those who didn’t. A growing number of businesses are recognising what research has long conveyed: daytime napping may come with big advantages — both psychological and professional. In recent years in the US, Google, Uber, Nike NASA and Zappos all offer some form of napping benefits. Napping Types Planned napping (also called preparatory napping) involves taking a nap before you actually get sleepy.  You may use this technique when you know that you will be up later than your normal bed time or as a mechanism to ward off getting tired earlier. Emergency napping occurs when you are suddenly very tired and cannot continue with the activity you were originally engaged in.  This type of nap can be used to combat drowsy driving or fatigue while using heavy and dangerous machinery. Habitual napping is practiced when a person takes a nap at the same time each day.  Young children may fall into the land of nod  about the same time each afternoon or an adult might take a short siesta after lunch each day. Benefits A little nap can help restore energy, alertness, enhance performance, and reduce mistakes and accidents.  A study at NASA on sleepy military pilots and astronauts found that a 40-minute nap improved performance by 34% and alertness 100%. Naps can increase alertness in the period directly following the nap and may extend alertness a few hours later in the day. Napping has psychological benefits - a nap can be a little luxury, a break from the routine and it can provide an easy way to get some relaxation and help you feel rejuvenated. Timing is Key One of the keys to "power napping", or “cat napping”  or  taking a “disco nap” is to keep them short. If you benefit from napping there is almost no length of nap that is too short. However, an extended nap can leave you feeling groggy and ‘jetlagged’ as well as possibly upsetting your night time sleep. Many experts say 10 to 20 minutes is the ideal duration to bolster energy and heighten alertness. Setting an alarm for this length of time is recommended to get the best benefit from your daytime downtime. Another idea is using the Calm App which has specially selected Nap settings to help you gently fall asleep and stir from slumber naturally.https://www.calm.com/breathe Keep Well, Dr Clara Russell

Downtime and taking a break is so important as we continue to navigate the challenges around day to day living as we adapt to the new normal. Many of us are suffering from stress and anxiety and you can check out my tips on how to de-stress here. Whether it’s reading a book, cooking, swimming or gardening, time to switch off is an absolute must. Taking a break has also been found to increase productivity and creativity. Here are some recommendations from Team Noggin on some stimulating and relaxing podcasts. The Travel Diaries Since travelling abroad could potentially be stressful right now due to Covid, why not plug into some escapism via The Travel Diaries podcast. Host Holly Rubenstein interviews a plethora of people including Rick Stein, Jo Malone, Sir Michael Palin, Nadiya Hussain and Tom Kerridge about their travel experiences. Postcards From Midlife Editing powerhouses Lorraine Candy and Trish Halpin have been working in magazine publishing for 20 years and are long term friends.  Their conversations cover everything from handling mansplainers, the menopause and managing a mid-life crisis, parenting kids and providing care to elderly parents.  If you’re of a certain age you will relate. Revisionist History New York Times best-selling author and public speaker Malcolm Gladwell talks with Virginia Heffernan about notorious and intriguing events from the past and re-examones them. This is an intelligent and educational series, over10 episodes. Feel Better, Live More Dr Ranjan Chatterjee speaks to fellow experts about topics like mental health, relationships, sleep, productivity, meditation, mindfulness and more.  Stuff You Should Know Perfect fodder for pub/ zoom chat or to keep up your sleeve for when we can all socialise more freely.  If you’ve ever wondered how miniature golf works, or the story of champagne, LSD, El Nino and Rosa Parks, then you’ve come to the right place. Keep Well Dr Clara Russell

“It is never too early and never too late in the life course for dementia prevention” * Why Dementia risk isn’t all in the genes 

Stress is very common at the moment with so much uncertainty and a lack of control so it’s no wonder that we are frazzled and left feeling exhausted. Many people are on the redundancy rollercoaster too, which can understandably hit confidence, sap energy and create worries about finances and the future.

Keep it simple - post Covid our brains have faced complex challenges Many of us have faced multiple challenges whilst navigating lockdown and the new normal. Our work, downtime, family lives, parenting and pastimes have all merged into a tangle of confusion, new ways of being and thinking. Our reliance on technology has also meant we’re spending more time in front of screens and even little things have become overwhelming. So, it's no wonder many of us are feeling flat and frazzled.

We’ve all been navigating the challenges of Covid and there’s no doubt it’s taken its toll on our brain health, mental wellbeing and general health, in one way shape or form. Juggling home schooling, WFH, risk of redundancy, health concerns and adapting to the ’new normal’ are just some of the complex challenges we are facing. Here are some nutritional tips and lifestyle suggestions on how to improve your mood and limit the damage caused by stress and anxiety.

Did you know that poor sleep quality, or a lack of sleep can be causing you stress? More than just irritability, stress can raise your cortisol levels which isn't great for your brain or your body. Here's our 3 top tips for better sleep that you can try today.

Now more than ever it’s a good idea to turn on tune in and drop out and lose yourself in a podcast.Switching off from your daily routine or just allowing your brain to take time out are great for your mental wellbeing and brain health. Here are some of our favourite podcasts:

There is plenty to be down in the mouth about at the moment- especially if you put on the news or scroll through social media.  Whilst the little things may not be able to change the course of a global pandemic, they can make a difference to how you feel and how you deal with the difficulties that may be going on around you Here’s some science backed ways that can make a wee difference to how your feel-