By Brad R. Ralston, D.C., DACNB, FABBIR
One of the most common problems I find in patients who have post-concussion syndrome is hypoglycemia (low blood sugar/low glucose). Low blood sugar is characterized by feeling weak, tired, shaky, angry, or nauseated. Some patients who have those symptoms fail to realize that the cause is low blood sugar and that eating would make them feel better.  

People have certain habits and tendencies in regards to their eating. People who were skipping meals before a concussion are likely to skip meals after a concussion and not realize the impact that has on their long-term recovery. In addition, because your activity level drops dramatically in the days following a concussion, your normal appetite triggers are not as prevalent.  

This is why low blood sugar is a problem: Glucose is the fuel that powers your brain, and when you’re not eating enough, your brain isn’t getting the energy it needs to function normally. You need to provide adequate fuel for your brain every day, especially following a concussion. 

What Happens to the Brain and Body After a Concussion
After sustaining a concussion, the body enters a hyperexcitable phase characterized by sensitivity to light and sound and overstimulation of the brain. During this phase, the brain uses all of its stored glucose. To restore glucose reserves, you need to eat regularly and get adequate caloric intake; otherwise, your brain will continue operating on decreased glucose, which interferes with your recovery. 

So, what can you do to boost your brain’s healing power? We often recommend that patients who have a concussion try to eat an Atkins-style or keto-style (higher-protein, higher-fat, low-carb) diet for a couple of weeks. Fat feeds the brain, and it’s superior to carbohydrates in supplying long-lasting fuel for the brain.  

After a few weeks on this brain-recharging diet, we can test your fasting glucose levels to see if they’ve stabilized. If they have, you should notice an improvement in your symptoms.

If you need help with concussion or post-concussion symptoms, please call us at (317) 848-6000.

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Although we start life with roughly 100 billion neurons, we start to lose neurons the moment we are born due to the effects of stress, toxins, inflammation, aging, trauma, disease, and other factors.

So why can some people’s brains stay sharp and vital into old age?

The answer is not in the number of neurons, but in neuroplasticity, the ability of your brain to learn and adapt to change by creating additional links to neighboring neurons.

While strength in numbers is good, strength in connectivity is better when it comes to the brain.

Each neuron can send out thousands of connections to other neurons. As we age, even though we lose many neurons and the ones we retain become slower, neuroplasticity means cells become better over time at making more connections.

The resulting network of connection gives us the ability to complete complex tasks and even be that senior with a sharper mind than a PhD student.

However, neuroplasticity depends on two main factors: stimulation and the right chemical environment.

For example, a stroke patient who has smoked for 20 years (toxins and low oxygen), never exercises (low oxygen), and eats sweets and fast food every day (blood sugar issues) is going to have a different potential for recovery than someone who has a healthy diet, exercises regularly, and avoids environmental toxins. Their levels of plasticity are very different.

One way to gauge your brain's potential for plasticity: Ask if it's easier to learn new facts or skills than it was five years ago. If it's easier, your brain has developed greater plasticity. If it's harder, you have inefficient plasticity.

If you are in the second category, don't despair. Given the right tools and environment, your brain can improve its plasticity.

How to support your brain's plasticity

Our brains are incredibly adaptive, and given the right care — oxygen, fuel, and stimulation, they can stay healthy and sharp well into old age.

Anti-inflammatory diet. A diet that supports stable blood sugar and addresses inflammation and food sensitivities is the foundation to restoring and supporting your brain's plasticity and health.

Eat plenty of healthy fats. Our brains are composed largely of fats,and we need to eat plenty of healthy fats to support them. Focus on fats such as cold-water fish, olive oil, avocado oil, nuts, and coconut oil. Supplementing with omega 3 fatty acids is a great way to support brain health.

Exercise daily. A body that moves has a brain that gets oxygen. Exercise also increases BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor), an anti-inflammatory brain chemical that helps eliminate brain fog and improve brain function.

Stress reduction. Chronic stress causes a cascade of physiological effects that reduces oxygen and increases brain inflammation. Try these time-tested ways to reduce your daily stress level:

• Deep breathing
• Chi Gong
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Laughter
• Play
• Grounding

Prioritize sleep. Without adequate sleep, the brain and body experience increased inflammation and cannot function at their best. To improve sleep, adopt these daily habits:

• Get 8 to 10 hours of sleep daily.
• Go to bed at the same time every night.
• Keep your bedroom cool and dark.
• Prioritize naps when you can.
• Avoid screen light in the evening. Instead, read a book or play a board game.
• If you must use screens before bed, use blue-blocker glasses, and install the F.lux app on your device.
• Keep your TV and home office outside your bedroom.
•  If you suffer from low blood sugar have a small, high-protein, low sugar snack just before bed to help avoid 3 a.m. insomnia.

Address food sensitivities. Food reactivity can cause systemic inflammation that leads to brain inflammation and degeneration. Ask your functional medicine practitioner for help in determining your sensitivities.

Address hormonal imbalances. When hormones become imbalanced you lose neurotransmitter activity and brain function. PMS, perimenopause, menopause, and low or high estrogen in women as well as low testosterone in men can compromise brain health and function. Simple lab testing can help determine your next steps.

Brain Based Exercises: My office specializes in prescribing specific brain based exercises to work on targeted areas of the brain we find to be under activated through our testing. Exercises to improve plasticity in networks of the brain can alleviate symptoms such as Migraine, Dizziness, Post Concussion Syndrome, ADHD and more. If exercises are performed 3-5 times a day for 3-6 months the brain can drastically improve over this short period of time. If you just don't feel like yourself, schedule a neurologic examination with us today!

Contact my office for more information on how to improve yours.You can call us at 317-848-6000 or contact Dr. Ralston directly as [email protected].

Obviously with the current pandemic of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, I have been getting a lot of questions from patients regarding optimizing their immune system.  So, we have been working with patients to help them understand their immune response and how to improve immune function so that the host, which is us, is less suitable for the COVID-19 virus.  As you read in the paper and heard on the news reports, this is a new virus that mutated from animal species to a human virus and it is a new virus, therefore, our body does not have antibodies to this virus as of yet.  The virus appears to be highly contagious and virulent to patients who are predisposed to immunocompromised, diabetes, obesity, inflammation, respiratory disorders, particularly targeting those over 60 years old.  But for any patient to prevent illness and any one of us trying to ward off the effects of this virus, improving immune function is as important today as in the future.  

So, understanding your immune system, you basically have two players at hand with the immune system.  We have the innate and the adaptive immune response.  The innate immune response is basically the immediate immune response that would respond to a virus.  The innate immune response is your stomach barriers, skin tissue, and your eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes that would immediately come in contact with a potential pathogen such as a virus.  The innate immune response can be influenced by anything that would stress your body, physical, chemical, psychological stress can all affect your innate immune response.  Therefore, during this stressful time, trying to remain calm, trying to do things that are relaxing such as meditation, yoga, exercise, massage, even chiropractic to remove as much stress as possible.  In regard to this virus, getting adequate sleep seems to be a definite important factor, especially for autoimmune patients who when their autoimmunity up regulates, their sleep/wake cycles become disrupted and their anxiety increases.  Therefore, adequate sleep is probably paramount. And sadly, to say, when this quarantine happened, there is a lot more time to sit around and drink alcohol, but that is probably not a good strategy, trying to mildly to moderately consume alcohol would be a suggestion.  

Your adaptive immune system is more of your B and T cells.  These are activated when the virus is in your body and the immune system is mounting an immune attack on the virus.  Therefore, the role of the adaptive immune system is imperative as well.

Some strategies we have been using nutritionally to support our patients, both innate and adaptive immune responses are products such as vitamin C.  You have probably heard that vitamin C has been used in Shanghai and it has also been used in New York City intravenously.  While vitamin C does not kill the virus, it certainly supports the immune system and decreases the effects of the virus on your system.  Therefore, vitamin C seems to be a key influencer of the infection, so we are recommending our patients take vitamin C.  You can take 1000 mg up to four times a day to bowel tolerance.  Probiotics are also important.  Probiotics support your gut barriers, as we talked about with the innate immune system.  Taking probiotics is a key influencer of the immune system and, therefore, that is a good thing to add as well.  Zinc, making sure your zinc levels are adequate is another important strategy.  Optimum levels of Vitamin D are also important.  Several studies have shown that low levels of Vitamin D make pt.’s susceptible to Covid.  In my practice it is common to find pt.’s with low vitamin D levels especially bc of the long winters we have.  Therefore, optimum levels of vitamin D are important now and moving forward.  You can easily have your levels checked by your doctor; we are happy to provide this.  Most pt.’s need on average 3-5K iu/day of vitamin daily just to maintain their levels through the winter.  

Specifically, in talking about COVID-19, it seems the pathological process is the cytokine storm that happens in the lung that creates significant breathing problems in patients who contract the virus.  There are some studies that show that glutathione, which is an immune system booster, an antioxidant and an intracellular detoxifier downregulate cytokine load in the lung specifically.  Therefore, I have been recommending my patients take Trizomal Glutathione, which is a product we carry.  In addition, resveratrol, which is an antioxidant, has also been shown to be helpful with the effects of the virus, as well as some other Chinese herbs. 

Another important aspect in this managing stress.  The fear and anxiety of this pandemic has been very high on some pt.’s.  This stress response puts your body in fight or fight mode.  As a result, cortisol, your stress hormone is increased.  Cortisol weakens your immunes system, therefore managing stress is an important part of building your immunes system up.  I use adrenal adaptogens to help manage cortisol and stress. Ashwagandha, Rhodiola are just a few of the compounds that I find helpful.  If you find yourself really stressed, reach out to a provider for assistance. 

Therefore, in conclusion, if you should have any further questions about specific supplement strategies, you can feel free to contact my office at (317)848-6000.  I think moving forward from this pandemic, one of the benefits may be an awakening of our need to prioritize our health and our immune system to make us as healthy and strong as possible.  Monitoring your CBC, monitoring your white blood cell count and the factors of your immune system may be things that prove to be beneficial in the future rather than just looking at acute illness, looking at immune health on an ongoing basis. 

I hope everybody stays healthy.

Sincerely, 
Brad Ralston

Concussions and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) are brain injuries that can alter brain functions short and/or long term.

​​Brain injuries such as these are often hard to identify and treat, as structural damages are not normally present in brain imaging (MRI, CT). Despite this lack of visual damage to the brain, patients still often experience symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, confusion, fogginess, nausea, head pressure, memory-loss, and decreased brain function, among many others. For many people, concussions and other brain injuries are mild, and recovery takes only a short amount of time. However, for those who suffer from serious concussions and traumatic brain injuries, full recovery is very hard, if not impossible. The changes to the brain can have devastating and life-changing effects.
 
Because of the complexity of concussions and traumatic brain injuries, recovery can be difficult, requiring highly specialized education and training. Additionally, no two brain injuries are alike, and effects of similar injuries can vary from person to person. In order to maximize potential of recovery, it is important for healthcare providers to identify the areas of decreased function and develop a personalized and strategic plan for each individual patient. Severe and even mild brain injuries can result in consequences to a person's life, impacting family, employment, and day to day social interactions. Without proper rehabilitation, individuals may be left in long-term injured states. However, long-term rehabilitation can help improve brain function and regain independence.

Visit our website for more information:
 www.neurohealthservices.com/become-a-patient.html 
Or call our office to set up an appointment today at: 317-848-6000

Obviously with the current pandemic of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, I have been getting a lot of questions from patients regarding optimizing their immune system. So, we have been working with patients to help them understand their immune response and how to improve immune function so that the host, which is us, is less suitable for the COVID-19 virus. As you read in the paper and heard on the news reports, this is a new virus that mutated from animal species to a human virus and it is a new virus, therefore, our body does not have antibodies to this virus as of yet. The virus appears to be highly contagious and virulent to patients who are predisposed to immunocompromised, diabetes, obesity, inflammation, respiratory disorders, particularly targeting those over 60 years old. But for any patient to prevent illness and any one of us trying to ward off the effects of this virus, improving immune function is as important today as in the future.  

So, understanding your immune system, you basically have two players at hand with the immune system. We have the innate and the adaptive immune response. The innate immune response is basically the immediate immune response that would respond to a virus. The innate immune response is your stomach barriers, skin tissue, and your eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes that would immediately come in contact with a potential pathogen such as a virus. The innate immune response can be influenced by anything that would stress your body, physical, chemical, psychological stress can all affect your innate immune response. Therefore, during this stressful time, trying to remain calm, trying to do things that are relaxing such as meditation, yoga, exercise, massage, even chiropractic to remove as much stress as possible. In regard to this virus, getting adequate sleep seems to be a definite important factor, especially for autoimmune patients who when their autoimmunity up regulates, their sleep/wake cycles become disrupted and their anxiety increases. Therefore, adequate sleep is probably paramount. And sadly, to say, when this quarantine happened, there is a lot more time to sit around and drink alcohol, but that is probably not a good strategy, trying to mildly to moderately consume alcohol would be a suggestion. Your adaptive immune system is more of your B and T cells.  These are activated when the virus is in your body and the immune system is mounting an immune attack on the virus.  Therefore, the role of the adaptive immune system is imperative as well.

Some strategies we have been using nutritionally to support our patients, both innate and adaptive immune responses are products such as vitamin C. You have probably heard that vitamin C has been used in Shanghai and it has also been used in New York City intravenously. While vitamin C does not kill the virus, it certainly supports the immune system and decreases the effects of the virus on your system. Therefore, vitamin C seems to be a key influencer of the infection, so we are recommending our patients take vitamin C. You can take 1000 mg up to four times a day to bowel tolerance. Probiotics are also important. Probiotics support your gut barriers, as we talked about with the innate immune system. Taking probiotics is a key influencer of the immune system and, therefore, that is a good thing to add as well. Zinc, making sure your zinc levels are adequate is another important strategy. Optimum levels of Vitamin D are also important.  Several studies have shown that low levels of Vitamin D make pt.’s susceptible to Covid. In my practice it is common to find pt.’s with low vitamin D levels especially bc of the long winters we have. Therefore, optimum levels of vitamin D are important now and moving forward. You can easily have your levels checked by your doctor; we are happy to provide this. Most pt.’s need on average 3-5K iu/day of vitamin daily just to maintain their levels through the winter.  

Specifically, in talking about COVID-19, it seems the pathological process is the cytokine storm that happens in the lung that creates significant breathing problems in patients who contract the virus. There are some studies that show that glutathione, which is an immune system booster, an antioxidant and an intracellular detoxifier downregulate cytokine load in the lung specifically. Therefore, I have been recommending my patients take Trizomal Glutathione, which is a product we carry. In addition, resveratrol, which is an antioxidant, has also been shown to be helpful with the effects of the virus, as well as some other Chinese herbs. 

Another important aspect in this managing stress. The fear and anxiety of this pandemic has been very high on some pt.’s. This stress response puts your body in fight or fight mode. As a result, cortisol, your stress hormone is increased. Cortisol weakens your immunes system, therefore managing stress is an important part of building your immunes system up. I use adrenal adaptogens to help manage cortisol and stress. Ashwagandha, Rhodiola are just a few of the compounds that I find helpful. If you find yourself really stressed, reach out to a provider for assistance. 

Therefore, in conclusion, if you should have any further questions about specific supplement strategies, you can feel free to contact my office at 317-848-6000. I think moving forward from this pandemic, one of the benefits may be an awakening of our need to prioritize our health and our immune system to make us as healthy and strong as possible. Monitoring your CBC, monitoring your white blood cell count and the factors of your immune system may be things that prove to be beneficial in the future rather than just looking at acute illness, looking at immune health on an ongoing basis. 

I hope everybody stays healthy.

Sincerely, 
Dr. Ralston

Frontal Lobe
The frontal lobe is the area of your forehead that stretches between the temples. The human frontal lobe distinguishes us from other animals and governs much of our personality, impulse control, and the ability to reason. A frontal lobe injury can completely change your personality and ADHD is understood to affect the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe also governs emotional drive, motivation, and planning. Poor frontal lobe function can result in an inability to set goals or follow through on projects or plans. You may feel lazy, unmotivated, or depressed if so. In fact, depression is simply a frontal lobe impairment. The frontal lobe activates the muscles. Poor frontal lobe function can result in moving more slowly or not swinging your arms when you walk.
Fine-motor coordination also falls under the frontal lobe’s duties. This is needed for handwriting, embroidery, and other detailed movements of the hands. As the frontal lobe degenerates it’s typical for handwriting to worsen.

​Symptoms and signs of possible frontal lobe impairment

• Slower and less powerful muscle movements
• Depression
• Mental sluggishness and laziness
• Poor impulse control
• Poor social behavior and judgment
• Poor handwriting
• Poor cognitive function, such as poor math or planning skills
• Trouble learning complex things, such as math, new languages, or philosophy
• Poor muscle-coordination

​

Temporal Lobe
The temporal lobes are located on either side of the brain above the ears. They govern hearing, speech, memory, emotions, and distinguishing smells. Tinnitus (ringing in the ear) is a common symptom of temporal lobe dysfunction, although not all tinnitus is due to temporal lobe degeneration, as is difficulty distinguishing between different tones. Within the temporal lobes is the hippocampus, the seat of learning and memory. Degeneration of the hippocampus leads to poor memory and eventually Alzheimer’s disease. It is also involved with spatial orientation, sense of direction, and circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle).

​Symptoms and signs of possible temporal lobe impairment

• Poor memory
• Difficulty hearing with background noise
• Episodes of tinnitus
• Abnormal shifts of fatigue throughout the day
• Ongoing episodes of insomnia

​

Cerebellum
Your cerebellum is two lobes at the back of the head, directly above your neck. It calibrates muscle coordination and balance and filters information before sending it to the brain.

Symptoms and signs of possible cerebellum impairment

• Episodes of dizziness or vertigo
• Nausea from visual inputs (car sickness)
• Poor balance
• Subtle shakes at the end stage of hand movement

​

Occipital Lobe
The occipital lobe is in the back of the brain and processes visual information.

Symptoms of possible occipital lobe impairment

• Difficulty processing visual information and recognizing shapes, colors, and motion
• Visual hallucinations
• Visual floaters
• Visual persistence or reoccurrence of the visual image after it has been removed

​

​Any of the above symptoms in adults usually mean degeneration in those areas of the brain while in children it can signal poor brain development. If your overall brain function is declining, you may have many of these symptoms.
The good news is the brain is very receptive to improving with the right nutrients and input. Functional neurology excels in identifying areas of brain dysfunction and customizing brain rehabilitation specifically for your brain. Ask my office for more information on a 10 min diagnostic exam to evaluate your brain function for only $69.00. You can contact our office at 317-848-6000 or contact Dr. Ralston directly at [email protected].

Have you been googling for ways to improve your hypothyroid or brain condition and come across suggestions to test MTHFR? What is MTHFR and what does it have to do with hypothyroidism or the brain? If you are one of the 60 percent of people with a genetic defect in the MTHFR gene, it could affect your ability to successfully manage Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism or brain-based symptoms.
MTHFR is the acronym for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, an enzyme involved in processing folate, or vitamin B9, into a usable form the body can assimilate. It’s also necessary to metabolize folic acid, a synthetic form of folate used in supplements.

Thanks to the popularity of gene testing, people can now learn whether they have a mutation in the MTHFR gene. If so, it means their methylation pathways are impacted and contributing to health challenges.

Methylation pathways govern detoxification and many important metabolic processes in the body, which makes a MTHFR defect something worth paying attention to. If you are struggling to manage your Hashimoto's hypothyroidism or brain-based symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, or depression, you may find the MTHFR test valuable.

Methylation is a process of adding a methyl group to a molecule. Methylation’s roles jobs include the following:

•  Turning genes on and off
• Detoxifying chemicals and toxins from the body
• Building brain neurotransmitters
• Metabolizing hormones to maintain hormonal balance
• Building immune cells
• Synthesizing DNA and RNA
• Creating cellular energy
• Producing a protective coating that sheathes the nerves
• Metabolizing histamine
• Supporting eye health
• Burning fat
• Supporting liver health

Proper methylation means one can efficiently make proteins, use antioxidants, metabolize hormones, enjoy more balanced brain chemistry, detoxify toxins and heavy metals, and dampen inflammation. All of these factors are vital to managing Hashimoto's hypothyroidism and brain-based symptoms. 
However, if you’re one of the 60 percent of people with a MTHFR genetic defect, you may not be able to properly break down folate in foods or folic acid in supplements.

An inability to properly process folate can raise levels of homocysteine. Homocysteine is an amino acid in the bloodstream that can be dangerous when levels are too high. High homocysteine is linked to an elevated risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s.

Poor methylation also impacts another vital process — the production of glutathione, the body’s main antioxidant. When we become deficient in glutathione, we lose our natural defenses and are at higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases, food sensitivities, and chemical sensitivities.  

An MTHFR defect can also impair the body’s ability to synthesize important brain neurotransmitters, so that brain-based disorders may arise. An MTHFR defect has been linked to depression, anxiety, brain fog, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and even schizophrenia.

​Because methylation is involved in so many important processes in the body, an MTHFR gene defect has been associated with many health conditions, including:

• Heart attack
• Stroke
• Venous thrombosis
• Cancer
• Birth defects
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Mental and mood disorders
• Autoimmune disorders such as Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism

If you are trying to manage a condition like Hashimoto's hypothyroidism or brain-based symptoms, it’s imperative that you be able to dampen inflammation and raise glutathione levels. An MTHFR defect can work against you.

Fortunately, it can be easy to address.

First of all, you can test for MTHFR gene mutations through genetic testing companies such as Spectracell or 23andme.com, and get an interpretation at geneticgenie.org.
More than 50 MTHFR genetic mutations exist, but the two considered the most problematic are C677T and A1298C (written as just 677 and 1298).

Also, keep in mind gene defects don’t always become activated. If you show those genes on a test it doesn’t necessarily mean they have been expressed and are causing symptoms.
To address a MTHFR enzyme defect, support your methylation pathways with methylfolate and methylcobalamin (methyl B12). Avoid supplements with folic acid, boost your glutathione levels with high quality oral liposomal glutathione, and minimize your exposure to toxins. These are also beneficial strategies to aid in the management of Hashimoto's hypothyroidism and brain-based symptoms.


Ask my office for more advice on managing autoimmunity or brain inflammation.
 
Should you have any health questions please call the office at 317-848-60

Although tap water is treated to prevent waterborne diseases, you still need to filter your tap water for truly clean water. Treated water protects us from things like Cryptosporidium and Giardia, yet municipal water supplies are loaded with chemicals used for treatment in addition to the hundreds of pollutants that contaminate our water supplies.
The most common chemicals used to treat drinking water are chlorine and chloramine. Chlorine has long been used to treat most water supplies. Chloramine, a combination of chlorine and ammonia, is less commonly used. Unlike chlorine, chloramine stays in the water longer and cannot be removed through boiling, distilling, or letting water sit uncovered. 
Both chlorine and chloramine are effective in killing disease-causing organisms, however they are somewhat toxic themselves. Chloramine corrodes pipes, increasing the exposure to lead in older homes. Water that is treated with chloramine should also not be used in fish tanks, hydroponics, home brewing, or for dialysis.

Toxic pollutants in our water supplies
Although chlorine and chloramine prevent water-borne diseases, they unfortunately create carcinogenic compounds by reacting with organic particles ordinarily found in water.
The byproducts they create in this process are more toxic than the chlorine or chloramine alone. Research shows these compounds cause cancer in lab animals, produce inflammatory free radicals, irritate the skin and mucus membranes, impact the nervous system, and are linked to birth defects. Some researchers believe these byproducts are also associated with thousands of cases of bladder cancer each year.
Chlorine, chloramine, and the toxic byproducts they trigger are only part of the picture — our water supplies are contaminated by an estimated more than 100,000 industrial chemicals and heavy metals. These toxins come from car exhaust, pollution, farming, and industrial waste.

​Treated drinking water has also been found to contain almost 40 different pharmaceutical drugs. There is no regulation on pharmaceutical drugs in drinking water and experts warn they could accumulate in people’s bodies, potentially interact with medicine people are taking, or contribute to antibiotic resistance.

Use a filter for healthier water
Filtering your water with a quality water filter can help reduce your exposure to industrial chemicals, their toxic byproducts, and pharmaceuticals. Invest in a heavy-duty carbon filter, one that will remove particles 0.8 microns or under. Check if your water has chloramine, and if so, look for filters designed to remove it as it is harder to remove.
Also, consider filtering water coming from your bath faucet and shower head. Your skin is very permeable and also absorbs toxic chemicals. Whole-house filters are a good option for this. People who filter their shower water often report improved skin and hair condition.

Water bottles also contain contaminated water
Many people think drinking bottled water is the safe solution but bottled water is contaminated too. It also leeches harmful BPA chemicals from plastic bottles and sends them straight into your system. BPA is a hormone-disrupting chemical linked to multiple health disorders. Plastic water bottles also create serious pollution, particularly of our oceans.
 
Should you have any health questions please call the office at 317-848-6000.

Eating a vegetable-based diets has loads of proven health benefits, including enriching your gut bacteria diversity, loading you up with plant vitamins and minerals, and ensuring you get plenty of fiber. However, if your plant-based diet is strictly vegan or strict vegetarian you may be missing out on this essential dementia-fighting nutrient: Choline. 
Choline is only found predominantly in animal fats and is a vital brain nutrient that helps prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s.
In addition to supporting the brain — which is made of primarily fat, by the way — choline also supports healthy liver function. Good liver function is necessary to not only keep the body detoxified, but also to keep chronic inflammation in check. A choline deficiency raises the incidence of fatty liver.
Choline is also an essential part of cell membranes in the body and brain; cell membranes act as the cellular command center in directing cell function and communication.
Choline is found primarily in meats, fish, dairy, and eggs. Significantly smaller amounts are found in nuts, legumes, and cruciferous vegetables. The liver is able to manufacture a small amount, though not enough to meet the body’s needs.
Experts say that in order to meet the brain’s needs for sufficient choline, it needs to come from dietary sources rich in choline. 
Most people are choline deficient
The bad news is most people aren’t getting enough choline, and some people are genetically predisposed to a deficiency. Research shows the rising popularity of vegan and vegetarian diets is raising rates of deficiency.
The recommended daily intake of choline is about 425 mg a day for women and 550 mg a day for men.
The two richest sources of choline are beef liver and egg yolk. Research has shown that people who eat eggs regularly have higher levels of choline (we can assume most people aren’t eating liver these days).
In fact, pregnant women who consume at least one egg a day are eight times more likely to meet choline intake recommendations compared to those who don’t.
Beef liver capsules can be a good source of choline if you don’t prefer to eat straight liver. Most products recommend 6 capsules a day. Look for a grass-fed source that has been tested for purity.
Choline is vital for the fetal and infant brain
The choline recommendation for pregnant and breastfeeding women is about 930 mg — choline is vital for the developing child’s brain.
Choline is vital for the adult brain
Choline is also recognized as a vital brain nutrient for the adult brain. In a study of mice bred to have Alzheimer’s like symptoms, a choline-rich diet resulted in improvements in memory and brain function in the mice and their offspring.
Choline protects the brain in several ways. First, it reduces homocysteine, an inflammatory and neurotoxic amino acid if levels are too high. High homocysteine levels are found to double the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Choline prevents this by converting homocysteine to the helpful compound methionine 
Choline also reduces the activation of microglia, the brain’s immune cells that cause inflammation and damage to brain tissue when triggered.
Choline is an essential component of acetylcholine, a brain chemical known as the memory neurotransmitter. Sufficient acetylcholine is vital for memory and healthy brain function.
Choline also helps regulate gene expression.
Choline is just one of the many essential nutrients necessary for healthy brain function. Ask my office how we can help you support your brain health.
 If your concerned about your brain health and want customized advice, please call us at 317-848-6000.

The cerebellum is located at the base of the skull where the spinal cord meets the brain. For years, scientists have believed its only roles were in helping to coordinate and regulate voluntary movement such as walking or writing. However, we've learned it plays a much larger role acting as the brain's “quality control unit.”

An ancient brain structure
Evolutionarily speaking, the cerebellum is an ancient brain structure common to humans, lizards, and fish. It takes up a relatively small portion of the human brain — about 10 percent by weight — but it contains about half of the brain's neurons, specialized brain cells that transmit signals.

More well-protected than other areas of the brain because it sits at the base of the back of the head, we've long known that the cerebellum coordinates voluntary movement.

Any time you shift your balance, coordinate multiple muscle groups, move your eyes, speak, or learn a new movement such as playing a musical instrument or riding a bike, you are using your cerebellum.

The primary integrator of information
The cerebellum is a primary integrator of information for the brain. The body's hundreds of thousands of receptors for vision, motion, and positioning constantly send information to the brain where the cerebellum condenses it and "gates" it on its way to the brain's cortex. The cortex then decides what the cerebellum will tell the body to do about the information.

The brain's ultimate quality control unit
Only a handful of researchers have explored cerebellum functions that might reach beyond motor control. Exciting new research out of Washington University has revealed that the cerebellum isn't only involved in sensory-motor function.

"It's involved in everything we do," says Dr. Jeremy Schmahmann, a neurology professor at Harvard and director of the ataxia unit at Massachusetts General Hospital who was not involved in the study.

It turns out that what the cerebellum does for motor control it also does for cognition and emotion.

The team found that only 20 percent of the cerebellum is dedicated to physical motion while a surprising 80 percent is dedicated to other functions such as:

• Emotion
• Memory
• Language
• Planning
• Abstract thinking

The cerebellum isn't directly responsible for those tasks. Instead, it appears to monitor those brain areas doing the work and helps them perform better by constantly reviewing and improving them.

"We already thought that the cerebellum was cooler than most people thought, but these results were way more exciting and clear than I could have ever dreamt," says Dr. Nico Dosenbach, a professor of neurology at Washington University whose lab conducted the study.

A compromised cerebellum results in poor balance and worse
When the cerebellum loses function, it starts to fail at this job of gating information to the cortex. This provides the cortex with more information than it can manage, causing a form of sensory overload resulting in symptoms such as:

• Anxiety
• Irritability
• Emotional reactivity
• Insomnia due to a racing mind
• Light sensitivity
• Blood pressure changes
• Digestive issues

Common signs of a damaged cerebellum also involve disturbances in muscle control such as:

• Loss of coordination of motor movement
• Inability to judge distance and know when to stop
• Inability to perform rapid alternating movements
• Staggering, wide-based walking
• Movement tremors
• Tendency toward falling
• Slurred speech
• Weak muscles
• Abnormal eye movements

In addition, the cerebellum easily falls prey to environmental toxins, oxidative stress, and food sensitivities — especially gluten. It also commonly degenerates with age, which is why so many seniors seem to have trouble with balance. Schmahmann also says that a poorly functioning cerebellum can lead to brain disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, autism, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He and others will attempt to treat patients by improving their cerebellum function.

Is my cerebellum compromised?
One way to test if your cerebellum is not functioning optimally is to stand with your feet together and close your eyes. If you sway more to one side, it may indicate that side of your cerebellum is more compromised.

Other tests we can use to determine your cerebellum function include:

• Finger to nose with eyes closed
• Walking heel-to-heel in a straight line
• Complex alternating movements
• Ocular tracking

Other signs your cerebellum is not responding properly to its environment may include dizziness, nausea in cars or on boats, or nausea or dizziness when seeing things move swiftly such as in movies.

It's not uncommon for Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism patients to have autoimmunity against their cerebellum. If you have Hashimoto’s and also have symptoms pertaining to balance, dizziness, or nausea, ask our office about screening for brain autoimmunity.

Our busy lives present many challenges when it comes to healthy brain function, such as non-stop stress, inflammatory diets, lack of exercise, unstable blood sugar, and sleep deprivation.

Functional neurology and functional medicine offer ways to improve cerebellar function through diet, lifestyle, and customized brain rehabilitation exercises to improve various areas of the brain. Ask my office for information about how we can use functional neurology to improve yours.You can contact our office at 317-848-6000 or at [email protected].

The study’s authors remind us that nothing in the body acts in isolation, something we’ve long known in functional medicine and functional neurology. 
Understanding some brain basics helps you understand symptoms when your brain isn’t working right. The brain is our heaviest and most complex organ, using most of the body’s oxygen and about 30 percent of its energy supply.
The brain is divided into sections, each in charge of different functions although all working together. In functional neurology, we can identify areas of poor brain function and help you get them working better again with customized therapy and rehabilitation.

Frontal Lobe
The frontal lobe is the area of your forehead that stretches between the temples. The human frontal lobe distinguishes us from other animals and governs much of our personality, impulse control, and the ability to reason. A frontal lobe injury can completely change your personality and ADHD is understood to affect the frontal lobe.
The frontal lobe also governs emotional drive, motivation, and planning. Poor frontal lobe function can result in an inability to set goals or follow through on projects or plans. You may feel lazy, unmotivated, or depressed if so. In fact, depression is simply a frontal lobe impairment.
The frontal lobe activates the muscles. Poor frontal lobe function can result in moving more slowly or not swinging your arms when you walk.
Fine-motor coordination also falls under the frontal lobe’s duties. This is needed for handwriting, embroidery, and other detailed movements of the hands. As the frontal lobe degenerates it’s typical for handwriting to worsen.

Symptoms and signs of possible frontal lobe impairment

• Slower and less powerful muscle movements
• Depression
• Mental sluggishness and laziness
• Poor impulse control
• Poor social behavior and judgment
• Poor handwriting
• Poor cognitive function, such as poor math or planning skills
• Trouble learning complex things, such as math, new languages, or philosophy
• Poor muscle-coordination

Temporal Lobe
The temporal lobes are located on either side of the brain above the ears. They govern hearing, speech, memory, emotions, and distinguishing smells.
Tinnitus (ringing in the ear) is a common symptom of temporal lobe dysfunction, although not all tinnitus is due to temporal lobe degeneration, as is difficulty distinguishing between different tones.
Within the temporal lobes is the hippocampus, the seat of learning and memory. Degeneration of the hippocampus leads to poor memory and eventually Alzheimer’s disease.
It is also involved with spatial orientation, sense of direction, and circadian rhythm (sleep-wake cycle).

Symptoms and signs of possible temporal lobe impairment

• Poor memory
• Difficulty hearing with background noise
• Episodes of tinnitus
• Abnormal shifts of fatigue throughout the day
• Ongoing episodes of insomnia

Parietal Lobe
The parietal lobes are located behind the ears and perceive and interpret sensations such as touch, pressure, texture, weight, size, or shape. The parietal lobe function also tells the body where it is in its environment. Reoccurring injuries are common with parietal lobe impairment.

Symptoms and signs of possible parietal lobe impairment

• Feeling unstable in darkness or with thick or high-heel shoes
• Misjudging where your body is in relation to your environment
• Unable to recognize objects through touch
• Difficulty perceiving where your limbs are and becoming prone to falls and sprains

Cerebellum
Your cerebellum is two lobes at the back of the head, directly above your neck. It calibrates muscle coordination and balance and filters information before sending it to the brain.

Symptoms and signs of possible cerebellum impairment

• Episodes of dizziness or vertigo
• Nausea from visual inputs (car sickness)
• Poor balance
• Subtle shakes at the end stage of hand movement

Occipital Lobe
The occipital lobe is in the back of the brain and processes visual information.
Symptoms of possible occipital lobe impairment

• Difficulty processing visual information and recognizing shapes, colors, and motion
• Visual hallucinations
• Visual floaters
• Visual persistence or reoccurrence of the visual image after it has been removed

Any of the above symptoms in adults usually mean degeneration in those areas of the brain while in children it can signal poor brain development. If your overall brain function is declining, you may have many of these symptoms.
The good news is the brain is very receptive to improving with the right nutrients and input. Functional neurology excels in identifying areas of brain dysfunction and customizing brain rehabilitation specifically for your brain. Ask my office for more information.
You can contact our office at 317-848-6000 or contact Dr. Ralston directly at [email protected].

​It has long been thought the uterus’ only role was for housing a developing fetus, however, new research shows that the uterus may also play a vital role in the brain’s working memory. In functional neurology and functional medicine, we know how important female hormones and all the organs are to proper brain health.
The rat study divided rats into four groups:

• Had their ovaries and uterus removed
• Had only their uterus removed
• Had only their ovaries removed
• Underwent surgery but nothing was removed

Six weeks after the surgery, the researchers trained the rats to go through a maze. Then they gradually modified the maze. The researchers were surprised to discover the rats who underwent removal of the uterus performed more poorly than the other three groups, all of which performed about equally.

The rats who only had the uterus removed also showed a different hormone profile compared to the other three groups.

Although the rats who lost their ovaries performed as well on the test as those that didn’t, human studies paint a different picture: Removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy) is associated with memory lapses and an increased risk of dementia. It’s also associated with an increased risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.

This is because the ovaries make the reproductive hormones estrogen and progesterone, which are both vital to brain health.

As for the effect of a hysterectomy on brain function, the researchers cite the role of autonomic nervous system. We know the vagus nerve, a large nerve that connects the brain with the organs, plays a key role in the effect of diet and gut health on brain health. It stands to reason the back-and-forth communication between the uterus and the brain also affects brain health, especially if that communication is suddenly halted by removing the uterus. This upends the conventional medical education that the uterus is a disposable organ with a “sole purpose.” The study’s authors remind us that nothing in the body acts in isolation, something we’ve long known in functional medicine and functional neurology. 

The importance of the reproductive organs to the brain
Although an oophorectomy and/or hysterectomy may me medically necessary for conditions such as cancer, many oophorectomies and hysterectomies performed today are simply unnecessary and ignore the risks and side effects, which are severe for some women. Uterine fibroids, another common cause of hysterectomies, now have alternative treatments to removal.
Although women thankfully can use bioidentical hormone therapy to replace the loss of reproductive organ function in the case of ovary removal, an organ that communicates with the brain via the vagus nerve cannot be replaced when removed. However, functional neurology rehabilitation and vagus nerve exercises can help your brain compensate and find better function.

The importance of hormones to the brain
The female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone are vitally necessary to brain health. It’s important to use functional medicine strategies to balance your hormones for your brain’s sake.

If you are struggling with brain-based symptoms during perimenopause or after menopause, it’s important to determine whether an estrogen deficiency is the cause and to address that as low estrogen raises your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. Common brain-based symptoms linked to estrogen deficiency include memory loss, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Ask my office how functional neurology and functional medicine can help you protect your hormonal and brain health.
You can contact our office at 317-848-6000 or you can contact Dr. Ralston directly at [email protected].

When managing Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, you should not overlook the importance of addressing your brain health and function. Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism can have profound effects on the brain and you may need to support your brain in addition to managing your Hashimoto’s thyroid condition.

Because every cell in the body needs thyroid hormone for proper function, a thyroid hormone deficiency can significantly impact brain health and function. Likewise, the inflammation that accompanies unmanaged Hashimoto’s can inflame and degenerate the brain.

Your thyroid health affects brain inflammation, communication between neurons (plasticity), brain chemicals (neurotransmitters), and general brain health and function.

It is these reasons why many people with unmanaged Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism experience depression, fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, worsened cognition, and other brain-based symptoms.

Thyroid hormones perform vital roles for brain function. One of their most important roles is to dampen brain inflammation through their effect on the brain’s immune cells, called microglia cells. Unlike the body, the brain does not have an off switch for inflammation and it depends in part on sufficient hormone function to keep inflammation in check.

Unchecked inflammation can degenerate, or age, the brain too quickly.

While taking thyroid hormone medication may be necessary, it’s also important to address your autoimmune Hashimoto’s by removing inflammatory triggers, dampening inflammation, and restoring balance to the immune system.

Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune condition that causes 90 percent of hypothyroid cases in the United States; the immune system must be included in care.

It is also important to address autoimmunity to lower the risk of developing autoimmunity in the brain or elsewhere in the nervous system. One autoimmune disease significantly increases the risk of autoimmunity to other tissues in the body, and many people have more than one autoimmune disease.

In fact, it’s not uncommon for people with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism to also have autoimmune attacks against their cerebellum, an area of the brain that plays a role in movement and coordination.

If you have Hashimoto’s and also have symptoms pertaining to balance, dizziness, or nausea, you may want to be screened for brain autoimmunity.

A worst-case scenario when it comes to Hashimoto’s and brain autoimmunity is Hashimoto’s encephalopathy (HE), also known as autoimmune dementia, HE is caused by the same immune antibodies that destroy thyroid tissue — thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies. In addition to memory loss, symptoms can include tremors, seizures, impaired speech, confusion, partial paralysis, fine motor problems, and poor coordination. However, HE is not common and you should not assume you have it.

This information is important because many doctors tell their patients to wait until their thyroid “burns out” and then remove it surgically. This does nothing to treat an overzealous immune system that is at the root of thyroid dysfunction and poor brain health.

If you have been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, ask my office about how functional neurology can help you recover and optimize your brain health.
You can contact our office at 317-848-6000 or  [email protected].

While popular brain training gadgets and apps have their place, don’t overlook an age-old strategy to optimize brain health: Walking. 
Humans are unique from the rest of the animal kingdom because of our ability to walk upright on two legs, a development that profoundly evolved our brains compared to our finned and four-legged friends.
Learning to walk freed our hands to do all manner of things and allowed us to conserve energy while moving over long distances, giving us more endurance than any other animal on the planet. The ability to walk also stimulated the development of the human brain into the most evolved in the animal kingdom.
Because walking played such an important role in the development of the human brain, it improves brain health in ways other physical activities don’t. Research shows that walking grows an area of the brain called the hippocampus, the seat of learning and memory. This makes it an excellent way to lower the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Also, the impact of the feet on the ground while walking has been shown to send more blood to the brain, improving oxygenation of the brain.
Maybe this helps explain why so many great thinkers and authors over the centuries were fans of long walks.

The many ways walking benefits the brain

Although walking confers myriad benefits, if you really want to super charge your brain, walk in nature.
A recent study found that walks in nature significantly decrease the obsessive, negative thoughts associated with depression and anxiety.
Researchers found that study subjects who walked through nature for an hour and a half showed less rumination and reduced activity in the subgenual prefontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with depression and mood and mental disorders.
The study subjects who took their walks in urban environments did not show the same results.
Another study showed getting kids with ADHD into a natural green environment significantly reduced symptoms. If you’re stumped for a creative solution to a problem, walking has been shown to increase your creativity by 60 percent compared to sitting. Many people report arriving at their “aha” moment while walking it out.
Walking better connects the various regions of the brain and improves memory and learning abilities.
In fact, one of the more interesting reasons walking is so good for creative problem solving is that its steady rhythmic pace facilitates and enhances our thinking abilities.
If you’ve ever had a functional neurology exam, then you know we ask you to walk as part of the exam. Sometimes we also ask you to walk while reciting every other letter of the alphabet or counting backwards by 7s.
This is because looking at how you walk, especially if you are multitasking, gives us insight into how different parts of your brain are working (or aren’t). Your walking gait, your arm swing, your leg stance, and your posture all give valuable information about what’s going on in your brain.
Any exercise is good, and certainly better than no exercise; but even if you work out regularly, don’t miss out on the brain benefits of walking. And if you don’t exercise, walking is perhaps the most inviting way to significantly improve your brain health.
Ask my office how functional neurology can help your brain better function. 
​You can contact our office at 317-848-6000 or  [email protected].