Its that time again for some health tips!! We’re going to dig into the topic today of your brain drain…
Your brain like everything in your body, is surrounded by fluids. Our body is bathed in what is called lymph fluid, but your brain and nervous system are bathed in spinal fluid (called cerebro spinal fluid), also called the glymphatic system. These fluids are basically the plumbing system of our body. The fluid is essential to get out dead, dying cells from the brain, and nervous system, inflammatory molecules and proteins, old toxins, pathogens, chemicals, and additionally to bring in new cells and food to the brain.
The CSF has other functions as well:
The brain has four fluid compartments: cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), interstitial fluid, intracellular fluid, and the blood. The blood is kept separate from the CSF by the blood-brain barrier and blood CSF barrier. Tiny junctions between cells exist in the blood that create the blood-brain barrier, restricting molecules’ access to the brain. The blood-CSF barrier is also formed by tight junctions between choroid plexus cells. The choroid plexus is an area in the brain where a big pool of cells produce the CSF fluid. CSF comprises 10% of the total volume within the cranial cavity, and once it goes through the channels of the brain, it exits into the cervical lymphatic system. Recent studies show that the CSF and interstitial fluid (fluid in the space) are continuously interchanging.
Your brain is made of a lot of fat, and 25% of the cholesterol in the human body is in the brain. However, the blood-brain barrier that prevents molecules from entering also prevents fats from the blood from entering the brain. The brain, unlike the rest of the body, doesn’t receive cholesterol from the liver. The brain synthesizes its cholesterol. A well-managed system transports its supply of cholesterol to the neurons. This transport of cholesterol takes place through the glymphatic system. Fat is essential for our nervous system to work properly, (your nerves in particular are covered in fat) because it transfers signals from one neuron to another. The glymphatic system is very important for the health of our nerves and our brain!!
This system is mostly active at night, so adequate DEEP restful sleep is required for a healthy brain. If you aren’t sleeping well, let’s talk. Additionally, in order for this important system to flow, there are a few mechanisms that need to take place. CSF is constantly being made in the choroid plexus, which creates a pressure gradient. Respiration is also very important to move the CSF along as well as pulsing arteries in the brain. The chemicals involved in the firing of neurons, called “ions,” drive a process of osmosis which helps pull the fluid through the brain tissue. Such an intricate system requires—you guessed it—balance. Stiff arteries do not allow pulsing, which causes a decline in fluid. This decrease may be why the elderly, in general, are more susceptible to neuro-cognitive conditions, because the lack of pulsing arteries decreases the ability to flush out the brain. Not being able to flush different substances out of our brain, such as tangles of tau in Alzheimer’s disease, a-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease, and superoxide dismutase in ALS, is a major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases.
What’s the best method ???
Cranial work is the BEST known source to move the CSF and to drain your brain!! When the joints of the cranium are not moving properly, it creates stagnation in the flow of this fluid, and then the brain is sitting in a toxic soup of fluids. Proper nasal breathing and diaphragm breathing is also KEY to make sure your brain is draining. If you are a mouth breather, you have a toxic brain with depleted oxygen. If you are clenching and have TMJ issues you also have stagnation in this fluid.
In addition to cranial work, manual lymphatic drainage working from the outside in is also helpful, although not as impactful as working from the inside out with cranial maneuvers. Dry brushing and manual lymphatic techniques are extremely helpful to get your pump moving! There’s many tools and techniques that can utilize these methods from massage therapies, to lymphatic specialists to just some handheld fascia tools.
IT is CRITICAL, to always work on fluids and movement before nutritional work. The brain needs to DRAIN in order to even absorb the nutrients and detoxing you are trying to do through nutritional work. Brain fog and headaches are symptoms of a toxic brain. So, get this system moving, get your breathing better, and watch your brain function improve!!
You’ll find more on this topic in my book Freedom Brain Uncover the Secrets to Transformational Health!!!