The UltraMind Solution (31 page)

Later I will show you how to use these natural stress antidotes to balance your brain.

In the box on the right, place a check for each positive answer. Then find out how severe your problem is using the scoring key below.

ACETYLCHOLINE QUIZ *
I find myself writing things down so I won’t forget them.
I find it hard to do math in my head.
I have a hard time finding words or remembering what I was saying if interrupted during a conversation.
I get nervous or anxious when I have to learn something new like new software at work.
When reading a book or watching a movie I find it harder to follow the plot than it used to be.
I misplace my keys, wallet, or glasses frequently.
I have trouble focusing during long conversations or meetings.
I feel like my brain is just not functioning at its peak.
* For your convenience, this quiz has been reprinted in The UltraMind Solution Companion Guide . Simply go to www.ultramind.com/guide , download the guide, and print out the quiz.

Score one point for each box you checked.

Score Severity Care Plan Action to Take

If you have trouble remembering and learning new things, chances are your levels of this very important neurotransmitter are depleted. Acetylcholine helps with sharpening your thinking process, memory, motivation, and concentration.

In fact, the cells that produce acetylcholine in the brain are damaged in people with Alzheimer’s, which accounts for their dementia. Most of the drugs that treat dementia are designed to block the action of the enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine in the brain. In this way they are similar to SSRIs, which block the reuptake of serotonin after it has been used. But dementia drugs have even worse side effects and not much benefit.
²²

The real questions are why are your cells damaged in the first place, and how can you help your body naturally make more acetylcholine?

The good news is that we know what damages the brain—imbalances in the seven keys—and we can address the problem systemically. We can use natural substances to help boost acetylcholine just as we can with all the other neurotransmitters we have discussed in this section.

This neurotransmitter is made from the B vitamin choline (as you may remember from our discussion above about PC), with the help of another B vitamin called B
₅
or pantothenic acid. Eggs and lecithin from soy are great dietary sources of choline. And supplementing with PC and PS helps the body make more of it as well.

Keep in mind that what I have just described covers only four of the major neurotransmitters that dictate how you feel, how clearly you think, how attentive you are, and how well you remember things.

There are dozens of others.

The UltraMind Solution allows you to get all of them back in balance. By doing so, you take one more step away from the mood, memory, and behavior problems that plague you—and one step closer to UltraWellness.

If you don’t think this has the potential to help you heal your brain, let me tell you a story.

At thirty-six, Sarah was a doctor who had long suffered a low-grade depression. She found herself anxious, unable to fall asleep easily, and often woke up at 3 A.M. unable to sleep the rest of the night.

All her life she had been a perfectionist, impatient with her children, her husband, and herself.

Her premenstrual syndrome had been getting worse over the years, with bloating, sugar cravings, breast tenderness, and terrible mood swings.

The world had always seemed to have a dullness to it, and her ability to experience joy at seeing a sunset or pleasure from her daily life felt limited. The glass always seemed half empty.

She tried to live well—ate fresh whole foods, exercised regularly, and did yoga. But she just couldn’t get the dark cloud to lift. Nothing in her outer world seemed to contribute
to her suffering. She had a great job, wonderful friends and family, no great stresses or losses—just no joy.

Upon testing, we found she had very depleted amino acids and very low levels of vitamin B
_6
,
, essential for making serotonin. It turned out she had chronic mercury toxicity, which depleted all her amino acids because they help the body get rid of toxins.

In the long run we got rid of her mercury, but in the short run, just by taking vitamin B
₆
(along with its helper folate and B
₁₂
) and 5 HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) to boost serotonin levels naturally, she felt the cloud lift, her sleep improve, her PMS diminish, and her ability to experience joy return.