Hi, I'm Kezia. Uh, stroke, survivor and member of BIND.
And hi, I'm Carrie, a stroke survivor, and also a member of BIND And we are welcoming back Dr. Driver and Jasmine and Jasmine. I'm sorry, I'm not going to try to say your whole name again. I can't roll the r's. I don't want to embarrass myself. But we're so excited to have you all back and for us to continue our discussion on. Healthy eating healthy lifestyle after. Uh, brain injury. So we're going to give them just kind of jump back into that.
I want to clarify from our previous episode, um, you said you're a part of the program. G L B. Yes. Okay. That
is group lifestyle balance. So that's where we come together as a group when we will learn this together. So we go through these different sessions as a group, but the coaches. And we learned the different lifestyle habits, whether that be learning and nutrition, learning how to slowly integrate that exercise and how to do it safely. That's how we do it as a group.
Okay. That's just one a little bit that clarification. Maybe just a run down again. Uh, What are some of the better foods for brain injury survivors to help restore their, where are just to keep their brain healthy.
So more of those healthier nuts. So almonds cashews those healthier oils. So avocado oil, the extra virgin olive oils. So those more healthier oils.
Okay.
Yeah. And I right now that you were saying about like, um, integrity and interry, I can't say that integrating Thank you. Um, so one of the things is like, how can we like improve our strength? I think a lot of the times that we think about like, nutrition, but right now that you mentioned, like, Physical activities and stuff like that. How would it be in like a healthy way and healthy manner to strengthen our abilities that after having a brain injury.
Yeah, good question. So strength and strength training plays a really important role in a healthy lifestyle in the same way that aerobic exercise does walking, running, swimming. As well as eating healthy. So the recommendations are that you do some kind of strength training two times a week. And this becomes increasingly important as you get older, it helps with balance bone strength, bone density, um, helps avoid frailty.
Um, keeps you range of motion so that you can keep moving and doing all your activities of daily living. So I think there are different ways that you can build strength training into kind of your, your, your lifestyle. Um, it doesn't necessarily have to be at a gym and structured. There are plenty of things around your house that you can use safely. Uh, one of the modifications that we include in our program is, you know, kind of a water jug.
And using a water jug or, uh, cans of food, things that you have readily accessible, that you can do different movement movements with. And now there's some incredible, um, Devices and things that you can use at home, like bans. Um, you know, you, you, you wouldn't think you don't have to lift a heavy weight, right? There are some great things that you can do with the weight of your body and these bands that you can tie to a doorframe.
Um, Hold yourself and stretch that really do do the same thing. Um, as what you might traditionally think of strength training is going to a gym and lifting weights and you can do those things at home and it doesn't cost much to do it. It is a really important part of a healthy lifestyle, which I think was kind of your original yeah. Point of view question.
Right. So I don't have to go and do a deadlift.
You don't have to go and do a deadlift. That sounds painful.
Anyway. But the one hand I can be like, let's strong, man. one arm and one arm press. And I don't think so. So there was a question that one of our members asked that I found very interesting. And I'm curious, and this may not be the appropriate place to ask it so, I don't know if there's an answer. But they asked if there are any foods that can help regenerate dead brain cells or can contribute to the new neuropathways during recovery.
Cause like my understanding is once they're dead, they're dead. But maybe there's. Foods that are maybe just all the foods we're talking about in general, help those new neuropathways find their way around. Is it. Does that belong in this conversation or? No?
So I'm not aware of any food specifically. Other than the general knowledge that these healthy oils, um, do promote brain health. Okay. Um, that's a very specific question.
That's what I'm saying is that right? And once they're dead, they're kind of dead. You can't get the ones that we, that we've hurt in our injuries. We're not going to get those back. Where you're making new pathways.
Typically. Yes. Uh, I'll just say broadly, the brain is an amazing thing. Totally. And, um, we're learning so much about the brain all the time and there's new technology that helps us understand the brain better. So I think as scientists we're, we're constantly learning how amazing the brain is and its ability to adapt and change and regenerate or relearn. Um, so. More more to come. I think on that. So that's not really a part of today's discussion. Like I said, it just, it really intrigued me.
And I was like, I'm curious. I'm asking. Yeah.
And they really liked, I think right before we got onto our conversation, we had talked about, um, how the program that you guys are having for research and for, um, Uh, for people with brain injury survivors. Um, get together and learn about the, um, healthy lifestyle. Uh, you talked about it being available also like tele-health right. Um, so. I really liked also how you were talking about like lifting water and, and things that are available at home.
Um, Is there other things that we can do at home that. Can be done for brain injury survivors because sometimes a. The most difficult part. Is just having people that we're not the brain injury survivors, understand that doing simple things in their daily lifestyle. Is part of the recovery. Um, I mean, I've met people that they don't understand that part of occupational therapy is doing your eyeliner again, like, you know, simple everyday things is part of their recovery.
So it can maybe they'll believe, you know, you two better than me. Like girl. Do your makeup, it's going to be recovery. You. You know, so things like that in everyday life.
So you're right about that. I can attest to that. So not only as a survivor, but also as a researcher and working with that research team. It is everything we do is a way to get back to recovery way to get back to what I like to tell people, our new normal. So we're not ever going to be back to what we were. Sure. We're going to redefine ourselves. So everything we do there's besides lifting those water jugs, we're going to find way to do it.
So, um, it can be different things like putting your eyeliner on or. For me, it could be. Um, finding ways to play with my animals, my cats, my dogs, or playing with the kids, even though I can't see them because they're too short or something, there's different ways we can do it. And you just have to have that talk and be able to sit down with them and say, you know, Look, this is harder. I'm not the same as I was. I'm not like you. Um, I have different abilities.
So you have to give me a little bit of grace. Let me do this. And let me do it to where I can do it at my best ability. And that may be, I might have to do this jug and I might have to put something around it to hold it a little bit more for hand and that's fine, but I'm still doing it. I'm still doing the exercise. I'm still doing the repetition, still doing what I have to do. To make sure that I'm doing it for my health, my wellbeing.
That makes perfect sense. I. And we're talking about healthy lifestyle. We've really, we've taught, we've only, we've talked about food and we've talked about exercising, but now let's talk about sleep. 'cause I know that's part of a healthy lifestyle too. What are some, I know a lot of survivors have a harder time falling asleep, staying asleep. A lot of our medications make us get up every two hours to go use the facilities so we don't get a full night's sleep.
I mean, any advice for survivors for our listeners on. Nutrient I mean sleep. Patterns and.
Yeah. So sleep's a really important part of our daily lives is where we get to really recover and rest and our brain relaxes and it gets to help our body recover. Um, That there are. So I think you said it really well. There are so many different things that can impact sleep. Um, some of which are just out of our control. Uh, I think things that we can control are things like when we go to bed, And trying to go to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time, having a, having a regular.
Kind of schedule. Um, eating. Uh, three hours before sleep. Um, if you, if you're eating just before you go to bed. Your body's very active. Um, so it makes your heartbeat faster. Um, and you're, you're not resting in the same way. So if you can eat. If you can eat three, two to three hours before you sleep, your body starts getting in that restful state, which might help you. help. Fall asleep faster and stay asleep and have deeper sleep.
Um, screen time works for some people, but not for others, but there's some things you can do with your phone and tablets to kind of reduce the brightness of them before you kind of go to bed. If you're reading the news, that kind of thing. Um,
anything else Jas. Um, so there's a lot of things. So this is a pretty important topic for me because I struggled with non 24 hour syndrome. So that's where I don't sleep a lot. I'm lucky if I get two to three hours of sleep at night. Um, because I don't recognize day and night because of my brain injury. Um, so sleep is hard, so there's different things. Sometimes medications work sometimes it's different foods, of course, screens, um, exercise, um, Then there's even moving out of the room.
So get out of your bed. If you can't fall asleep, get out of that room and move to a different room. Then, let yourself get sleepy once you get sleepy, go back to that bed and then try to go to sleep. If it does work, then go to sleep. Find music. Try doing my mindfulness meditation, guided meditation. They have tons of apps out there. Free ones too. Um, they also have websites for that as well.
Um, there's also different types of programs out there that will help you get certain types of medications. Cause I know there are some out there. Um, as well as instituting those exercise programs. So for me, I don't take medications because that's just not in my budget. I don't have that $5,000 a month. For that medication. But what I do do is I exercise. I keep myself busy. And if I run myself tired. Through the day that I know I will go to sleep at night.
I know that I will at least get three, maybe five hours of sleep. Um, so that's one way that I've found it. So there each way it's just different for each person. So you just have to find what works for you.
I will add one more thing. Alcohol really does disrupt sleep. Um, Yeah, it's amazing how much it increases your heart rate. So you might feel a little sleepy when you're having a drink, right? Um, but what it does to your body and how your, how you break down the alcohol while you're sleeping really does increase your heart rate. So it's almost like your body's kind of awake. So you're not really getting any. Good rest.
Okay. Interesting. I'm going to take a quick little break and just remind our listeners to go ahead and click that like button on whatever you're following us on and click the notify button on YouTube. So you'll get notified every Thursday that there's a new episode. And we're going to go back and we're talking a little bit more about sleep and. Healthy lifestyle. And I do appreciate that you said screen time, and if you're reading the news. And we're all reading the news.
You mean no more on Facebook or Tik tok or. I'm just kidding,
trying to do something that's less stimulating. Yeah.
Um, reading a book is probably better than Facebook.
Just catching up on the news, but yeah, my wife loves, loves to watch videos of cats and that kind of thing. And it it she's laughing. Uh, rather, rather than falling asleep. Um, so doing something that's maybe a little, um, uh, kind of more, more relaxing. So yes, reading a book or, um, listening to some mindfulness. You know, app.
Yeah. Looking into certain types of different natural remedies. So like, um, one thing I did find that did work for me for a bit, but I became immune to, it was a drink called neuro sleep. So they're all natural. They have natural vitamins. Um, and what it is is it's a drink. Um, It looks kind of like a woman's body shape, but it's for anybody. And it has the taste of oranges. I'd say an electric product. At the bottom because it knocks you out within 30 minutes. Oh, wow.
What it really does is just makes you groggy. And then you fall asleep. And so it's just those vitamins. So that's why I tell people really, it's more about what you're putting into your body. So those vitamins, making sure you're putting that melatonin and try and bring into that. so. You've back to, helping you because again, what we put into our body is what's affecting it. So that coffee, that alcohol, all that stuff that we're putting in there, it's messing with us, nicotine.
So just be mindful of what you're doing. Sodas. They all have that impact sugars. So when we eat heavy food, before we go to bed, how do we feel? And then how do we feel when we wake up? So that all affects our sleep.
Okay. And what was the drink called again?
It is called neuro sleep. Okay. It's
interesting. I know right now that you're talking a lot about, I'm really sad to say coffee, but all these things that are really not the best for our bodies. Is there some like habits or like, Well, I would say habits, but maybe some bad habits or bad common habits that we should be really preventing and really working on, on to. Be living a better lifestyle, um, after having a brain injury.
I would say it's something I learned from Dr. Driver it's, uh, limiting the caffeine that we take. So Dr. Driver actually, uh, something he said not too long ago was he doesn't drink caffeine after noon. And, um, I was like, oh, okay. I'm going to try that I'm not going to drink. Uh, I'm not going to drink tea after noon. So I assume that's something I'm going to try, you know, I'm just going to start limiting what I can put into my body. So watching those sugars and everything.
So just being mindful of it more, because that is hard. And I know it's hard and it's easy to say. I can be mindful, but it's harder when you have to actually think about it. We ain't thinking about it and saying, okay, am I actually going to pick up this drink and say, do I really want this drink? Do I really want to put this Dr. Pepper or. coke in my body. Do I really want it? Or is it that I think I want it
sure. And talking about sugars. Um, one of our members has. also ask. Are there like artificial, artificial sweeteners we should avoid? Or is it just kind of the same? You should limit. Whatever kind of sugar intake you're having. I mean, I don't know. I know. Like Kezia said, there's certain foods she can't eat because of the medicine she's on too. Again. It sounds like that's probably just going to be a. Case by case basis. And you need to talk to here. PCP or
it is individualized. So some people are okay on sweeteners. Some people are not, some people are okay on regular sugar. Some people are not, I think, uh, being mindful of like Jasmine said, your response. To a certain type of sweetener. There are some natural sweeteners. Um, Stevia, for example, uh, Truvia. Uh, that, uh, that a slightly different people might respond better to those. So, Looking at the ingredients on, on products is really important. And then that's kind of part of being aware.
And making those choices. I think everything that we're talking about today, You can view as a toolkit, right? You've got all of these different tools and you can try them. You can see, okay. Does not drinking caffeine in the afternoon. Help. Does eating before 6:00 PM, three hours before we go to bed, help. If I avoid drinking alcohol in the evening, does that help? All of these are just, you can treat it as an experiment, right? See what works for you?
'Yeah, I think those are really helpful for sure. Like different tools. The toolkit. I think that'd be great. And for all of our listeners and the people, the caregivers, and the friends and families to kind of learn about. Like, I think Carrie said it earlier. This is for everyone. You know, and people just had our brain injury survivors. And it is a little different, but overall I think everyone needs to be really living a healthy lifestyle. Um, before I had, um, in BIND done a presentation.
And it talked about like these things that can prevent, you know, like these. I mean, sometimes it can't be prevented, you know, it had just happens of a brain injury. But is there something that you would like. The. People around us as brain injury survivors to keep in mind, this will make you. Healthier and can probably prevent these bad situations from happening brain, mostly like a stroke. Right? So is there anything that we can provide for our other listeners?
I think, um, I think it's safe to say that, um, living a healthy lifestyle is difficult. Right. So it is. And
regardless brain injured or not.
Regardless, I think having a brain injury makes it. A lot more challenging. Uh, the good news is. There are different strategies to help people. So, um, even though it's challenging, Being persistent. Trying different, um, approaches trying to change your diet or trying to be more active working with your family, working with your friends. Working with people around you. All of those are really important pieces that I think, you know, you've got to utilize. Um, people and things around you.
To see what works for you. Anything else, Jasmine?
Um, just add. Don't go with the grain. Don't. Hey. Be stubborn. Be stubborn. Um, That's easy. Be very stubborn. Uh, there's going to be a lot of people say you can't do this. You can't do that. But it's not that you can't it stay, you just need to do it with moderation. You just need to be careful what you do. After brain injury, they tell you don't do this. Don't do that.
Yes. There's things you should not be doing after brain injury, of course, because you're just more likely to hurt yourself again. Don't do it. But also be defiant there's things that are going to tell you, you will never be able to do say watch me. Watch me and watch what I can do, because you don't know. We don't really know the possibilities of what can be done. So that's what I tell people. Just be stubborn, be defiant and keep pushing. Be persistent.
I do love that. We, we have a saying around here. When people say I can't do that. We say, no, you can't do that yet. You have to finish that sentence with a yet not, I can't. I can't yet. So that you keep trying and keep going. I think that's a great to think about that. I'm the same way with the healthy lifestyle. I can't live a healthy lifestyle. Okay. I can't live a healthy lifestyle yet, but if I work on it, Maybe someday I'll try that salmon. And again, Yeah.
It doesn't have to be everything all at once. Right? Right. Some people think I've got to be, I've got to exercise, I've got to change my diet. I've got to sleep well, it doesn't have to be everything all at once. You can try. Try a diet try sleeping. Try. Going to the gym or walking with friends. You don't have to do it all at once. Cause it can be very overwhelming. Um, so working with your friends again with people, you know, Um, One step at a time. Right?
Yeah. I definitely agree on that. Um, I definitely agree with that. Just like a little. So simple thing. Uh, I use to run marathons and the one I finally figured out, oh, I had a stroke. Okay. Well, I'm going to run it in October. Like that didn't fully comprehend. Like I got to take my time. So, yeah. Thank you so much for both tips. They're all really great. And they're all very helpful to listen, to, and to listen to as co-hosts we learn every day.
And I hope that that's what happens to all of our listeners. So thank you guys for taking this extra time to be with us. It means a lot. And I hope it means a lot for our
listeners as well. And we will have Dr. Driver and Jasmine's contact information included in our description as well. So you'll be able to contact them as well as contact us. So. That will be in each description. Speaking of that. If you do want to contact us, you can go ahead and email us again at bindwaves@thebind.org. And you would think I wouldn't have to look at my notes, but brain injury. We're just going to make sure I don't say it wrong. Follow us on Instagram @bindwaves.
And you can also visit the website, thebind.org/bindwaves. And also they'll
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We hope you've enjoyed listening to BIND Waves and continue to support BIND and our non profit mission. We support brain injury survivors as they reconnect into the life, the community, and their workplace. And we couldn't do that without great listeners like you. We appreciate each and every one of you. Continue watching. Until next time. Until next time.