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How to 'B' smart by Emily Silber

Ever since they were first "discovered", the B vitamins - there are eight of them - have been linked to brain function. The first to be identified, thiamine, was recognised by its absence, which turned out to be the cause of devastating nerve damage that afflicted Japanese prisoners in the late 19th century, as the Japanese diet moved away from brown to "polished", or white, rice. What no one realised was that stripping away the hull of each grain also removed essential nutrients. The discovery of the cause of the disorder, beriberi, garnered a 1929 Nobel Prize - and set in motion the methods scientists use to investigate all vitamins and their roles in health.
All of the Bs influence brain function because they each contribute to energy operations in nerve cells. Thiamine, number one among the Bs, has, arguably, the most important role: it enables the body to form adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a mitochondrial molecule that powers every cell of the body and brain. Since the brain uses a disproportionate amount of energy, it is especially thiamine-thirsty.

1. Like the other Bs, thiamine helps convert carbohydrates and fats into fuel. But it also acts as a key regulator for the flow of electrolytes in and out of nerve and muscle cells.
2. Riboflavin, B2, is the only vitamin that leaves a visible trace - it turns urine bright yellow. As with the other Bs, it is involved in energy production and body growth, but is essential for recycling glutathione, the mother of all disease-preventing antioxidants. It also promotes iron metabolism.
3. Niacin, B3, is actually a group of related compounds - including nicotinamide and nicotinic acid - and helps in the storage of food and its conversion to fuel. It's a precursor to enzymes NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) and NADP (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate), needed in many metabolic reactions and as slayers of free radicals of oxygen.
4. Pantothenic acid, B5, is used to produce coenzyme A (CoA), which is fundamental for the body's handling of fatty acids.
5. Pyridoxine, B6, is not only important in food-to-fuel actions, notably the breakdown of carbohydrates, but it also helps in mood regulation. The body needs it for production of red blood cells and neurotransmitters, especially dopamine, serotonin, and GABA. Recent evidence links B6 deficiency to risk for depression, attention deficit disorder, and inflammatory processes in chronic diseases.
6. Biotin, B7, is now known to play a notable role in fat and glucose metabolism, although its function was much of a mystery until recently. It is necessary for producing fats and, among other roles, for making insulin, the hormone that regulates glucose levels in blood and makes glucose available to cells for energy.
7. Folic acid, B9, is by far the most researched B vitamin today. It's crucial for synthesis of DNA and RNA and for the formation of new cells, which makes it critical at times of rapid cell growth, such as gestation and infancy. It is especially needed for development of the brain and spinal cord. Its full role is still very much under study, but folate deficiency is implicated in the early development of mental disorders like autism, schizophrenia, and depression. It is B9's job to produce messaging molecules, notably serotonin and dopamine, that allow the nerves to communicate throughout the body. Folate also supports the cardiovascular system, helping to regulate levels of homocysteine, an amino acid implicated in arterial plaque formation.
8. Cobalamin, B12, is the largest of the B vitamins, not easily absorbed, and like its B brethren, primarily an energy metaboliser. It also supports the cardiovascular system by producing red blood cells and keeping homocysteine levels in check. Because red blood cells are crucial for transporting oxygen and B12 maintains haemoglobin, B12 plays a big role in keeping the brain healthy. With B9, it's a key factor in DNA production.

B Cause
The B vitamins are now known to be chemically distinct, but they were once thought to be a single entity. Where there's one B vitamin, there are usually others. They tend to work together. The functions of the B vitamins in cells are interlocked; for example, Bs 6, 9, and 12 co-regulate homocysteine levels.
None of the B vitamins are stored long-term in the body. In addition to being critical factors in the metabolic processes of the brain, the Bs play a role in the maintenance of healthy skin as well.
. Thiamine, B1, is often stripped out of foods in processing.
. Riboflavin, B2, allows the body to make use of pyridoxine, that is, B6.
. Pantothenic acid, B5, is essential for the body's production of melatonin.
. Both B6 and B12 contribute to the myelin sheath around nerve cells, which speeds signals through the brain.
. Folate, B9, takes its name from its common source: leafy vegetables.
. B12 is named cobalamin because it is the only B vitamin to contain a metal - cobalt.
. Choline is a half-sister of the Bs, active in metabolism but also integral to the membrane of all cells, including brain cells. And it's a key component of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which plays a role in memory.
- Psychology Today

Source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/lifestyle/health-fitness/how-to-b-smart

"Rewriting Your Present No Matter Your Past" by Sherry Hamby

The results were remarkable, even hard to believe. James Pennebaker of the University of Texas had assigned half of a group of students to write about a traumatic experience and half to write about a neutral topic—specifically, time management. In total, the students wrote for only an hour, spread out over a few days. But months later, those who had written about a traumatic event not only reported better psychological health but also had fewer visits to the student health center.

Was it a fluke? No. The benefits of rewriting—from improved mood and well-being to boosts in the immune system—have since been demonstrated in dozens of studies, including my own. Rewriting helps you organize your thoughts and feelings and put them into words. This, in turn, helps you gain perspective, sort out your emotions, and increase narrative coherence—your understanding of who you are, how you became that person, and where you are going.

Prompting a Reckoning

Some psychologists suggest that you write about the most traumatic experience you have been through, but that's not the only type of writing that has helped individuals. Other prompts that have been successful include:

"I am thankful for all the experiences in my life. However, what shaped me into who I am today was..."

"I will never forget the lesson I learned when..."

Think about an upsetting experience and replay it in your mind, trying to see it as an observer. Try to understand the thoughts and feelings you had.

Think about a wonderful experience you had. Write about its impact on you.

Rewriting Your Wrongs

1. Very short writing times are helpful—as brief as two minutes at a sitting—and, in total, around two or three hours appears to be the most beneficial. More than that may not be better, as too much "navel-gazing" creates its own problems.

2. If you have an encouraging person in your life, ask him or her to give you feedback. If you do not, seek out someone, such as a therapist or counselor.

3. Share your story, perhaps with people who might be helped by hearing it. In my own research, sharing added to participants' benefits.

4. Make sure your writing is grounded in your life. Writing about abstract principles does not appear to deliver the same benefits.

5. Avoid rewriting when you are in the middle of a crisis. Let some time pass so you can step back and reflect.

6. Focus on post-traumatic growth—the fact that you can often learn something from bad experiences, such as increasing empathy for others, realizing that you have more inner strength than you thought, and identifying your true priorities.

Sherry Hamby, Ph.D., is a research professor of psychology at the University of the South and director of the Appalachian Center for Resilience Research. She is also founding editor of the journal Psychology of Violence.

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201605/rewrite-your-life