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My Memory

SUCKS!

5 Quick & Easy Steps to

Supercharge Your Memory

How bad is your memory???

Does your brain feel slow?

Do you have problems recalling names...or dates...or words...or phone numbers –

sometimes even your own phone number?

Are you having more ‘senior moments’ than you care to admit – even if you’re age is

nowhere near being a senior?

Are you more forgetful? Do you ever forget where your keys are? Forget why you walked

into a room? Forget why you just picked up your phone?

Do you ask a question, and then forget the answer 2 seconds later, and then have to ask

the question again?

Do you find yourself searching for your words?

Are you worried that your memory will keep getting worse, and may lead to the dreaded

A-word - Alzheimer’s?

Here’s The Good News:

These Are All Common Signs Of Acetylcholine Deficiency.

What is acetylcholine?

It’s a neurotransmitter, or brain chemical. Its main job is to help your brain maintain:

FOCUS

CONCENTRATION

BRAIN ENDURANCE, and

MEMORY!!

Here’s More Good News:

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Acetylcholine Deficiency Is Treatable!

That’s why I’ve written this helpful guide – to give you some easy tools to help you start

fixing your Acetylcholine Deficiency, so that you can regain your memory and

supercharge your brain health!

These tools changed my life, and I hope they change yours, too!

My Memory Sucked, Too!

My story goes like this…

It all started in 2009. I was celebrating fifteen years in practice as a Chiropractor, but

the truth is I wasn’t happy in my career. I wasn’t fulfilled. So in 2009 I went back to

school—Naturopathic school.

It was a tough decision. I moved from Canada to Chicago, leaving my husband, my

dogs, and my patients behind. They all gave me their full support, and I needed it!

I took on the biggest course load they would allow. I was in class thirty hours a week—

morning, afternoon, and evening classes. Plus study time… Plus writing term papers…

Plus giving presentations… Plus preparing for exams... Plus traveling back and forth to

Canada to treat my patients!

It was an insane schedule! And a lot of pressure to succeed. Thinking back on it, I don’t

even know how I did it all!

I was the definition of “burning the candle at both ends.”

It was one of the most stressful times of my life.

I told myself, “Carri Ann, this is short-term pain for long-term gain. You just have to

suck it up! Suck it up so that you can get that diploma and practice natural medicine.

This is your dream! Just keep your eye on the prize!” So that’s what I did. I worked extra

hard…and paid my dues…

But by the time graduation day came, my batteries were nearly DEAD.

I was both physically and mentally exhausted! And, I was struggling with my brain...

My memory SUCKED!

Besides a sucky memory I also had:

Foggy Brain

Terrible Concentration

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No Motivation

No Drive, and was

Easily Distracted.

I relied on sticky notes and lists; otherwise I would forget ‘important stuff’ (like my

mom’s birthday) and ‘unimportant stuff’ (like my little brother’s birthday – just

kidding!!).

Seriously though, I was forgetting LOTS of stuff. This is so hard for me to admit publicly

but I was forgetting the names of my dearest patients (I feel embarrassed and ashamed

to admit it, but it’s the truth – that’s how BAD my memory was!).

I put sticky notes and lists EVERYWHERE!! – my computer... my car... my telephone...

my remote... my kitchen table... even on my stairs!

I’d ask my husband a question, and then forget his answer, so I’d ask him again. He’d

get upset and thought I wasn’t listening to him – but I was! I was listening! It was my

MEMORY that SUCKED!

I was worried.

“Would my MEMORY ever be normal again?”

“Would my BRAIN ever be normal again?”

It’s what I did next that changed everything...

I treated myself with Functional Medicine.

And once I determined all the pieces of the puzzle, and all the root, underlying causes

for my sucky memory and poor brain health...

It was like a light bulb turned on inside my brain!

My brain was clear…

And energized...

And I felt fully present again…

And my motivation and drive were back...

And my memory was back!

I finally felt like my old self!

My advice for you is…

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Don’t give up! You should have hope. There IS a reason why you have your symptoms.

My other advice is…

Be patient. It takes time to figure it all out. For most patients there are multiple reasons

why their memory sucks. Sometimes it really can be a needle in a haystack to figure out

Acetylcholine Deficiency. But that needle IS there, waiting to be found.

Keep digging for it - you will eventually find it!

And then feel normal again, and get your memory back, and get your life back!

It’s changed my practice, too. Now, poor memory is one of the most common complaints

I see in my private practice. Most new patients tell me their ‘memory sucks’!

Let me tell you a little bit more about me...

I’m A Self Professed Nerd and Over Achiever.

I hold three professional licenses – they are for acupuncture, chiropractic, and

naturopathic medicine. I graduated valedictorian of my class. I am trained in Functional

Medicine and The Kalish Method, and also a Certified Gluten Practitioner, and have

obtained a level of expertise in my profession that no other doctor in Canada has

achieved to date:

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When it comes to my philosophy about natural medicine I’m a firm believer in finding

and fixing the underlying cause. I do NOT believe in band-aid care or band-aid

solutions. My motto is:

Find the cause. Fix the cause. Feel normal again!

Now, there are many causes for Acetylcholine Deficiency, but I’ve outlined 5 easy and

actionable steps you can take to start replenishing your Acetylcholine levels, and start

fixing your poor memory.

Let’s get started!!

The FIRST place to start is with PROTEIN.

Are you eating enough protein?

A big part of treating poor memory is to make sure you’re eating enough protein in your

diet, since protein is the source for the amino acids that make many of your

neurotransmitters.

If you aren’t eating enough protein, you won’t have adequate construction materials to

make your brain chemicals. Protein is the foundation that good brain health gets built

on!

Eating adequate protein applies to everyone, but it gets particularly important for those

who are vegetarian or vegan, and for those who have a hard time digesting protein.

How much protein you should be eating depends on your level of activity. The more

active you are, the more protein you will need.

To calculate how much protein you require, take your ideal body weight (in pounds),

and multiply that by the number that corresponds to your activity level:

Recommended Grams of Protein

Per Pound of Body Weight Per Day

Sedentary adult 0.4

Adult recreational exerciser 0.5-0.75

Adult competitive athlete 0.6-0.9

Adult building muscle mass 0.7-0.9

Dieting athlete 0.7-1.0

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Example: Mary weighs 180 pounds and rarely exercises. Her activity level is sedentary –

she’s a typical couch potato. Her total daily protein requirement would be:

180 x 0.4 = 72 grams of protein daily.

I recommend you calculate your personal protein requirements. Then, roughly calculate

your protein consumption every day for a week, and see if you’re eating enough protein

for good brain health.

You can easily do an Internet search for a food protein content chart to find many good

sources of protein, or simply do an Internet search for ‘how much protein is in ____ (fill

in the blank with a food item)’.

Now, you may be eating enough protein but not digesting and absorbing it very well. A

lot of people have this problem, too, and it leads to neurotransmitter imbalances.

If you’re not digesting protein well you may notice:

Gas, bloating, or indigestion after high-protein meals;

A full feeling after eating only a little protein;

The sensation of ‘heaviness’ in your stomach after a high-protein meal; or

Not feeling hungry in the morning.

If any of this is true for you then consider adding a digestive enzyme supplement that

includes Betaine HCl with your meals.

Note: Acid blocking medications will make digesting and absorbing your protein nearly

impossible. You may want to consider talking with your doctor about eventually getting

off your acid blocking medications to help your brain health.

The SECOND step is Go GLUTEN FREE.

Actually, gluten is one of the most researched foods right now. A lot of people

mistakenly think ‘Oh, gluten free diets are just a fad’.

There’s a lot of hard evidence on how bad gluten is for ALL of us. You’re probably going

to hate hearing this but… (don’t shoot the messenger)

Research proves gluten serves no nutritional purpose.

None whatsoever. It’s purely an irritant to your body. Humans cannot digest gluten. We

do not make any enzymes to break gluten down.

Everybody is gluten intolerant to one degree or another – even Y-O-U!

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Few people can handle the long term irritation caused from eating gluten on a daily

basis. Research proves that the #1 organ that gluten targets and creates problems with is

your Brain and Nervous System. It definitely contributes to Acetylcholine Deficiency.

Signs and Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance

This is just a short list of signs and symptoms associated with gluten intolerance (from

www.GlutenFreeNetwork.com ):

Stomach pain or bloating Gas and/or cramps Nausea Vomiting Constipation Diarrhea Acid Reflux (GERD) Heartburn Irritable Bowel Syndrome Anemia Weight Loss or Weight Gain

Canker sores Aching joints Depression Fatigue Itchy skin Rash or hives Headaches Irritability and behavioral

changes Fat in the stools (due to poor

digestion)

Testing for Gluten Intolerance

There is no test yet for gluten intolerance. Basically if all your gluten tests come back

normal… but you feel better when you don’t eat gluten…and worse when you do eat

gluten… then you have gluten intolerance.

(Note that I am not talking about Celiac disease here. There are specific tests to diagnose

Celiac disease.)

(Addendum – Cyrex labs does now offer comprehensive gluten testing! Ask your

Functional Medicine doctor about getting tested.)

Treating Gluten Intolerance = Avoid Gluten.

Start with the major forms of gluten (breads, pastas, cookies, crackers, etc.) and work

down to the minor forms (soy sauce, malt vinegar, beer, etc.).

Here is what worked for me…

Work on one meal at a time and only one meal at a time. Period.

Start with breakfast. Work on that, and only that.

Do an Internet search on “gluten free breakfast.” There are plenty of ideas and recipes

online. Search online for “gluten free smoothies” or “fast gluten free breakfast recipes”

to get ideas for those days when you need to make breakfast at lightning speed.

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It may take a few weeks to really feel like you’ve mastered that one meal. That’s okay!

Once you get to the point where you’ve mastered gluten free breakfast, then move on to

lunch and transition lunch over to gluten free.

And, once you master lunch, then do gluten free snacks, and lastly gluten free dinner. It

will take a few months to really master the entire routine of a gluten free diet, and that’s

fine!

(Remember, the tortoise won the race!)

The THIRD step is HYDRATE!

Are you drinking enough water? Probably not.

When you start to feel like your brain is slowing down, or you’re at your desk and you’re

working, working, working and you start to feel like “Oh, something is going wrong

here”, get a big glass of water and drink it down.

Basically, for water we want to make sure that we’re drinking - again we use body weight

- at least half of our body weight in ounces of water every day. For most people that’s

eight 8 ounce glasses of water or more a day in order to keep properly hydrated and

keep your brain working properly.

So, using the same example we used earlier, Mary weighs 180 pounds. Her total daily

water requirement would be:

180 ÷ 2 = 90 ounces

And to convert to 8-ounce glasses (remember, one cup = 8 ounces):

90 ÷ 8 = 11.25 glasses of water = 11 ¼ cups of water

One easy way to make sure you drink all your water is lay out all those glasses of water

on your counter or on your desk and make sure that you drink them all during your day.

The FOURTH step is Get Great SLEEP!

Warning: Insufficient sleep is now considered a public health epidemic!

The research on sleep is very interesting. As I write this insufficient sleep is actually

considered a public health epidemic according to the CDC - Centers for Disease Control.

When you sleep less than 5 hours a night on a consistent basis, it doubles your mortality.

It doubles your rate of death. It affects every part of your body, including lowering your

immune system. It increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

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And it impairs your brain and causes poor memory.

It also slows down your metabolism and increases your appetite and that leads to weight

gain. Sleep has a profound impact on ALL parts of your body.

We sleep in 90 minute cycles. The ideal amount of sleep is either seven and a half hours

or nine hours of sleep. I know for me personally I have always functioned best on nine

hours of sleep. My husband always functions best on 7 ½ hours of sleep (or 6 if it’s golf

season!).

One thing you can do, and this by far has helped so many of my patients, is simply wear

an eye mask when you sleep at night. Basically, what that eye mask does is block out all

the extraneous sources of light in your bedroom, because the truth is we really should be

sleeping in total darkness – like a cave - where you can’t even see your hand in front of

your face.

But the reality is we have windows in our bedroom and there is usually light that creeps

in around the curtains. Most people have electronics in their bedrooms - alarm clocks,

phones, televisions, cell phone chargers, and whatnot - that usually have a little LED

light that lights up.

All of those tiny, little sources of light will blunt your melatonin production (melatonin

is the sleep hormone) and keep you from falling into a deep and restful sleep.

So, go out and buy yourself a $5 sleep mask and start wearing it during your sleep.

Your brain will make higher amounts of melatonin, and this will put you into the

deepest levels of sleep. This has worked for so many patients! It will not necessarily give

you more sleep, but what they always say to me is “Dr. Carri, I’m getting deeper sleep at

night and because I’m getting deeper sleep, I feel like I don’t need as much sleep”.

That’s a good, simple trick that will help supercharge your brain and your memory.

Another great thing is take a dose of magnesium in the evening before you go to bed.

Magnesium is a mineral and we need it for over 350 different reasons, but basically

magnesium helps us RELAX. It helps your body to RELAX, helps your nervous system

to RELAX, and that can also help get you into deeper SLEEP.

You may already know this sleep tip, but a reminder never hurts:

Alcohol and caffeine are not good at bedtime, or even in the evening.

You may be in the habit of having a glass of wine at dinner or a cup of coffee or decaf

after dinner. That’s really not good for your sleep.

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The last part about getting good sleep is what to do when you wake up during the middle

of the night and can’t get back to sleep.

You wake up at two o’clock in the morning because you’re going through a more

stressful period of your life. It happens to all of us!

One of the things that I’ve learned, I stumbled upon when I was back in school under all

of that stress.

I would routinely wake up at two in the morning because I was thinking about an exam

that was coming... or a project that I had to work on... or a patient back in Canada. If you

do wake up at two o’clock in the morning, I recommend you learn how to ‘go to your

happy place’.

This is what I mean by ‘go to your happy place’:

For me my happy place is I imagine that I’m laying on my couch and I’m snuggled up to

one of my dogs. Actually, I did this for years. My first dog, Bailey the Basset hound,

cuddled with me on the couch every night. I would spoon with her and watch TV.

When I cannot sleep I ‘go to my happy place’ and I imagine that memory of laying there

with her. I try and visualize it as intensely as I can. I remember and imagine how she

smelled. I remember and imagine her soft fur. I imagine feeling her weight against me

and her breathing and her body heat. I really go into that memory vividly and intensely.

That’s my ‘happy place’.

Usually, when I wake up at two o’clock in the morning and I start going into the

memory, I will go right back to sleep. That’s what I mean by ‘go to your happy place’.

It’s going to be different for everybody, but if you can figure out what your ‘happy place’

is and just really focus on that memory as intense as you can, that’s going to help calm

your brain back down and put you right back into sleep.

The FIFTH step is MAKE MORE ACETYLCHOLINE!

The key nutrients to build more Acetylcholine are:

Choline,

Carnitine, and

Vitamin B5.

You definitely want to make sure you have enough of these key ingredients to make

more Acetylcholine – either from your diet or from taking supplements.

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If you don’t have enough of these building blocks you will not be able to repair your

Acetylcholine Deficiency no matter how well you do steps 1-4 outlined above.

Best food sources for Choline are:

Egg yolks

Beef liver

Beef

Scallops

Salmon

Shrimp

Cream

Fatty cheeses

Notice what all these foods have in common? They all come from animals. If you’re

vegan or vegetarian you’re probably not getting enough choline from your diet alone.

Also, if you eat a low fat diet you also may not be getting enough choline from your diet.

Choline can be supplemented, and good sources are: lecithin and phosphatidycholine.

Best is alpha GPC (L-alpha-glycerylphosphorylcholine).

Best food sources for Carnitine are:

Beef

Pork

Fish

Chicken breast

Again, the best sources of carnitine all come from animals. If you’re vegan or vegetarian

you’re probably not getting enough carnitine from your diet alone. Also, if you eat a low

fat diet you may not be getting enough carnitine from your diet, too.

Carnitine can be supplemented, and good sources are: L-carnitine and acetyl-L-

carnitine.

Best food sources for Vitamin B5 are:

Shiitake mushrooms

Cheese

Oily fish

Avocados

Eggs

Pork

Beef

Chicken

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Turkey

Sunflower seeds

Again, the best sources of vitamin B5 come mainly from animals. If you’re vegan or

vegetarian you may not be getting enough vitamin B5 from your diet alone.

Vitamin B5 can be supplemented, and good sources are: Pantethine or Pantothenic

Acid.

You Can Feel Normal Again…And Regain Your Memory Starting Now!

Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of this free report!

I’d like you to think of it as a new beginning - the start of a new chapter in your life,

where you will start your new journey to supercharge your memory!

But, treating your Acetylcholine Deficiency may require more work than outlined in

this simple report!

There are a myriad of things that cause/contribute to Acetylcholine Deficiency – I could

fill a whole book on this topic!

You’ll only know how well YOUR memory improves once you start following the five

steps. It’s a great place for anyone with Acetylcholine Deficiency to start.

But, if your memory still sucks and you need more help above and beyond this report

then consider finding a good Functional Medicine doctor to work with.

In fact, I know a brilliant Functional Medicine doctor who would be delighted to help

you—me! (Come on, I had to get a shameless plug in at some point! )

***EXTRA BONUS MATERIAL***

Now that you’ve learned about Acetylcholine Deficiency you may be interested in

learning the symptoms associated with the other three common neurotransmitter

deficiencies.

If you have one deficiency, you may have others. I’ve outlined them for you here in plain,

simple language:

Serotonin Deficiency feels like this:

Loss of joy - don’t get joy from the things you used to do (hobbies, interests,

favorite foods or favorite activities);

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Feel overwhelmed with ideas to manage;

Not enjoying friendships and relationships;

Unable to fall into deep restful sleep;

Feeling down or depressed when it’s cloudy weather.

GABA Deficiency feels like this:

Tend towards anxiousness and panic;

May have an ongoing sense of dread for no good reason;

Inner tension;

May feel a knot in your stomach and become easily overwhelmed, even if you

don’t have a lot going on;

Worrier – worry about things needlessly;

Restless mind that won’t turn off;

Your attention is disorganized, darting form one thing to another;

Like to fall asleep with the TV on;

Frequently late for appointments because you’re too disorganized and distracted

by things around you.

Dopamine Deficiency feels like this:

Inability to self-motivate;

Inability to start tasks or finish tasks;

Feelings of worthlessness or hopelessness;

Short fuse – lose temper for minor reasons;

Inability to handle stress;

Anger and aggression when under stress;

Desire to isolate oneself from others;

Unexplained lack of concern for family and friends.

Here’s what to do next…

To learn more about Functional Medicine and how it can help you check out these great

resources:

www.DrCarri.com is packed with interviews, blog posts, and my wildly popular podcast

The Functional Medicine Radio Show.

www.DrCarri.TV is my popular ‘TV Show’ loaded with even more health tips and

information about Functional Medicine.

www.Facebook.com/DrCarri is where you can connect with me directly and ask me

questions.

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www.FunctionalMedicineOntario.com is my private practice where I treat patients.

www.ReclaimYourEnergyBook.com is where you can learn more about my hit book

Reclaim Your Energy and Feel Normal Again! Fixing the Root Cause of Your Fatigue

with Natural Treatments.

Thank you for reading this report. I hope you found value in it and it has given you hope.

Dr. Carri Drzyzga, DC, ND

About the Author

Dr. Carri Drzyzga is known internationally as The Functional

Medicine Doc. Her last name is pronounced “Driz-ga” (it’s

Polish), but everyone simply calls her Dr. Carri!

Her book titled Reclaim Your Energy and Feel Normal Again!

Fixing the Root Cause of Your Fatigue with Natural

Treatments contains the answers for women (and men!)

struggling with fatigue.

Dr. Carri holds two doctoral degrees - Chiropractic and

Naturopathic Medicine. She has training in Functional

Medicine, Acupuncture, The Kalish Method, and is a Certified Gluten Practitioner.

Always an avid learner, Dr. Carri has obtained a level of expertise in her profession that

no other doctor in Canada has achieved to date.

Dr. Carri speaks and gives interviews on such topics as natural treatments for fatigue,

thyroid problems, irritable bowel syndrome, and chronic pain. She has enjoyed being a

featured guest speaker at The Eastern Ontario Chiropractic Society. She also speaks on

‘Entrepreneurial Fatigue’ – How to Fuel Your Brain and Body for Entrepreneurial

Success!

She’s been in private practice since 1996, and is founder of Functional Medicine Ontario

in Ottawa, Ontario.

Dr. Carri has been married for eighteen years to her husband Benoȋt, who is also a

doctor. They have two rescued Basset hounds, Bailey and Sammi, who couldn’t be

doctors because of their lack of opposable thumbs and propensity for slobbering on

patients. Carri and Ben like to travel, hike, and just spend time together.

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Copyright © 2015 by Dr. Carri Drzyzga, DC, ND All rights reserved. No part of this publication shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is expressly prohibited.

DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES The information herein is not intended to replace the services of trained health professionals, or be a substitute for

medical advice. You are advised to consult with your health care professional with regard to matters relating to

your health, and in particular regarding matters that may require diagnosis or medical attention. While the author

and publisher have used their best efforts in preparing this publication, they make no representations or

warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this publication. The advice and

strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. This publication is given with the understanding

that the neither the publisher nor the author is engaged in rendering medical or other professional services. You

should consult a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor the author shall be liable for any loss of

profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other

damages. The purchaser or reader of this publication assumes responsibility for the use of these materials and

information. Adherence to all applicable laws and regulations, both advertising and all other aspects of doing

business in Canada or any other jurisdiction, is the sole responsibility of the purchaser or reader.