Well, heck, as if getting wrinkles wasn't bad enough, turns out that if you gain weight after menopause, you lose gray matter--that's brain cells. Now, either that explains any and all of my mental problems OOORRRRR, it goes to show how much more remarkably intelligent I will be when I lose weight! Hum.
Here is the excerpt. For more information, visit Dr. Daniel Amens' website. He is a remarkable doctor, if you haven't discovered him yet, now is the time! www.brainplace.com
Gain Weight, Lose Gray Matter
As if we needed more proof that gaining weight is bad for our health. Now there’s evidence showing that an increase in weight can decrease the size of your brain.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, used brain imaging to examine the effects of increases in body mass index (BMI) on 48 otherwise healthy postmenopausal women. They found that women whose BMI went up following menopause were more likely to have a reduction in gray matter volume.
When it comes to the brain, size matters. A smaller brain means reduced brain function, which can affect every aspect of your life — your relationships, your career, and your mood.
For women going through menopause, it’s especially important to eat a brain-healthy diet to prevent those extra pounds.
Showing posts with label Dr. Amen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dr. Amen. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Dr. Daniel Amen, M.D.: young brains
I adore Dr. Amen. He is a psychiatrist that studies brain function through imagery. (amongst many other things.) He has a new book coming out and this is an excerpt from it:
Do a Better Job of Taking Care of Younger Brains
Most people think that we become adults when we turn 18 years old. That is a societal definition, but it is not true from a brain science perspective. The prefrontal cortex, the part of our brain that makes us most human (forethought, judgment, impulse control, learning from our mistakes – the stuff of maturity), does not finish developing until we are about 25 years old. The insurance industry knew this long before neuroscientists, as 25 is when your car insurance rates go down because you become a more thoughtful driver.
As the brain matures, nerve cells become wrapped in a white, fatty substance called myelin (a process known as myelinization). Like wrapping copper wires with insulation, myelin protects and helps nerve cells work up to 10 times more efficiently. Myelinization starts from the back part of the brain and works forward. The occipital lobes, involved with vision, myelinate within the first few months of life, so we can see more detail. It is not until we are much older that the prefrontal cortex becomes myelinated. Current research, including ours, suggests it is about age 25. From a study we did at the Amen Clinics, involving more than 6,300 patient scans, we found that the activity in the prefrontal cortex did not become stable until we are in our middle 20s.
Why is this so important? Since the brain is not finished developing until we are in our mid 20s, we should be doing a much better job protecting our teenage and young adult brains. Too often parents give up on their teenagers and do not supervise what they eat, allow them to get little sleep, don’t get terribly upset about early drinking or marijuana use and allow them to drive in unsafe vehicles. We allow our kids to go away to college too soon, where they engage in brain destroying behaviors, such as heavy drinking, nonstop violent video games, Internet gambling and pornography, and we are ready to toss them out of the house when they are 18, if they irritate us. I know my three adult children (31, 26, and 21) have much better judgment now than at 18. I can certainly say the same thing about my own behavior. Once this brain research was released, the Supreme court banned executing murderers who committed their crimes when they were teenagers.
Take this concept further, parents spend billions of dollars each year trying to help their children be successful. We spend money on private schools, summer camps, lessons of all sorts, including martial arts, athletics, music and dance. We spend time tutoring them or hiring tutors for them. With all the time and effort spent on helping them be their best, we should not forget the most important organ that actually tells the body how to hit the golf shot, remembers the karate kata, hears the prosody of music and improvises in modern dance. Spending time and money on youth brain health is one of the smartest investments in your child’s, teenager’s and young adult’s future. Some simple things to do for children and teens is to teach them about the importance of their brain, how to take care of it, protect it, feed it properly, get enough sleep, avoid toxic substances, such as drugs or alcohol, and share the major concepts with them from this book and my other book Making A Good Brain Great. Once properly educated on the brain I find children and teens are much better at taking care of their own brains.
You can order this book early from www.mindpressworks.com
Do a Better Job of Taking Care of Younger Brains
Most people think that we become adults when we turn 18 years old. That is a societal definition, but it is not true from a brain science perspective. The prefrontal cortex, the part of our brain that makes us most human (forethought, judgment, impulse control, learning from our mistakes – the stuff of maturity), does not finish developing until we are about 25 years old. The insurance industry knew this long before neuroscientists, as 25 is when your car insurance rates go down because you become a more thoughtful driver.
As the brain matures, nerve cells become wrapped in a white, fatty substance called myelin (a process known as myelinization). Like wrapping copper wires with insulation, myelin protects and helps nerve cells work up to 10 times more efficiently. Myelinization starts from the back part of the brain and works forward. The occipital lobes, involved with vision, myelinate within the first few months of life, so we can see more detail. It is not until we are much older that the prefrontal cortex becomes myelinated. Current research, including ours, suggests it is about age 25. From a study we did at the Amen Clinics, involving more than 6,300 patient scans, we found that the activity in the prefrontal cortex did not become stable until we are in our middle 20s.
Why is this so important? Since the brain is not finished developing until we are in our mid 20s, we should be doing a much better job protecting our teenage and young adult brains. Too often parents give up on their teenagers and do not supervise what they eat, allow them to get little sleep, don’t get terribly upset about early drinking or marijuana use and allow them to drive in unsafe vehicles. We allow our kids to go away to college too soon, where they engage in brain destroying behaviors, such as heavy drinking, nonstop violent video games, Internet gambling and pornography, and we are ready to toss them out of the house when they are 18, if they irritate us. I know my three adult children (31, 26, and 21) have much better judgment now than at 18. I can certainly say the same thing about my own behavior. Once this brain research was released, the Supreme court banned executing murderers who committed their crimes when they were teenagers.
Take this concept further, parents spend billions of dollars each year trying to help their children be successful. We spend money on private schools, summer camps, lessons of all sorts, including martial arts, athletics, music and dance. We spend time tutoring them or hiring tutors for them. With all the time and effort spent on helping them be their best, we should not forget the most important organ that actually tells the body how to hit the golf shot, remembers the karate kata, hears the prosody of music and improvises in modern dance. Spending time and money on youth brain health is one of the smartest investments in your child’s, teenager’s and young adult’s future. Some simple things to do for children and teens is to teach them about the importance of their brain, how to take care of it, protect it, feed it properly, get enough sleep, avoid toxic substances, such as drugs or alcohol, and share the major concepts with them from this book and my other book Making A Good Brain Great. Once properly educated on the brain I find children and teens are much better at taking care of their own brains.
You can order this book early from www.mindpressworks.com
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
A Magnificent Mind
This is what just came in my email from Dr. Daniel Amen, MD. Dr. Amen is a psychiatrist who has written many books and sutided the special x ray images of many, many brains.
A Magnificent Mind Can Be Yours
I just finished filming a new PBS special based on my new book, Magnificent Mind At Any Age, that is coming out December 2nd. Over the next few months I will include snippets of the book and PBS show in our Brain in the News e-newsletter.
Here is a piece from Chapter 2: A Magnificent Mind Starts With A Healthy Brain...
“Brains run the world. They run the stock market and the local market. They run huge corporations and the “mom and pop shop” down the street. Brains run churches, banks, hotels, tennis clubs, dry cleaners, professional basketball teams, Internet dating services and universities. Brains run marriages, choirs, homeowner associations and terrorist groups. Your brain runs you and is significantly involved in running your family.
Yet, even though the brain is involved with everything we do at work and at home, we rarely think about or honor the brain. There is no formal education about the brain in MBA programs; no brain training programs at church; no brain exercises in customer service or management programs; and no real practical education about the brain in school. The lack of brain education is a huge mistake, because success in all we do starts with a healthy brain. The characteristics of a magnificent mind include personal responsibility, clear goals, good attention, consistent effort, effective social skills, impulse control, motivation, integrity and creativity. Yet, few people realize that all of these are brain functions. A healthy brain makes these characteristics easier to incorporate in your life, while a damaged or struggling brain makes these much harder.
Taking great care of your brain is essential to a magnificent mind. Here is an example. In one of the graduate psychology courses I taught I asked for volunteers for our healthy brain study. By the year 2000, we had amassed tens of thousands of SPECT scans for clinical reasons, such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, brain trauma, marital strife and violence. In order to further our research efforts we needed to build a large normal database to compare our clinical studies. I solicited normal people wherever I went. Surprisingly, they were not that easy to find. Christy, one of my favorite students, came up after class very excited. She said, “You have to scan my 82 year old grandmother, Anna. She is one of the most normal people I know. You will love her.” On Christy’s advice and her grandmother’s agreement, we screened Anna and indeed found her to be healthy. She met all of the criteria for the study: no psychiatric illness at any point in her life, no substance abuse, brain injuries, first degree relatives with psychiatric illness and she was not on any medications. Anna had been married for 58 years and was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She had a sharp, curious mind and was active in her church and community. She had solid relationships that spanned many years. Anna never drank alcohol, never smoked and tried to eat healthy. Anna has one of the healthiest brains I had ever seen, out of nearly 50,000! Her brain fit her life.
The First Steps to a Healthier Brain
Most of us are never taught about how important the brain is, so we go through life thinking about everything but this critically important organ (weight, skin care, finances, children, internet dating, vacations, careers, sports). I live in Newport Beach, CA, the heart of the OC (Orange County). We have often been called the plastic society because we have more plastic walking around our streets and beaches than almost any other place in the world. I often say that we care more about our faces, our boobs, our bellies and our butts, than we do our brain. How stupid is that? When you really want to change, the first place to always start is with your brain.
In the weeks to come I'll be giving our Brain in the News family more peeks at the upcoming book and PBS Special, I'm very excited about it and I think both the book and TV Special have great information for helping you have a better brain and a better life - isn't that what we all want? Here's a quick look at the new book's chapter titles...
Part One: A Magnificent Mind Starts With A Healthy Brain
Chapter 1. Are You Wired for Success or Failure? The Secret Behind Why Some People Achieve Their Dreams and Others Don’t
Chapter 2. A Magnificent Mind Starts with a Healthy Brain: Essential Strategies
Chapter 3. Encourage Brain Envy: Eliminate the Daily Habits That Hold You Back
Chapter 4. Hidden Short Circuits May Be Ruining Your Life: Learn How to Identify and Correct Your Vulnerable Areas
Chapter 5. If Your Were My Family How Would I Treat You? The Four Circles of Health and Healing and Why You Should Consider Natural Treatments
Chapter 6. Natural Ways to Heal Attention Deficit Disorder
Chapter 7. Natural Ways to Heal Anxiety and Depression
Chapter 8. Natural Ways to Heal Memory Problems and Insomnia
Part Two: A Magnificent Mind Makes Your Dreams A Reality
Chapter 9. Ignite Your Passion: Light Up the Brain Circuits that Drive Success
Chapter 10. Make Your Own Miracles: Use Your Brain to Define Your Dreams and Make Them a Reality
Chapter 11. Know When to Apply the Brakes: Strengthen Your Brain’s Internal Controls
Chapter 12. Embrace the Truth: Liberate Yourself from the Lies Polluting Your Brain
Chapter 13. Get Unstuck: Enhance Your Brain’s Ability to Change and Adapt
Chapter 14. Develop Mental Toughness: Cultivate a Resilient Brain
Chapter 15. Enhance Your Social Networks: Build a Brain Trust
Chapter 16. Be a Maverick Thinker: Stop Anxiety from Allowing Others to Run Your Life
Chapter 17. Create Lasting Trust: Send the Signals that Build Integrity
I hope you'll be able to view the new PBS special when it comes out and thanks to the many who've been so supportive of the program airing currently. When we, individually and as a society, embrace a focus on developing healthier brains, good things can happen for us all.
To your brain health,
Daniel
Daniel Amen, M.D.
CEO, Amen Clinics, Inc.
Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association
A Magnificent Mind Can Be Yours
I just finished filming a new PBS special based on my new book, Magnificent Mind At Any Age, that is coming out December 2nd. Over the next few months I will include snippets of the book and PBS show in our Brain in the News e-newsletter.
Here is a piece from Chapter 2: A Magnificent Mind Starts With A Healthy Brain...
“Brains run the world. They run the stock market and the local market. They run huge corporations and the “mom and pop shop” down the street. Brains run churches, banks, hotels, tennis clubs, dry cleaners, professional basketball teams, Internet dating services and universities. Brains run marriages, choirs, homeowner associations and terrorist groups. Your brain runs you and is significantly involved in running your family.
Yet, even though the brain is involved with everything we do at work and at home, we rarely think about or honor the brain. There is no formal education about the brain in MBA programs; no brain training programs at church; no brain exercises in customer service or management programs; and no real practical education about the brain in school. The lack of brain education is a huge mistake, because success in all we do starts with a healthy brain. The characteristics of a magnificent mind include personal responsibility, clear goals, good attention, consistent effort, effective social skills, impulse control, motivation, integrity and creativity. Yet, few people realize that all of these are brain functions. A healthy brain makes these characteristics easier to incorporate in your life, while a damaged or struggling brain makes these much harder.
Taking great care of your brain is essential to a magnificent mind. Here is an example. In one of the graduate psychology courses I taught I asked for volunteers for our healthy brain study. By the year 2000, we had amassed tens of thousands of SPECT scans for clinical reasons, such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, brain trauma, marital strife and violence. In order to further our research efforts we needed to build a large normal database to compare our clinical studies. I solicited normal people wherever I went. Surprisingly, they were not that easy to find. Christy, one of my favorite students, came up after class very excited. She said, “You have to scan my 82 year old grandmother, Anna. She is one of the most normal people I know. You will love her.” On Christy’s advice and her grandmother’s agreement, we screened Anna and indeed found her to be healthy. She met all of the criteria for the study: no psychiatric illness at any point in her life, no substance abuse, brain injuries, first degree relatives with psychiatric illness and she was not on any medications. Anna had been married for 58 years and was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She had a sharp, curious mind and was active in her church and community. She had solid relationships that spanned many years. Anna never drank alcohol, never smoked and tried to eat healthy. Anna has one of the healthiest brains I had ever seen, out of nearly 50,000! Her brain fit her life.
The First Steps to a Healthier Brain
Most of us are never taught about how important the brain is, so we go through life thinking about everything but this critically important organ (weight, skin care, finances, children, internet dating, vacations, careers, sports). I live in Newport Beach, CA, the heart of the OC (Orange County). We have often been called the plastic society because we have more plastic walking around our streets and beaches than almost any other place in the world. I often say that we care more about our faces, our boobs, our bellies and our butts, than we do our brain. How stupid is that? When you really want to change, the first place to always start is with your brain.
In the weeks to come I'll be giving our Brain in the News family more peeks at the upcoming book and PBS Special, I'm very excited about it and I think both the book and TV Special have great information for helping you have a better brain and a better life - isn't that what we all want? Here's a quick look at the new book's chapter titles...
Part One: A Magnificent Mind Starts With A Healthy Brain
Chapter 1. Are You Wired for Success or Failure? The Secret Behind Why Some People Achieve Their Dreams and Others Don’t
Chapter 2. A Magnificent Mind Starts with a Healthy Brain: Essential Strategies
Chapter 3. Encourage Brain Envy: Eliminate the Daily Habits That Hold You Back
Chapter 4. Hidden Short Circuits May Be Ruining Your Life: Learn How to Identify and Correct Your Vulnerable Areas
Chapter 5. If Your Were My Family How Would I Treat You? The Four Circles of Health and Healing and Why You Should Consider Natural Treatments
Chapter 6. Natural Ways to Heal Attention Deficit Disorder
Chapter 7. Natural Ways to Heal Anxiety and Depression
Chapter 8. Natural Ways to Heal Memory Problems and Insomnia
Part Two: A Magnificent Mind Makes Your Dreams A Reality
Chapter 9. Ignite Your Passion: Light Up the Brain Circuits that Drive Success
Chapter 10. Make Your Own Miracles: Use Your Brain to Define Your Dreams and Make Them a Reality
Chapter 11. Know When to Apply the Brakes: Strengthen Your Brain’s Internal Controls
Chapter 12. Embrace the Truth: Liberate Yourself from the Lies Polluting Your Brain
Chapter 13. Get Unstuck: Enhance Your Brain’s Ability to Change and Adapt
Chapter 14. Develop Mental Toughness: Cultivate a Resilient Brain
Chapter 15. Enhance Your Social Networks: Build a Brain Trust
Chapter 16. Be a Maverick Thinker: Stop Anxiety from Allowing Others to Run Your Life
Chapter 17. Create Lasting Trust: Send the Signals that Build Integrity
I hope you'll be able to view the new PBS special when it comes out and thanks to the many who've been so supportive of the program airing currently. When we, individually and as a society, embrace a focus on developing healthier brains, good things can happen for us all.
To your brain health,
Daniel
Daniel Amen, M.D.
CEO, Amen Clinics, Inc.
Distinguished Fellow, American Psychiatric Association
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Depressed? Arctic Cod Liver Oil
So far the blogs on depression have included getting a dog, simply spelled God, in reverse and it can save your sanity; how maintaining a correct sugar level throughout the day through eating in the Zone and cure mild depression and how arctic cod liver oil can help ADD and bipolar symptoms. Today, I am here to tell you to, once again, use Arctic cod liver oil, and for depression.
This does not mean that you don't try other things, including acupuncture or phramaceuticals, or talk therapy, whatever. Arctic cod liver oil may work alone to alleviate your depression or it may not. But for sure, it will work synergistically with everything else. Your neurons need the right kind of fatty acids (arctic cod liver oil) to fire right. This is a direct quote from Dr. Daniel Amen, page 262, third paragraph, second sentence, HEALING ADD, "Without high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, the nerve cell membranes are less fluid, possibly causing nerve cells to react sluggishly or misfire."
Can we say brain fog (sluggishly)? And not get yourself to do what you want to do when you want to do it, from controlling anger to controlling unhappiness (misfire)?
He continues, in the same paragraph, sentences three and four, and this is very important so pay attention, because for years I didn't: "Population based studies in various countries (including the US) have indicated that decreased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids correlates with increased rates of depression. Well-intentioned advice to lower cholesterol levels tends to harm the balance of fatty acids (especially the essential omega-3, DHA) in the body."
In short: as we eat less fish and other good fats, we have become more depressed.
For years I went with virtually NO fat thinking it was the best thing for myself. I fed my children virtually no fat as well, both in utero and as children. I know countless women who have done exactly this. And then we wonder why we have such a high rate of ADD and depression amongst our youth now. We can't do the guilt trip for something we didn't know. We can simply correct our lives now, and let the rest of the world know how important fatty acids are and that the best form to get them in quickly, to build up the amount you need to have, is in arctic cod liver oil.
Dr. Amen continues, on page 263, "Recent studies have suggested that lowering levels of plasma cholesterol too much increases the risk of suicide, homicide and depression."
Folks, I know depression. I was raised by a alcoholic, probably bi-polar, perhaps multi personality mother who every morning, as she stood in front of the mirror putting on her make up to go to work, letting me sit on the bed and listen and talk to her, tell me that "life isn't worth living, and the only thing that makes it worth living is you." (meaning me).
Yes, of course this did a serious number on my own depression in life. And yes, it made me waaay to responsible for not only my mother, but others' depression as well.
But it also made me incredibly alert, throughout all of my life to what works well, across the board for depression. And the answer again, is arctic cod liver oil.
I know Dr. Amen recommends flax seed oil (linseed oil), probably because kids will like the taste better. But I have to tell you, after years of watching the results in my friends, and acquaintances, use arctic cod liver oil FIRST. People, young and old, get the best results from arctic cod liver oil.
Again, the load dose that seems to get the best results the fastest is one teaspoon, morning and evening, for children, and one tablespoon, morning and evening for adults.
As well, start cutting out all margarine, shortening and most processed foods. These contain bad fatty acids, that are going to clog up no only your heart but your brain as well. That is not the technical answer on how it happens, but it is the pragmatic answer on what the results are.
Remember, butter is better than margarine. And olive oil is better than shortening.
Start keeping around carrot sticks, nuts, fresh fruit and dried fruit to munch on, for yourself, and for your children. Keep cheese sticks around. Keep Zone bars around. My grandchildren love them.
If you dare start telling me about the high cost of these items versus processed foods, I am going to come right out of this computer Internet and bop you one. Which do you want for your life and the life of your children, husband, family, loved ones--a life of depression and obesity--or the exact opposite? What you eat does too matter and is an important part of an overall integral package of health, including body weight and brain function.
Now, I am going to give you some links. If you are depressed, I sure don't want you doing this by your self. This is why I keep on telling you to make sure you have a holistic chiropractor, holistic medical doctor, holistic pharmacist and holistic acupuncturist, ALL in your health care lineup. If you are using pharmaceuticals as well as supplements or herbals for depression, this is where you absolutely have to have a holistic pharmacist and medical doctor because only they know and understand the way each interacts with the others both for good as well as bad.
And if you are within a fifty mile radius of the Bryan/College Station area, contact Dr. Mahesh Dave, a psychiatrist who gets great results with acupuncture for depression and will completely understand the value of arctic cod liver oil as well as be able to any prescribe necessary pharmaceuticals. http://www.brazosdoctors.com/ Remember, what we want is a happy you, in any way we can get it. And quite often, natural and synthetic pharmacueticals work synergistically to create an incredibly happy you. Find the right doctor to help you find the best mix.
Good Luck! I believe in you!
Monday, July 7, 2008
ADD/ADHD Dr. Janice Poole and son William
At the time of this interview for my book, William was 20. From a previous blog, you might remember that Dr. Janice Poole is person who introduced me to Dr. Amens' book, HEALING ADD.
This is a quote from her interview: "The huge precipice for intervention with William, that struck me over and over again, was Dr. Amen's phase
William responded well to a low dose, time release Adderal. Dr. Poole, "We tried straterra. And he had all the side effects with it that you might have with it. We were off of it in two weeks. shortness of breathe, heart pounding, nausea, the whole thing. So we didn't last long on that."
"William had two acupuncture treatments. He didn't try Chinese herbs. he just wasn't ready for that process, and it is a process."
Many of us have to try many different things that work for our health, including ADD. That is why I formed this blog. Find what works best for you. Keep looking, keep trying. Do not give up!
Dr. Amen doesn't cover acupuncture, Chinese herbs or Elisa food allergy tests...something I will cover later. What he does cover are so many other ways to be functional with ADD/ADHD, from pharmaceuticals to supplements, to herbs, to diet, to exercise, to meditation and biofeedback, to brain scans! If you, or someone you love, has ADD or ADHD, you will find this book invaluable. We did! http://www.brainplace.com/
Friday, June 27, 2008
Brain Images: Simply Amazing
Hit this link. It is simply amazing!
This is an interactive page. Click on normal brain. Then click on the other brains, those ruined by alcohol, head injury, etc. and you will be simply amazed as you watch them rotate. Those empty spaces are area that are not functioning.
Dr. Daniel Amen is truly the leader in treatment for any type of ADD, ADHD, head trauma, or substance abuse. If you or someone you love has any psychiatric problem not responding to traditional treatments the way you would like, after checking out brain scans, click around on his website, maybe buy a book. Curtis and I, divorced, got back together and remarried because of reading his book called Healing ADD. Or better yet, if you can afford to fly to any of his clinics, do so.
Inspiration of the day: I gotta tell you, inspiration of the day doesn't get any better than those brain scans! You gotta see them, and know Dr. Amen can make incredible differences in brain function through supplements, and pharmaceuticals. Check the brain of the 15 year old murderer....that explains why he would do that...and know there is help! Or, just look at the brain before and after gratitude. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! that is inspirational!
Easy Recipe: Grilled Chicken
Soak Chicken in Seal able plastic bag with Paul Newmans' Italian salad dressing (nope he has no high fructose corn syrup, yeah!) Place in a pan, in a fridge overnight. Next day, remove from pan, discard drippings. and grill! It's that simple ;-)
Joke: If you are going on a car trip this summer with small children, this is a good one ;-)
What do you call a song sung in an automobile?A cartoon.
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