Brain aging IS optional!
Unfortunately, we live in a world that time is not kind to… Time changes everything it touches. Food goes bad. Pavement cracks. Paint chips and gets bleached by the sun. Entropy enters systems and breaks things apart. We get older; our bodies start to slow and our brains begin to shut down. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Well… I guess that’s not totally true. Time does change everything. But it doesn’t have to change things so much. If you keep food safe, it stays good to eat longer. You...
In psychiatry, there is no one answer…
I know I say it often, but it warrants repeating: your body is a beautiful and complex machine! Trillions of specialized cells working together to make up tissues, to compose organs, to collaborate as systems, to support your daily doings… it is a work of art. But given how complex it is, one symptom could mean a dozen or more different causes. When you are talking to a friend and they say, “Oh, my stomach hurts,” you do not rush to tell them to have a snack. They could be in pain for many...
The supercomputer that is your brain
Over the last few weeks, we’ve talked a lot about the brain… Its central role in your life and the world – the importance of meeting its needs – how you should treat it, and how you should not treat it, if you want to live a life of less trouble… And today, I want to take you behind the curtain and give you a closer look at the supercomputer that is your brain. You see, your brain is a beautiful, complex, and magnificent machine – a mechanism composed of ten times more neurons than there are...
9 things you can do today to help your brain
Last week, I asked you a question: would you rather fill your car with water, juice, or laundry detergent? Of course, this is a ridiculous question. Your car was not built to run on any of these things, so they would do nothing to get you home… and worse yet, they would probably damage your vehicle permanently. But what happens when your car gets exactly the kind of fuel it needs? It becomes an invaluable tool – something that functions just as it is built to and takes you wherever you need to...
Don’t find yourself stranded!
Imagine that you are driving when out of nowhere, the calming hum of your car is interrupted with a sputtering noise. Your car slows to a stop in the middle of the road. You ran out of fuel! You get out of your car to take stock of what you have with you. You find an old water bottle, half-full an unopened juice box that your child dropped under the seat, and a container of laundry detergent that you are bringing home from the store. Which of these things should you use to refuel your...
Have you ever been this hungry?
Have you ever been so hungry that you ate enough food for one thousand people? Don’t laugh! I know it’s a ridiculous question. Maybe you’ve joked about it, but surely, no one could eat food set aside for a thousand people. Yet, that is a great illustration of how much fuel your brain consumes every single day! In my last few emails, I have established two things… 1) Your brain is at the center of everything you are and everything you do. 2) Your brain has needs, and the quality of your life...
Getting out of the woods
Imagine for a moment that you are in the middle of the woods… It is a dark and overcast night. You are surrounded on all sides by walls of trees covered in foliage. You have no hope of seeing the stars, and you are very, very lost. You know which way the road is, but you do not know which direction to go if you didn’t have a compass! But you do have a compass, so you begin walking toward the road. You walk and walk and walk for what feels like hours, checking your compass all the while–yes,...
Your word of the day: sonder
Today, I want to teach you a new word: sonder. Maybe you have heard of it before and it’s not new to you. Either way, it’s not a very common word, but it is necessary. It is a relatively new word, too, only first coined ten years ago to describe a realization that you may have had before… …a realization that can change the way you relate to everyone you meet. You know that your life is complicated. You feel the cloudy nature of your own “busyness;” you see your own schedule, feel your own...
“It’s all in your head”
Last week, I promised I would start showing you how to change your life by changing your brain. But in order to do that, I must first explain one crucial fact… Your brain impacts everything you do and everything you are. Let me explain. You have a body, but you know you are not your body. You are not your arms or your legs. Your heart pumps your blood and your lungs filter the air you breathe, but those physical things do not make you who you are. You do not become a different person after...
12 facts about your brain
Today, I want to introduce you to three people who can help you change your life. One of them you may have heard of is Dr. Daniel Amen. He is not only a brain specialist and passionate advocate of brain health, having studied the brain for more than 30 years, but he is also my mentor and associate. He and his team of medical experts have spent years developing solutions for his patients to live their lives “at maximum.” Another person I want to introduce you to is myself. Now, of course, you...
If you only do ONE thing today, do this…
Are you hydrated? You might hear this question at work or at home and you may think to yourself, “Well, sure, I had some coffee earlier,” or, “Sure, I had a protein shake after my workout.” But that’s not the question they are asking. Really, they are asking, “Have you had enough water today?” Water is plain and simple, so it gets a bad wrap. There are more exciting beverage options out there - we might have juice with breakfast or coffee on the way to work. Maybe we get electrolytes from...
I wish they had taught me this in school…
These last few weeks I’ve been writing on the importance of sleep and if the reader response is anything to go by - you are very interested in this topic! I have received so many questions about sleep since my first note - mostly from curious and concerned parents of struggling teens. Adolescence is a difficult enough time in life. Lacking sleep can compound those difficulties many times over. How should you communicate this to your kids and teens? Show them the power of one healthy decision....
Better sleep – for free!
So last week, we talked about sleep and how crucial it is for your optimum functioning. We talked about how sleep actually flushes out all the toxic waste products that build up in your brain throughout the day. Your brain is being “washed” as you sleep so that you can wake up refreshed. That’s why you feel so horrible when you don’t get good sleep. Your prefrontal cortex is egging you on to act irresponsibly. Your amygdala is acting up, making you feel unproductive, indecisive, and anxious....
“Brain washing”!
As I write you this, I am assuming you are a diligent adult who maintains their hygiene well 🙂 But let’s say you were on a remote camping trip and you were not able to shower well. After a day or two you may not notice much of a difference. But after more than that, you would definitely be able to tell. You would be uncomfortable; your skin may respond badly; and of course, you would start to smell. If you do not clean your hair, it will feel dry and brittle and it will break. Or it may...
Are you in control of your life?
Have you ever wondered what separates the people who achieve their goals from the people who do not? There are so many things it could be. Maybe the people with success stories were born into wealthier or healthier families. Maybe those who do not realize their dreams do not have access to the same resources. Maybe it is just a matter of which star was in ascension when you were born. Not so! Actually, what it comes down to is the answer to this question… “Are you in control of your life?” If...
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