Dr. Daniel Amen_Change Your Brain_ Change Your Life

8/11/2019 Dr. Daniel Amen_Change Your Brain_ Change Your Life

1/10

12 Prescriptions for Creating a Brain Healthy Life

By Daniel G. Amen, MDAmen Clinics, Inc.

www.amenclinics.com

The brain is the organ of learning, loving, and behaving for every member of a family,

school, church or business. When the brains in a family or organization work right, thefamily or organization tends to be positive and effective. When the brain of one or more

family or organization members is troubled, the family or organization experiences

increased stress and strain.

Your brain is the most complex, mind-blowing organ in the universe. It is only about 3pounds, or about 2 percent of your bodys weight. Yet, it uses 20 to 30% of the calories

you consume, 20% of the oxygen you breathe and 25% of the blood flow in your body.Unbelievably, given that it is the bedrock of your personality, some think even your soul,

the brain is 85% water! It is estimated that the brain has 100 billion nerve cells and more

connections in it than there are stars in the universe, which is about the number of stars inthe Milky Way Galaxy. There are also trillions of supportive cells in the brain called

glia. Each neuron is connected to other neurons by up to 40,000 individual connections

(called synapses) between cells. Multiplying 100 billion neurons times 40,000 synapsesis equivalent to the brain having more connections in it than there are stars in the

universe.

A piece of brain tissue the size of a grain of sand contains 100,000 neurons and 1 billion

synapses, all "talking" to one another. Information in your brain travels at about 268

miles per hour, unless of course you are drunk, then things really slow down. If youdont take care of your brain, you lose on average 85,000 brain cells a day. That is what

causes aging. With appropriate forethought, however, you can reverse that trend and

dramatically slow the aging process and increase your mental agility.

Knowing how to care for your brain and the brains in your family or organization is the

first and most important step to success, in any thing you do. When the brain worksright, you (or your family and organization) work right. When the brain is troubled you

(or your family or organization) have trouble in your life.

Given the brain central role in success, I offer 12 prescriptions to optimize it for a better

life in all you do.


2/10

1. Love Your Brain

Over the years I have personally had 10 SPECT scans to check on the health of my own

brain. Looking back, my earliest scan, when I was 37, showed a toxic, bumpyappearance that was definitely not consistent with great brain function.

All of my life I have been someone who rarely drank alcohol, never smoked and neverused an illegal drug. Then why did my brain look so bad? Before I understood about

brain health, I had many bad brain habits. I ate lots of fast food, lived on diet sodas,

would often get by on 4-5 hours of sleep at night, I worked like a nut and didnt exercisemuch.

My last scan, at age 52, looks healthier and much younger than my first scan, even

though brains typically become less active with age. Why? Seeing other peoples scans,

I developed brain envy and wanted mine to be better. As I learned about brain health, Iput into practice what I preached to my patients. Loving your brain is the first step

toward creating a brain healthy life.

2. Increase the Brains Reserve

Have you ever wondered why certain stresses or injuries affect some people and not

others? I have. I have wondered why some people get depressed after losing a parentwhile others, although sad, keep on going; why some people, after having a minor head

injury, seem to be really affected, while others dont; or why some people can roll withbeing fired or getting divorced and others nearly lose their minds.

Several years ago, after looking at tens of thousands of scans, I started to think about a

concept I call brain reserve. Brain reserve is the cushion of healthy brain tissue wehave to deal with the unexpected stresses that come our way. The more reserve we have,

the more resilient we are in times of trouble. The less reserve, the more vulnerable we

are.

Here is an example:

Mary and Katie are identical twins. They share the same genes, the same parents and the

same upbringing. Yet their lives have been very different. Mary is a successful

journalist, in a long term happy marriage with three great children, while Katie barelyfinished high school. She suffered with depression and a bad temper and went from job

to job and relationship to relationship. Their lives have been nothing alike. When I

scanned them, Mary had a very healthy brain (the one on the left), while Katie had clear


3/10

evidence of a brain injury, affecting her prefrontal cortex and temporal lobes (the scan on

the right). At first, when I talked with the twins together Katie didnt remember a head

injury. Then Mary spoke up saying, Dont you remember the time when we were 10

years old and you fell off the top bunk bed onto your head. You got knocked out and wehad to rush you to the hospital? The injury likely caused Katie to have less brain

reserve, which may be why she was always more vulnerable to stress than her sister.

When we are conceived, lets say, we all start with the same amount of brain reserve.

Many things can decrease it and many things can increase it. For example, if your

mother smoked, drank much alcohol or was under constant stress when she was pregnantwith you, likely she decreased your brains reserve, even before you were born. If she

exercised, ate a healthy diet, and took prenatal vitamins, likely she increased your

reserve.

If you fell off a bunk bed onto your head at age of ten, were exposed to chronic stressfrom alcoholic parents or drank much alcohol or used drugs as a teenager you decreased

your brains reserve. On the other hand, if you protected your head, were raised byreasonably loving, consistent parents, ate a healthy diet and avoided drugs and alcohol

you increased your reserve.

The exciting news is that it is never too late to work on increasing your brains reserve.

Anything you do that harms how your brain decreases its reserve. For example, we knowthat:

Chronic stress kills cells in the memory centers of the brain

Brain injuries obviously can cause trouble your brain is soft and your skull is hard,you need to protect it.

Too much alcohol or drug abuse damages the brain

Negative thinking, as we will see, disrupts healthy brain function.

A lousy diet is harmful, if you have a fast food diet you will only have a fast food brain

Any type of an environmental toxin hurts the brain, so stop cleaning the shower with

toxic materials without great ventilation

And, anything that decreases blood flow to the brain, such as a lack of sleep, untreated

sleep apnea, smoking or too much caffeine steals from your reserve.

Likewise, living a brain healthy life will increase your brains reserve and your ability to

deal with the inevitable stresses that come your way. The rest of these prescriptions willbe geared toward increasing your brains reserve.


4/10

3. Protect Your Brain

You brain is soft and your skull is hard. Brain injuries can ruin your lifeso wear yourseat belt, drive in safe vehicles, dont hit soccer balls with your head, and stay off the

roof. One of the most common brain injuries in men over 40 is falling off the roof.

4. Stop Poisoning Your Brain

Do not put toxic substances in your body. If you poison your brain you poison your

mind, so not much alcohol, no illegal drugs, including marijuana, stop smoking, limit

your caffeine intake, and stop using cleaning products without good ventilation.

Here is an email that I received after my last public television special:

Dear Dr. Amen, I used methamphetamines daily for 12 years & tobacco for 25 years. Isaw your program and knew I didnt want that brain so I threw out all of the dope and

cigarettes. I thought the withdrawal would be hell, but with the omega-3 supplements

and the foods suggested in your program, it wasnt that badYou helped me turn my lifearound!!! Thank you!!!

At the Amen Clinics we produce a drug education poster that now hangs in over 50,000schools around the world. It shows a healthy brain surrounded by drug and alcohol

affected brains. It asks the question, Which brain do you want? That is a question youshould always ask yourself.

5. Protect Your Memory

It is critical to take early memory problems seriously and not just dismiss them as normal

aging. According to a study from UCLA 95% of people with Alzheimers disease are notdiagnosed until they are in the moderate to severe stages of the disorder, when not much

can be done.

Bob, one of my best friends, had a SPECT scan to check on the health of his brain. His

mother had Alzheimers disease and he wanted to do everything possible to avoid it. At

age 64 his scan was already starting to show the typical Alzheimers pattern of lowactivity in the parietal lobes at the top back part of the brain, which help us with direction

sense, and low activity in the temporal lobes, underneath our temples and behind our

eyes, which are more directly involved with memory. On memory tests Bob was already


5/10

starting to show a problem, but since we caught it early, we were able to make substantial

improvements for him. The earlier we know about a problem the more we can do for it.

Early detection is crucial.

I think people should be screened yearly after the age of 50 for memory problems, using

simple paper and pencil tests, one is given on our website, and then use moresophisticated tests if potential problems show up.

When I turned 50 my doctor wanted me to have a colonoscopy. I asked him why hedidnt want to look at my brain. Isnt the other end of my body just as important? We

often dont think about the brain until it is too late.

One of the MOST important things you can do to keep your memory strong is exercise

because cognitive abilities are best in people who are physically active. There are also anumber of supplements that have good supporting research for memory including fish oil,

gingko biloba, sage and a Chinese moss extract called huperazine.

Anthony Davis is a hall of fame running back from the University of Southern California.

AD earned the nickname the Notre Dame killer because in 1972 he scored 6touchdowns against the University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame Students hated AD so

much that they taped his picture on the walkways of the campus so that they could walk

all over him. AD retired from the NFL at the age of 28 due to injuries. Years later hecame to see me to try to prevent some of the cognitive problems he saw in other retired

football players.

ADs scan showed clear evidence of brain damage. I told AD that at age 54 his brain

looked like he was 85 years old. Like many of my patients, AD developed brain envy.

After seeing his scans he wanted a better brain. Six months later on fish oil, gingko, andhuperazine his brain looked much better and he said he felt more energetic and was better

able to focus and remember.

6. Good Sleep Is Essential to the Health of Your Brain

Unfortunately, 60 million Americans have trouble sleeping, which affects their moods,

memory and ability to concentrate. It is estimated that sleep deprived people cause more

accidents than drunk drivers. Because of our sleep problems doctors are prescribingsleep medications that can affect your moods and memory at alarming rates.

In my practice I first help you eliminate anything that might interfere with sleep, such as

caffeine, alcohol or reading Stephen King before bedtime. I also try natural supplements


6/10


7/10

Again, there are many natural ways to help the brain. Of course, you should talk to your

doctor. If he or she does not know much about natural supplements, as many of us were

never taught about them in school, sometimes a naturopath can be helpful.

One other thought on pain, try getting rid of all of the artificial sweeteners in your diet.

When I was 37 I had arthritis. I had trouble getting up off the floor after playing with mychildren. As part of developing a brain healthy life, I got rid of the diet sodas. Within a

month, my pain went away. I dont think artificial sweeteners do that to everyone, but if

you hurt it might be something to consider.

8. You Need a Brain Healthy Diet

What does that mean? Lean protein, such as turkey or chicken; low glycemic, high fibercarbohydrates, which means carbohydrates high in fiber that do not raise your blood

sugar, such as whole grains and green leafy vegetables; and healthy fats that containomega three fatty acids, found in foods such as tuna, salmon, avocados and walnuts.

Since the brain is 85% water, anything that dehydrates you is bad for the brain, such as

alcohol, caffeine, excess salt or not drinking enough fluids. Also, drink plenty of water tokeep yourself well hydrated.

Along the same lines, teach your children to eat right. Exposure equals preference, whatyou feed your children is eventually what they will want. Chloe, our 5 year old, believes

that blueberries are Gods candy and that raw red bell peppers are to die for. Why? Sheknows about her brain and wants to do everything she can to make it better. She

frequently asks me if this is good for my brain or bad for it. You should ask yourself the

same question.

9. Physical Exercise

It is literally the fountain of youth because it boosts blood flow to the brain, plus it

increases chemicals that are important for learning and memory and stimulating the

growth of new brain cells. Thirty minutes 3 or 4 times a week is all you need. If youdont know what to do, walk fast, like youre late.

10. Mental Exercise

OK, once you exercise and boost blood flow to your brain, you then need mental

exercise. In one study of lab rats, exercise was found to generate new cells in the


8/10

learning and memory centers of the brain. These new cells lasted for about four weeks.

If they were not stimulated by new learning they died off. If you stimulate new brain

cells by using them, by learning something new, they connect to other cells and becomepart of the fabric of your brain. This is why people who onlywork out at the gym are not

nearly as smart as people who work out and then go to the library.

Learning new dance steps is a great mental exercise, because it involves learning,

coordination, music AND physical exercise. All of those things are great for your brain.

Crossword puzzles, learning a musical instrument or exploring a new country or a newlanguage with enthusiasm can also help.

Exercise plus life long learning, plus a healthy diet and limiting alcohol and tobacco will

help keep your brain young and strong. In fact, researchers from the University of

Cambridge found that people who did not do these things died early. People who drankheavily, smoked, didnt exercise and had poor diets at the age of 60 had the same risk of

dying as someone with a healthy lifestyle who was 74. You can add up to 14 years toyour life by doing simple things to take care of your brain and your body.

11. Notice What You Love about Your Life, a Lot More Than What You Dont.

I once did a study with psychologist Noelle Nelson on the power of appreciation. Iscanned her twice: once when she was focused on what she loved about her life, and then

again while she focused on what she hated about her life. The scans were radicallydifferent. The loving scan looked healthy, while the hateful scan showed decreased

activity in several important areas of her brain, involving emotions and memory.

Other studies too have found that focusing on negative thoughts changes the brain in anegative way. Creativity, learning, and imagination all go DOWN with negative

emotion; while focusing on positive, happy, hopeful thoughts helps both the brain and

you work better.

Here is a simple exercise: write down 5 things you are grateful for EVERYDAY and then

meditate on these things throughout the day. This exercise has been shown in scientificstudies to increase your overall level of happiness in just three weeks.

12. Notice What You Love about Other People, a Lot More Than What You Dont.

I collect penguins. I now have over 2,000 penguins. I have penguin anything that you

can imagine, from penguin pens, cups, dolls, puppets, hats, ties, shirts, sewing kits, a


9/10

penguin vacuum, and even a penguin weathervane. Many people ask me how this

obsession started.

When my son was 7 years old I took him to a place called Sea Life Park in Hawaii. It is a

sea animal park. At the end of the day I took Antony to see the Fat Freddy show.

Freddy was an amazing short, fat penguin. On cue, he dove from a high diving board,

bowled with his nose, counted with his flippers and jumped through a hoop of fire.

Toward the end of the show the trainer asked Freddy to go get something. Freddy wentand got it and brought it right back. Damn, I thought to myself, "I ask this kid to get me

something and he wants to have a discussion with me for 20 minutes and then he doesn't

want to do it. I knew my son was smarter than the penguin."

So, after the show I went up to the trainer and asked her how she got Freddy to do all ofthose really cool things. The trainer looked at my son and then she looked at me and said

"Unlike parents, whenever Freddy does anything like what I want him to do, I notice him.I give him a hug and I give him a fish." Even though my son didnt like raw fish the light

turned on in my head that whenever he did things that I liked, I paid no attention to him at

all because I was a busy guy. But when he didnt do what I wanted him to do, I gave hima ton of attention because I didn't want to raise bad children. I was inadvertently teaching

him to be a little monster in order to get my attention. So I collect penguins as a way to

remind myself to notice the good things about the people in my life a lot more than thebad things. Penguins might also help you.

Conclusion

There are many ways to optimize your brain and your mind. You CAN create a brainhealthy life by learning how to love and care for your brain, and by focusing on what you

love about your life a lot more than what you dont. PASS IT ON. One of the most

important things I have learned in my life is that best way to help ourselves is to helpothers. Take what you have learned here to develop your brain healthy life and teach it to

others. By creating brain healthy families, businesses and communities ALL of us

benefit.

Daniel G. Amen, MD is CEO and medical director of Amen Clinics, Inc.

He is also the author of two New York Times bestselling books:

Change Your Brain, Change Your Life and Magnificent Mind At Any Age.

See www.amenclinics.comfor more information.


10/10

Documents

Dr. Daniel Amen_Change Your Brain_ Change Your Life