In the Spotlight with Best-Selling Author Dr. Daniel G. Amen

 

 

While visiting my in-laws at their house, I picked up a book they had on the kitchen table called Use Your Brain to Change Your Age by Daniel G. Amen.  I was thoroughly intrigued and was so engrossed with the book they told me to take it home and give them cliff notes later as they hadn’t had a chance to read it yet.  The book was quite fascinating and got me thinking about the importance not only of our physical health, but also of our mental health and the important connection between the two.  In the book, Dr. Amen writes about how a healthy brain is key to staying vibrant and alive for a long time and he shares ten simple steps for readers.  I figured that many moms might be interested in learning more about the doctor and his books so I contacted one of his clinics called the Amen Clinic, that happens to be down the road from me.  We set up an interview with the doctor to talk about his new book Unleash the Power of the Female Brain and I had a chance to ask him what inspired him to write this book that focused primarily on the unique and powerful female brain! Dr. Amen is a Physician focusing on Child/Adolescent/Adult Psychiatry, Nuclear Brain Imaging and is the CEO of the Amen Clinics, Inc., that are based in San Francisco and Newport Beach, CA, Bellevue, WA, New York, NY, Atlanta, GA  and Reston, VA. I think you will find his work to be quite compelling and since I started working on his step-by-step program on how to get the most from my brain – I have felt better, slept better and do have more energy!  I think combined with changing my diet (went on the Paleo Diet) it has helped me tremendously!  I was over feeling tired all the time and not having much energy left for my six year old so I embarked on this journey of better health  –  that even included focusing on brain health – a rather novel idea – but one that Dr. Amen says is key to living the life you imagined!  Here is what the doctor has to say about his new book and the importance of brain health.

 

 

 

What was the inspiration behind writing this new book Unleash the Power of the Female Brain and what do you hope women take away with them after reading this book?

I have been surrounded by powerful women my whole life. I have five sisters, three daughters, and a teenage granddaughter. Growing up, there were so many women in my life that when my mother brought my fifth sister, Joanne, home from the hospital my older brother, Jimmy, and I ran away.  We were only gone for 45 minutes but, as the only boys, we had had enough!  As I came to understand the complexity and power of the female brain, I marveled at what a difference this information could make to the experiences of millions of women and to the men and children in their lives. One of the reasons I decided to write this book now, is that I know what an enormous difference women can make.  Growing up, my mother was the health leader in our home, and today my wife, Tana plays the same role. I have seen this pattern repeat over and over in the families I treat as a physician.  When the adult females take better care of themselves, it tends to positively affect those around them.

 

Most of this book is devoted to helping you unleash the power of your own female brain. Once you fall in love with your brain and learn how to take care of it, and do the steps I recommend, you’ll be able to influence your loved ones and create a brain-healthy community around you, further supporting your own efforts to be well.

 

What are three main points you feel are most important for women in taking care of their mental “brain” health?

If your food is not the best, you will never be your best!  Your brain uses 20 – 30 percent of the calories you consume.  If you want your brain and body to live longer, look younger, be smarter, and feel happier, one of the most important things to do is get your nutrition right.  You can exercise all you want, think all the right thoughts, meditate, and take dietary supplements, but if you continue to eat highly processed foods laden with sugar, bad fats, and salt; made from ingredients grown with pesticides flavored with artificial dyes; and preserved with artificial preservatives, there is just no way to keep your brain and body working at their peak. 

A properly functioning brain and body require balanced hormones.  Problems start when hormones fall into a state of imbalance.  When your hormones are optimized, you are much more likely to look and feel happy, energetic, and at the top of your game.  Your skin is tighter and looks younger.  When your hormones are off, you can look and feel confused, irritable, tired, and unable to concentrate.  Knowing how to test, balance, and optimize your hormones is critical to unleashing the power of your female brain because your brain is run by hormones! 

Not getting enough sleep is one of the worst things you can do for your brain.  Your brain really suffers from chronic sleep deprivation, and that affects everything else about you, including your thinking, your mood, and your health.  Lack of sleep makes you puffy, cranky, and stupid.  And not getting enough sleep can actually make you fat! When you’re sleepy, you head straight for the cookies and candy instead of the veggies, almond butter, and low glycemic fruit.  Getting enough sleep – at least 7 hours a night – makes your skin glow, improves your mood, makes you smarter, and helps you lose weight.  If you want to be beautiful tomorrow, sleep tonight!

 

Was there any information, research studies, statistics, etc.,  that surprised you when you were researching for this book?

Yes, according to a recent study from the University of Washington, women’s life spans in the U.S. are improving at a slower pace than men’s and are actually shorter in many areas than they were two decades ago!  Even though women are still expected to outlive men, this study is cause for concern.  In this study, life expectancy for men improved by an average of 4.6 years, but only by 2.7 years for women.  A gain in life expectancy should be equal among men and women.  This is a wake-up call for all of us.  Life expectancy stopped improving, or even shortened, since 1999 for women in 661 U.S. counties and for men in 166 counties.  According to the research, a larger percentage of women than men are not adequately treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  Researchers also reported that many physicians do not treat women with heart risk factors as aggressively as they do men.  Preventable causes, such as tobacco, alcohol, and obesity seem to be at the heart of the lower life expectancies for women.  Longevity can improve if you and your family and friends follow the program in this book.

 

Any news you want to share with dandelion moms?

The overall health of your body plays a major role in the health of your brain and your mind.  There are now twenty-two scientific studies reporting that as your weight goes up, the size and function of your brain go down.  When it comes to the brain, size matters! As I learned more and more about the connection between physical health and brain health, I understood that nutrition was the centerpiece of healing.  My wife, Tana, has been my partner in getting and staying truly healthy and in educating others about the amazing power of nutritious food.  When people do what Tana suggests, they often get immediate dramatic and positive health benefits.  Whenever we speak together and people ask for advice about nutrition and supplements, I always defer to Tana.  I suggest taking a look at her new book, The Omni Diet.  The Omni Diet is the program we use at the Amen Clinics to help our patients get and stay healthy.  The Omni Diet is smart, science based, and easy to follow.  It will absolutely change your life for the better.

Currently, airing on public television stations nationwide, we invite viewers to join the “OMNI Health Revolution,” which has been endorsed by Dr. Oz and other medical experts.  We invite the nation to join the “OMNI Health Revolution” and start a movement in your local community.  To see when Tana will be on TV in your area you can click here: https://bit.ly/11iq86t

Details:   Everything Your Brain Needs To Transform Your Life
Would you like to improve your focus?  How about solve problems faster?  Improve your memory?  Maybe even get your body in better shape?  The Amen Solution @ Home can help you with all of this and provide much, much more.
The Amen Solution is an interactive brain health website that provides personalized brain enhancement programs based on your specific brain type.  The steps are simple:
Ø  Know Your Brain – Learn how YOUR brain works
Ø  Boost Your Brain – Over 30 different brain games and apps
Ø  Boost Your Body – Custom workout routines and brain healthy recipes
Ø  Connect – Share your success and get motivation and inspiration from others
Start optimizing the health of your brain and body right now. www.TheAmenSolution.com

To watch a video of Dr. Amen speaking about the importance of brain health go here: https://www.unleashthefemalebrain.com/

Good luck lovely dandelion moms!

We have a Winner via Rafflecopter!  Congratulations to Susan Kelley!  You won the month subscription to The Amen Solution website!