In April, I attended the Spring Congress of the American Academy of Anti-aging Medicine entitled: Brain Awakening. One of the sessions featured the American psychiatrist, Dr. Daniel G. Amen speaking on how to supercharge your brain, reverse memory loss and remember what matters most.

Dr. Amen has developed a unique way of imaging the brain to determine brain health. Dr. Amen has considered: what if mental health was really brain health?

Having studied over 135,000 brain scans, Dr. Amen reached the following conclusions:

1. You are not stuck with the brain you have.
2. You can make it better – even if you have been bad to it.

To strengthen your brain or get it back, you have to prevent or treat the 11 major risk factors.

Almost all risk factors are preventable or treatable.

Risk factors:

1.  Blood flow –low blood flow is the #1 brain imaging predictor of Alzheimer’s
Hurts –smoking, coffee, heart disease, stress
Helps – diet, ginkgo, exercise, oxygen

2.  Retirement – when you stop learning, your brain starts dying.

3.  Inflammation

4.  Genetic Risk – is not a death sentence, it’s a wake-up call.

5.  Head trauma

6.  Toxins – includes alcohol, cocaine and marijuana.

7.  Mental Health – risk factors – chronic stress, emotional trauma, grief, depression, bipolar disorder, ADD and addictions.

8.  Immunity/Infections

9.  Neurohormone Deficiencies – critical role of:
Testosterone – mood, motivation, sexuality, strength
Thyroid – energy and mental clarity
DHEA – fight aging
Estrogen and progesterone – boost blood flow

10.  Diabesity – excessive fat disrupts hormones, stores toxins and increases inflammation.
As weight goes up, size and function of the brain goes down!

11.  Sleep issues – risk factors – chronic insomnia, sleeping pills and sleep apnea.

Your brain’s history is not your destiny!