1 THE BRAIN-BODY SOLUTION Ten Basic Principles to Change Your Brain and Your Body Develop brain envy. Loving your brain is the first step toward getting the body you want. Over the years, I have personally had ten brain SPECT scans to check on the health of my own brain. Looking back, my earliest scan, taken when I was thirty-seven, showed a toxic, bumpy appearance that was definitely not consistent with great brain function. Initially, I didn't understand why. All my life, I have been someone who rarely drank alcohol, never smoked, and never used an illegal drug. So why did my brain look so bad? Before I understood about brain health, I had many bad brain habits. I practically lived on fast food and diet sodas, worked like a nut, rarely got more than four or five hours of sleep at night, and didn't exercise much. My weight was fifteen pounds above where I wanted it, and I struggled with arthritis and had trouble getting off the floor when I played with my children. At thirty-seven, I just thought I was getting older. My most recent brain scan at age fifty-two looks healthier and much younger than my first scan, even though brains typically become less active with age. Why? Seeing other people's scans, I developed "brain envy" and wanted mine to be better. As I learned about brain health, I put into practice what I'm teaching you and what I've been preaching to my patients for years. In doing so, I got more than just a better-looking brain. I also feel more energetic, look healthier, have lost weight, and have better body tone, no arthritis, and smoother-looking skin. In this chapter, you will find ten basic principles that explain why it is essential to love and nurture your brain in order to have your best body possible. These are the same principles that underlie our work at the Amen Clinics, where we have helped thousands of people learn to love their brains in order to improve their bodies. TEN PRINCIPLES TO CHANGE YOUR BRAIN AND YOUR BODY 1. Your brain is involved in everything you do. 2. When your brain works right, your body looks and feels better. When your brain is troubled, you have trouble with how you look and feel. 3. The brain is the most complex organ in the universe. Respect it. 4. Your brain is very soft and housed in a really hard skull. Protect it. 5. The brain has only so much reserve. The more reserve you have, the healthier you are. The less reserve, the more vulnerable you are. 6. Specific parts of your brain are involved in certain behaviors. Trouble in specific parts of your brain tends to cause certain behavior problems. Understanding your brain can help you optimize it. 7. Many things hurt the brain and make it harder for you to get the body you've always wanted. Many things help the brain and make it easier to get and keep a body you love. 8. Brain imaging gives great insight into healing the brain so you can have a better body. 9. One prescription does not work for everyone--we are all unique, and you need to understand how your own personal brain functions. 10. Yes, you can change your brain and body! PRINCIPLE #1 Your brain is involved in everything you do. Your brain controls everything you do, feel, and think. When you look in the mirror, you can thank your brain for what you see. Ultimately, it is your brain that determines whether your belly bulges over your belt buckle or your waistline is trim and toned. Your brain plays the central role in whether your skin looks fresh and dewy or is etched with wrinkles. Whether you wake up feeling energetic or groggy depends on your brain. When you head to the kitchen to make breakfast, it is your brain that determines whether you go for the leftover pizza or the low-fat yogurt and fruit. Your brain controls whether you hit the gym or sit at the computer to Excerpted from Change Your Brain, Change Your Body: Use Your Brain to Get and Keep the Body You Have Always Wanted by Daniel G. Amen All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
