Healthy Living for a Healthy Brain

Dr. Daniel Amen is a physician, psychiatrist, and expert on brain health. He is also the founder of the Amen Clinics, which use brain imaging technology to understand and treat patients with a variety of illnesses. He was recently interviewed on Bob Costas’s show, The State of the NFL before this year’s Super Bowl. He talked about the harmful effects of head injuries in football players as well as his own research.

Dr. Amen believes that keeping your brain healthy is key to living a longer life and avoiding Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Dr. Amen stresses that it is never too late to achieve a healthier brain because of the brain’s amazing ability to rehabilitate itself. At Dementia Therapeutics we have the same philosophy, which is why we have created a variety of interventions that improve brain health and increase functioning.

As people age, a number of lifestyle changes occur. Less social interaction may lead to decreased involvement in recreational activities. Diet and exercise become less of a priority and we become less cognitively engaged. Dr. Amen argues that several lifestyle activities can lead to a healthier brain, including diet and exercise. The foods we eat make up who we are and if we aren’t getting the right nutrients, our brain also suffers. Dr. Amen advises a diet full of fruits, vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids as well as an exercise routine that involves coordination or some other skill such as dancing.

Life-long learning is also important according to Dr. Amen. He advises participating in educational activities in order to continue to stimulate the brain. The more we use our brains, the longer and better they will function. Finally, there are negative emotional correlates associated with unhealthy brain activity. We must learn strategies for coping with such changes. Much of what Dr. Amen advises supports Dementia Therapeutics’ values and beliefs about how to live a healthy life for a healthy brain.