Dr. Daniel Amen

right and often the people that go to jail they have low levels of anxiety they actually have slower heart rates they have lower sweat gland activity right like if i think i'm going to go rob a store well i don't because i don't want to be caught right and i don't like institutional food and i don't really look good in an orange jumpsuit right and so i'm always thinking ahead and one of the lies of happiness

So I open you happier with the lies of happiness is don't worry, be happy. So Bobby McFerrin's Grammy award-winning song, don't worry, be happy is a lie because you need some anxiety. So you do the right things and doing the right things consistently help you be happy.

So I open you happier with the lies of happiness is don't worry, be happy. So Bobby McFerrin's Grammy award-winning song, don't worry, be happy is a lie because you need some anxiety. So you do the right things and doing the right things consistently help you be happy.

Right, 50% of people 85 and older will be diagnosed with dementia. I'm not okay with that. Those are bad odds, right? Because we're living longer and I don't want a 50% chance of having lost my mind. But I can't start thinking about that when I'm 83. I need to be thinking about that when I'm 43 or 33, right? I mean, the earlier you can, the more you can push off those negative effects.

Right, 50% of people 85 and older will be diagnosed with dementia. I'm not okay with that. Those are bad odds, right? Because we're living longer and I don't want a 50% chance of having lost my mind. But I can't start thinking about that when I'm 83. I need to be thinking about that when I'm 43 or 33, right? I mean, the earlier you can, the more you can push off those negative effects.

So not too much anxiety because the cortisol damages your brain, but enough. It's like a dose response. What's the right dose of anxiety? And as a psychiatrist, I used to think my job was to lower the anxiety in my patients. And that's true for some patients. It's not true for other patients.

So not too much anxiety because the cortisol damages your brain, but enough. It's like a dose response. What's the right dose of anxiety? And as a psychiatrist, I used to think my job was to lower the anxiety in my patients. And that's true for some patients. It's not true for other patients.

In the book, I actually talk about our bright minds approach to preventing dementia. So there's 11. But if I had to pick a couple, it would be being overweight. Because if you're overweight or have high blood sugar, there's something I call diabesity. It's a combination. You actually have seven of the 11 risk factors because I published three studies.

In the book, I actually talk about our bright minds approach to preventing dementia. So there's 11. But if I had to pick a couple, it would be being overweight. Because if you're overweight or have high blood sugar, there's something I call diabesity. It's a combination. You actually have seven of the 11 risk factors because I published three studies.

The last one on 33,000 people that said as your weight goes up, the actual size and function of your brain goes down virtually in a linear pattern.

The last one on 33,000 people that said as your weight goes up, the actual size and function of your brain goes down virtually in a linear pattern.

Yeah. So we had two data sets, one in children, one in adults. The function and the size of the brain shrinks. The function and size because it lowers blood flow to the brain. Obesity lowers blood flow to the brain. It ages the brain. It increases inflammation. Fat cells store toxins. It changes your hormones.

Yeah. So we had two data sets, one in children, one in adults. The function and the size of the brain shrinks. The function and size because it lowers blood flow to the brain. Obesity lowers blood flow to the brain. It ages the brain. It increases inflammation. Fat cells store toxins. It changes your hormones.

It takes healthy testosterone and turns it into unhealthy cancer-promoting forms of estrogen. this is not a good thing and so if I had to go don't be overweight now don't be underweight underweight's not good for you right have a reasonable healthy weight and you don't want anything to damage your blood vessels because They found neurons, brain cells, actually don't age.

It takes healthy testosterone and turns it into unhealthy cancer-promoting forms of estrogen. this is not a good thing and so if I had to go don't be overweight now don't be underweight underweight's not good for you right have a reasonable healthy weight and you don't want anything to damage your blood vessels because They found neurons, brain cells, actually don't age.

It's your blood vessels that age. And if your blood vessels aren't feeding your brain cells, they begin to die. And so with all of these risk factors, how do I know if I have it? So SPEC, this imaging study I do, looks at blood flow.

It's your blood vessels that age. And if your blood vessels aren't feeding your brain cells, they begin to die. And so with all of these risk factors, how do I know if I have it? So SPEC, this imaging study I do, looks at blood flow.

If you're drinking caffeine, if you're using nicotine, if you're sedentary, if you have any form of heart disease, if you have high blood pressure, all of those decrease blood flow to your brain. So you always want to increase blood flow. And I love this part because when I get someone brain healthy, their sex lives get better.

If you're drinking caffeine, if you're using nicotine, if you're sedentary, if you have any form of heart disease, if you have high blood pressure, all of those decrease blood flow to your brain. So you always want to increase blood flow. And I love this part because when I get someone brain healthy, their sex lives get better.

Because if you have blood flow problems anywhere, like you have erectile dysfunction, you have brain dysfunction.