Dr. Wendy Suzuki

And so basically what a healed brain looks like is a bigger, fatter, fluffier brain that is kind of flush with good neurochemicals and is building new synaptic connections. That is kind of the beautiful picture of what I call positive brain plasticity.

And so basically what a healed brain looks like is a bigger, fatter, fluffier brain that is kind of flush with good neurochemicals and is building new synaptic connections. That is kind of the beautiful picture of what I call positive brain plasticity.

Well, you know, I think that sometimes it's hard to appreciate what's going on. It could be that you're not moving quite in the same way. I think it's easy to get in a habit of moving. And so sometimes you need to push yourself a little bit more. If you're doing 10 minutes of walking, maybe try 15 minutes. And it's, you know, there are some pillars that not just me, but so many neuroscientists

Well, you know, I think that sometimes it's hard to appreciate what's going on. It could be that you're not moving quite in the same way. I think it's easy to get in a habit of moving. And so sometimes you need to push yourself a little bit more. If you're doing 10 minutes of walking, maybe try 15 minutes. And it's, you know, there are some pillars that not just me, but so many neuroscientists

have shown are so important for brain plasticity, which is actually what my undergraduate advisor discovered as she was a young neuroscientist in the 1960s at UC Berkeley, Marion Diamond. And so exercise was one of the pillars. Stress reduction that comes from meditation. Social interaction. We are social beings. I'm sorry, social media does not count person-to-person interaction.

have shown are so important for brain plasticity, which is actually what my undergraduate advisor discovered as she was a young neuroscientist in the 1960s at UC Berkeley, Marion Diamond. And so exercise was one of the pillars. Stress reduction that comes from meditation. Social interaction. We are social beings. I'm sorry, social media does not count person-to-person interaction.

That is what humans were evolved to do. Sleep, which we haven't talked about, but is so critically important. And the fifth pillar is good nutrition. Social interaction, sorry, I need to add that social interaction doesn't mean just eating conversations. I include love there.

That is what humans were evolved to do. Sleep, which we haven't talked about, but is so critically important. And the fifth pillar is good nutrition. Social interaction, sorry, I need to add that social interaction doesn't mean just eating conversations. I include love there.

Having love in your life is something that neuroscientists don't often talk about, but it is absolutely critical for the health of your brain.

Having love in your life is something that neuroscientists don't often talk about, but it is absolutely critical for the health of your brain.

Well, so you can study the neurobiology of love and compare the brain areas that get active when you look at the picture of an acquaintance versus the picture of somebody that you might have just- What would you see? You would see reward areas lighting up. But other areas, social interaction areas as well.

Well, so you can study the neurobiology of love and compare the brain areas that get active when you look at the picture of an acquaintance versus the picture of somebody that you might have just- What would you see? You would see reward areas lighting up. But other areas, social interaction areas as well.

And one of the most interesting findings that I love from that neurobiology of love, fMRI study of love literature, is that they've also started to look at How does the brain response to your loved one change from the first throes of romantic love when you can't get enough of each other to a relationship that has evolved to something stable but very, very loving?

And one of the most interesting findings that I love from that neurobiology of love, fMRI study of love literature, is that they've also started to look at How does the brain response to your loved one change from the first throes of romantic love when you can't get enough of each other to a relationship that has evolved to something stable but very, very loving?

And what happens is it goes from just... lots of dopamine and lots of reward areas and kind of a suppression of the amygdala and kind of the fear. You're fearless when you are first in love. And I know, you know, I felt fearless. I don't know if in a good way, but we feel fearless.

And what happens is it goes from just... lots of dopamine and lots of reward areas and kind of a suppression of the amygdala and kind of the fear. You're fearless when you are first in love. And I know, you know, I felt fearless. I don't know if in a good way, but we feel fearless.

And it starts to evolve into a pattern that looks like the maternal or paternal pattern that is that protective element. And we can't see everything from fMRI, but I thought, I thought that's such a beautiful pattern to think about. That, yes, I can't sustain that first flush of love for the rest of my life.

And it starts to evolve into a pattern that looks like the maternal or paternal pattern that is that protective element. And we can't see everything from fMRI, but I thought, I thought that's such a beautiful pattern to think about. That, yes, I can't sustain that first flush of love for the rest of my life.

But that deep love that you do feel for a child, that is what comes with long-term commitment. Wow.

But that deep love that you do feel for a child, that is what comes with long-term commitment. Wow.