We want our brains to remain fully functioning until we’re 100. Right? But will that happen? What makes the difference in whether our brains stay healthy or not? Daniel Amen, MD has conducted over 70,000 brain scans and thus has some hard-won insight into what the pre-cursors might be to a less-than-optimally-functioning brain. Based on patterns found in these scans, he has formulated a number of theories relating to the brain and ADD, depression, and overeating, among other things. What is the single most important thing he has learned from looking at these 70,000 scans? Watch the short video below…

Have you had your turmeric yet this week? In a recent post, I talked about the neuroplastic possibilities of curcumin (a brain-boosting chemical in turmeric) for slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease. Did that convince you to start eating it? If not, consider this my second attempt. Slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease isn’t the only benefit from eating turmeric. We were curious and so did a PubMed search. We came across so many other important studies on curcumin that we had to share some of them with you. Let’s start with some more brain benefits. A randomized, controlled study…

Neural integration – it means developing a strong connection between the two sides of the brain. Why does this matter? When we have neural integration, we’re more likely to easily develop positive, healthy relationships throughout life. And I’m sure you know what a difference that can make over the course of a lifetime. Especially for kids . . . According to Dan Siegel, there are 9 ways to promote neural integration (some of which are even fun to try). We wanted to give you a look at one of them, so we pulled together this quick video. It’s very short…

Could empathy have the power to heal? The link between stress and susceptibility to illness is fairly well established but what if you could start healing just by going to see your doctor? No pill. No x-rays. Just the experience of being heard and listened to. Now “power” is a strong word and I don’t want to overstate the case, but there is a study that suggests the way a practitioner approaches a client and the warmth of their relationship actually has something to do with healing. David P. Rackel, MD and other researchers at the University of Wisconsin looked…

I want to congratulate my friend Rich Simon, PhD, CEO of Psychotherapy Networker, on the 30th year of their symposium. The conference, Creating a New Wisdom: The Art and Science of Optimal Well-Being, began today in Washington, DC. More than 3,000 practitioners will be attending. Keynote speakers include Andrew Weil, MD, Dan Siegel, MD, Mary Piper, PhD, Pat Ogden, PhD, and Scott Miller, PhD. They are just a few of the 125 presenters who will take part in this four-day conference. There’s still time to sign up. You can find more information here.

What foods could strengthen your memory, improve your problem-solving ability, and make you an even better multi-tasker? In short, can any foods help to improve your brain power? Are there foods that would increase the size of your brain? Studies suggest that omega-3s help brain function, specifically visual memory and executive function, including problem-solving, multi-tasking and abstract thinking. In a new study published in the February 28th volume of the journal Neurology, researchers from the UCLA-based lab of Zaldy S. Tan, MD looked at the role of Omega-3 fatty acids in influencing brain power and overall brain health. They took…