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Dr. Amen's Blog

Dr. Amen’s Breakfast Shake

September 2, 2010 – 4:00 am

My wife says I’m a creature of routine. I say routine is one of my secrets to success in everything I do. One of my favorite routines is having a brain healthy shake for breakfast. It is an absolute brain powerhouse with the following ingredients:

  • Dr. Amen’s Brain Boost Mix—20 grams of rice protein, plus a wonderful mix of a multiple vitamin and brain nutrients (The protein boosts my focus and energy.)
  • 20 ounces water (Did you know your brain is 80% water? This helps keep my brain adequately hydrated so I can think more quickly)
  • 1 cup frozen organic blueberries (I prefer to call them brainberries. They enhance cognitive function.)
  • 1 cup mixed fruit (These are super antioxidants that have anti-aging properties.)
  • Cinnamon-flavored liquid stevia, a few drops (Cinnamon increases attention)
  • 1 Scoop Green Vibrance freeze-dried greens (Lots of disease-fighting veggies in here to help keep me healthy.)

Just mix it all in a blender and pour in a glass. It’s so easy and so delicious! I get two servings out of this recipe, and it’s only 137 calories per serving.

I say it’s the perfect brain healthy way to start my day!

You can find this recipe and many more brain healthy breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, and even desserts in the Change Your Brain, Change Your Body Cookbook.

By Dr. Amen | Posted in Nutrition | Tagged , , , , | Comments (1)

Case of the Week: Rick—impulsive overeater

August 30, 2010 – 4:00 am

the holes near the top are associated with impulsivity

Rick, 37, was growing larger by the year. At 5’8”, he was now over 250 pounds. As a highly successful salesman for a large West Coast liquor company, he was always on the run and attended many fancy dinners and sporting events.

His wife was starting to complain about his weight, which made him angry. “Why doesn’t she just love me the way I am?” he thought, even though she married him nearly 75 pounds lighter a decade earlier.

Growing up, Rick had problems with focus and impulsivity. He barely finished his first year of college when he found a job in the liquor industry that he loved. Rick brought his son to our clinic for school-related problems, much like the problems Rick had experienced in school. After he saw how much better his son was on treatment, Rick decided to get an evaluation as well.

Rick was an impulsive overeater. He also had trouble controlling his behavior. His brain SPECT scan showed too little activity in his prefrontal cortex, likely due to low dopamine levels, so he had trouble supervising his own behavior.

Like his son, he was also diagnosed with ADD. With the right treatment and behavioral interventions to boost his dopamine levels, he felt more focused and in better control of his impulses. Over the first year, he lost 35 pounds and was getting along better with his wife and child.

Are you struggling to lose weight like Rick was? Discovering your brain type can help. Take the FREE Change Your Brain, Change Your Body Questionnaire to find your type and find out more about the best treatment and behavioral interventions for each type in my book Change Your Brain, Change Your Body.

By Dr. Amen | Posted in SPECT Scans Case Study | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (3)

My New ANThem!!

August 26, 2010 – 4:00 am

This week, I received an email from Charles Harter, a teacher in New Zealand who saw one of my DVDs about ANTs and was so inspired by the concept of ANTs that he wrote a song about it.

I think it is very creative and very catchy. One of the women in our office listened to it and said she couldn’t’ get the tune out of her head. Take a minute and listen to the ANTs song and kill a few of your own ANTs.

ANTs

By Dr. Amen | Posted in Brain Health and Wellness | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Case of the Week: Judy—Depression or something else?

August 23, 2010 – 4:00 am

before treatment

after treatment

Judy, the wife of a close friend, came to see us for problems with depression. She complained of a pervasive feeling of sadness, low energy, negativity, and difficulty concentrating. She was unable to care for her family the way she wanted to.

Her symptoms sounded like a classic case of depression, and if she had gone to visit a primary care physician with her complaints, she probably would have walked out the door with a prescription for antidepressants. But antidepressants wouldn’t have helped Judy.

Here’s why.

Judy’s SPECT scans indicated that something OTHER than depression was causing her symptoms. Now it was my job to figure out what it was. Her brain scans showed overall markedly decreased activity, with the scalloping effect that is often associated with toxic exposure from drug abuse or exposure to toxic chemicals.

When I see a brain like Judy’s with pronounced scalloping, the first thing I do is ask about drug abuse and exposure to toxic chemicals. But Judy swore she had no history of drug abuse and hadn’t been around any toxic chemicals. I also asked her if she’d ever had a head injury, and she said no.

With these possible causes ruled out, I recommended a medical workup to look for other potential physical causes of her symptoms.

A routine blood test revealed the answer. Judy was severely anemic and had a very low red blood cell count. The culprit that was causing her anemia? A vitamin B-12 deficiency. That’s right. A simple vitamin deficiency.

Low levels of vitamin B-12 have long been associated with depression. Vitamin B-12 and other B vitamins are involved in the production of brain chemicals that are involved in regulating mood.

For Judy, correcting this problem was all it took to get her back on track. Judy’s case is a prime example of how important brain imaging can be in diagnosing a problem. As I always say, how do you know unless you look?

By Dr. Amen | Posted in SPECT Scans Case Study | Tagged , , , | Comments (9)

Case of the Week—Danielle, sad addict

August 19, 2010 – 4:00 am

Increased deep limbic activity

Danielle, 19, was a college student who grew up in a family of depressed people. Both of her parents struggled with mood problems, and Danielle began having feelings of despair as early as junior high. By the time she got to college, she was tired of feeling blue and having little energy.

While home for the holidays, Danielle found some OxyContin left over from her dad’s root canal surgery and decided to try one. The drug made her feel happy and truly alive for the first time in her life.

After the effects wore off, she couldn’t wait to feel that way again. She took the rest of the pills back to college and when they were gone, she started buying OxyContin from a guy at college.

When her regular supplier wasn’t around, she bought it from a new guy at school who turned out to be an undercover cop. Danielle got arrested and wound up in court-ordered drug treatment with David Smith, M.D., who is my good friend and colleague as well as the co-author of Unchain Your Brain. David ordered a SPECT study from us.

Based on our brain imaging work with tens of thousands of patients, I have identified six types of addicts based on brain patterns. Knowing which type you are is essential to finding the best treatment plan for your own specific needs. (You can find out more about the six types of addicts in Unchain Your Brain).

Danielle’s brain scans showed that she was a Type 4 Sad or Emotional Addict. She medicated her feelings of sadness with drugs. Her SPECT scans showed increased activity in the deep limbic system.

With a combination of the natural supplement SAMe (found in my SAMe Mood & Movement Support supplement), exercise, dietary changes, and therapy, Danielle managed to kick her OxyContin habit for good.

By Dr. Amen | Posted in SPECT Scans Case Study | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (7)
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