I had already read one of Dr. Amen's books, so seeing him on TV talking about weight intrigued me. The book I read (well, mostly read) was called, "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life." Amen's new book is "Change Your Brain, Change Your Body." I'm fascinated with the human brain and I've been trying to lose weight for, oh, about thirty years now, so of course I was hooked.
Now, this blog post is not a commercial for Amen. He's trying to sell you stuff just like the next guy. The site is full of supplements and books and memberships and whatnot. My $1 trial will only last until 2 weeks when they start charging me $30 a month to use the site.
BUT (and this is a big one) I have been preaching for years that a certain family member will not be able to beat his addiction without getting to the root of the problem. He has to change his thinking - change his brain - or he will continue with old habits. Yet, when it comes to my physical health, have I taken my own advice? Not in the slightest.
I know cognitive therapy works. I use it to fight my depression and anxiety. And that's basically the gist of Amen's program from what I can tell. Cognitive therapy, understanding nutrition, and keeping your brain healthy. That last part is what I am particularly excited about.
The site has all these games to train the brain. I've downloaded three to my iPhone already. If I am looking to kill time I would much rather do relaxation or memory exercises than play hanging with friends (sorry all the people I am playing hanging with- I'm losing anyway because apparently my brain sucks.)
Anyway, I am excited about this new journey. I saw my grandmother suffer from Alzheimers. I want to be able to teach my father how to train his brain and possibly prevent that. I want to be mentally capable my entire life. And if a hot body just happens to come with a healthy brain, I'll take it.
I'll let you know how it goes.
