improving mental health Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Slash Risk of Dementia up to 40% with THIS Science-Backed Approach

The AHA! Team — Wed, 06 Aug 2025 05:03:21 +0000

Patrick Tims via NaturalHealth365 – Count to three. That’s how long it takes for someone in the world to develop dementia. The number of people living with this condition will double in just two decades. The good news? There are ways to defend against cognitive decline – nutrition, mental stimulation, and exercise, as highlighted in a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Aerobic exercise is one of the most powerful lifestyle factors for protecting brain health. Research shows that staying physically active can significantly lower the risk of dementia, making movement a key ingredient in lifelong cognitive wellness. So, how does exercise protect your brain? And what kind of workout is most effective? Let’s dive in. Exercise: A powerful defense against dementia The fight against dementia starts with movement. Research shows that high cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) can lower the overall risk of dementia by 40% and even reduce risk by 35% in those genetically predisposed to the condition. Why? Because exercise strengthens both the heart and lungs, two key players in maintaining cognitive function. Drawing from the UK Biobank data, a new study analyzed over 61,000 adults aged 39 to 70 over 12 years. The findings were clear: Those with higher CRF performed significantly better on cognitive tests. Even individuals with a moderate to high genetic risk for dementia saw a 35% lower risk if they maintained high CRF. Participants with high CRF had a 40% lower overall risk of developing dementia. On average, they also delayed dementia onset by 1.5 years. CRF – your body’s ability to deliver oxygen during exercise – directly impacts memory, processing speed, and cognitive resilience. Just six minutes of stationary cycling was enough to reveal these benefits in the study. While no single factor can guarantee protection against dementia, regular aerobic exercise is one of the most powerful tools available for preserving brain health and reducing the impact of genetic risk. Not all exercise protects against dementia – cardio is key When it comes to brain health, not all exercise is created equal. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is one of the most effective physical activities for slowing cognitive decline. However, knowing that aerobic exercise is one of the most powerful defenses against dementia is one thing – making it a consistent habit is another. The key is finding activities that you enjoy and can sustain long-term. Here’s how to seamlessly integrate CRF-boosting movement into your lifestyle: 1. Start small and build up If you’re new to aerobic exercise, start with 10-15 minutes a day and gradually increase the duration and intensity. A brisk walk around the neighborhood, a light bike ride, or even a short dance session in your living room can get your heart pumping. 2. Make movement a daily habit Schedule exercise like an important meeting. Whether it’s a morning walk, an afternoon swim, or an evening dance class, consistency matters more than intensity. The goal is to keep your heart and lungs working regularly. 3. Try fun, social activities Exercising with others can make it more enjoyable and sustainable. Join a dance class, sign up for a group swim session, or go on weekend hikes with friends. Social engagement is a brain booster, so combining it with movement creates a double benefit. 4. Take advantage of everyday movement You don’t need a gym membership to stay active. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther from the store, or walk while taking phone calls. Small bursts of movement throughout the day add up. 5. Mix it up to stay engaged Variety prevents boredom and ensures you’re challenging different muscle groups. Alternate between cycling, power walking, swimming, and dancing to keep things interesting while maximizing CRF benefits. 6. Track your progress Using a fitness tracker or journal to monitor your activity levels can help you stay motivated and see your improvement over time. Even tracking how you feel mentally and physically after exercise can reinforce the habit. 7. Listen to your body The goal is lifelong brain health, so prioritize consistency over intensity. If you’re fatigued, opt for a lower-impact activity like swimming or a leisurely bike ride instead of skipping movement altogether. By making these small but meaningful changes, you’re not just improving your physical health but actively protecting your brain for years to come. Sources for this article include: BMJ.com Studyfinds.org Alzint.org To read the original article click here.

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White, Pink Noise Improve Focus for Children with ADHD

The AHA! Team — Mon, 09 Dec 2024 06:22:56 +0000

Oregon Health & Science University via EurekAlert! – In the United States and worldwide, cardiovascular disease is the leading avoidable cause of premature death and disability. Oregon Health & Science University researchers are uncovering the potential benefits of color noise exposure for young people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. A study published in this month’s issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry found a small but statistically significant benefit of white and pink noise on task performance among children and college-age young adults with ADHD. Color noises represent a different combination of frequencies and volumes along the spectrum of sound, each with their own distinct characteristics and effect on the brain. Just as white light includes all the colors of the rainbow, white noise contains all frequencies of noise and sounds like static. Pink and brown noise are similar, but with a higher proportion of low frequencies; they may sound like rain or a waterfall. White noise contains all frequencies of noise and sounds like static As clinical understanding of ADHD continues to broaden, interest in identifying novel, low-cost supports for those diagnosed with the condition has grown. One such support that has recently sparked great interest is the potential use of color noise exposure — including white, pink and brown noise — to enhance focused performance during attention-demanding tasks. “Although outcomes are much improved with current treatments, ADHD still can dramatically increase the risk of serious and complex long-term health outcomes, because treatments are only partially effective, and adherence is difficult,” said Joel Nigg, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry in the OHSU School of Medicine, co-director of the OHSU Center for Mental Health Innovation and lead author of the study. “It is critical that we continue to investigate complementary and alternative supports for those living with ADHD. “Our priority is identifying new and improved tools to empower each individual to live their healthiest and most productive life, as well as providing evidence-based guidance on popular ideas in the public domain such as white or brown noise.” Exploring color noise The systematic review and meta-analysis included 13 studies with 335 participants. It found that either white or pink noise improved cognitive performance for children and young adults with ADHD or significant ADHD symptoms. In contrast, either white or pink noise slightly reduced cognitive performance for individuals without ADHD or with normal attention. Researchers say these results point to a possible low-cost, low-risk intervention that may benefit youths with ADHD. Leveraging white and pink noise is relatively safe, easy to implement and accessible, Nigg said. Additionally, color noise therapies can be used inexpensively at home and in concert with other interventions, like medications, with relatively low concern for side effects. At the same time, however, use of color noise to enhance attention is not without hazard, Nigg cautioned. Damage to hearing is a significant risk if noise volumes are not carefully monitored, and other studies have shown that youth tend to use headphones at excessive volumes for other activities. Effects of frequent use on children’s attention development are also unknown. Color noise therapies can be used inexpensively at home With these unknowns, creation of clinical guidelines would require additional data, Nigg said. Looking ahead, researchers will need to prioritize additional studies that compare white or pink noise with other environmental stimulation — such as brighter light or other kinds of noise — and test the range of effect across task types and with varying types and durations of auditory stimulation. Additionally, study populations should be expanded and diversified to ensure accurate data is collected on race, ethnicity, and other characteristics that may influence effects, Nigg said, noting that the lack of a large, diverse sample population was a major limitation of the study. “While additional research is needed to translate the findings to clinical practices, these initial results should be seen as encouraging,” Nigg said. “The results should stimulate further work to clarify who can benefit and what dosages and amounts are safe and appropriate. Supportive interventions continue to be needed for ADHD, which affects millions of kids and adolescents around the world.” Journal Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry DOI 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.12.014 To read the original article click here.

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It’s Okay Not To Be Okay

The AHA! Team — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 06:13:29 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #594) and blog, I talk about the 100% happiness fallacy, and why learning how to embrace your pain and rewrite your story is an important part of being truly happy. This is a replay of a Neurolive webinar I did on my app. For the full webinar AD-free, please see Neurocycle.app or look for Neurocycle on the App Store or Google Play. Does it feel to you like you have to be happy all the time? Often, it feels like happiness and being positive is touted as the wonder drug to solve our problems. It is easy to feel like there is something wrong with you if you are not as happy as other people seem to be! Yes, being happy and optimistic can have a positive impact on our minds, brain and body, but thinking happy thoughts doesn’t just eliminate whatever we are going through. To truly heal and find some measure of intrinsic happiness, we must move beyond positive affirmations and thinking, and face what is holding us back through embracing, processing and reconceptualizing our past pain. If we don’t do this, we won’t truly benefit from positive psychology and happiness techniques. Using the latter before we have processed and managed what has happened to us often results in a toxic positivity cycle, where we feel bad for simply being human and try to ignore our more uncomfortable emotions, which only makes us feel worse! In fact, research indicates that pursuing happiness in a toxically positive way can impact our ability to fully embrace the human experience, with all its ups and downs and uncertainties. Our lives are infused with fragility, setbacks and unpredictability as much as they are filled with passion, excitement and joy. Using happiness or positive thinking to mask the harsh realities of life will backfire because there is no avoiding what it means to be human. An adverse emotional response to an adverse life situation is normal. It is okay to not feel okay. It is okay to not be happy all the time. An adverse emotional response to an adverse life situation is normal. Understandably, we don’t want to get stuck in a dark place, but happiness is not a bandage we can slap on all of life’s wounds and just “keep on keeping on”. It is an important part of life, yes, but it also means different things to different people, and will not take away that pain that we experience as we go through life. If you feel pressured to be happy all the time, take the time to pause and examine your thoughts. Ask yourself: Is the happiness fallacy taking up mental real estate in your mind? Do you feel guilty when you feel unhappy? Do you think that there is something wrong with you when you feel sad, upset or angry? Do you feel shame, guilt, and embarrassment if you don’t feel happy all the time? Do you often tell yourself and others that you just need to “think a positive/happy thought” if you are feeling sad, angry, or any emotion that is considered uncomfortable or negative? Do you find yourself ignoring or repressing your suffering or pain? Don’t let your guilt consume you; rather, be curious.. If you said yes to any of these or all the above, work on reframing how you see happiness and its role in your life. Don’t let your guilt consume you; rather, be curious, almost as if you were listening to a friend tell you about their thoughts. And, when you find yourself falling into a pattern of using toxic positivity to suppress your more uncomfortable emotions, pause and say out loud: “Not only is it okay for me to not feel okay, it is part of what it means to be human, and trying to be happy all the time can actually hurt me and make my pain worse.” For more on the 100% happiness fallacy and learning how to embrace your pain and rewrite your story, listen to my podcast (episode #594). Podcast Highlights 2:05 The 100% happiness fallacy 4:09 Toxic positivity can make us feel worse! 6:20 Happiness is just one part of what it means to be human 8:02 Happiness means different things to different people 11:45 Feelings of happiness are actually pretty rare! 16:00 It is easy to feel unsatisfied even when we are happy 17:50 To be happy, we also must embrace & process the hard things in life 22:32 How to be okay with not being okay Switch On Your Brain LLC. is providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific viewpoint or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by our organization. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact info@drleaf.com. This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional. To read the original article click here.

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Prescription for Happiness: How Understanding Your Body Can Help Improve Your Mental Health

The AHA! Team — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 05:45:48 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #585) and blog, I talk to internist, bestselling author and speaker Dr. Robin Berzin about the relationship between GI health and the mind, why so many people feel gaslit by traditional medicine, the power of functional medicine, what is wrong with women’s health, why we need to change the way we manage our mental and physical health, and so much more! Dr. Berzin is the Founder and CEO of Parsley Health, the nation’s leading holistic medical practice designed to help people overcome chronic conditions. Dr. Berzin attended medical school at Columbia University and trained in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. She has been named as one of the 100 most innovative women in business by Inc. Magazine and praised by Fast Company for founding one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. She founded Parsley Health to address the rising tide of chronic disease in America through personalized holistic medicine that puts food, lifestyle, and proactive diagnostic testing on the prescription pad next to medications. Since founding Parsley in 2016, Dr. Berzin has seen 80% of patients improve or resolve their chronic conditions within their first year of care, demonstrating the life-changing value of making modern holistic medicine accessible to everyone, anywhere. Dr. Berzin is incredibly passionate about educating people and teaching them how to advocate for their own mental and physical health. Many people feel gaslit by our current medical system, whose focus is often on specific symptoms or issues they are having in the moment rather than their whole person or life story. But 99% of our health is happening in our lives, not at the doctor’s office! How we live has incredible power over how healthy or sick we are, which is actually great news. It means that we can be proactive when it comes to our own wellbeing. Indeed, contrary to what many people believe, we don’t have to wait till we are sick or for the “wheels to come off” to start improving our health. We can learn how to create and generate health and wellbeing in our minds, regardless of our genetics and environment, which is both empowering and liberating. This is why Dr. Berzin wrote her amazing new book, State Change: End Anxiety, Beat Burnout, And Ignite A New Baseline Of Energy And Flow. A state change is a metamorphosis of your emotional and mental health triggered by a change in your physical health. All too often, our mental and physical health are seen as separate—the former treated by a psychiatrist, the latter by your regular doctor. In this book, Dr. Berzin presents a different approach, one that acknowledges the intricate relationship between our bodies and our minds and how our physical health impacts our mental health. She shows us how taking care of our bodies and understanding our physical triggers can help us rejuvenate and energize our minds. Dr. Berzin’s book is based off her own research and work at Parsley Health, where they do not just treat people’s issues as a one-off thing. Rather, they focus on the whole person, teaching patients how to understand their own bodies, how their environment impacts their wellbeing, and how to advocate for their own health on a day-to-day basis. She is especially passionate about helping women find their voice when it comes to their mental and physical health needs. Even though women play such a large role in our healthcare system, both as professionals and patients, it is estimated that 8 in 10 women delay care until their symptoms worsen or affect their daily lives. Many women find they do not have time to seek medical care for their needs as they are so busy taking care of others, and, when they do seek care, they often feel gaslit by medical professionals, who overlook what they say, are told that it is “all in their heads”, or just offer them another pill for their issues rather than truly listening to what they are experiencing and what they need. This is why taking a functional, rather than just reductive, approach to medicine is so important. We need to focus on the whole person: what they are experiencing, who they are, their environment and so on, because the mind, brain and body are intricately connected. When medical professionals are trained to look at root causes and the whole person, and when they take the time to listen to what their patients are really telling them (which is what Dr. Berzin’s team does at Parsley Health), they are able to connect the dots between different parts of a patient’s brain and body as well as their life, get to the root cause, and give them a roadmap to better mental and physical health. A big part of this process is looking at the gut-brain connection. Our mouth is an opening to the outside world, and our gut has to break down everything we consume for energy and information. The gut also has its own nervous system: the enteric nervous system, which is why the gut is often called our “second brain”. This is why what we eat, what medications we take, what we drink and other environmental factors can have a tremendous impact on both our mental and physical wellbeing. For more on the relationship between your physical and mental health, listen to my podcast with Dr. Berzin (episode #585) and check out her incredible work. Podcast Highlights 1:50 Dr. Berzin’s amazing work 3:20 The power of advocating for your own wellbeing 4:30 The importance of looking at the whole person when it comes to health & wellness 5:45 What is wrong with women’s healthcare 10:45 How our current medical system fails us 14:53, 22:50 Why Dr. Berzin wrote her book State Change 16:00 The relationship between our body & mental health 17:42 How medicine is changing for the better 27:32 The relationship between our gut health & mind 32:13 Metabolism, blood sugar & mental health Switch On Your Brain LLC. is providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific viewpoint or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by our organization. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact info@drleaf.com. This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional. To read the original article click here.

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Amino Acids & Mental Health

The AHA! Team — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 17:04:19 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #589) and blog, I talk to Angelo Keely, co-founder and CEO of Kion Aminos, about the role protein plays in our mental and physical health, why amino acids are important, and how to strengthen your mind, brain, and body and increase your longevity! After a near-death experience in his late teens, Angelo decided that taking charge of his own health should play an integral role in his life. He eventually started a new business based on his own experiences and his passion to help people improve their wellbeing and live their best lives, called Kion Aminos. I am a big fan of Kion Aminos, which I take every day as part of my mental and physical regimen. As you have heard me talk about on my podcast and in my books, our mental health and physical health are intertwined. Both are heavily influenced not only by what we put in our bodies, but by what our bodies are missing, or deficient in, as well. This is one of the reasons I want to make sure I am getting enough protein. For our cells to be able to communicate with each other, we need to consume adequate protein for the essential amino acids it contains. Our body breaks down protein into its individual essential amino acid components, which then circulate through our blood and are used by the brain and body for everything from building muscle to forming neurotransmitters and hormones. Our mental health and physical health are intertwined These essential amino acids are very different from other macronutrients like carbohydrates or fats, which are energy sources. Protein can be converted into an energy source, but this is not its primary use. When we consume protein, our body wants to break down protein into individual amino acids and use them to fuel all the amino acid and protein requirements in the mind and brain. Many of us get our daily intake of protein from whole food protein sources like eggs, poultry and tofu, but most people don’t know we can also get what we need most from protein – essential amino acids – directly as a supplement, hence the reason Kion Aminos is an important part of my life, and why Angelo is so passionate about what he does: in so many ways, amino acids are essential to life! They play an important role not just in muscle building and physical recovery but also in the mind-brain connection. When we go through life, our experiences are wired into the brain on several different levels, which involves the production of amino acids. Amino acids help build many things in the brain and body, including our experiences! Without amino acids, we would not be able to experience life as we know it. In fact, over 50% of our solid body mass is made up of proteins (and thus amino acids), including the heart, kidneys, muscles, neurotransmitters, neurons and so on. Our experience of existing mentally could even be called an amino acid experience! It is important to note that proteins are in a constant state of breaking down and then re-synthesizing to function optimally. When these proteins break down into amino acids, some cannot be reused, which eventually leave our body in our urine. These amino acids have to be replenished through what we eat and drink so that our brain and body can continue functioning optimally. This means that when we consume protein (and thus amino acids), we are not just giving our brain and body energy to burn; we are also giving ourselves the building blocks that make up the brain, heart, kidneys, muscles and so on. It is important to note that proteins are in a constant state of breaking down We are actually protecting the most vital parts of ourselves by building up and strengthening our muscles–it is not just about moving fast or looking good. Many people think that the primary function of skeletal muscles is to help the body move, but our muscles are also the primary reservoir of amino acids for the rest of the brain and body. If we stop consuming amino acids or proteins, then the body will start breaking down our muscle tissue to get amino acids into the blood and to vital parts of the body like the liver, heart or brain, so that these organs can function. Amino acids really are the building blocks of life! And supplementing so we make sure we get the amino acids we need is incredibly important as we age. Research shows that, after the age of 30, our ability to break down proteins and get the essential amino acids we need decreases, so we need to make sure we have good sources of these amino acids in our diet to maintain our health and improve our longevity. Of course, with so many supplements out there, we shouldn’t just take the first amino acids we see, as not all products are created equal. This is why Angelo and the team at Kion are passionate about making premium, clean, research-backed amino acid supplements and foods that support a long, fun, active life. They meticulously select the highest quality natural ingredients and blend them into complementing supplements and functional foods that maximize wellness, performance, and longevity. Their products contain all 9 essential amino acids our bodies cannot make by themselves, already broken down from protein and ready to be absorbed and used by your body, making it 2X to 8X more effective than protein. I also love that the Kion formula is completely transparent and backed by over 20 years of research. This is something I am particularly passionate about as a woman in her 60s. As we get older, we need certain amino acids to help us maintain our wellbeing and longevity. And low-dose (3g), leucine-rich, essential amino acids (like those found in Kion Aminos) can help stimulate muscle synthesis equivalent to 20g of whey protein in older women at rest and after exercise. This means that, for women like myself, Kion Aminos can be 6x more effective than an equal amount of whole food protein at stimulating muscle synthesis to help maintain my physical and mental health, quality of life and longevity! For more on why amino acids are so important for our mental and physical wellbeing, listen to my podcast with Angelo (episode #589) and check out Kion Aminos’ amazing products. For more on mindsets that increase your resilience, listen to my podcast (episode #589). Podcast Highlights 2:05 Proteins, amino acids & why they are so important 9:43 What essential amino acids are & why we need them 11:40 Great sources of essential amino acids 12:30 Why essential amino acids are important as we age 20:45 Why we all need to strengthen muscles—this is not for bulking up! 25:40 Why we want to be proactive when it comes to our health 27:06, 32:51 Why we need to be careful what supplements we take & why I love Kion Aminos 33:55 Why Angelo started Kion Aminos & his advice to fellow entrepreneurs and people who want to start their own business This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional. To read the original article click here.

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Signs You Are Too Hard on Yourself

The AHA! Team — Fri, 27 Sep 2024 08:01:11 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #588) and blog, I talk about why being hard on yourself can cause unnecessary stress, and how to manage your self-expectations. This is a replay of a Neurolive webinar I did on my app. For the full webinar AD-free, please see Neurocycle.app look for Neurocycle on the App Store or Google Play. Being too hard on yourself can cause pressure and toxic stress. Of course, not all stress is bad. Stress can be good for you, but when you put pressure on yourself to live up to certain expectations and you don’t, this stress can become toxic, affecting your mental and physical wellbeing. It creates confusion and uses up your energy resources, throwing off your balance, much like putting too much pressure on an object can throw it off balance. Pressure is a force, and if you are going to apply force in any direction, why not apply it in a positive, uplifting direction? Why not turn this pressure into your biggest fan, encouraging your every step? To do this, it is important to recognize the main signs that you are putting too much pressure on yourself, and what to do about them: Sign 1: “I didn’t get x done.” Often, we tend to focus on what we haven’t done instead of what we have accomplished, then get stuck feeling guilty, frustrated, edgy, and like a failure. When you feel yourself falling into this way of thinking, stop and say or write down what you have done. Remind yourself of what you have achieved, and that there will be time to get the rest done tomorrow. Sign 2: “I have to have it all together.” So many of us feel like we must have it all together all the time, but this denies our humanity and the fact that we all make mistakes, mess up and get things wrong at times. When you feel like this, remind yourself that no one has it all together. And try not to compare your life to what others are doing, because the way you think and act, and your experiences, make you completely and utterly unique! You will never be able to be anyone else but you, and you are amazing, even if you are not perfect all the time. No one is! Sign 3: “I must succeed.” It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that we must succeed at something or achieve something to be worthy. When you feel like this, remind yourself that you define your own success! There is something you can do that no one else can do. Sign 4: “I cannot make a mistake.” Even though we all make mistakes, it is easy to think that we shouldn’t mess up and that we need to get things right all the time. But it is important to recognize that our failures are often as important as our successes, and teach us important life lessons that help us grow as a person. So, next time you start beating yourself up over a mistake, ask yourself what this experience has taught you and focus on how you have grown. Sign 5: “I let everyone down.” Sometimes, it is easy to feel like we always let people down and like we are just failures. Here, it is important to remind yourself that we all fail at times, that your failures help you grow, and that, at the end of the day, life is unpredictable. We can’t always control everything to make sure things turn out well, because so much of life is out of our control. Also, remind yourself that trying your best is the only way forward, even when it doesn’t work out like planned, because you will learn and grow as a person. Sign 6: “I feel exhausted all the time.” We often take on so much and expect ourselves to do so much that we quickly find ourselves stressed out, overwhelmed and exhausted. If this sounds like you, do a lifestyle check, and ask yourself: Do I take enough breaks to recharge? Do I give my brain and body time to rest and reset? Am I having enough fun? Do I take time to take care of my mental and physical health? See what you can change in your life to give yourself the time you need to rest! This is so important for your mind, brain and body health. Sign 7: “I hardly smile anymore.” It is easy to get into a pattern of living where we are so focused on what needs to get done that we forget how to enjoy life, which can have an impact on our wellbeing. If you find yourself smiling less and forgetting why you are working yourself so hard, take a step back and think of ways to enjoy life again. Watch something funny, spend time with a loved one, or do something that makes you smile again! You can even schedule this into your day so you don’t forget to take the time to enjoy life. Sign 8: “I need to do everything perfect all the time.” If you find yourself emotionally “holding onto” the mistakes you’ve made, noticing more of what you’ve done wrong than what you’ve gotten right, and getting anxious when you do a good-but-not-perfect job, you may have fallen into the perfectionism trap, where you can’t accept your weakeness or anyone else’s. If this sounds like you, take the time to notice when you do this, and remind yourself that there is a difference between wanting to achieve certain things and thinking you need to do everything perfect all the time. Remind yourself that mistakes and learning are part of life, and that you can work hard even if you take breaks and set up self-boundaries. And, when you find yourself thinking about what you got wrong, remind yourself of what you have gotten right too! Sign 9: “I am not good enough.” Take the time to observe and analyze your internal dialogue. How do you speak to yourself? How do you think of yourself? If you are using a lot of negative, pessimistic language to describe yourself, take the time to work on the way you think about yourself. Consciously observe and write down your critical self-talk and how often it’s happening. Then, work on creating reconceptualized statements to counter this way of thinking and change the way you speak to yourself. For example, change “I wish I could be as good as…” to “I will never be able to live up to someone else’s example of success because I am unique and define my own success.” This will take time to become a habit, so make sure to practice it every day! For more on learning how to not be so hard on yourself, listen to my podcast (episode #588). Podcast Highlights 1:48 What happens when we put too much pressure on ourselves 4:35 Signs that you are too hard on yourself & how to change this 7:03 You don’t have to have it all together all the time! 12:00 Mistakes are an important part of learning & growing 17:02 The importance of resting & taking time to recharge 19:11 Why you should take a “lifestyle check” when you feel overwhelmed & exhausted 21:46 Why we should all take the time to smile more! 23:04 How to tell the difference between perfectionism & high achievement This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional. To read the original article click here.

The post Signs You Are Too Hard on Yourself appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

Amino Acids & Mental Health

The AHA! Team — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 08:24:17 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #589) and blog, I talk to Angelo Keely, co-founder and CEO of Kion Aminos, about the role protein plays in our mental and physical health, why amino acids are important, and how to strengthen your mind, brain, and body and increase your longevity! After a near-death experience in his late teens, Angelo decided that taking charge of his own health should play an integral role in his life. He eventually started a new business based on his own experiences and his passion to help people improve their wellbeing and live their best lives, called Kion Aminos. I am a big fan of Kion Aminos, which I take every day as part of my mental and physical regimen. As you have heard me talk about on my podcast and in my books, our mental health and physical health are intertwined. Both are heavily influenced not only by what we put in our bodies, but by what our bodies are missing, or deficient in, as well. This is one of the reasons I want to make sure I am getting enough protein. For our cells to be able to communicate with each other, we need to consume adequate protein for the essential amino acids it contains. Our body breaks down protein into its individual essential amino acid components, which then circulate through our blood and are used by the brain and body for everything from building muscle to forming neurotransmitters and hormones. Our body breaks down protein into its individual essential amino acid components These essential amino acids are very different from other macronutrients like carbohydrates or fats, which are energy sources. Protein can be converted into an energy source, but this is not its primary use. When we consume protein, our body wants to break down protein into individual amino acids and use them to fuel all the amino acid and protein requirements in the mind and brain. Many of us get our daily intake of protein from whole food protein sources like eggs, poultry and tofu, but most people don’t know we can also get what we need most from protein – essential amino acids – directly as a supplement, hence the reason Kion Aminos is an important part of my life, and why Angelo is so passionate about what he does: in so many ways, amino acids are essential to life! They play an important role not just in muscle building and physical recovery but also in the mind-brain connection. When we go through life, our experiences are wired into the brain on several different levels, which involves the production of amino acids. Amino acids help build many things in the brain and body, including our experiences! Without amino acids, we would not be able to experience life as we know it. In fact, over 50% of our solid body mass is made up of proteins (and thus amino acids), including the heart, kidneys, muscles, neurotransmitters, neurons and so on. Our experience of existing mentally could even be called an amino acid experience! It is important to note that proteins are in a constant state of breaking down and then re-synthesizing to function optimally. When these proteins break down into amino acids, some cannot be reused, which eventually leave our body in our urine. These amino acids have to be replenished through what we eat and drink so that our brain and body can continue functioning optimally. Proteins are in a constant state of breaking down This means that when we consume protein (and thus amino acids), we are not just giving our brain and body energy to burn; we are also giving ourselves the building blocks that make up the brain, heart, kidneys, muscles and so on. We are actually protecting the most vital parts of ourselves by building up and strengthening our muscles–it is not just about moving fast or looking good. Many people think that the primary function of skeletal muscles is to help the body move, but our muscles are also the primary reservoir of amino acids for the rest of the brain and body. If we stop consuming amino acids or proteins, then the body will start breaking down our muscle tissue to get amino acids into the blood and to vital parts of the body like the liver, heart or brain, so that these organs can function. Amino acids really are the building blocks of life! And supplementing so we make sure we get the amino acids we need is incredibly important as we age. Research shows that, after the age of 30, our ability to break down proteins and get the essential amino acids we need decreases, so we need to make sure we have good sources of these amino acids in our diet to maintain our health and improve our longevity. Of course, with so many supplements out there, we shouldn’t just take the first amino acids we see, as not all products are created equal. This is why Angelo and the team at Kion are passionate about making premium, clean, research-backed amino acid supplements and foods that support a long, fun, active life. They meticulously select the highest quality natural ingredients and blend them into complementing supplements and functional foods that maximize wellness, performance, and longevity. Their products contain all 9 essential amino acids our bodies cannot make by themselves, already broken down from protein and ready to be absorbed and used by your body, making it 2X to 8X more effective than protein. I also love that the Kion formula is completely transparent and backed by over 20 years of research. This is something I am particularly passionate about as a woman in her 60s. As we get older, we need certain amino acids to help us maintain our wellbeing and longevity. And low-dose (3g), leucine-rich, essential amino acids (like those found in Kion Aminos) can help stimulate muscle synthesis equivalent to 20g of whey protein in older women at rest and after exercise. This means that, for women like myself, Kion Aminos can be 6x more effective than an equal amount of whole food protein at stimulating muscle synthesis to help maintain my physical and mental health, quality of life and longevity! If you want to try Kion Aminos for yourself, for a limited time you can get 20% of your order at getkion.com/drleaf! For more on why amino acids are so important for our mental and physical wellbeing, listen to my podcast with Angelo (episode #589) and check out Kion Aminos’ amazing products. Podcast Highlights 2:05 Proteins, amino acids & why they are so important 9:43 What essential amino acids are & why we need them 11:40 Great sources of essential amino acids 12:30 Why essential amino acids are important as we age 20:45 Why we all need to strengthen muscles—this is not for bulking up! 25:40 Why we want to be proactive when it comes to our health 27:06, 32:51 Why we need to be careful what supplements we take & why I love Kion Aminos 33:55 Why Angelo started Kion Aminos & his advice to fellow entrepreneurs and people who want to start their own business This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional. To read the original article click here.

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Are You Addicted to Drama?

The AHA! Team — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 08:52:39 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #479) and blog, I talk to holistic psychologist, educator and best-selling author Scott Lyons about what it means to be addicted to drama, how a drama addiction affects our mental health and relationships, how to manage a drama addiction, and so much more! As a body-based trauma expert, Doctor of Osteopathy and Mind-Body Medicine specialist, Scott helps people break free from cycles of pain, limited beliefs, and trauma. Scott is an innovator in transformative wellness and trauma therapy, teaching over half a million people internationally to relieve stress and restore vitality. Scott has worked with many of the country’s top leaders and CEOs as an executive coach and wellness consultant. Scott is the creator of The Embody Lab—the largest online learning platform for body-based trauma therapies—and developer of Somatic Stress Release™, a holistic process of restoring biological resilience, taught in over 20 countries. Scott is also the founder and designer of Omala, a wellness brand dedicated to creating sustainably sourced tools for transformation. In his incredible new book, Addicted to Drama, Scott turns the notion of the “drama queen” on its head, showing that drama is an addiction and those who are suffering with it are experiencing a much deeper psychological, biological, and social pain. For a person addicted to drama, the intensity becomes their way of coping. Their life is a constant cycle of crisis, chaos, and chronically high levels of stress. They may never be able to relax without an internal alarm going off, sending them spiraling back toward chaos. Drama is the stirring, the excitement, the exaggeration, the eruption, the unrest, and the medicine to feel alive in relation to the numbing of the internal and external world around them. For someone addicted to drama, the drama is often how they survive—or think they do. However, rather than dismissing addiction to drama as just attention seeking, Addicted to Drama offers clear-eyed empathy, humor, and practical strategies to help us all understand and break free of the drama cycle. First, it is important to understand what being addicted to drama looks like externally and on the inside. Externally, this often feels like a “how did we get here?” or “what just happened?” moment, like something that wasn’t such a big deal erupts and becomes a major issue. The experience is intense because the response doesn’t seem to match the circumstances that caused it. It often feels like someone has sucked the air out of the room—there is no space for anyone else but the person having the reaction, which can be incredibly stressful for everyone involved. Internally, this often feels like the world is against you. Everything feels like it is colliding, and it is hard to get yourself out of the eye of the storm. You feel a deep sense of urgency—you feel like you can never outrun the stress you are experiencing. You are constantly searching for what is going wrong—a sense of unease that does not dissipate. And, if you can’t find what is wrong, you create it, because you have a deep sense of being out of sync with the world, which is often the result of some kind of past trauma and isolation that distorts your sense of yourself and your environment. You are responding true to how you experience the world; you are not just “addicted to drama”. Some signs of a drama addiction are: -Feeling anxious or bored when things are calm -Making mountains out of molehills -Pulling other people into the drama -Craving extreme situations and sensations -Making bad situations universal -Crisis hopping -Enjoying controversy -Causing chaos in relationships -Feeling isolated -Feeling like a victim all the time Thankfully, if someone you know is addicted to drama, there are ways to protect yourself, including: -Recognize when you lose your anchor in the presence of someone else. This is the first step to protecting your mental and physical wellbeing. Awareness is key! -Come back into the present of your own body—grounding yourself in the present through techniques like breathing and so on. -Identify how close you want to be to the drama, and assert boundaries when necessary. If you feel like you have a drama addiction, there are ways you can manage and heal this, including: -Becoming aware of your stress response and how it is affecting your thoughts, emotions and behaviors. -Working on ways to “slow down” when you feel like you are ramping up in the moment to give yourself time to process what you are experiencing. Reframing the addiction to drama in positive ways is key. People who are addicted to drama act from a place of pain and defense—they expect the world to come at them. Understanding this is key; just saying something like “get over yourself” or “you are such a drama queen” is not helpful in the moment and can exacerbate the situation. For more on drama as a coping mechanism, listen to my podcast with Scott (episode #479) and check out his amazing work. Podcast Highlights 2:00 Scott’s amazing story & work 6:40 Scott’s new book Addicted to Drama 7:20, 11:45 What being addicted to drama looks like 13:32 Drama addiction & trauma 17:42 Isolation & drama addiction 21:55 How to tell if someone is addicted to drama 31:20 How to protect yourself from someone who is addicted to drama 37:00, 44:50 How to identify & manage your addiction to drama This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional. To read the original article click here.

The post Are You Addicted to Drama? appeared first on Amazing Health Advances.

How a Sauna a Day Keeps the Stress Away

AHA Publisher — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 07:00:18 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – If you have been following me for a while, you will know how much I love my infrared sauna from Sunlighten! It is an integral part of my mental and physical health regimen, my favorite place to do brain research and detox my mind, and something I cannot live without! In this podcast (episode #423) and blog, I talk to the co-founder of Sunlighten Saunas Connie Zack. We discuss why infrared heat is so good for us, the difference between infrared and conventional saunas, the best way to use an infrared sauna, common mistakes we make when using infrared saunas, the science behind Sunlighten’s amazing saunas, and so much more! So what exactly is an infrared sauna? The light spectrum in an infrared sauna comes from the sun. It heats the body directly, whereas a conventional sauna only heats the air around the body. Although any kind of heat in a sauna can be good for us, infrared heat directly impacts our health, working naturally with our body to supercharge our cells without tiring us out or draining us. This allows for maximum detoxification and purification. There are many benefits to an infrared sauna, including: 1. Detoxification: An infrared sauna can help detox the brain and body, right down to the level of our cells. This helps us get rid of impurities like heavy metals, which can impact our mental and physical health. In an infrared sauna, your body is sweating in a relaxed state, and can excrete more toxins and heal and repair itself. This is because infrared heat can reach the toxins that are surrounded by a protective layer of fat deep in the body, pulling out those substances you don’t normally get rid of by sweating in a conventional sauna or by going to the bathroom. Even if you avoid smoking, eat well, exercise regularly, practice mindfulness, use natural products and sleep well every night, you will be exposed to toxins that your body will store in a protective layer of fat. We all have bad stuff in our bodies, which is why it is essential that we take the time to detox our brains and bodies if we want to live a truly healthy lifestyle, and infrared saunas can help with this. 2. Heart health and circulation: As the heat in an infrared sauna heats your core up, your body has to work harder to cool you down, which improves your circulation and boosts your heart health. Better circulation, in turn, can clear your mind and help you process information faster, lower blood pressure, give your skin a gorgeous glow, help with pain relief, reduce inflammation, give you more energy, boost your metabolism, aid recovery and more. Instead of getting out of the sauna and feeling worn out, you will feel more energized, healthier and ready to take on any challenge! 3. Immunity: We should all be doing what we can to boost our immune systems, especially as the colder months approach, and an infrared sauna can help us do this. The energy from infrared saunas is absorbed on a cellular level, which positively affects the heat-shock proteins that strengthen the immune system. This not only boosts the immune system, but also helps free up the body to deal with any other health issues we may have. 4. Pain relief, recovery and aging: Better blood circulation from infrared light means more toxins flow from the cellular level to the skin’s surface to improve cell health, aiding in muscle recovery and joint pain, which can be a big help after an intense workout, a physical accident or with conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia. Near infrared waves in particular have a shorter frequency range and penetrate the epidermis layer of the skin, impacting the body at the cellular level, encouraging tissue growth and collagen production, helping with the negative effects of aging and speeding up muscle recovery. 5. Mental health: Not only do saunas help us relax, which is certainly important for our mental health, but research on infrared saunas has also shown that it can have positive effects on our mood, helping with depression, anxiety and other types of mental distress. Just one infrared sauna treatment can potentially reduce depressive symptoms by up to 50%, with the benefits continuing for up to 6 weeks, while regular sessions in an infrared sauna can reduce cortisol levels, helping with toxic stress and burnout, and increase our clarity of mind and focus. I personally love using my Neurocycle app to detox my thoughts while I am detoxing my brain and body in my Sunlighten sauna—this is a perfect mental self-care cleanse, like a spa day for the mind! I also love to use my Sunlighten sauna to have “thinker moments”, where I just switch off and let my mind wander and daydream. These moments give the brain a rest and allow it to reboot and heal, which increases clarity of thought and organizes the networks of the brain, rather than just letting toxic mindsets build up in the brain and cause all sorts of mental health issues. (For more information on thinker moments and how to make them a part of your daily routine, see my books Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess and Think, Learn, Succeed). When it comes to using an infrared sauna, consistency and frequency are key. Even though it has all these great health benefits, it is important to remember that an infrared sauna is not a magic bullet or cure-all. It strengthens the brain and body over time, harnessing your natural power and helping you feel stronger and healthier than you did before. When using an infrared sauna, you also need to listen to your body and focus on your unique needs. Many experts recommend up to forty minutes a day if you are an adult, depending on your health history and what program and type of sauna you are using. When you choose to use a sauna is up to you and what you are looking for. I personally avoid using my infrared sauna too late at night because it keeps me awake, unless I need to stay awake to work on a new book or research deadline! It is, however, important to note that not all infrared saunas are created equal. There are three different parts of the infrared light spectrum, and each of which have different effects on the body and our health. Many infrared saunas don’t use all three types of infrared light, or don’t use them in an effective way or in the right frequency with the right materials and deliverability. This is why I love Sunlighten Saunas. They focus on the science behind their unique technology, always searching out the safest and most effective way to help provide optimum infrared light frequency and results, as well as creating non-toxic and sustainable products using high-quality materials that are safe and long-lasting. After using my infrared sauna regularly for several years, I can truly say I am impressed with the results. I am in my fifties and feel younger, healthier and happier than ever. It really is my “secret” weapon when it comes to my mental and physical health! To read the original article click here.

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