tags:: Connection
author:: Daniel Amen

Notes

Oxytocin bonds us to people like us, but might make us dislike different people.
It bonds in-group but makes us hate out-group (might be related to racism).

When limbic system works too hard: sad, pain, etc.

Training: don’t believe every stupid little thing you think. When you feel out
of control, write down what you’re thinking.

Exercise: write down 100 of your worst thoughts.

“ANT” = Automatic Negative Thought.

Write it down and answer:

• Is it true?
• Is it absolutely true?
• How do I feel when I have this thought?
• Who would I be without the thought?
• Turn the thought around. Is the turnaround true or truer than the original thought?

Turn furious into curious, turn bad days in good data.

With low blood sugar, people make worse decisions. Study: pins in voodoo dolls, amount depends on blood sugar level.

Daniel carries almonds for his wife when she starts getting hangry.

Brain health =

• Brain envy: love it, optimize what helps it, avoid what hurts it
• Prefrontal cortex: avoid physical trauma, alcohol, being overweight (size
  and function of brain goes down when you’re overweight). Strengthen: knowing
  what you want [does it fit, then what], new learning (helps it connect itself
  better) like learning words/languages and learning to laugh [comedies are
  fantastic]
• Humor: is huge for brain health

Loneliness is one of the major health factors for alzheimer: when you’re with
someone your brain has to work.

Increase serotonin with exercise, 5HTP, saffron, food with tryptophan + simple
carbs. Most important: when you notice your brain looping, stop is. Distraction.
Get up physically and do something else.

Three favorite supplements for brain health:

• Multivitamin
• High quality fish oil
• Daniel Amen’s brain supplement
• Optimize Vitamin D

Daniel’s experimenting with mushrooms: lion’s mane.