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2 Weeks to a Younger Brain Book Publishing 2 WEEKS TO A YOUNGER BRAIN 2 WEEKS TO A YOUNGER BRAIN GARY SMALL, MD AND GIGI VORGAN www.humanixbooks.com Boca Raton, FL, USA Two Weeks to a Younger Brain © 2015 Humanix Books All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any other infor- mation storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher. Interior: Ben Davis Index: Yvette M. Chin For information, contact: Humanix Books P.O. Box 20989 West Palm Beach, FL 33416 USA www.humanixbooks.com email: [email protected] Humanix Books is a division of Humanix Publishing, LLC. Its trademark, consisting of the words “Humanix Books” is registered with the US Patent and Trademark Of- fice, and in other countries. Disclaimer: The information presented in this book is meant to be used for general resource purposes only; it is not intended as specific medical advice for any individ- ual and should not substitute medical advice from a healthcare professional. If you have (or think you may have) a medical problem, speak to your doctor or a healthcare practitioner immediately about your risk and possible treatments. Do not engage in any therapy or treatment without consulting a medical professional. Printed in the United States of America and the United Kingdom. ISBN (Hardcover) 978-1-63006-030-5 ISBN (E-book) 978-1-63006-031-2 Library of Congress Control Number: 2014958068 Acknowledgments E ARE GRATEFUL TO the many volunteers and patients who Wparticipated in the research studies that inspired this book. Thank you to our colleagues and friends who provided their guidance and input, including Susan Bowerman, Howard Chang, and the extraordinary team of doctors, scientists, and staff at UCLA, as well as Diana Jacobs for her drawing on page 152. Special thanks to our dear friend and agent, Sandra Dijks- tra, who has nurtured our writing over the years; our publisher, Anthony Ziccardi; our editors, Jon S. Ford and Pamela Pantaleo; and Chris Ruddy, Matthew Kalash, and the entire team at News- max Media and Humanix Books. Finally, this book would not have been possible without the love and support of our children, Rachel and Harry, and the rest of our family. vi 2 WEEKS TO A YOUNGER BRAIN NOTE: Many stories and examples contained in this book are compos- ite accounts based on the experiences of many individuals and do not represent any one person or group of people. Similarities to any one person or persons are coincidental and unintention- al. Readers may wish to talk with their doctor before starting any exercise or diet program. Contents Preface ix one Brain-Boosting Discoveries for a Younger Mind 1 two Mastering Memory 27 three Cut Stress to Sharpen Your Mind 51 four Get Smart with Brain Games 75 five Food for Thought 105 six Keep Fit for a Younger Brain 127 seven Good Friends Make Happy Neurons 151 eight Mind Your Medicine 171 nine The 2-Week Younger Brain Program 195 appx 1 Brain Game Websites 237 appx 2 Additional Resources 239 Bibliography 245 Index 283 Preface ISPLACING YOUR KEYS, FORGETTING someone’s name at a party, or Mcoming home from the market without the most important item — these are just some of the many common memory slips we all experience from time to time. But such cognitive lapses don’t just plague middle-agers and seniors: our UCLA studies indicate that forgetfulness begins much earlier in life. Scientists can detect subtle changes in the brain that coincide with mental decline by the time we reach age 40, and our findings show that people as young as 20 already have memory problems. Thankfully, the latest research confirms that there is a lot we can do to strengthen our memory and keep our brains young. After three decades of helping thousands of patients improve their memory and mental acuity, I am convinced that our daily lifestyle habits are directly linked to our brain health. My work has shown that it only takes two weeks to form new habits that x 2 WEEKS TO A YOUNGER BRAIN bolster cognitive abilities and help stave off, or even reverse, brain aging. In 2 Weeks to a Younger Brain, the latest brain science is translated into practical strategies and exercises that yield quick and long-lasting benefits. It will not only improve your memory, but it will also strengthen your physical health by reducing your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. If you commit only 14 days to my program, I am confident you will reap noticeable results. During that brief period, you will have learned the secrets to keeping your brain young for the rest of your life. —CHAPTER ONE— Brain-Boosting Discoveries for a Younger Mind “When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it happened or not.” —Mark Twain AVE YOU EVER WALKED into a room and forgotten why? What Habout that awkward feeling of meeting an old friend and blanking on his name? And how many times have you misplaced your glasses or keys? Most of us laugh about these occasional memory slips, but for some people, it’s no joke. Mental lapses become more fre- quent after age 40, and they can terrify people who worry about dementia. Every misplaced phone or wallet can trigger appre- hension: Could this be the beginning of a downward spiral to- ward Alzheimer’s disease? The good news is that usually these fears are unwarranted. Of course, our brains do gradually age along with our bodies, but we all possess the power to slow, stop, and possibly reverse that brain aging process. The key is learning what causes brain aging and then using effective strategies to beat it. Recent scientific 2 2 WEEKS TO A YOUNGER BRAIN discoveries show that simply altering some of our everyday be- haviors can help keep our minds young and sharp. We live in a society that equates youth with beauty and pow- er, and some people pursue a younger appearance at any cost. But even if we could cut 10 or 20 years off our looks, how could we enjoy it without a sharp, healthy mind? Brain health must be priority number one, and it turns out that the same strategies I’ve developed to keep our brains young also enhance our body’s health and appearance. Panicked by Forgetfulness My patient Sharon was a chic and coiffed 62-year-old real es- tate broker who looked years younger than her age. She wasn’t embarrassed to admit that she visited her plastic surgeon every four months to get Botox injections. She loved the way he made the lines around her eyes disappear. Riding down in the ele- vator from his office recently, she couldn’t remember whether her next stop was the dentist or a meeting with a client. She searched her purse for her smartphone and panicked when she couldn’t find it. Had she left it at home? Could it be in the car? As she raced into the parking structure, she suddenly realized that she hadn’t noticed what level she parked on. Sharon hur- ried past rows and rows of cars, repeatedly pressing the remote unlock button on her key in hopes of hearing the car beep. Af- ter searching two levels, she sat down on a bench to catch her breath and calm down. This wasn’t the first time she’d experi- enced memory problems, but this episode finally convinced her to come see me. Sharon entered my office and took a seat, and I asked how I could help. She told me that her memory had always been excel- lent and how much that helped in business. But for the last two years she’d been having more memory lapses, and they seemed to be getting worse. I asked her what had been going on in her life when the memory lapses had begun. BRAIN-BOOSTING Discoveries FOR A YOUNGER MIND 3 “Well, I had just gone through a messy divorce and decided to have another face-lift. You know, it’s good for my job to look young. But since then, I haven’t felt quite as sharp. I know it takes weeks, sometimes months to get back to normal after a big procedure, but this is ridiculous. I’m having trouble keeping track of clients, and my sales are slipping. I worry all the time, and frankly, I’m getting depressed about it.” We discussed her feelings of depression for a while, but be- cause general anesthesia can lead to temporary or even chronic memory problems, I wanted to know more about her face-lift two years ago. “How long did the surgery take?” I asked. “The nurse said I was out for about eight hours.” I was already forming several ideas of what might be contrib- uting to Sharon’s complaints. In addition to major surgery, stress from her divorce and job could have been worsening her memo- ry and mood. I reviewed her medical history, medications, and lifestyle habits that might have been affecting her brain health. I described various treatments for depression that might lift her spirits and offered Sharon some tips to improve her recall abili- ties quickly. At the end of her first session, I recommended that she avoid further elective surgery because of the possible mem- ory effects of surgery requiring general anesthesia. Sharon laughed. “You’re going to have to come up with some- thing better than that, Dr. Small, because I’m getting my eyes done in two weeks.” As we continued to meet over the next few weeks, I was able to convince Sharon to hold off on the surgery.
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