Name: Change Your Brain, Change Your Life
Rating: 4 (393 reviews)
Author: Dr. Daniel G. Amen

What’s in it for me? Train your brain, change your life.

Today, you can peer into the brain to understand how it works, and optimize its performance. Such is the power of brain imaging technology.

In this Blink to Change Your Brain, Change Your Life by Dr. Daniel G. Amen, you’ll explore how brain imaging technology can revolutionize your health and wellness game and dive into important principles of brain health and different brain systems. You will also uncover a practical guide to optimizing brain performance and managing mental health conditions through nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management.

Ready to become a brain warrior and master your mind's inner workings? Let's begin!

Brain imaging changes everything

If you've ever struggled with anxiety, depression, or another mental health condition, you know how challenging it can be to find the right treatment. Sometimes medications can help alleviate symptoms, but they're not a cure-all.

Enter Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography brain imaging technology – or SPECT.

According to the author, SPECT imaging allows us to see blood flow and activity patterns in the brain, providing insights into brain functions that were previously inaccessible. It can identify specific brain patterns associated with various mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD.

By understanding these patterns, it’s easier to develop targeted interventions that address the root causes of these conditions, rather than just treating the symptoms.

The SPECT approach challenges the perception that individuals with mental illness have a certain degree of control over their condition. As author Diana Spechler once discovered, many people believe those with mental health conditions can simply "snap out of it" or choose to feel better. But depression and other mental health conditions have a biological and medical basis. According to the author, SPECT imaging will eventually enable targeted treatments that could make all the difference.

Now that you know how brain imaging technology lets you glean brain function and supports targeted interventions, it’s time to uncover the technical formulas for brain health.

Key Formulas for Brain Health

Do you need help focusing at work or remembering important life events? Are you often anxious or depressed? Though common, these experiences can challenge your overall well-being if left unchecked. This is where brain health is crucial.

The author lives by twelve brain-health principles, but the following four stand out.

Know Your Brain

Why do some people have an ear for music while others struggle to carry a tune? And why are some more prone to anxiety while others remain calm in stressful situations?

The answer lies in three main brain systems: the limbic, the basal ganglia, and the prefrontal cortex. Each system plays a unique role in our brain function.

Hack Your Brainpower

How you eat and the kind of professional help you receive can make or break your brain-health improvement journey.

With the right diet, you can improve your brain performance while striving for overall cognitive balance. A brain-healthy diet should generally feature lean proteins, healthy fats from avocados and nuts, and fruits and vegetables.

Kernaussagen in Change Your Brain, Change Your Life

Über den Autor

Dr. Daniel G. Amen is a renowned psychiatrist and leading brain-health expert. He is the founder and owner of Amen Clinics, and has been providing cutting-edge treatments for brain health for over 30 years. He has several best-selling books under his belt, including Change Your Brain, Change Your Life (1999), Healing ADD (2013), and The End of Mental Illness (2020), among others.