June 24, 2025 • 24 mins
In this episode we feature:
An interview with Psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen,
Reduce your stress by getting creative
Eat your way to a healthier brain
Exercise your allergies away
And more ways you can improve your health today!
For more information, and to sign up for our private coaching, visit tesh.com
Our Hosts:
John Tesh: Instagram: @johntesh_ifyl facebook.com/JohnTesh
Gib Gerard: Instagram: @GibGerard facebook.com/GibGerard X: @GibGerard
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Unknown (00:08):
Gib, hello and welcome to another episode of the
podcast. I'm Gib Gerard herewith another intelligence for
your health, with Connie Celica.
Episode of the show. Today, onthe show, we have an interview
with none other thanpsychiatrist Dr Daniel Amen,
he's the author of the book youhappier. He's going to break
down the most common brain typesand how each one experiences
happiness. So we'll have all ofthat coming up in a second here.
(00:31):
So without further ado, here isintelligence for your health.
With Connie Celica,don't forget to turn down the
lights before bed, Harvardscientists say switching to soft
ambient light before bed, likefrom a table lamp, instead of an
overhead light, increases thebrain's production of melatonin
by as much as 100% that's enoughto give you 90 more minutes of
(00:56):
sleep. What's the best time toexercise Well, it depends on
your goal. Studies show thatthere are different perks
depending on when you choose towork out. For example, morning
exercise is correlated withbetter sleep and better heart
health, and people who domorning workouts are the most
likely to be consistent becausethere are fewer things to get in
(01:18):
the way of that commitment.
Afternoon workouts are good forathletes because that's when
your body temperature ishighest, so you're more flexible
and more powerful. And a higherbody temperature is also linked
to higher physical performance.
Evening workouts are best foranyone with high blood pressure.
People had a more significantdrop in blood pressure following
(01:42):
an evening workout, when theirarteries were more flexible, and
evening exercise kept theirblood pressure low throughout
the night and into the MorningComing up, we'll talk to double
board certified psychiatrist andneuroscientist, Dr Daniel Amen.
He's examined more than 200,000brain scans, and we'll find out
(02:02):
what he's learned from themabout what lights people up and
makes them happy. But first,would you describe yourself as a
competitive person? If so, youprobably find yourself working
out more often than your laidback friends. Research by the
University of Pennsylvania foundpeople who were really nice and
encouraging of others were lesslikely to work out than people
(02:24):
who were more cutthroat andcompetitive, and that was even
when people were doing noncompetitive activities like yoga
and pilates exercisers whofocused on being better than
their fellow gym goers, or whowere trying to beat their
personal best went to 90% moreclasses. So the researchers
(02:45):
concluded people with acompetitive streak in their
personality are more likely toexercise. Research shows up to
80% of adults will suffer fromback pain at some point. So what
can baseball players teach usabout avoiding back pain. It's
best to keep your most useditems inside your strike zone,
which for baseball players,extends from above the knees to
(03:08):
below the shoulders, meaningwhen you reach for daily items
like your clothes, keys, dishesand tools, try to avoid
extending your arms outside ofyour personal strike zone area
as much as possible. Again,that's above the knees to below
the shoulders. That's accordingto Dr Harris McElwain, author of
(03:28):
the pain free back. He says ifyou're constantly reaching for
items above shoulder level, thatputs extra strain on your neck
and back and anytime you bend topick up something below your
waist or knees, you increasepressure on the lower back,
which can cause anything frommild inflammation to muscle
spasms or even a herniated disc.
(03:53):
That's why Dr McElwain says tothink about how often you have
to bend and reach throughout theday and to reduce the chances of
straining your back, think likea baseball player taking a
pitch, and keep your most useditems inside your strike zone
from above the knees to belowthe shoulders. Okay, listen to
(04:14):
this. Creativity may be the keyto feeling less stress. That's
according to the Journal ofpositive psychology. In a study,
hundreds of people were askedhow creative they were every day
for two weeks, and those whospent the most time doing
creative things like playingmusic, writing, crafting or
being artistic, felt morerelaxed and happy in their day
(04:37):
to day lives. They also feltlike they were experiencing
personal growth, and it'scyclical. Engaging in creative
hobbies improves well being andimproved well being makes us
even more creative. Today, ourguest is Dr Daniel Amen. He's a
leading psychiatrist andneuroscientist whose latest book
(04:57):
is called, you happier the.
Seven neuroscience secrets offeeling good based on your brain
type. It's based on Dr amensresearch involving more than
200,000 brain scans frompatients around the world, and
he's broken it all down intofive main brain types and what
makes each of them feel happy.
(05:18):
See if you can identify yourbrain type from this,
one of the first things Ilearned is everybody's got a
different brain. And when itcomes to happiness, I identified
five primary types. There's thebalance type, they tend to be
happy. Most anything will makethem happy, the spontaneous type
(05:41):
that needs novelty. They hateroutine. Routine bores them and
makes them unhappy. There's thepersistent type where they love
routine and hate surprises.
There's this sensitive type theyneed connection. The pandemic
was hardest on them, they tendto be the unhappiest group and
(06:03):
the cautious type, where canstruggle with anxiety. So a warm
bath, the scent of lavender,relaxing music makes the
cautious type happy, but it'llcompletely bore the spontaneous
type. And so knowing your typeis critical to knowing what
(06:27):
makes you happy.
Today, we're talking topsychiatrist Dr Daniel Amen,
author of you happier. And hesays happiness is something
anyone can experience, and oneof the main components that
leads to happiness is purpose.
You know, I think the mostunhappy people I've seen focus a
(06:50):
lot on themselves and what theydon't have. And when you start
focusing on giving, on otherpeople on purpose, on why you're
on the planet. You don't feelquite so miserable. You you feel
like there's a reason to get upin the morning, that you're not
(07:13):
just here by random chance. Andnone of this means anything. I
think having purpose is justabsolutely critical to a happy
life. And I want to be clear,hedonism is the enemy of
happiness, because hedonismdumps dopamine and you end up
(07:38):
having to chase more and more inorder to feel anything at all
but purpose. Knowing I'mconnected to my family, to my
work, to my health, so I cancontinue to do what I was put on
the earth to do for as long aspossible, that is really a
(08:00):
foundational element ofhappiness.
If you've been feeling lonely orisolated, take a walk outside.
Research in the journal NatureMental Health found that study
subjects who did an hour ofmoderate activity like a long
walk or bike ride reportedincreased well being and less
loneliness if you can't getoutside, the next best thing is
(08:22):
doing some stretches. The studyfound that stretching made
people feel more relaxed, andthey had an increase in mental
well being. Today's medical termxerostomia, that refers to
something most of us probablywoke up with this morning dry
mouth, because during sleep,saliva production in our mouth
drops to about half its normallevel, so we tend to wake up
(08:45):
with a dry mouth. Xerostomia isalso linked to stress smoking
and drinking alcohol, and ifyou're taking medication, about
two thirds of the most commonlyprescribed drugs produce dry
mouth as a side effect. Healthexperts say that's a big deal
because saliva in your mouthplays an important role in
digestion and is one of your topdefenses against infections.
(09:10):
Saliva also helps keep yourteeth clean, which means a
chronic dry mouth increases yourrisk for cavities and gum
disease. The good news is thattemporary xerostomia is harmless
and easy to fix. For example,just drinking water and chewing
gum is proven to help stimulateour salivary glands. However, if
(09:30):
you ever experience dryness thatcan't be relieved with water, or
dryness that's accompanied byexcessive thirst, extreme
fatigue or a burning sensationin the mouth. You need to talk
to a doctor, because that couldbe a sign of a health condition,
like an autoimmune disease,which causes damage to the
salivary glands. And that'stoday's medical term xerostomia,
(09:54):
coming up. We'll hear more frompsychiatrist, Dr Daniel Amen,
author of the book, you happier.
You. Will tell us about thefoods that can increase our risk
for Alzheimer's disease, butfirst, if a big meal leaves you
feeling gassy and bloated,firmly, massage the arches of
both feet for two minutes.
Studies show a foot rub after arich meal reduces gas and belly
(10:17):
pain in 74% of people. Dr Davidedelberg is an integrative
medicine professor at theUniversity of Chicago, and he
says it works by stimulating thebody's enteric nervous system.
Those are the nerves that helpproduce intestinal enzymes, get
food moving faster through yourdigestive tract and calm belly
(10:37):
spasms so you'll digest yourmeal with a lot less gas and
bloating after a two minute footmassage. One in five adults only
get five hours of sleep a nightor fewer. And here are some of
the ways being regularly sleepdeprived is damaging to your
health and to your career.
First, you are more stressed. Astudy from UC Berkeley found our
(10:59):
anxiety levels jumped 30% onaverage after just one night of
no sleep. Researchers say it'sbecause when your brain is
desperate for rest, it perceiveseverything demanding your
attention as a threat, includingtraffic, emails, meetings and
even your boss, you'll also bemore likely to make bad
(11:21):
decisions. According to theAcademy of Management Journal,
poor quality sleep has asignificant negative impact on
the brain's prefrontal cortex,that's the area involved with
planning and decision making.
Tired brains also look fordistractions to keep them awake.
So instead of focusing on thetask at hand, you'll likely
(11:43):
spend most of your day scrollingthrough social media just to
keep your eyes open. So what cancombat all that if you're
exhausted? Neuroscientist DrGene Duffy says most people can
offset the negative effects ofan occasional night of poor
sleep by taking a 20 minute napor going for a brisk walk to get
more blood pumping to the brain.
Okay, listen to this. I know itseems like exercise is the cure
(12:07):
for everything, and here's onemore condition, it can help
allergies. That's becauseexercise decreases the body's
release of histamines the sameway medications do. Histamines
are the chemicals produced by anallergic reaction that cause
swelling, sneezing and itching.
So to keep allergies in check,get 30 minutes of exercise most
(12:30):
days of the week back with morehealth intelligence from board
certified psychiatrist Dr DanielAmen, author of you happier, the
book outlines seven differentsecrets or lifestyle habits that
are proven to build lastinghappiness and to help give us a
sense of what's involved, Iasked Dr Amen to share one of
those secrets.
(12:51):
For example, secret number fouris only love food that loves you
back that your brain is 2% ofyour body's weight, but uses 20
to 30% of the calories youconsume, and so if you're eating
low quality pro inflammatoryfood, you're much more likely to
(13:13):
be unhappy, and people go but Ilove Rocky Road ice cream, or I
love alcohol, or I love pizza.
Well, it doesn't love you back,and so you're in a relationship.
And I just encourage anyonewho's listening, have you ever
been in a bad relationship?
Well, I have, and I'm not doingit anymore, married to my best
(13:35):
friend. But people also have arelationship with food, and if
you want to be happy, it iscritical to get your diet right,
which is lots of colorful fruitsand vegetables, high quality,
clean protein, lots of fiber.
And you know, ultimately, mostpeople know this is good for my
(13:57):
brain or bad for my brain?
That's another one of thosequestions. Is this good for my
brain or bad for it? And if youcan just answer that with
information and love, love ofyourself, love of your family,
love of your mission on earth,you just start making better
decisions, better brain, morehappiness, back with more health
(14:20):
intelligence from psychiatristDr Daniel Amen, founder of the
Amen Clinics with 10 locationsacross North America. He was
just saying that if we want tobe happier, it is critical that
we get our diet right, meaningeating more fruits and
vegetables and fewer Ultraprocessed foods. And since
processed foods tend to beloaded with sugar and
(14:41):
sweeteners. I asked Dr Amen howthose ingredients specifically
contribute to making us unhappy.
There's a brand new study out.
It's fascinating on sugar andstevia and Splenda or sucralose,
and they. Invited a healthygroup into three groups and one
(15:01):
group for six weeks, I gave thema good dose of sugar, the other
a good dose of stevia, the othera good dose of sucralose or
Splenda, and at the end of sixweeks with stevia, nothing
happened with sugar and Splenda,their memory was worse. They had
(15:22):
slower brain wave function,which goes to more unhappiness
and more spaceiness. And what Ithought was really interesting
with sugar, it was encoding.
Memory was harder, so that meanslearning, but for Splenda,
encoding memory, long termmemory and executive function,
(15:46):
or judgment and decision makingwere impaired. So the foods we
eat, the sweeteners we ingest,can make us unhappy and Spacey.
Now, there are other foods thatpeople just react negatively to.
I have a whole group who reactsnegatively to MSG or to Red Dye
(16:09):
Number 40, and I think it's justimportant to read food labels,
and if you don't know what's init, you probably
shouldn't eat it. The day of theweek we're most likely to work
out is Tuesday, or at leastthat's the day we're most likely
to fitness brag on social mediaand getting in a workout on a
(16:30):
Tuesday is a good idea. Exercisepsychologist Dr Michelle clear
says exercising early in theweek can inspire you to keep it
up, but if you don't get in aworkout by Wednesday, it will
feel like it's nearly theweekend, and you'll be more
likely to blow off anythingfitness related until the
following week. Moreintelligence for your health.
(16:53):
From leading psychiatrist DrDaniel Amen, author of the book
you happier, he says, up to onein 10 adults in North America
likely have low dopamine thesedays, which increases the risk
of conditions like depressionand ADHD. So I asked Dr Amon to
explain the role dopamine playsin our lives and what's
(17:14):
contributing to so many of ushaving low levels. So Dopamine
is a neurotransmitter, or aneurochemical, that helps us
feel happy, driven, motivated,and when dopamine storage
becomes low, or dopamineavailability becomes low, people
(17:34):
get sad, they get apathetic,they become unfocused. So
marijuana, drugs, other drugs,alcohol, high sugar, high fat
foods all release a lot ofdopamine. Vaping releases a lot
of dopamine. And the problem isif you release too much at a
(17:57):
time, it wears out your stores,and pretty soon you start re
engaging in the behavior, andyou end up chasing dopamine. And
what we now know, all thegadgets people or interests you
know that have, like theirphones that are constantly
buzzing, or video games they'rewearing out the dopamine centers
(18:23):
or the pleasure centers in thebrain. So as a society, we've
unleashed this technology withvery little neuroscience outcome
study, and we're seeing a muchhigher incidence of anxiety,
depression, ADHD, than everbefore. If you're really thirsty
and your only option is to takea sip of someone else's soda can
(18:47):
or water bottle will wiping offthe rim protect you from their
germs. Microbiology professor,Dr Philip Tierno from the NYU
School of Medicine, says yes andno. Dr Turner says a wipe down
will eliminate a lot of germtainted saliva, but even the
best cleaning job could leavebehind the germs that cause
(19:08):
strep or the stomach flu, plusthe liquid inside the bottle or
can will already contain somemouth germs. So unless you're
literally dying of thirst. It'sbest to avoid sharing. Wait
until you can get a drink ofyour own. Here's an email I
received at Connie atintelligence for your
(19:29):
health.com. It comes fromShelley Decameron, who writes, I
love fruit, but I have type twodiabetes. Can I still eat it?
Shelly, always check with yourdoctor to go over any dietary
changes or questions. But here'swhat we know. Of course, fruit
is healthy and full of vitaminsand antioxidants, but it can
(19:50):
raise your blood sugar, not asmuch as candy or soda, but it
raises it a little bit. However,the fiber in fruit. Fruit slows
down how quickly your bodyabsorbs fructose. But if you're
diabetic, here's how you canmake eating fruit even better
for you. Frances largeman Rothis a registered dietitian and
author of eating in color, andshe says if you eat whole fruit
(20:13):
with fat or protein, you'llreduce that little blood sugar
spike even more so have appleslices with nut butter, berries
with Greek yogurt, or red grapeswith a wedge of cheese. That way
you slow the absorption offructose even more and your
snack will give you long,lasting energy, less rebound
(20:34):
hunger and fewer cravings. Thankyou for your email. Shelley, I
hope this helps. Okay, listen tothis. If you're a woman and you
need a new doctor, a new studyrecommends that you look for a
female doctor. The investigationby UCLA found that patients who
were under the care of femaledoctors had significantly lower
(20:54):
death rates and were less likelyto be readmitted to the hospital
than patients with male doctors,and that was even more true for
female patients. The UCLA studyauthors say male doctors
sometimes underestimate theseverity of a woman's illness,
but female doctors take women'shealth more seriously than male
(21:15):
doctors and are bettercommunicators. The movie Inside
Out two is among the top 10highest grossing movies of all
time. In it, 13 year old, Rileydeals with new emotions, one of
which is anxiety. ClinicalPsychologist Lisa demore says
the movie is surprisinglyaccurate in the way it depicts
(21:36):
anxiety. In the movie, Rileyends up having a panic attack,
and part of what helps herovercome it is touching her
hockey stick. If you haven'tseen either movie, Riley plays
on the hockey team at herschool, and Dr demore says doing
that touching something imbuedwith meaning, is what's known as
a grounding technique. It's areal tool that therapists
(22:00):
recommend to their patients tohelp them manage their anxiety
in intense moments. It allows aperson to mentally step away
from negative thoughts, and itcan decrease the intensity of a
person's feelings by using oneof their senses to distract
them. You can try it with asmooth stone that you put in
your pocket, according toresearch from MIT Harvard and
(22:23):
Yale, touching a smooth surfacehelps people relax, because the
soothing texture triggersfeelings of calm, more
intelligence for your health,from psychiatrist Dr Daniel
Amen, if you'd like to Know moreabout him or his book, you
happier. Check out Amenclinics.com. And earlier, he
(22:44):
said, things like our electronicgadgets and alcohol trigger too
much dopamine, which makes usless happy over time, because
with each dopamine blast we get,we become less sensitive to
dopamine, mood boostingbenefits, and need more of it to
get the same result. So onesolution Dr Amen recommends is a
(23:06):
technique called drip dopamine.
And I asked him to share anexample of how that works. One
of the techniques in the book islook for the micro moments of
happiness because they'redripping dopamine. So for me,
where I live, it's seeing abutterfly or a hummingbird. It's
(23:30):
I make my family brain healthyhot chocolate every night. It's
a little ritual I do that showsthem love, plus it tastes
amazing, and that's waydifferent than taking everybody
out for a banana split, or, youknow, one of these crazy two
pound cheesecakes that people gofor that's dumping dopamine. So
(23:56):
look for throughout your day themicro moments of happiness.
That's it for our show today,our special intelligence for
your health with Connie Selig,edition of the podcast, I'm Gib
Gerard. Don't forget to ratecomment and subscribe on Apple
podcast. Spotify, wherever youget your podcast. It helps us
out a lot. And also, you canreach out to us on social media.
All of our links are listed downin the show notes. We try to
(24:19):
respond to every DM, everymention of the show, because
ultimately, we do the show foryou guys. So thank you so much
for listening. You.
Gib, hello and welcome to another episode of the
podcast. I'm Gib Gerard herewith another intelligence for
your health, with Connie Celica.
Episode of the show. Today, onthe show, we have an interview
with none other thanpsychiatrist Dr Daniel Amen,
he's the author of the book youhappier. He's going to break
down the most common brain typesand how each one experiences
happiness. So we'll have all ofthat coming up in a second here.
(00:31):
So without further ado, here isintelligence for your health.
With Connie Celica,don't forget to turn down the
lights before bed, Harvardscientists say switching to soft
ambient light before bed, likefrom a table lamp, instead of an
overhead light, increases thebrain's production of melatonin
by as much as 100% that's enoughto give you 90 more minutes of
(00:56):
sleep. What's the best time toexercise Well, it depends on
your goal. Studies show thatthere are different perks
depending on when you choose towork out. For example, morning
exercise is correlated withbetter sleep and better heart
health, and people who domorning workouts are the most
likely to be consistent becausethere are fewer things to get in
(01:18):
the way of that commitment.
Afternoon workouts are good forathletes because that's when
your body temperature ishighest, so you're more flexible
and more powerful. And a higherbody temperature is also linked
to higher physical performance.
Evening workouts are best foranyone with high blood pressure.
People had a more significantdrop in blood pressure following
(01:42):
an evening workout, when theirarteries were more flexible, and
evening exercise kept theirblood pressure low throughout
the night and into the MorningComing up, we'll talk to double
board certified psychiatrist andneuroscientist, Dr Daniel Amen.
He's examined more than 200,000brain scans, and we'll find out
(02:02):
what he's learned from themabout what lights people up and
makes them happy. But first,would you describe yourself as a
competitive person? If so, youprobably find yourself working
out more often than your laidback friends. Research by the
University of Pennsylvania foundpeople who were really nice and
encouraging of others were lesslikely to work out than people
(02:24):
who were more cutthroat andcompetitive, and that was even
when people were doing noncompetitive activities like yoga
and pilates exercisers whofocused on being better than
their fellow gym goers, or whowere trying to beat their
personal best went to 90% moreclasses. So the researchers
(02:45):
concluded people with acompetitive streak in their
personality are more likely toexercise. Research shows up to
80% of adults will suffer fromback pain at some point. So what
can baseball players teach usabout avoiding back pain. It's
best to keep your most useditems inside your strike zone,
which for baseball players,extends from above the knees to
(03:08):
below the shoulders, meaningwhen you reach for daily items
like your clothes, keys, dishesand tools, try to avoid
extending your arms outside ofyour personal strike zone area
as much as possible. Again,that's above the knees to below
the shoulders. That's accordingto Dr Harris McElwain, author of
(03:28):
the pain free back. He says ifyou're constantly reaching for
items above shoulder level, thatputs extra strain on your neck
and back and anytime you bend topick up something below your
waist or knees, you increasepressure on the lower back,
which can cause anything frommild inflammation to muscle
spasms or even a herniated disc.
(03:53):
That's why Dr McElwain says tothink about how often you have
to bend and reach throughout theday and to reduce the chances of
straining your back, think likea baseball player taking a
pitch, and keep your most useditems inside your strike zone
from above the knees to belowthe shoulders. Okay, listen to
(04:14):
this. Creativity may be the keyto feeling less stress. That's
according to the Journal ofpositive psychology. In a study,
hundreds of people were askedhow creative they were every day
for two weeks, and those whospent the most time doing
creative things like playingmusic, writing, crafting or
being artistic, felt morerelaxed and happy in their day
(04:37):
to day lives. They also feltlike they were experiencing
personal growth, and it'scyclical. Engaging in creative
hobbies improves well being andimproved well being makes us
even more creative. Today, ourguest is Dr Daniel Amen. He's a
leading psychiatrist andneuroscientist whose latest book
(04:57):
is called, you happier the.
Seven neuroscience secrets offeeling good based on your brain
type. It's based on Dr amensresearch involving more than
200,000 brain scans frompatients around the world, and
he's broken it all down intofive main brain types and what
makes each of them feel happy.
(05:18):
See if you can identify yourbrain type from this,
one of the first things Ilearned is everybody's got a
different brain. And when itcomes to happiness, I identified
five primary types. There's thebalance type, they tend to be
happy. Most anything will makethem happy, the spontaneous type
(05:41):
that needs novelty. They hateroutine. Routine bores them and
makes them unhappy. There's thepersistent type where they love
routine and hate surprises.
There's this sensitive type theyneed connection. The pandemic
was hardest on them, they tendto be the unhappiest group and
(06:03):
the cautious type, where canstruggle with anxiety. So a warm
bath, the scent of lavender,relaxing music makes the
cautious type happy, but it'llcompletely bore the spontaneous
type. And so knowing your typeis critical to knowing what
(06:27):
makes you happy.
Today, we're talking topsychiatrist Dr Daniel Amen,
author of you happier. And hesays happiness is something
anyone can experience, and oneof the main components that
leads to happiness is purpose.
You know, I think the mostunhappy people I've seen focus a
(06:50):
lot on themselves and what theydon't have. And when you start
focusing on giving, on otherpeople on purpose, on why you're
on the planet. You don't feelquite so miserable. You you feel
like there's a reason to get upin the morning, that you're not
(07:13):
just here by random chance. Andnone of this means anything. I
think having purpose is justabsolutely critical to a happy
life. And I want to be clear,hedonism is the enemy of
happiness, because hedonismdumps dopamine and you end up
(07:38):
having to chase more and more inorder to feel anything at all
but purpose. Knowing I'mconnected to my family, to my
work, to my health, so I cancontinue to do what I was put on
the earth to do for as long aspossible, that is really a
(08:00):
foundational element ofhappiness.
If you've been feeling lonely orisolated, take a walk outside.
Research in the journal NatureMental Health found that study
subjects who did an hour ofmoderate activity like a long
walk or bike ride reportedincreased well being and less
loneliness if you can't getoutside, the next best thing is
(08:22):
doing some stretches. The studyfound that stretching made
people feel more relaxed, andthey had an increase in mental
well being. Today's medical termxerostomia, that refers to
something most of us probablywoke up with this morning dry
mouth, because during sleep,saliva production in our mouth
drops to about half its normallevel, so we tend to wake up
(08:45):
with a dry mouth. Xerostomia isalso linked to stress smoking
and drinking alcohol, and ifyou're taking medication, about
two thirds of the most commonlyprescribed drugs produce dry
mouth as a side effect. Healthexperts say that's a big deal
because saliva in your mouthplays an important role in
digestion and is one of your topdefenses against infections.
(09:10):
Saliva also helps keep yourteeth clean, which means a
chronic dry mouth increases yourrisk for cavities and gum
disease. The good news is thattemporary xerostomia is harmless
and easy to fix. For example,just drinking water and chewing
gum is proven to help stimulateour salivary glands. However, if
(09:30):
you ever experience dryness thatcan't be relieved with water, or
dryness that's accompanied byexcessive thirst, extreme
fatigue or a burning sensationin the mouth. You need to talk
to a doctor, because that couldbe a sign of a health condition,
like an autoimmune disease,which causes damage to the
salivary glands. And that'stoday's medical term xerostomia,
(09:54):
coming up. We'll hear more frompsychiatrist, Dr Daniel Amen,
author of the book, you happier.
You. Will tell us about thefoods that can increase our risk
for Alzheimer's disease, butfirst, if a big meal leaves you
feeling gassy and bloated,firmly, massage the arches of
both feet for two minutes.
Studies show a foot rub after arich meal reduces gas and belly
(10:17):
pain in 74% of people. Dr Davidedelberg is an integrative
medicine professor at theUniversity of Chicago, and he
says it works by stimulating thebody's enteric nervous system.
Those are the nerves that helpproduce intestinal enzymes, get
food moving faster through yourdigestive tract and calm belly
(10:37):
spasms so you'll digest yourmeal with a lot less gas and
bloating after a two minute footmassage. One in five adults only
get five hours of sleep a nightor fewer. And here are some of
the ways being regularly sleepdeprived is damaging to your
health and to your career.
First, you are more stressed. Astudy from UC Berkeley found our
(10:59):
anxiety levels jumped 30% onaverage after just one night of
no sleep. Researchers say it'sbecause when your brain is
desperate for rest, it perceiveseverything demanding your
attention as a threat, includingtraffic, emails, meetings and
even your boss, you'll also bemore likely to make bad
(11:21):
decisions. According to theAcademy of Management Journal,
poor quality sleep has asignificant negative impact on
the brain's prefrontal cortex,that's the area involved with
planning and decision making.
Tired brains also look fordistractions to keep them awake.
So instead of focusing on thetask at hand, you'll likely
(11:43):
spend most of your day scrollingthrough social media just to
keep your eyes open. So what cancombat all that if you're
exhausted? Neuroscientist DrGene Duffy says most people can
offset the negative effects ofan occasional night of poor
sleep by taking a 20 minute napor going for a brisk walk to get
more blood pumping to the brain.
Okay, listen to this. I know itseems like exercise is the cure
(12:07):
for everything, and here's onemore condition, it can help
allergies. That's becauseexercise decreases the body's
release of histamines the sameway medications do. Histamines
are the chemicals produced by anallergic reaction that cause
swelling, sneezing and itching.
So to keep allergies in check,get 30 minutes of exercise most
(12:30):
days of the week back with morehealth intelligence from board
certified psychiatrist Dr DanielAmen, author of you happier, the
book outlines seven differentsecrets or lifestyle habits that
are proven to build lastinghappiness and to help give us a
sense of what's involved, Iasked Dr Amen to share one of
those secrets.
(12:51):
For example, secret number fouris only love food that loves you
back that your brain is 2% ofyour body's weight, but uses 20
to 30% of the calories youconsume, and so if you're eating
low quality pro inflammatoryfood, you're much more likely to
(13:13):
be unhappy, and people go but Ilove Rocky Road ice cream, or I
love alcohol, or I love pizza.
Well, it doesn't love you back,and so you're in a relationship.
And I just encourage anyonewho's listening, have you ever
been in a bad relationship?
Well, I have, and I'm not doingit anymore, married to my best
(13:35):
friend. But people also have arelationship with food, and if
you want to be happy, it iscritical to get your diet right,
which is lots of colorful fruitsand vegetables, high quality,
clean protein, lots of fiber.
And you know, ultimately, mostpeople know this is good for my
(13:57):
brain or bad for my brain?
That's another one of thosequestions. Is this good for my
brain or bad for it? And if youcan just answer that with
information and love, love ofyourself, love of your family,
love of your mission on earth,you just start making better
decisions, better brain, morehappiness, back with more health
(14:20):
intelligence from psychiatristDr Daniel Amen, founder of the
Amen Clinics with 10 locationsacross North America. He was
just saying that if we want tobe happier, it is critical that
we get our diet right, meaningeating more fruits and
vegetables and fewer Ultraprocessed foods. And since
processed foods tend to beloaded with sugar and
(14:41):
sweeteners. I asked Dr Amen howthose ingredients specifically
contribute to making us unhappy.
There's a brand new study out.
It's fascinating on sugar andstevia and Splenda or sucralose,
and they. Invited a healthygroup into three groups and one
(15:01):
group for six weeks, I gave thema good dose of sugar, the other
a good dose of stevia, the othera good dose of sucralose or
Splenda, and at the end of sixweeks with stevia, nothing
happened with sugar and Splenda,their memory was worse. They had
(15:22):
slower brain wave function,which goes to more unhappiness
and more spaceiness. And what Ithought was really interesting
with sugar, it was encoding.
Memory was harder, so that meanslearning, but for Splenda,
encoding memory, long termmemory and executive function,
(15:46):
or judgment and decision makingwere impaired. So the foods we
eat, the sweeteners we ingest,can make us unhappy and Spacey.
Now, there are other foods thatpeople just react negatively to.
I have a whole group who reactsnegatively to MSG or to Red Dye
(16:09):
Number 40, and I think it's justimportant to read food labels,
and if you don't know what's init, you probably
shouldn't eat it. The day of theweek we're most likely to work
out is Tuesday, or at leastthat's the day we're most likely
to fitness brag on social mediaand getting in a workout on a
(16:30):
Tuesday is a good idea. Exercisepsychologist Dr Michelle clear
says exercising early in theweek can inspire you to keep it
up, but if you don't get in aworkout by Wednesday, it will
feel like it's nearly theweekend, and you'll be more
likely to blow off anythingfitness related until the
following week. Moreintelligence for your health.
(16:53):
From leading psychiatrist DrDaniel Amen, author of the book
you happier, he says, up to onein 10 adults in North America
likely have low dopamine thesedays, which increases the risk
of conditions like depressionand ADHD. So I asked Dr Amon to
explain the role dopamine playsin our lives and what's
(17:14):
contributing to so many of ushaving low levels. So Dopamine
is a neurotransmitter, or aneurochemical, that helps us
feel happy, driven, motivated,and when dopamine storage
becomes low, or dopamineavailability becomes low, people
(17:34):
get sad, they get apathetic,they become unfocused. So
marijuana, drugs, other drugs,alcohol, high sugar, high fat
foods all release a lot ofdopamine. Vaping releases a lot
of dopamine. And the problem isif you release too much at a
(17:57):
time, it wears out your stores,and pretty soon you start re
engaging in the behavior, andyou end up chasing dopamine. And
what we now know, all thegadgets people or interests you
know that have, like theirphones that are constantly
buzzing, or video games they'rewearing out the dopamine centers
(18:23):
or the pleasure centers in thebrain. So as a society, we've
unleashed this technology withvery little neuroscience outcome
study, and we're seeing a muchhigher incidence of anxiety,
depression, ADHD, than everbefore. If you're really thirsty
and your only option is to takea sip of someone else's soda can
(18:47):
or water bottle will wiping offthe rim protect you from their
germs. Microbiology professor,Dr Philip Tierno from the NYU
School of Medicine, says yes andno. Dr Turner says a wipe down
will eliminate a lot of germtainted saliva, but even the
best cleaning job could leavebehind the germs that cause
(19:08):
strep or the stomach flu, plusthe liquid inside the bottle or
can will already contain somemouth germs. So unless you're
literally dying of thirst. It'sbest to avoid sharing. Wait
until you can get a drink ofyour own. Here's an email I
received at Connie atintelligence for your
(19:29):
health.com. It comes fromShelley Decameron, who writes, I
love fruit, but I have type twodiabetes. Can I still eat it?
Shelly, always check with yourdoctor to go over any dietary
changes or questions. But here'swhat we know. Of course, fruit
is healthy and full of vitaminsand antioxidants, but it can
(19:50):
raise your blood sugar, not asmuch as candy or soda, but it
raises it a little bit. However,the fiber in fruit. Fruit slows
down how quickly your bodyabsorbs fructose. But if you're
diabetic, here's how you canmake eating fruit even better
for you. Frances largeman Rothis a registered dietitian and
author of eating in color, andshe says if you eat whole fruit
(20:13):
with fat or protein, you'llreduce that little blood sugar
spike even more so have appleslices with nut butter, berries
with Greek yogurt, or red grapeswith a wedge of cheese. That way
you slow the absorption offructose even more and your
snack will give you long,lasting energy, less rebound
(20:34):
hunger and fewer cravings. Thankyou for your email. Shelley, I
hope this helps. Okay, listen tothis. If you're a woman and you
need a new doctor, a new studyrecommends that you look for a
female doctor. The investigationby UCLA found that patients who
were under the care of femaledoctors had significantly lower
(20:54):
death rates and were less likelyto be readmitted to the hospital
than patients with male doctors,and that was even more true for
female patients. The UCLA studyauthors say male doctors
sometimes underestimate theseverity of a woman's illness,
but female doctors take women'shealth more seriously than male
(21:15):
doctors and are bettercommunicators. The movie Inside
Out two is among the top 10highest grossing movies of all
time. In it, 13 year old, Rileydeals with new emotions, one of
which is anxiety. ClinicalPsychologist Lisa demore says
the movie is surprisinglyaccurate in the way it depicts
(21:36):
anxiety. In the movie, Rileyends up having a panic attack,
and part of what helps herovercome it is touching her
hockey stick. If you haven'tseen either movie, Riley plays
on the hockey team at herschool, and Dr demore says doing
that touching something imbuedwith meaning, is what's known as
a grounding technique. It's areal tool that therapists
(22:00):
recommend to their patients tohelp them manage their anxiety
in intense moments. It allows aperson to mentally step away
from negative thoughts, and itcan decrease the intensity of a
person's feelings by using oneof their senses to distract
them. You can try it with asmooth stone that you put in
your pocket, according toresearch from MIT Harvard and
(22:23):
Yale, touching a smooth surfacehelps people relax, because the
soothing texture triggersfeelings of calm, more
intelligence for your health,from psychiatrist Dr Daniel
Amen, if you'd like to Know moreabout him or his book, you
happier. Check out Amenclinics.com. And earlier, he
(22:44):
said, things like our electronicgadgets and alcohol trigger too
much dopamine, which makes usless happy over time, because
with each dopamine blast we get,we become less sensitive to
dopamine, mood boostingbenefits, and need more of it to
get the same result. So onesolution Dr Amen recommends is a
(23:06):
technique called drip dopamine.
And I asked him to share anexample of how that works. One
of the techniques in the book islook for the micro moments of
happiness because they'redripping dopamine. So for me,
where I live, it's seeing abutterfly or a hummingbird. It's
(23:30):
I make my family brain healthyhot chocolate every night. It's
a little ritual I do that showsthem love, plus it tastes
amazing, and that's waydifferent than taking everybody
out for a banana split, or, youknow, one of these crazy two
pound cheesecakes that people gofor that's dumping dopamine. So
(23:56):
look for throughout your day themicro moments of happiness.
That's it for our show today,our special intelligence for
your health with Connie Selig,edition of the podcast, I'm Gib
Gerard. Don't forget to ratecomment and subscribe on Apple
podcast. Spotify, wherever youget your podcast. It helps us
out a lot. And also, you canreach out to us on social media.
All of our links are listed downin the show notes. We try to
(24:19):
respond to every DM, everymention of the show, because
ultimately, we do the show foryou guys. So thank you so much
for listening. You.
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