January, 2012

Your Biochemical Foundation

To have the best possible foundation for psychological well-being and spiritual growth, we all need to nurture the physical substrate of our body. And that means good nutrition, since that is how you get the building blocks of that substrate into your body. There is simply no other way. Nutrition Is Molecules At the physical […]

Category : Articles &Diet &Vitamins

The Road to (Brain) Health Is Paved with Good Intestines

How the Gut Affects the Brain through the Immune System Your gastro-intestinal (GI) system affects the health of your brain through many pathways, including the immune system. The GI system is also a part of the body that it is very easy to intervene with and improve in ways that are natural and beneficial. You […]

Category : Articles &Diet &Intestine &Vitamins

The Dance of Hormones and Neurotransmitters

Most women past the age of puberty sense an interaction sometimes between their mood and their hormonal state. Why is this? Well, in fact, hormones and neurotransmitters – the chemical communicators in the brain – are interconnected in a very complicated web, which science is only beginning to understand. Estrogen is the primary “female” hormone, […]

Category : Articles &Hormones

Estrogen and the Menopausal Brain

In Volume 1,8 of the Wise Brain Bulletin, in a list of possible interventions for improving memory, I wrote: “For women entering menopause, consider taking estrogen.” Not surprisingly, I got a few thoughtful comments about that line, and I appreciated them. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is controversial, so I’d like to unpack the complexities of […]

Category : Articles &Hormones &Memory

Nutrition at Starbucks

Take a minute to imagine your ideal cup of coffee. If you’re like most Americans, what springs to mind may not be black coffee, but a rich mocha, steaming caramel macchiato, or whipped frappuccino. For many of us, a visit to Starbucks – or similar coffee joints – is a regular event, and we drink […]

Category : Articles &Dairy &Diet

Targeted Nutritional Interventions

In another article, I described how you can promote the biochemical foundation of mental health and contemplative depth. In this article, I am going to cut right to the chase and list specific, potent nutritional interventions – all with research support – that you can use to lift your mood, settle anxiety, steady your mind, and improve your […]

Category : Articles &Diet &Vitamins