Rewire Your Brain: Think Your Way to a Better Life

The key is that you need to get started. Usually, that means doing what you don’t feel like doing and continue doing it until it becomes easy.”

Avoid what makes you anxious so that your amygdala will calm down

Expose yourself gradually to what makes you anxious

The bonding experiences you have had with your parents since the beginning of your life have affected your social brain. Your later relationships then modify those neural connections. Positive relationships enhance your sense of well-being, whereas negative relationships leave you with the opposite feeling.

Thus, physical exercise and learning work together to stimulate neurogenesis. Exercise makes new stem cells, and learning prolongs their survival. The best exercise therefore combines a cardiovascular boost and learning a new skill.

It has been shown that physical exercise, especially if it takes place in a new and stimulating environment, is an effective way to promote neurogenesis.

Exercise should be part of the overall strategy of preventing and treating general anxiety and PTSD. Exercise increases the levels of the specific neurotransmitters that promote antianxiety and antidepressant effects.

Aerobic exercise can have an antianxiety effect. The physiological changes that occur by exercising can overpower the negative effects of the physiological contributors to anxiety. For example, in one study, the subjects were injected with CCK-4, a chemical that can induce a panic attack even in healthy adults with no history of panic. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercise prior to the injection of CCK-4 lowered the panic scores, whereas resting before the injection did not.

Chapter 5 - Fueling Your Brain
Breaking a Fast
Sugar Factors
The Amino Acid Cornucopia
Vitamins and Minerals
Minerals and Phytonutrients
Nancy’s Fat Problem
Diet, Fats, and Depression
Chapter 6 - Healthy Habits: Exercise and Sleep
Exercise and the Brain
Exercise Medicine
Regulating Your

the information in this book is at the reader’s discretion. The author and the publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use or application of any information contained in this book. A health care professional should be consulted regarding your