Category Archives: Brain Health

Odd Way to Treat Anxiety…and it Works!

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

June 17, 2019

A day doesn’t go by that I don’t see patients worrying themselves sick.

They are concerned about their health… their finances… their safety. Add in family-related issues, work problems, traffic, some mishap with an insurance bill and did I mention traffic?  It seems like so many of them are waiting for the other shoe to drop…for that third thing to happen to finish up their week.

We all have our emergency biochemical systems in place to deal with life’s stressors on a short-term basis. Yet today more people than ever are experiencing anxiety disorders. A poll conducted by the American Psychiatric Association last year found that almost 40% of Americans felt more anxious than the previous year. And the most recent reliable count is that anxiety affects about 40 million adults here in the U.S each year; 30% of children and adolescents will meet criteria for an anxiety disorder, yet 80% never get help.

There are a lot of theories going around. A number of experts blame social media and “the fear of missing out”. Others claim it’s instant access to all of the bad news, shocking visuals and doomsday scenarios that plague the internet. Add on an increasingly nutrient and sleep deprived population. Continue reading →

Like Miracle Grow for Your Brain

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

May 27, 2019

It seems that as the years go by, more and more of my patients are complaining of “brain-drain”. And these days, it seems like it has almost reached epidemic proportions.

So many of these relatively healthy patients feel as if they’re slogging through their days, and the symptoms are all pretty consistent.

They easily lose their train of thought. It’s hard to concentrate. Important data flies out of their brains before they can complete a sentence. It feels like they need a nap to break through the haze… but naps only seem to make it worse. Continue reading →

Can Loneliness Really Kill You?

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

March 15, 2019

Here is one of those strange conundrums that fascinate doctors and scientists around the world.

When it comes to dementia, heart disease and early death, common blood markers can provide some parts of the picture. But they don’t always present the ENTIRE picture.

There is another threat that is a very real health danger to a large proportion of the population. And it is something I probably don’t talk about as much as I could. Continue reading →

Shrink Your Waistline to Grow Your Brain

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

February 4, 2019

There are a lot great reasons to maintain a healthy weight. I hear about many of them from my own patients.

  • “I want to look hot again!” says the pudgy 32-year old single mom.
  • “I’m sick of dealing with these damned sugar problems,” declares an overweight middle-age patient with diabetes.
  • “With all the huffing and puffing I do just to get out of my chair, I’m afraid I’ll have a heart attack or something,” frets an obese gentleman in his 60’s.
  • “My knees are killing me,” complains a chubby young executive.

But in all of my years as a physician, there is one extremely important reason to lose weight that has never shows up on my radar. I’ve never heard a single patient say they wanted to drop those extra pounds to protect their cognitive abilities or ward off dementia. Continue reading →

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Is High Blood Pressure Messing with Your Brain?

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

August 10, 2018

  • Hypertension damages more than your heart
  • Is high blood pressure messing with your brain?
  • 3 simple ways to lower your blood pressure

You already know that uncontrolled high blood pressure is bad for your heart.

It creates microscopic tears in the walls of your arteries. These tears eventually turn into rough scar tissue where sticky fats, plaques and cholesterol tend to accumulate. This, in turn, leads to blockages, narrowing of the arteries and arterial stiffness.

Once this occurs blood flow is reduced even further. And your heart has to pump harder and harder to get blood to all of your organs.

This means high blood pressure doesn’t just place your heart at risk. Continue reading →

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Is it Time to put Eggs Back on Your Menu?

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

July 9, 2018

  • It’s time to put eggs back on the menu
  • 3 more reasons you should eat more eggs
  • Cooking up the perfect egg

Are you still avoiding eggs because you’re afraid they might be bad for you? If so, you’re likely suffering from the lingering effect of what I often refer to as “the great cholesterol hoax.”

So let me be very clear on this.

There is absolutely no scientific evidence showing that eating eggs increase blood levels of LDL cholesterol. There is also nothing that links eating eggs to a greater risk of stroke or heart disease. Continue reading →

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The Biggest Threat to Your Brain Health

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

April 13, 2018

  • The biggest threat to your brain health
  • Slash your risk of dementia
  • Simple trick for an even bigger brain boost

One of the biggest aging concerns among my patients is the possibility of developing dementia in their later years. And for good reason! The idea of living without all of your mental faculties intact is just downright scary.

Now I’ll be the first to tell you that a nutrient-rich diet, good sleeping habits, weight management and your ability to control stress levels all go a long way in protecting your brain function.

Staying active and engaged, learning new things and varying your daily routines also help keep your brain firing on all cylinders.

But there is one, single thing that may carry the most weight of all – and it’s something that many people fail to make time for… Continue reading →

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Eat This and Take 11 Years Off Your Brain Age

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

January 17, 2018

  • Loss of brain function is a top concern for baby-boomers
  • Eat this every day for a younger brain
  • 2 more tips to slash cognitive decline and dementia

These days everybody wants to live longer… but only if they can experience those later years in good health and with all of their mental faculties intact.

And I have to say, one of the biggest concerns among baby-boomers today is the idea of developing dementia and spending their final days in a long-term care facility surrounded by strangers.

However, if you’ve been eating your greens, you may have a huge advantage when it comes to your brain health. It turns out that eating one or two servings of leafy greens each day could potentially take 11 years off of your brain’s age.

Let me explain what this means for you… Continue reading →

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4 Simple Steps to a Healthier Heart and Brain, Part 2

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

October 13, 2017

  • 2 healthy habits that melt pounds and lower blood sugar
  • What does “eat a health diet” really mean?
  • Best exercise for your heart, brain and body

In Wednesday’s issue of Advanced Natural Wellness, we talked about ways to accomplish the first two steps included in the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Simple 7”.

These are the seven steps the AHA has identified as being vital to preventing heart attack, stroke and cognitive decline. As a quick refresher, they include…

  • Managing blood pressure
  • Controlling cholesterol
  • Keeping blood sugar normal
  • Getting regular physical activity
  • Eating a healthy diet
  • Losing extra weight
  • Not smoking

Today, I want to jump right to the third and fourth items on the list, because these two steps are the keystone to all of the other recommendations. Continue reading →

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4 Simple Steps to a Healthier Heart and Brain, Part 1

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

October 11, 2017

  • 4 simple steps to prevent heart attack, stroke and cognitive decline
  • Lower blood pressure without dangerous prescription drugs
  • Targeting the real cause of plaque build up

A new presidential advisory from the American Heart Association (AHA)/American Stroke Association notes that the following steps can prevent heart attack, stroke and cognitive decline. The AHA has dubbed it “Life’s Simple 7” and it includes…

  • Managing blood pressure
  • Controlling cholesterol
  • Keeping blood sugar normal
  • Getting regular physical activity
  • Eating a healthy diet
  • Losing extra weight
  • Not smoking

While I agree with most of this advice, there is nothing “simple” about it. In fact, there is a lack of clarity in these recommendations that can lead even the most well intentioned person astray. So I’m going to dedicate this issue and this coming Friday’s issue to clearing up the confusion.

For example, does managing blood pressure means taking blood pressure lowering medication on a regular basis? What about cholesterol? Should you be taking a statin drug?

And just exactly what does “eating a healthy diet and getting more physical activity” really mean? Continue reading →