The No.1 Brain Doctor: "This Parenting Mistake Ruins Your Kids Brain!", "Alcohol or Marijuana Will Destroy Your Brain!", "A Stagnant Career Can Increase Your Chance Of Alzheimers!" - Dr Daniel Amen

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Different Types of ADHD

At 1:45:57 · chapter starts 1:44:51

The chapter covers a wide sweep of contemporary health trends through the brain-health lens. Racket sports like padel and pickleball are excellent, Amen explains, because they work the cerebellum — which in turn activates the frontal lobes. He had recommended racket sports to Bartlett when he scanned his brain, noting a sleepy cerebellum, and Bartlett has since built a paddle court in his Cape Town garden. Neuroplasticity apps work, but only if paired with physical exercise: memorisation games done on a stationary bike are far more effective because exercise increases blood flow to the hippocampus, enhancing retention. Jobs with no new learning increase Alzheimer's risk — stagnation is neurologically dangerous. Working with toxic people is bad for the brain because chronic stress raises cortisol, which shrinks the hippocampus and deposits fat on the belly — 'two very bad things.' Breathwork is excellent: a four-second inhale and eight-second exhale (the 15-second breath) can break a panic attack by increasing vagal tone. Social media is consistently bad because it triggers constant unfavourable comparisons. Kirtan Kriya, a 12-minute Kundalini meditation, was tested by Amen across three studies: eight weeks of daily practice significantly strengthened resting frontal lobe function.