Skip to content
Wellness Blog
Here Are 8 Foods to Rock Your Brain
Do you often find yourself feeling cranky? Do you reach for food throughout the day in an attempt to calm down or feel better? Or more than anything, do you just really crave a better mood? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are not alone! Research has shown that the foods we eat have an impact on mood, proving you really are what you eat. Food can influence your mood – it can make it worse, or it can make it better. Add these good mood foods to your diet for a delicious mood boost! 8 Brain Healthy Foods to Add to Your Shopping List SALMON Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for brain health and are found in salmon. Your brain needs specific types of essential omega-3 fatty acids, such as DHA and EPA, to function well. These fats are called essential for a reason—our bodies need them, and the only way to get them is through foods or supplements. Most people get far too little omega-3 in their diet. Deficiencies in these vital fatty acids have been shown to be associated with cognitive decline, emotional imbalances and mood issues. TOMATOES Tomatoes are a great source of lycopene, a nutrient that helps protect vital brain fat and actually stops the buildup of pro-inflammatory compounds linked to low mood. Additionally, they contain high levels of two other mood enhancing nutrients: folate and magnesium. CHILI PEPPERS Researchers have discovered that the brain is filled with receptors for capsaicin, the compound in chili peppers that gives them their heat. When we eat chili peppers, our brain responds by releasing endorphins, which are natural feel-good chemicals – the very same endorphins that are released when we exercise. People who eat spicy foods report a mood-lifting effect similar to the high reported by runners after working out. AVOCADOS Avocados contain good, healthy fats that are known for increasing the levels of several different feel-good chemicals in the brain. Like salmon, avocados are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids which help maintain function in areas of the brain responsible for regulating mood and emotion. Healthy fats help you feel full and satisfied, help your body absorb some nutrients, and aid in cholesterol reduction. SPINACH You can give your meal a brain-healthy boost by trading your usual romaine lettuce for spinach in your salad, wrap or sandwich. Per ounce, spinach contains a higher level of folate, a B vitamin that may help reduce symptoms of depression. In fact, researchers at Harvard Medical School found that boosting the folate levels of depressed patients helped improve their mood. POULTRY Poultry is an excellent source for high amounts of tryptophan, an amino acid that your body can’t produce on its own. Tryptophan is necessary for the creation of serotonin, one of the brain’s primary mood-regulating chemicals. As more tryptophan enters the brain, serotonin levels increase and mood tends to improve, which is why poultry is an important part of any good mood diet. GREEN TEA Green Tea is rich in GABA, a calming and stabilizing brain chemical. Low levels of GABA are associated with low moods as well as mood swings. Additionally, it contains L-theanine, which is known for reducing stress and worry while improving mood, focus, memory and mental alertness. Be sure to include a cup of green tea each day for a feeling of overall well-being! DARK CHOCOLATE Have you ever wondered why eating chocolate makes you feel so good? It is not just the taste – it also provides a boost in concentration and mood and actually improves blood flow to the brain. Chocolate contains hundreds of blissful, health-promoting properties that support a positive mood, the ability to think clearly and focus, and a healthy cardiovascular system. The darker the chocolate you consume, the better! Multiple research studies have shown that dark chocolate slows down the production of cortisol, a stress hormone. Furthermore, chocolate also makes the brain release endorphins and boosts serotonin levels, which can create a more positive mood that can last for several hours. If you would like to learn more about how to boost your mood naturally, be sure to visit BrainMDhealth.com, your destination for premium nutrition information for your brain and body! “If you want to feel your best, look your best, and do your best thinking, you have to give your brain high quality nutrition.” – Daniel G. Amen, M.D.
Learn more
Feeling Blue About the Passing of Summer?
While warm days may linger for a while, the fact is, summer is officially over. The gradually shorter days of fall and the shift to more time indoors can trigger some physiological changes in the brain, which can affect mood. Specifically, less sunlight may cause a drop in the neurotransmitter serotonin, which in turn, can trigger low mood. Our human physiology is closely connected to the rhythms and cycles of nature! Serotonin is a naturally soothing neurotransmitter produced by our brain throughout life. It plays multiple roles in the brain’s biochemistry and is a critical component in facilitating sustained and deep sleep, maintaining a balanced mood, self-confidence, social engagement, and even supporting healthy appetite. So if you are feeling blue about the passing of summer – or perhaps you simply feel a gnawing sense of anxiety, or worry – supporting healthy and balanced serotonin levels in your body may help. You may be wondering how to do this naturally. Double board-certified psychiatrist, clinical neuroscientist and brain imaging expert, Daniel G. Amen, MD, has something for you to consider. He recommends a combination of healthy lifestyle habits such as daily exercise, consuming “smart” carbohydrates in moderation, and taking a dietary supplement, like Serotonin Mood Support. Serotonin Mood Support is a nutritional supplement designed by Dr. Amen to work through multiple mechanisms to optimize the brain’s serotonin levels in order to create a positive mood state. And it’s completely natural. In this short video, Dr. Amen and BrainMD Health’s Chief Science Officer, Dr. Parris Kidd, tell you all about Serotonin Mood Support and how its winning combination of clinically researched ingredients may help lift your mood right away and help you to sail into fall with a positive outlook! While serotonin levels may dip with less exposure to sunlight, many people suffer from low serotonin year round. According to Dr. Amen, if you answer yes to some or all of the following questions, you may have a serotonin issue: Do you worry frequently? Are you rigid? If things don’t go your way, do you get upset? Do you suffer from low mood? Do you have poor sleep? Do you lack craving control? The good news is that the right nutritional support can help. Serotonin Mood Support contains vitamins B6 and B12 to support healthy methyl groups, which help regulate the production of serotonin and many other neurotransmitters. Also included is a superior saffron extract from the Middle East that is well-studied and beneficial for mood management, as well as 5-HTP which, in a number of scientific studies, has been found to help support mood and a sense of relaxation. The bottom line is that Serotonin Mood Support uses multiple mechanisms to support healthy serotonin levels in the brain, naturally. Here’s to a brain healthy, brain happy fall season! [wc_button type="primary" url="https://www.brainmdhealth.com/serotonin-mood-support" title="Order Now" target="self" position="float"]Order Now[/wc_button]
Learn more
Brain and Power Supplements
Do you ever go to a health food store and get overwhelmed by the number of different supplements you see? Do you perhaps get overwhelmed by the cost of buying a wide array of nutrients and vitamins to support your brain and body health? You are not alone. Double-board-certified psychiatrist, clinical neuroscientist and brain imaging researcher, Dr. Daniel Amen has gotten overwhelmed too! In fact, that’s why, in large part, he created the BrainMD line of supplements. And it’s definitely why he created Brain and Body Power (and Brain and Body Power Max, with a double boost of key nutrients for brains that need it). “What I did with Brain and Body Power is combine a high quality multiple vitamin, a high-dose, ultra purified fish oil that wouldn’t give me fish burps, and a brain boost supplement that works on your brain in multiple mechanisms—for a lot less money, in two packets,” Dr. Amen explains. In other words, Brain and Body Power provides three extraordinary nutritional supplements in one at a better price. Watch this short video featuring Dr. Amen and BrainMD Health’s Chief Science Officer, Dr. Parris Kidd, to learn more about this simple and comprehensive brain and body nutritional support system that will solve the problem. Here’s how it works Brain and Body Power delivers the nutritional basics to support optimal brain and body function in a convenient packet that you take twice daily—and at a better price than if you were to buy all the nutritional supplements separately! Here’s what you get You get the following three top selling BrainMD supplements in every serving of Brain and Body Power and Brain and Body Power Max: NeuroVite Plus Multivitamin A multivitamin like no other! Contains more than 50 vitamin, mineral and plant nutrients in their most active forms, and the only source of Dr. Amen’s proprietary Brain Boosting Blend of clinically researched brain nutrients. Omega-3 Power Contains 1,600 mg of omega-3 fatty acids from a high quality, ultra-purified fish oil source. (Four times the amount of EPA and DHA compared to the average omega-3 sold in the big box stores!) Brain & Memory Power Boost Contains 7 powerful, clinically studied and proven ingredients to support brain health through multiple mechanisms. And for brains that need extra support, Brain and Body Power Max provides the same three supplements in every packet, but with a double dose of Omega-3 Power and extra Brain and Memory Power Boost! Here’s where you can get it: https://www.brainmdhealth.com/brain-and-body-power-max
Learn more
Healthy and Not-So-Healthy Ways to Boost Your Energy
Do you feel exhausted all day, even after a full night's sleep? Are you too tired to have fun? We’re constantly on the run, trying to juggle all the things we have to do with all the things we want to do. And in order to make it in today’s fast-paced world, you’ve got to stay focused with plenty of energy – both physical and mental. As our energy levels decrease because of our overstressed lifestyles, many people look for a quick fix to combat fatigue. However, there are good and not-so-good ways to increase your energy! On Wednesday, September 16th, I was featured on The Dr. Oz Show “Energy Pick-Me-Ups That Won’t Make You Crash,” that explored healthy and not-so-healthy ways to boost your energy. As part of the show, Dr. Oz came to Amen Clinics NY for quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) brain scans (a painless and non-invasive procedure) in order to demonstrate the effect caffeine e-cigarettes have on the brain and body. Caffeine e-cigarettes, also known as vaporized caffeine, are a new form of energy stimulant. We used QEEG because it measures the brain’s electrical activity in the form of brainwave patterns, which is an indicator of how your brain cells are communicating, and is used to evaluate brain function. We look at 5 main types of brainwaves: Delta: very slow waves seen mostly during sleep Theta: insight, creativity and daydreaming Alpha: calm and focused Beta: focused High Beta: heightened attention and anxiety Additionally, QEEG can be used to track the changes in brain function from various interventions such as neurofeedback, supplements, medication or, as in the case of Dr. Oz, vaporized caffeine. Dr. Oz underwent one QEEG before smoking the vaporized caffeine to establish his baseline information. Then he underwent another series of them while he smoked vaporized caffeine. The results? The effects of the vaporized caffeine showed lower delta and theta waves (better energy), higher alpha waves (more alert), BUT lower beta waves, which could decrease a person’s judgment. In preparation for filming The Dr. Oz Show, we did preliminary QEEG studies on the effects various commercially available stimulants have on the brain: Energy drinks (containing caffeine and sugar) – Lowered the slow brain waves (delta and theta) which is consistent with better energy. However, the relaxation (alpha) and focus (beta) brain waves were also lowered, which is consistent with a lower sense of peace and concentration. This is definitely not a good idea! Caffeine (from a strong cup of coffee) – Lowered the relaxation (alpha) and focus (beta) waves, which again, is consistent with a lower sense of peace and concentration. This also may not be a great idea for many people. Still think that extra cup of coffee or energy drink is harmless? Think again. Excess, long-term caffeine use is associated with dehydration (which can harm your body in numerous ways), stress on your heart, high blood pressure, sleep issues, moodiness, jitteriness, and headaches, to name a few. Relying on caffeine and energy drinks makes you feel worse in the long run by causing your system to crash, burning out your energy reserve, and constricting your blood vessels (NOT what you want for your brain!) So, we’ve established some of the not-so-good ways to boost your energy. What about the good ways? We also did preliminary QEEG studies on three people to observe the effects of our Focus and Energy supplement from BrainMD Health. Here’s what we found: [wc_box color="secondary" text_align="left"] Patient #1 … Increased focus (beta) brain waves. Patient #2 … Marked reduction in theta waves, which is consistent with better energy and less daydreaming. Patient #3 (Dr. Amen) … I really felt its effects; it lowered sleepy brain waves (delta) and raised my beta and high beta waves, which is consistent with focus. [/wc_box] There are healthy and no-so-healthy ways to boost your energy. From my clinical experience and this small case series, I prefer Focus and Energy (link to the product page). Plus, it is always very important to protect your energy by eating right, getting good sleep, and staying away from things that don't serve your brain, such as caffeine and alcohol. If you want to learn more about improving your energy and having a healthier brain, you can order a copy of my new book, Change Your Brain Change Your Life, Revised and Expanded 2015. Click here for more information. Over the past 25 years, Amen Clinics has helped tens of thousands of people change their brains and their lives! If you feel that you or a loved one could benefit from an evaluation, contact the Amen Clinics Care Center today or call 888-288-9834.
Learn more
BrainMD Health Has Arrived!
“There is no question in my mind that nutraceuticals have powerful, positive effects on your brain. That’s why I started BrainMD Health.” – Daniel G. Amen, MD BrainMD Health has arrived! Founded by board-certified psychiatrist, clinical neuroscientist and brain imaging expert, Dr. Daniel Amen, BrainMD Health (formerly The Amen Solution) offers the very best research-based, brain-directed products to support your memory, mood, focus, stress relief, craving control, energy, sleep, weight – and so much more. BrainMD includes all the same winning formulas many of you have come to know and rely upon under The Amen Solution name, but now with a number of updates based on the very latest research to optimize benefits! Our new BrainMD name more accurately reflects the professionalism and efficacy of our outstanding supplements, and you will find that the vibrant new packaging is simpler and easier to read. On top of that, for regular and new visitors alike, our gorgeous new website incorporates several fresh features to make it easier for you to navigate and use! A few highlights include: Brand new, highly engaging product pages A cutting-edge blog featuring articles and videos with brain health-related information and research The timesaving ability to sign in directly from social networks with a mere click of a button. A new trial program for Brain and Body Power! (coming in October) There’s much more, of course. We encourage you to visit the new website and explore it for yourself! And be sure to check out our FAQs page to answer any questions you may have and get detailed information about the BrainMD Health name and formula changes. But before you do, please view the short video message below from Dr. Amen himself. You’ll discover the origins of BrainMD Health and why Dr. Amen is such a passionate believer in the power of nutritional supplements! The origins of BrainMD truly started in 1989, when Dr. Amen founded the Amen Clinics, a specialized group of psychiatric clinics that use sophisticated brain imaging tools to help guide and personalize treatment for patients. Since that time, Dr. Amen and his colleagues have built the world’s largest database of brain scans related to behavior totaling nearly 115,000 scans on patients from 111 countries! Dr. Amen started to study natural supplements more than 20 years ago because he was often horrified to see the effects some psychiatric medications had on the brain. He found that in his practice, sometimes the very medications intended to help patients made them worse. Through careful research, Dr. Amen discovered natural supplements that supported brain health in powerful ways. But perhaps most moving to him personally was to witness how a nutraceutical program helped his seven-year-old niece “Jennifer” who had been struggling with her schoolwork and emotional outbursts. “When I scanned Jen, she had a brain that was working way too hard,” Dr. Amen recalls. Deciding to forgo stronger prescription medication, Dr. Amen made the radical decision to turn up Jen’s “natural calm button” with the support of nutritional supplements. It worked. She began achieving excellent marks in school and became much more pleasant to be around. Now 20 years later, she just graduated from law school and is getting ready to take the BAR exam. “That experience had a lasting effect on me,” Dr. Amen says. “There is no question in my mind that nutraceuticals have powerful, positive effects on your brain. That’s why I started BrainMD Health.” BrainMD Health leverages everything Dr. Amen and his colleagues have learned at the Amen Clinics to help people just like you have better brains and a lifetime of success. Welcome to BrainMD Health!
Learn more
Help Fend Off Age-Related Cognitive Decline
You have likely heard a million times that there are tremendous health benefits to be achieved by adopting a Mediterranean diet. In fact, a number of previous studies have shown those who follow the Mediterranean diet can: Feel more energized Have less heart disease Have a reduced risk of certain cancers Be happier Lose weight Live longer But did you know that it can help your brain? A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine provides new evidence that a diet rich in olive oil, nuts, fish, fruit, vegetables and legumes, along with limited consumption of meat and dairy can help fend off age-related cognitive decline. The study’s results showed that, compared with a control group, memory function, and frontal and global cognition remained stronger in a group following a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts and olive oil. The study participants were healthy but at higher risk of developing heart-related problems; some smoked or had hypertension, while others had a family history of heart issues. So the results of the study are especially encouraging since the people in the study were at higher risk of developing cognitive problems because of their heart-related risk factors. "It's never too late to change your dietary patterns to improve your health," explains Dr. Emilio Ros, who led the study at the Hospital Clinic at the University of Barcelona in Spain. Previous observational studies had suggested the antioxidants found in the diet's staples -- namely fruit, vegetables and olive oil -- may help to delay neurodegeneration and the effects of aging on the brain. A whole range of foods that can be found in the Mediterranean diet — from fruits and vegetables to fish and nuts — are rich in antioxidants. Some research points to specific compounds in olive oil as beneficial, too, because they may limit inflammation. Incredibly, not only did the Mediterranean diet counteract cognitive decline, it also improved brain function! The study participants who followed a Mediterranean diet improved in their memory and cognitive skills as compared to their baseline measures. None of these exciting findings come as any surprise to the Amen Clinics. We have long understood that a healthy diet is essential for a healthy brain. “Without a healthy brain nothing in your life is as good as it can be—not your money, your relationships, your memory, your energy, your relationships, nothing.” - Dr. Daniel Amen References: Valls-Pedret, C, et al. Mediterranean Diet and Age-Related Cognitive Decline: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2015 May 11, [Epub ahead of print]
Learn more