Foreword

Annaliese, a forty-two-year-old office manager, made an appointment to see me about Alzheimer's disease. She was sure she had it because she constantly misplaced her purse, forgot meetings, and couldn't remember names when she ran into old friends. While the memory results of her mental status exam didn't indicate serious cognitive loss, we spent some time talking about how Annaliese's brain could work better. I suggested she improve her sleep habits, be mindful of her diet, add some fish oil and other supplements, and examine how stress is created in her life.

The next time Annaliese visits, I will show her A Better Brain at Any Age, and she can peruse the hundreds of great ideas it contains—tried-and-true ideas and innovative complementary methods for enhancing the function of the brain.

During more than twenty-six years practicing medicine, I have seen results of practice using treatments that I learned in conventional medicines as well as those I have learned from more alternative practitioners and literature. I know what is sound. In this book, Sondra Kornblatt has created a balanced and holistic view of a healthy brain. All the methods in this book, conventional or alternative, are well researched and easy to understand. She addresses brain development from exercise and energy medicine to memory and meditation. Some of her suggestions are clever reminders for common brain-boosting ideas: exercise, eating vegetables, and getting fish oil. In other areas, she blends nutrition, aromatherapy, energy medicine, and more to compile intriguing ideas for the brain:

• Cinnamon—even a whiff of it—improves learning.
• Body alignment (balanced posture) increases brain blood flow.
• Rooms painted with contrasting colors stimulate learning.
• Volunteering reduces depression and stimulates the same pleasure center for eating and sex.
• Laughter Yoga classes or laughter tapes release healing laughter.
• Swinging arms when you walk works the two hemispheres of your brain.
• Fear can be reduced with psychological acupressure such as Tapas Acupressure Techniques (TAT).
• Creativity can be enhanced by nodding your head.

That's just a start. A Better Brain also provides a comprehensive list of toxins to avoid (from treated wood to new shower curtains) and good foods to eat (from saffron to avocado). This book covers the whole range of brain health with humor and respect for the amazing human body.

Studies have shown that attitude is critical in healthy brain function. A Better Brain at Any Age will help you support the attitude that respects your brain.

—FERNANDO VEGA, M.D., SEATTLE, WASHINGTON