HeraSphere #7: What Your Brain Needs (But Can't Tell You)

The TL:DR Version – Brain (and overall) Health Practices that Have Worked For Me

If you don’t have time to read the entire newsletter, skim this section for 2 minutes to get the big picture! Otherwise, read this and then dive in deeper into the science.

1. Ask the essential question: Dr. Amen's most impactful recommendation is remarkably simple—before any choice, ask yourself: "Is this good for my brain or bad for it?" From food to relationships to screen time, this one question feels more weighty to me – and much more motivating than trying to keep from gaining a few pounds.

2. Prioritize sleep quality: Sleep is the supercharger for your brain. I use a tracker that shows me my different types of sleep daily, and just visually seeing the score usually motivates me to keep up the good work or make improvements. It has really pushed me to minimize alcohol, because my sleep trend always shows even if I had just one glass! Yoga nidra meditation via the free Insight Timer app has even helped me go back to sleep at night.

3. Adopt brain-healthy nutrition: Eating healthy whole foods to stay metabolically healthy is critical for brain health (aka the MIND diet). Ever since I found out I was pre-diabetic in my last round of blood tests, I’ve been much more disciplined about limiting added sugar. We now try to have fish twice a week for dinner, and I buy extra virgin olive oil, nuts and avocados in bulk from Costco to add to everything. I snack on a home made trail mix of nuts and dried fruit all day long. 

4. Move your body daily: Even a daily 20-minute walk delivers significant brain benefits. I’ve started wearing my weighted vest to add some strength training to my movement. It sounds cliché, but parking further away, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and using a walking pad during video meetings has helped me get to 8,000+ steps a day most days.

5. Practice strategic stress breaks: I’ve been feeling more anxious and on edge lately (perhaps perimenopause symptoms). So when I found out that breathing calms your brain, I try to do box breathing (a four-part breathing technique where you inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and hold empty for four seconds, creating a square pattern that calms your nervous system) several times throughout the day to reset.

6. Play games with social connection: My neighborhood Mah-jong group has created a wonderful Thursdsay night ritual. I realized that I rarely rack my brain as hard as when I’m trying to calculate the odds of making a hand.

7. Manage digital detox: Since the digital overwhelms our brains, I’ve switched my phone to grayscale and turned off most notifications, cutting my screen time dramatically while noticeably increasing my concentration. Putting a Post-it on my phone has also reminded me not to constantly check it for the dopamine hit.

8. Squash ANTS (Automatic Negative Thoughts): Now that I’m aware they’re a thing, I’ve definitely noticed the ANTs more when they arrive – and I’m able to squash them like the pesky bugs they are. My daily gratitude practice with the kids helps keep thoughts positive.

9. Reduce microplastic exposure: We use glass, ceramic, or stainless steel containers for food and water, especially anything hot. We have a RO filter for our water to get rid of any contaminants. Minimizing single-use plastics and packaged foods is hardest when traveling, but we try to use reusable containers even on the road.

In This Issue: What Your Brain Needs (And Can't Tell You)

• The Rising Concern About "Brain Rot"

• Understanding the Key Parts of Your Brain

• Sleep for Brain Maintenance

• Brain Boosting Nutrition: The MIND Diet

• Movement is Fertilizer For Your Brain

• Stress Reduction, Mindfulness & Social Connection

• Squashing ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts)

• Deep Die on Alzheimer's aka "Type 3 Diabetes"

• The Sad Truth: Your Brain Shrinks on Drugs & Alcohol

• Microplastics: The Invisible Threat

1. The Rising Concern About “Brain Rot”

• In 2024, "brain rot" was named Oxford Dictionary's word of the year—a telling sign that collectively, we're growing concerned about how our modern habits may be diminishing our cognitive function.

• Excessive social media and low-quality online content consumption can physically alter our brains, reducing gray matter in regions responsible for attention, memory, and decision-making. We have difficulty maintaining focus, increased distractibility, and a diminished ability to engage deeply with complex information—all symptoms of what Dr. Amen calls "the digital diet's effect on frontal lobe function."

• While medical advances have extended our lifespans dramatically, what truly matters is our health span—the years we live with full cognitive vitality. Currently, the gap is alarming: while our average life expectancy might be around 80, our health span (years of healthy living) often ends around 63. That leaves potentially decades where our bodies continue but our minds may not function optimally.

• Also concerning is the rise in Alzheimer's disease. One-third of adults over 85 in the US have Alzheimer’s, and by 2050, experts predict approximately 150 million people globally will have the disease.

• The good news? Emerging research shows that up to 80% of our health and aging is determined by lifestyle choices, not genetic destiny. This means most of us have far more control over our brain's future than we might think.

2. Understanding The Key Parts of Your Brain

• Your brain is an energy-hungry organ. Despite making up only 2% of your body weight, it consumes a whopping 20% of your energy. Like a high-performance vehicle, it primarily runs on glucose (sugar) but can also utilize ketones when glucose is limited—a metabolic flexibility that becomes crucial when insulin resistance develops. This dual-fuel capability explains why conditions like Alzheimer's disease (sometimes called "Type 3 Diabetes") may benefit from ketogenic diets and other activities that generate ketones.

• Your frontal cortex, located right behind your forehead, functions as your brain's CEO—handling planning, decision-making, impulse control, and judgment. Remarkably, this crucial region isn't fully developed until around age 25, which explains why teenagers and young adults often make impulsive decisions. As Dr. Amen notes, "Protect your brain until you're 25, and then your brain will protect you."

• Deep within your brain sits the limbic system, your emotional command center. It includes the amygdala (your brain's alarm system that triggers fight-or-flight responses), the hippocampus (your memory formation center crucial for learning), and the hypothalamus (your internal thermostat regulating basic functions like hunger and sleep). This system processes emotions and attaches emotional significance to your experiences, profoundly influencing your behavior and memory formation. Remember Inside Out? The emotion characters personify the amygdala’s role in attaching emotional ties to experiences, and the console in HQ paralles how the amygdala and hippocampus work together to from emotion-laden memories.

• The cerebellum, sitting at the back of your brain, coordinates movement, balance, and physical learning like a dedicated choreographer ensuring all muscle movements are smooth and precise. Interestingly, activities that challenge your cerebellum (like pickleball or dance) don't just improve coordination—they also enhance frontal lobe function, creating a beneficial brain-wide effect from physical activities.

• Your brain cells communicate through neurotransmitters, an intricate symphony of electrical signals and chemical messengers. When neurotransmitters like dopamine (motivation), serotonin (mood regulation), or GABA (calming) become imbalanced, it can affect everything from your mood to your ability to focus. Many brain disorders and mental health conditions relate to disruptions in this delicate chemical balance, which is why protecting your brain through lifestyle choices matters so profoundly for your overall health and cognitive function.

3. Sleep for Brain Maintenance

• During deep sleep, your brain performs critical maintenance—consolidating memories and clearing out toxins through what scientists call the glymphatic system (think of it as your brain's nightly cleaning crew)

• 7-9 hours of quality sleep is needed for your brain to process the day's information and strengthens neural connections. Poor sleep not only affects your mood and concentration but also increases inflammation and impairs your brain's ability to clear beta-amyloid, a protein associated with Alzheimer's disease.

• Alcohol dramatically disrupts sleep: According to Dr. Amen, "After two drinks, your REM sleep drops to roughly an hour. After four drinks, your REM sleep drops to 30 minutes, and after six drinks, your REM sleep drops to less than 2 minutes for many people." This means even moderate drinking can significantly impair your brain's overnight restoration.

4. Brain Boosting Nutrition - The MIND Diet

• Diet impacts brain health: In studies, people who had primarily a healthy fat-based diet (fish, healthy oils, avocados, nuts, and seeds) had 42% less risk of getting Alzheimer's disease. Those with primarily a protein-based diet had 21% less risk. But people following a standard American diet high in simple carbohydrates (bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, fruit juice, sugar) had a 400% increased risk of developing Alzheimer's. This has been coined the MIND diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurogenerative Delay), combining the Mediterranean diet with the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet.

• This aligns perfectly with the "Type 3 Diabetes" understanding—excess sugar and foods that quickly convert to glucose create insulin resistance in the brain, leading to cognitive decline.

• The MIND Diet in a nutshell: The good news is that this aligned with much of the other nutrition advice out there! Prioritize omega-3 fatty acids (especially DHA found in fatty fish). Include abundant colorful vegetables and berries (rich in antioxidants). Choose healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, and nuts. Minimize refined sugars, processed foods, butter, cheese and red meat. Stay well-hydrated (your brain is approximately 75% water).

5. Movement is Fertilizer for Your Brain

• Exercise increases blood flow to your brain and stimulates the production of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which Dr. Suzuki calls "fertilizer for your brain." This protein supports the growth of new neurons and strengthens existing connections.

• Combining cognitive challenges with physical movement delivers maximum brain benefits. Activities like dancing, racket sports, or learning a new physical skill engage multiple brain regions simultaneously.

• Pickleball fans rejoice: Dr. Amen recommends paddle/pickleball specifically because it activates your cerebellum (the part of your brain responsible for coordination and movement), which then enhances frontal lobe function—the area controlling decision-making, focus, and emotional regulation.

• Even a daily 20-minute brisk walk can significantly improve cognitive performance, elevate mood, and reduce your risk of dementia.

6. Stress Reduction, Mindfulness & Social Connection

• Chronic stress floods your brain with cortisol, which can actually shrink your hippocampus (your memory center) over time. This isn't just feeling frazzled—it's a physiological process that impacts brain structure and function. Dr. Amen explains that stress can worsen insulin resistance, meaning stress doesn't just feel bad—it creates a cascade of metabolic disruptions that can accelerate brain aging.

• Mindfulness practices create measurable changes in your brain, strengthening areas responsible for focus, emotional regulation, and resilience. Dr. Amen studied a 12-minute meditation called Kirtan Kriya and found that after just eight weeks, practitioners showed stronger resting frontal lobe function—the part of your brain responsible for decision-making and emotional regulation

• Even five minutes of focused breathing can activate your parasympathetic nervous system, counteracting stress hormones. Box breathing is a simple four-part breathing technique where you inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, and hold empty for four seconds, creating a square pattern that calms your nervous system and reduces stress within just a few cycles.

• Humans are wired for social connection, and research confirms that strong social bonds protect against cognitive decline. Dr. Amen has found that people living without purpose and connection "have a higher incidence of depression, a higher incidence of loneliness, and a higher incidence of dementia"

• Meaningful relationships stimulate mental activity and provide emotional support that buffers against stress. In our digital age, prioritize face-to-face interactions when possible. Meeting a friend for a walk combines social connection with exercise—a double win for your brain.

7. Squashing ANTs (Automantic Negative Thoughts)

• Our thoughts significantly impact our brains at a physiological level. Dr. Amen found that negativity bias literally decreases activity in your prefrontal cortex—the part of your brain responsible for motivation, focus, and mood regulation.

• For improved brain health, manage ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts):  To squash an ANT, write down the negative thought. Ask yourself: "Is this thought true?" and "Is it absolutely true with 100% certainty?" Reflect on how the thought makes you feel, how it makes you act, and what the outcome of believing it is.  Consider how you would feel, act, and what the outcome would be without that thought. Take the thought and turn it to its opposite, then ask if that might be equally true.

• You can train your brain for positive thinking – just like you prompt and train ChatGPT.  When practiced regularly, this process creates new neural pathways that make positive thinking your default setting. Starting your day with positive thinking, and ending your brain with a gratitude practice programs your brain to look for what's right, not just what's wrong.

8. Deep Dive on Alzheimer’s aka "Type 3 Diabetes"

• The reclassification of Alzheimer's as "Type 3 Diabetes" connects metabolic dysfunction directly to brain health.

• When your brain can't effectively use glucose—its primary fuel source—a condition called cerebral glucose hypometabolism occurs. In simple terms, your brain cells become resistant to insulin's signals, unable to efficiently take up the glucose they need. This metabolic disruption creates an energy crisis in your brain, potentially leading to cognitive decline.

• What's fascinating is that this connection extends beyond Alzheimer's. Many seemingly unrelated brain disorders may share a foundational metabolic component. Other conditions showing similar patterns include depression. Studies show decreased glucose metabolism in specific brain regions responsible for mood regulation. This mechanism may also play a role in migraines, epilepsy and Parkinson’s.

• For Alzheimer’s specifically, the version of the ApoE gene can help predict risk of levels.  About 25% of the population carries the AoeE 4 gene which increases Alzheimer's risk dramatically.  Testing is now available via the Alzheimer’s Foundation and medical providers, but is not currently recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics due to limited clinical utility and poor predictive value.

9. The Sad Truth: Your Brain Shrinks on Drugs & Alcohol

• Alcohol physically shrinks your brain—a devastating reality captured by Dr. Daniel Amen's brain scans showing "scalloping" (a global decrease in activity) in regular drinkers' brains. This shrinkage has serious functional consequences: your hippocampus (memory center) production of new cells decreases by nearly 60% and even moderate drinking damages white matter—the communication highways between different brain regions—creating what Dr. Amen describes as "potholes" in your brain's information pathways.

• Marijuana also significantly impairs brain function — it is far from the harmless herb many believe it to be. Dr. Amen's study of 1,000 marijuana users revealed lower activity in every brain region compared to non-users, while recent research in JAMA found almost 70% of heavy cannabis users showed reduced brain activity during working memory tasks. Long-term use has been linked to smaller hippocampus volume (directly impacting memory and learning) and altered dopamine pathways that can dampen motivation and reward processing

• As a parent, I was shocked to learn that the impact of these substances is especially devastating for those under 25, whose brains—particularly the frontal cortex responsible for decision-making and impulse control—are still developing. As Dr. Amen explains, "Protect your brain until you're 25, and then your brain will protect you." When young people use substances, they're not just experiencing temporary effects; they're potentially altering the trajectory of their brain development and limiting their cognitive potential for decades.

• PSA for parents and educators: Educational approaches that emphasize brain development have proven remarkably effective. Dr. Amen's online high school program "Brain Thrive by 25," which teaches students to love and care for their brains, was studied in 16 schools and found to decrease drug, alcohol, and tobacco use while reducing depression and improving self-esteem. Helping young people understand that these aren't simply moral choices but biological ones with long-term consequences for their cognitive potential makes a difference. This education-first approach empowers students with knowledge about their most precious resource—their brain—motivating healthier choices not from fear, but from a desire to protect their future.

10. Microplastics: The Invisible Threat

• Microplastics are entering our brains. Tiny pieces of plastic—many so small that they are not visible to the naked eye—have become alarmingly common in our world, showing up in our food, water, air, and now, inside our bodies. A new study in Nature Medicine revealed that brains appear to be collecting these plastic particles at much higher levels than other organs. In fact, the brain contains 7-30 times more microplastics than organs like the liver or kidneys. These aren't just trace amounts either—researchers can clearly see these plastic fragments, which often look like tiny shards, using powerful microscopes. They can cross the blood-brain barrier. Once inside, these particles can trigger inflammation, slow down blood flow, and even cause tiny blood clots in brain vessels. Think of it like plastic debris clogging up the delicate machinery of your brain.

• Brains from people with dementia contained 2-10 times more microplastics than those without. While this doesn't prove that microplastics cause dementia—people with dementia already have brain changes that might make their brains collect more plastic particles—it raises serious questions about whether these plastics might be harming our brain health. They found that these plastic levels have increased by about 50% in just eight years, suggesting our exposure is rapidly growing.

• What can we do about it? There are easy steps we can take to reduce our individual exposures, like using glass, stainless steel, or ceramic containers instead of plastic, especially for hot foods and beverages, which accelerate plastic breakdown. Avoid heating food in plastic containers, even those labeled "microwave-safe.” Filter your drinking water with a high-quality filter (we use a Reverse Osmosis filter at home) certified to remove microplastics. Choose natural fiber clothing over synthetic fabrics when possible. Minimize use of single-use plastics and heavily packaged foods.

Even though the stakes are high, brain health, like everything else, is about consistent, small choices that compound over time. The brain has remarkable neuroplasticity, continuously adapting to the inputs we provide. We’ve all made choices that weren't optimal for ours brain in the past, but starting today can make a significant difference in our cognitive futures. I'd love to hear which of these strategies resonate most with you, or what brain-supporting habits you've already discovered in your own life!

Here's to our brilliant brains,

Lilly

PS. Please share this with a friend or family member who also wants to optimize their brain health using science!  

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Note: While I love diving deep into research and sharing what I've learned about women's health and wellness, I want to be crystal clear: I'm a passionate health advocate and researcher, not a medical professional. Think of me as your well-informed friend who does extensive homework – but not your doctor.

Everything I share in HeraSphere comes from careful research and personal experience, but it's meant to inform and inspire, not to diagnose or treat any medical conditions. Your body is uniquely yours, and what works for one person might not work for another. Always consult your healthcare provider before making significant changes to your diet, exercise routine, or wellness practices, especially if you have underlying health conditions or take medications.

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