A couple of years ago, my husband and I had the pleasure of attending a healthy brain seminar held by the great, Dr. Amen himself.

He thoroughly spoke about brain function and why it’s important.

He even included graphics of healthy vs unhealthy brain scans, and how his clinic as helped thousands of individuals.

Dr. Amen graciously introduced himself to each of us, and shook our hands. We saw him on TV and read his book “Change your Brain, Change Your Life“.

The seminar was so inspiring that immediately afterwards, I read, “Use your Brain to Change Your Age“.

The Amen clinics perform what are called “SPECT” scans. SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) scans looks at blood flow and activity patterns and are different than CAT scans and MRIs.

A SPECT scan is a type of nuclear imaging test, which means it uses a radioactive substance and a special camera to create 3-D pictures.

How does SPECT scan differ from an MRI or PET scan?

“A SPECT scan is similar to an MRI study in that both can show 3D images and “slices” of the brain. However, whereas MRI shows the physical anatomy or structure of the brain, SPECT shows how the brain works. PET, another nuclear imaging technique, is very similar to SPECT but is a more costly imagining technique. Both SPECT and PET scans show areas of the brain that are healthy, overactive, or underactive. MRI does not give any information on function. A newer version of MRI, functional MRI or “fMRI” is also capable of showing brain activity and is used extensively in scientific research on brain function. fMRI shows instantaneous neural activity to see how the brain responds to a specific stimulus.”

“With SPECT we see brain activity averaged over a few minutes so it is better at showing the brain doing everyday activities such concentrating, meditating, reading, etc. For both fMRI and PET, the images actually occur when a patient lies in the camera, which can be uncomfortable, noisy, and anxiety provoking. For SPECT, the image occurs when a patient is in the injection room, making the procedure more reliable and easier to do” as noted by Dr. Amen on his website.

The SPECT scans are not cheap and if you can’t afford one, there are ways to help your brain and overall health by adopting healthy lifestyle principles.

To find out more about SPECT brain Scans, watch the short video below.

The book “Use Your Brain to Change Your Age” is not written using difficult to understand “medical” jargon, which helps!

It’s an easy read and explains the importance of healthy eating, exercise, skin care, vitamins, blood tests, and healthy Vitamin D levels.

All of these combined factors can contribute to not only achieving a healthy brain, but living a healthy long life.

Use Your Brain To Change Your Age is a “One Stop Shopping” guide to longevity.

Fruits and veggies reduce inflammation. Inflammation leads to more pain and illness.

Stay Healthy During Stress and Grieving!

Dr. Amen says that eating proper food to nourish your body is critical during times of stress or grieving.

Dr. Amen says that getting physical exercise while grieving is important, as it helps withstand and heal emotional pain.

It’s also important to have a good cleansing cry when needed.

Finding a new hobby or learning something new is helpful too.

Dr. Amen says to “honor the memory of your loved one by taking care of your health and living a full, rich life of benevolence”.

Have YOU met Dr. Amen, seen him on TV, or read any of his brain books? Please share below!

You can purchase a copy of “Use Your Brain to Change Your Age” here!  It’s life changing!

TOPIC: One Stop Shopping For A Healthy Brain

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