Today, we’re releasing the third and final video in our Unhack Your Brain miniseries.
Category: Mental Health
Defining Disconnection Syndrome
By: Austin Perlmutter, M.D.
As we enter the 2020s, we’re faced with a strange paradox. Despite widespread access to all the things that are supposed to make us happy, we’re lonely, anxious and depressed. We are separated from sustainable joy.
We call this state disconnection syndrome. Continue reading
Unhack Your Brain: Digital Detox
In the second episode of our Unhack Your Brain miniseries, Austin and I explore our modern relationship with technology and social media.
Certainly, the technological advancements of the past two decades have impacted all our lives for the better, from giving us access to information to better connecting us with loved ones near and far. But at what cost? Continue reading
Unhack Your Brain: Getting Back to Nature
Today, we’re releasing the first video in a three part series about unhacking your brain.
As you’ll discover in Brain Wash, getting back to nature is one of eight key ways we can work to break free of Disconnection Syndrome.
It just makes sense that nature exposure would be good for the brain and the body, right? Well, not only does it sound logical but the science says it is so. Austin and I were impressed to discover the volume of scientific literature supporting this benefits of nature exposure, and that’s why we’ve made it a critical part of our Brain Wash program.
Holiday Treats and Depression
It’s something we all do at the holidays, when we’re surrounded by gingerbread men, hot cocoa, fruitcakes, and chocolate candies. Faced with the choice of the sweet treat or healthier alternatives, we remind ourselves the holidays come but once a year, and we all fall into a sugar-laden trap. Continue reading
Internet Exposure and Your Brain
There seems to be and ever-rising level of concern these days regarding the potentially damaging effects of our increasing internet usage. While it is compelling to let anecdotes enter into the conversation, it’s always more meaningful to look at what the scientific literature is telling us. Continue reading
Health Benefits of Urban Nature Exposure
Most people have a sense that there is something intrinsically healthy about getting out into nature. Truthfully, there is certainly a lot of science that backs up that contention. Well-conducted scientific research demonstrates that there are significant immune-boosting benefits of nature exposure, alongside a lowering of blood pressure, improvement in mood, more rapid recovery from surgery, better sleep, and reduction of stress.
It is the stress consideration that seems to be getting a lot of attention as of late, perhaps as our world and day-to-day lives become more and more stressful. Related to this, researchers have been trying to develop ways of measuring stress, and in particular, its reduction as a result of nature exposure. In addition, there’s been quite a bit of new research trying to determine if there is any benefit to having a nature experience, particularly in an urban environment. Continue reading
Announcing Brain Wash
Look around and ask yourself, could things be better? We believe the answer is a resounding yes. And this is our ultimate goal in bringing out our new book, Brain Wash.
Brain Wash is a functional roadmap for understanding how so much of what characterizes our modern world influences our brains and, most importantly, our decision-making. From our modern diets to our lack of restorative sleep to our virtual addiction to our digital experiences, the trappings of modern times actually conspire to keep us unfulfilled, impulsive, and self-centered. Brain Wash begins by bringing these powerful influences into stark reality. We present a framework for appreciating the negative impact of these exposures, and then provide a set of practical interventions for reclaiming our brains and improving our physical and mental health. Continue reading
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Pesticide Exposure
While pinpointing the actual cause or causes of autism remains elusive, more and more research is indicating that environmental issues may play an important role. To be clear, there are certain genetic markers associated with risk for autism, but the continued increase in incidence of autism spectrum disorder argues clearly against this being a straightforward genetic issue. Likely, various environmental factors interplay with genetic predisposition and ultimately lead to the manifestation of what is diagnosed as representing autism spectrum disorder.
In this video, I review new research that draws an important association between pesticide and herbicide exposure and risk for autism spectrum disorder.
The Empowering Neurologist – David Perlmutter, MD, and Dr. Kelly Brogan
This episode of The Empowering Neurologist reviews the new book, Own Your Self by Dr. Kelly Brogan.
Continue reading
