BrainShape Podcast
167 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratingsHost Dr. Andrea Wilkinson has a PhD in Psychology, with a specialization in Cognitive Aging. She has been studying brain fitness and cognitive maintenance for over 15 years. The BrainShape Podcast discusses the hottest issues, topics, interests and concerns related to healthy aging and brain health for aging adults, older adults, seniors and baby boomers who want to learn about how to stay mentally and physically engaged for as long as possible. What are the tips and techniques that promote successful aging? How do I age well? How can I improve my brain health and memory? How can I protect my brain against disease and illness? What is brain plasticity? How does food, nutrition and fitness affect the aging brain? What lifestyle promotes healthy and successful aging? Welcome to the BrainShape Podcast where Dr. Andrea answers all of your questions and so much more! Week after week, Dr. Andrea cuts through the noise of an ever growing, ever changing world of brain health. She shares her expertise on healthy aging and has in-depth conversations with experts and knowledge leaders. On this podcast, we talk about everything that impacts healthy aging from fitness, brain food, nutrition, socializing, sleeping habits, mental stimulation, meditation, the downside of brain games, memory, cognition, family, travel, lifestyle, habits, retirement, volunteering and so much more! Dr. Andrea gives you actionable and tangible tips, tools and techniques backed-up by real scientific studies that will get you inspired and help you to keep your brain in shape. To stay in touch with all things BrainShape, you can check out www.BrainShape.ca and follow Dr. Andrea Wilkinson on social media @BrainShapeTO.
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Episodes
Episode 67: True Wellness for your Heart with guest Dr. Catherine Kurosu
June 16, 2020 04:30 - 44 minutes - 61.3 MBIn this episode, we are featuring our first-ever repeat guest! Dr. Catherine Kurosu is here again, but this time she’s talking about the integration of Western and Eastern medicine for optimal heart health. Specifically, she co-wrote the book True Wellness for your Heart to educate people about how the heart and blood vessels work, and how your daily choices can positively impact your cardiovascular health. Read the show notes: https://www.brainshape.ca/podcast/true-wellness-heart-catheri...
Episode 66: Time Off with guest Max Frenzel (Part 2)
June 09, 2020 04:30 - 35 minutes - 48.4 MBThis episode covers the conclusion of our two-part series on the importance of taking time off to facilitate quality output. High-quality time off is described as anything that gives you meaning. In this way, how you decide to spend your time off is very personal and will be unique to you. If you missed part 1, go back and listen to it before jumping into the conclusion. In this episode, we talk about the concept of time off and rest ethic by exploring creativity, artificial intelligence, an...
Episode 65: Time Off with guest John Fitch (Part 1)
June 02, 2020 04:30 - 48 minutes - 66.4 MBThis episode covers part one of a two-part series on the importance of taking time off and resting to enable you to show up as your best self. Rest ethic isn’t about scrolling social media or binge-watching your favourite show; it is about taking time to rest, recover, and reconnect with yourself, nature and the people around you in a meaningful way. By taking intentional time off, you can unlock your brain’s power and creativity.
Episode 64: Build Better Habits with guest Dr. Jaime Hope
May 26, 2020 04:30 - 37 minutes - 51.2 MBA healthy lifestyle includes sleeping well, managing stress, exercising, and eating healthy foods. Knowing what you need to do to be healthy is simple, but the execution is hard. There are many barriers to building healthy habits and showing up for yourself in a way that will keep you feeling vibrant and energized. Start by naming potential obstacles and make a contingency plan. Next, uncover your “why.” By connecting with the deep emotion behind your desire to build healthier habits, you wi...
Episode 63: StrongerU Senior Fitness with guest Emily Johnson
May 19, 2020 04:30 - 28 minutes - 39.1 MBThe importance of physical exercise to aging well cannot be overstated. The benefits of staying physically active as you age go beyond the physical realm and can include increased mood, elevated levels of happiness, & larger memory centres of the brain. Exercise also helps your heart become more efficient and better able to pump blood throughout your body. Tune in to learn more about the importance of physical movement with increasing age. Read the show notes: https://www.brainshape.ca/po...
Episode 62: Super Ager with guest Elise Marie Collins
May 12, 2020 04:30 - 34 minutes - 48 MBHealthy aging is multi-faceted and many contributing factors will not come as a surprise to you: exercise, eat healthy & nutritious foods, stay connected to your community, practice mindfulness & meditation, etc. This episode covers insights on healthy aging from a unique perspective: Ayurveda (the art of being). By practicing stillness and learning how to better connect with and listen to your body, you can tune into your inner knowledge and implement healthy lifestyle approaches that best ...
Episode 61: Perfectly Hidden Depression with guest Dr. Margaret Rutherford
May 05, 2020 04:30 - 52 minutes - 71.6 MBPerfectly hidden depression is a syndrome that presents as a group of characteristics, including perfectionism that is fueled by shame, difficulty expressing painful emotions, and sincere concern over the well-being of others, while allowing few into your inner world. People who are experiencing perfectly hidden depression often have an inability to relate with themselves and others on an emotional level and may feel empty or void of connection. Identifying, addressing, and managing perfectl...
Episode 60: Vibrant Aging with guest L.J. Rohan
April 28, 2020 04:30 - 40 minutes - 55.9 MBWhat comes to mind when you hear: “vibrant aging”? Aging vibrantly includes feeling a sense of well-being, living a quality life and expressing a sense of personal fulfillment. Vibrant aging is also tied to your health, so your lifestyle choices impact it. What you eat, how much you exercise, and how stressed you feel affects various health outcomes (e.g., telomere length and inflammation). Tune in to learn more about how to age vibrantly and the different lifestyle behaviours that impact ov...
Episode 59: Boost your Brain Health with guest Dr. Sabina Brennan
April 21, 2020 04:30 - 1 hour - 96.5 MBYour brain is a dynamic and adaptable organ. In this episode, we will cover how to keep your brain in good shape, maximize your memory and boost your brain health. We will be doing a deep dive into the role that various lifestyle factors – including sleep, stress and exercise – play in the health of your brain. Tune in to learn how to optimize your everyday brain performance and hold onto essential functions like memory into old age. Read the show notes: https://www.brainshape.ca/podcast/...
Episode 58: Creativity and the Brain with guest Dr. Rex Jung
April 14, 2020 04:30 - 30 minutes - 42.2 MBCreativity is defined as something that is both novel and useful. Research shows a quieting of the frontal lobes - your brain's "checking" functions - during creative output, which allows for new, more outside of the box, thinking. Interestingly, the frontal lobes of the brain naturally undergo age-related changes. So, if you are a listener who is over the age of 60 - you may be living at a creative advantage! To learn more about creativity and the brain, be sure to tune in. Read the show ...
Episode 57: Love, life, and relationships with guest Dr. Karin Anderson Abrell
April 07, 2020 04:30 - 42 minutes - 57.8 MBRelationships and love are fundamental to your identity. Regardless of whether you are currently in a relationship, single or somewhere in between – you can learn a lot by examining how you connect (and don’t connect) with those around you. For example, family dynamics play a prominent role in identity, emotional wellness, and self-esteem. This influence impacts every relationship you have, with – yourself, friends, work colleagues, and romantic partners. Tune in to learn more about love, li...
Episode 56: Peak Brain Performance with guest Dr. Andrew Hill
March 31, 2020 04:30 - 53 minutes - 73.3 MBYour brain changes all of the time. Throughout your entire life your brain adapts in response to your experiences and the environment. There is an infinite number of ways that your brain can rewire itself, but it is up to you and how you spend your time (e.g., novelty seeking, working through challenges) that will have a direct impact on how your brain is wired and functions. Tune in to learn about your brain’s unique ability to change itself and approaches you can use to optimize your brain...
Episode 55: Understanding Dementia with guest Angela Gentile
March 24, 2020 04:30 - 35 minutes - 49.4 MBDementia is not a normal part of aging. Dementia (an umbrella term) is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that is characterized by various cognitive symptoms, including declines in memory, difficulty with language, communication challenges, and issues with problem solving. This episode covers insights about dementia and the many challenges faced by caregivers of loved ones with dementia. If you are currently caregiving for someone with dementia, listen to this episode for valuable resources ...
Episode 54: Spark Joy with guest Dr. Jacqueline Thea
March 17, 2020 04:30 - 28 minutes - 39.6 MBWe could all use an additional spark of joy in our lives. With increasing age, there can be loss, but turning grief into joy is possible. We all have a spirit of joy deep inside that wants to wake up and grant our true heart’s desire. Our guest, Dr. Jacqueline Thea, calls this spirit your fairy grandmother within. Transform grief, find hope, and stir healing. Read the show notes: https://www.brainshape.ca/podcast/spark-joy-jacqueline-thea Visit our website: https://www.BrainShape.ca/...
Episode 53: "Happy 1-year Anniversary, BrainShape Podcast" with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson
March 10, 2020 04:30 - 39 minutes - 54.6 MBHappy 1-year Anniversary, BrainShape Podcast! In this episode, we celebrate being on the air for one whole year by sharing some of Dr. Andrea Wilkinson’s favourite moments. If you are enjoying the content covered in this podcast, please help us grow the show by sharing it with your network and by subscribing, rating and reviewing the podcast on Apple Podcast. We couldn’t have asked for a better first year and we are so excited to see what the future has in store. Will you be joining us on th...
Episode 52: Beat Depression to Stay Healthier with guest Dr. Gary Moak
March 03, 2020 05:30 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MBDepression in older age is a specific mental health condition that warrants further discussion. We live in a youth-oriented society that sends incorrect messages about aging and how one should feel during the aging process. The misconception that getting old is bad, gloomy and depressing is damaging for a multitude of reasons, but one particular damaging impact is the under diagnosis of clinical depression in this population. Depression is a tremendous source of suffering, disability, and po...
Episode 51: True Wellness with guest Dr. Catherine Kurosu (Part 2)
February 25, 2020 05:30 - 19 minutes - 26.9 MBThis episode concludes our two-part series on how to combine the best of Western and Eastern medicine for optimal health. Our guest, Dr. Catherine Kurosu, trained as an acupuncturist and subsequently integrated this modality into her medical practice. Hoping to raise awareness of the benefits of this approach to well-being, she has co-authored a series of books called “True Wellness.” This episode covers part 2 (conclusion) and we’ll be talking about how sleep and stress impact the health of...
Episode 50: True Wellness with guest Dr. Catherine Kurosu (Part 1)
February 18, 2020 05:30 - 44 minutes - 60.5 MBThe next two episodes will be a series that covers the topic of how to combine the best of Western & Eastern medicine for optimal health. Specifically, you'll learn how your everyday choices (e.g., exercise, nutrition, & stress management) impact your health & wellness, & the important roles sleep & stress play in how your brain functions. This episode covers part 1 where you’ll be introduced to our guest Dr. Kurosu & learn how different lifestyle behaviours impact health & what you can do a...
Episode 49: Music & the Brain with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson
February 11, 2020 05:30 - 28 minutes - 39.7 MBMusic is incredibly powerful. Some songs – when played – can open up a floodgate of memories & emotions. To help us learn about music & the brain, this episode features a book called, “This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession” by Dr. Daniel J. Levitin. Using quotes from Dr. Levitin’s book, this episode covers how your brain perceives & interprets music. Other topics discussed include why music is so powerful to our human experience & the unique ways it gets embedded into...
Episode 48: Exercise & the Hippocampus with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson
February 04, 2020 05:30 - 26 minutes - 36.7 MBAs you age, your brain undergoes normal structural and functional changes. One of these changes includes shrinkage of your hippocampus – your brain’s memory centre. Specifically, research shows that – on average, as you age - your hippocampus shrinks around 1-2% per year. But, there are lifestyle behaviours that can help protect your brain against normal age-related changes. Exercise has been shown to benefit the brain in many ways. For one, physical exercise has been shown to increase the s...
Episode 47: Midlife in Full Color with guest Mary Webb
January 28, 2020 05:30 - 29 minutes - 41.2 MBWomen in midlife have a tremendous amount of value, knowledge and inspiration to share. But, it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there and be your true, authentic and magnificent self. In this episode, we talk to a 50+ year-old blogger on a journey of self-discovery and a mission to help other women connect with themselves to live a fierce and vibrant life. Read the show notes: https://www.brainshape.ca/podcast/midlife-in-full-color-mary-webb Visit our website: https://www.Brai...
Episode 46: Sleep, Aging, and Cognition with guest Dr. Ashley Curtis
January 21, 2020 05:30 - 34 minutes - 47.6 MBGood sleep is essential for the health of your brain. The quality of your sleep is directly related to how well or how poorly your brain functions. During sleep, you consolidate memories and wash away the waste your brain produces during the day while it is hard at work. But the reality is that a lot of people have trouble getting good quality sleep. Specifically, as people get older, they report having a harder time falling asleep and staying asleep. Tune in to learn more about sleep, cogni...
Episode 45: Exercise for Health with guest Juliette Norman
January 14, 2020 05:30 - 43 minutes - 59.2 MBEven short bouts of inactivity can have a surprisingly negative impact on your health. Being physically inactive can accelerate the onset of chronic musculoskeletal conditions, as well as increase your risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. To learn more about the link between sedentary behaviour & disease, and how to boost your physical activity levels in your everyday life, be sure to tune in!
Episode 44: Comfort Zone with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson
January 07, 2020 05:30 - 21 minutes - 28.9 MBThe new year is upon us – but, instead of talking about new year’s resolutions, I want to talk about the importance of “getting out of your comfort zone.” All of the magic happens in the discomfort of trying something new and not knowing the outcome. Discomfort is where you get to grow and expand as an individual. Making the decision to challenge yourself is not easy. It goes against your natural instinct to seek safety and security; but, when you push past discomfort, you will quickly see h...
Episode 43: Goal Setting for 2020 with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson
December 31, 2019 05:30 - 24 minutes - 33.9 MBHappy New Year's Eve!! The start of a new decade, and the year 2020, is just around the corner. You want to make the most out of the upcoming year, so let's talk about goal setting. To help guide you through planning out and implementing your goals for 2020 and beyond, I'm sharing a FREE TOOL to help you create SMART goals. To learn my personal goal-setting process and to access your FREE Brain Boosting Starter Kit, be sure to tune in! Read the show notes: https://www.brainshape.ca/pod...
Episode 42: Laughter with guest Lynda Del Grande
December 24, 2019 05:30 - 29 minutes - 40.4 MBLaughter is a powerful tool that can have a tremendous impact on your health. Humour and laughter aids in the promotion of cognitive and physical health, helps protect against disease, decreases stress, helps to improve quality of life, and can even boost your immune system. In this episode, we're talking with Lynda Del Grande about an incredible program: "Caring Clown." This program helps to spread laughter and joy to people with moderate to advanced stages of dementia who are living in lon...
Episode 41: Pathways to Aging Well with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson
December 17, 2019 05:30 - 42 minutes - 58.8 MBListen to Dr. Andrea Wilkinson’s talk at the Canadian Federation of University Women’s November Speaker Series on Pathways to Aging Well (2019). In this talk, Dr. Wilkinson highlights the importance of lifestyle modifications for optimizing brain health and cognition as you age. Specifically, she covers the science behind the four key pillars of brain health (physical fitness, food & nutrition, socializing, as well as mental considerations - including sleep, stress management and mental chal...
Episode 40: Creative Living with guest Diana Todd-Banks
December 10, 2019 05:30 - 53 minutes - 73.1 MBYou want to live an energized and productive life. Many of you are currently embarked on a path where you are using your skills, interests and passions to make an impact. Retirement can be one of the most fulfilling and exciting phases of a person’s life. “Many adults over the age of 60, 70 and beyond are re-writing the meaning of aging and what modern aging means today and going forward.” Today’s guest, Diana Todd-Banks talks about redefining and mastering the second phase of life. Read t...
Episode 39: Grief with guest Dr. Olga Lavalle
December 03, 2019 05:30 - 29 minutes - 40.3 MBGrief is a natural response to loss. Although many assume it is primarily an emotional reaction, grief includes many different dimensions, including cognitive, physical, behavioural and spiritual responses. The experience of loss can be overwhelming, and coping with it – at first – may seem impossible; but, there is a way to live with your grief. In this episode, we’re talking with Dr. Olga Lavalle - a Clinical Psychologist on the east Coast of Australia. Dr. Lavalle understands grief from t...
Episode 38: Elderhood with guest Dr. Louise Aronson
November 26, 2019 05:30 - 42 minutes - 58.4 MBElderhood has been praised as a “monumental book about growing old in America--with powerful arguments and revolutionary conclusions that will challenge your assumptions and open your mind about aging.” In this episode, we’re talking to Dr. Louise Aronson about her New York Times bestselling book - Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, and Reimagining Life. Dr. Aronson is a leading geriatrician, writer, educator, and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Fr...
Episode 37: Dementia & Caregiving with guest Rosemary Laberee
November 19, 2019 05:30 - 30 minutes - 41.8 MBThe challenge of providing care for a loved one as they progress through dementia has often been overlooked by our healthcare system. Changes in mental functions, physical mobility, and care needs are constantly shifting. The demands on the caregiver are often being juggled along with them trying to manage their own lives, careers, and homes. Today we're talking with Rosemary Laberee, author of "Mondays with Myrtle" – a book about Rosemary's personal experience with her mother's dementia an...
Episode 36: Brain Fitness with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson
November 12, 2019 05:30 - 36 minutes - 49.8 MBBrain fitness is similar to physical fitness, but instead of exercising your body you are strengthening your mind. In this episode, we’re talking about how engaging in consistent mental effort activates different parts of your brain and how this ultimately affects your cognition (e.g., memory). To help us better understand how an engaging lifestyle can delay cognitive aging and change your brain, I’ll be sharing the research and work of Dr. Denise Park – Director of the Park Aging Mind Labor...
Episode 35: Prosociality and Aging with guest Dr. Julia Spaniol
November 05, 2019 05:30 - 37 minutes - 51.9 MBMany of us believe that helping others is a virtue. We want to contribute to our communities and give back to society through, for example, volunteering, helping our neighbours, and making charitable donations. This episode covers how prosocial behaviour changes with age and takes a more in-depth look at what motivates these specific types of behaviours. Are older adults more prone to prosocial behaviour than younger adults? Tune in to find out! Read the show notes: https://www.brainshape...
Episode 34: Aging Evolved with guest Guiselle Miranda
October 29, 2019 04:30 - 27 minutes - 38.3 MBStaying independent and living in your home is of utmost importance to you. In line with this goal, you must create a home environment that supports any changes to your physical mobility, flexibility, and balance as you age. Small modifications to your living environment can have a tremendous impact on creating a space that you can safely grow older in for years to come. In this episode, we’re talking with one of the founders of “Aging Evolved.” Their mission is to elevate the concept of ag...
Episode 33: The Psychology of Shame with guest Dr. Shawn Horn
October 22, 2019 04:30 - 49 minutes - 68.1 MBWhat is your initial reaction when you hear the word “SHAME”? How does that word make you feel? For many of us, “shame” is a bad word, and we would rather avoid it than talk about it. In this episode, Dr. Shawn Horn enlightens us about a different way to approach shame. Instead of cowering away from shame, she instead invites us to approach it with curiosity. She teaches us about the differences between healthy and unhealthy shame and how the latter is a core root of many of our emotional an...
Episode 32: Lifestyle & Brain Health with guest Dr. Mylea Charvat (Part 3)
October 15, 2019 04:30 - 18 minutes - 25 MBThis episode concludes our three-part series on the impact of lifestyle factors on the health of your brain, your cognition (or mental functions) and the development of dementia. Specifically, this 3-part series covers the impact of sleep, exercise, staying socially engaged and your diet on the development of dementia and the health of your brain. Our guest, Dr. Mylea Charvat, is the founder and CEO of Savonix - a digital cognitive assessment company. This episode covers part 3 (conclusion) ...
Episode 31: Lifestyle & Brain Health with guest Dr. Mylea Charvat (Part 2)
October 08, 2019 04:30 - 35 minutes - 48.7 MBThe last episode (#30) covered part 1 of a three-part series on the impact of lifestyle factors on the health of your brain, your cognition (or mental functions), and the development of dementia. If you missed last week’s episode, I suggest you go back and listen to it first, before jumping into this episode. Specifically, this 3-part series covers the impact of lifestyle factors, including sleep, exercise, staying socially engaged and your diet, on the development of dementia and the health...
Episode 30: Lifestyle & Brain Health with guest Dr. Mylea Charvat
October 01, 2019 04:30 - 25 minutes - 35.2 MBThis episode covers part 1 of a three-part series on the impact of lifestyle factors on the health of your brain, your cognition (or mental functions) and the development of dementia. Specifically, we’ll be talking about 4 lifestyle factors that impact the health of your brain: sleep, exercise, staying socially engaged, and your diet. Our guest, Dr. Mylea Charvat, is the founder and CEO of Savonix - a digital cognitive assessment company. This episode covers part 1 of this three-part series...
Episode 29: Alternative Ageing with Suzi Grant
September 24, 2019 04:30 - 37 minutes - 51.3 MBHave you ever wanted to explore a new career path post retirement? Do you have interests from when you were younger that you never got to fully realize, and you always wondered “what if”? In this episode, we’re talking about alternative approaches to aging with Suzi Grant - an author, broadcaster & founder of “Alternative Ageing" (a successful blog for the over 50s). After a career in TV, radio and writing health books, Suzi retired at 60. By 65 she had started a blog to help spread her po...
Episode 28: The Benefits of Weightlifting for Seniors with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson (Part 2)
September 17, 2019 04:30 - 17 minutes - 23.6 MBThis is the conclusion of our two-part series on the benefits of weightlifting for seniors. If you missed last week’s episode, I strongly suggest that you go back and listen to the two part series in order, starting with episode #27. The content covered in this series (episodes #27 and #28) comes from an excellent article titled the “78 Science Backed Benefits of Weightlifting for Seniors” written by Nicholas Rizzo and published on RunRepeat.com. In this episode, we will cover part 2 of th...
Episode 27: The Benefits of Weightlifting for Seniors with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson (Part 1)
September 10, 2019 04:30 - 17 minutes - 24 MBIn the next two episodes (#27 and #28), we will cover the topic of the benefits of weightlifting on various components of healthy aging. The content covered is from an excellent article entitled the “78 Science Backed Benefits of Weightlifting for Seniors” written by Nicholas Rizzo and published on RunRepeat.com In this episode, we will cover part one of this 2-part series. Specifically, we’re discussing the benefits of weightlifting for seniors when it comes to reducing age-related muscle...
Episode 26: Stress and the Brain with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson
September 03, 2019 04:30 - 23 minutes - 31.8 MBStress is a regular part of life. As humans, our stress response evolved as a survival mechanism giving us the physical strength and mental agility to deal with a life-threatening situation (such as a predator); but, in our current day life, humans feel stressed by many non-life-threatening situations. Even though stress, in the short-term, serves a purpose (e.g., by improving performance); chronic or consistent stress can have a damaging effect on your brain and your body. In today’s episod...
Episode 25: Memory with Dr. Andrea Wilkinson
August 27, 2019 04:30 - 26 minutes - 36.2 MBYour memories help make you who you are. Although the hippocampus is crucial for memory formation, memories are not stored in one specific area of the brain. In fact, strong memories often include sights, sounds, smells, and emotions. So, emotionally powerful memories will link many different areas of the brain together. In this episode we’re talking about all about memory – the different types of memories that you have, how memories are formed and three tips you can use to help boost your m...
Episode 24: The Gut-Brain Connection with guest Doug Cook, RDN
August 20, 2019 04:30 - 30 minutes - 42.4 MBYour gut and your brain are inextricably linked. What you eat and drink affects your body, your brain, your mood, and your risk of disease. Your brain and your gut are physically connected via the spine and your vagus nerve – but, your gut and your brain are also in constant and regular communication. Did you know that 80-90% of your body’s serotonin (the chemical responsible for impacting anxiety, happiness and mood) is made in your gut? Serotonin not only impacts mood, but also plays a rol...
Episode 23: Age like a Goddess with guest Ann Gentry
August 13, 2019 04:30 - 35 minutes - 48.6 MBWe’ve talked about it before and we will talk about it again – eating to help support brain health is fundamental. There is no magic bullet, no one food or single vitamin to target – in fact, variety is the key to nourishing your brain. In this episode, we’re talking with Ann Gentry – the founder of "Age like a Goddess: Life-enriching Cooking and Coaching." When Ann Gentry set out to revolutionize the world with a plant-based cuisine, people told her she was crazy. Twenty-five years later, p...
Episode 22: Happy Brain Chemicals with Dr. Loretta Breuning (Part 3)
August 06, 2019 04:30 - 28 minutes - 38.7 MBWelcome to the conclusion of our three-part series on happy brain chemicals with Dr. Loretta Breuning. If you missed the last two weeks of the podcast, I strongly suggest that you go back and listen to the three-part series in order, starting with episode #20. In today’s episode, we’ll be taking a deeper dive into the content covered in some of Dr. Breuning’s books, including Habits of a Happy Brain, Tame your Anxiety and the Science of Positivity. We’ll also touch on her podcast: The Happy ...
Episode 21: Happy Brain Chemicals with Dr. Loretta Breuning (Part 2)
July 30, 2019 04:30 - 23 minutes - 32.6 MBWelcome to Part 2 of our three-part series on happy brain chemicals: dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins. In this series, we're covering how your happy brain chemicals work and how your everyday actions impact their flow. If you missed last week’s episode (#20), I suggest you go back and listen to it first, before jumping into this episode. Here, we will specifically be talking about oxytocin (your brain’s love chemical) and endorphin (your brain’s pain masking chemical). Dr. Breu...
Episode 20: Happy Brain Chemicals with Dr. Loretta Breuning (Part 1)
July 23, 2019 04:30 - 25 minutes - 35.3 MBIn the next three episodes (three-part series), we will cover the topic of happy brain chemicals: dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin and endorphins. We will cover how they work and how your everyday actions impact their flow. Our guest Dr. Loretta Breuning, Founder of the Inner Mammal Institute, helps people manage the ups and downs of their mammal brain. She is also a professor emerita of management at California State University East Bay and the author of eight books, including "Habits of a H...
Episode 19: The Benefits of Physical Exercise & How to Stay Active
July 16, 2019 04:30 - 17 minutes - 24.1 MBPhysical exercise is good for your body and your brain. In this episode, we'll be talking about the benefits of regular exercise and different ways you can get your body moving. The content from this episode was originally a guest blog post written by Jackie Cotton – a physiotherapist. Jackie has worked both in rehabilitation hospitals and in the community, helping people with neurological conditions (e.g., stroke, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease), musculoskeletal problems, and individuals...
Episode 18: The Top 6 Secrets to Forming Healthy Habits
July 09, 2019 04:30 - 49 minutes - 67.8 MBOur mission at BrainShape is to share brain health research and inspiration with adults aged 60+ to help them build their own brain health journey. We can talk about the 4 key pillars of brain health: physical fitness, food & nutrition, socializing and mental consideration (such as sleep, mental exercise, and stress management) – but, habit formation is a foundational component that will help you navigate living the brain healthy life that you deserve. On this episode of the BrainShape Podca...