Beauty and the Brain: Amen Clinics Research and Weight Loss Director, the Dynamic and Insightful Kristen Willeumier, Ph.D., Back With the Low Down on Improving Our Brains While Benefiting Our Looks!
We live in a looks obsessed society. Beauty is a multibillion dollar industry. Images, be they online, on television, in the movies or in magazines, fill our minds with visions of physical excellence seemingly beyond our grasp. And while looks garner a huge share of our attention, our brains – repositories of imagination, intellect and emotion – hardly get any attention at all.
There are, however, people dedicated to studying the brain and helping us improve brain function. One of those individuals is Kristen Willeumier, Ph.D., Research and Weight Loss Director at the renowned Amen Clinics in Southern California. I have had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Willeumieur on a number of occasions, on CYInterview, along with my colleague Chris Yandek.
Dr. Willeumieur is a neuroscientist who is able to take seemingly complicated concepts of brain chemistry and brain function and make them clear and understandable. That said, we thought we would pose to her some questions about improving the function of our brains while working at improving our looks.
You can listen to this insightful one hour CYInterview or read some of the highlights below:
Listen to the entire Kristen Willeumier CYInterview:
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We hear so much about diet and exercise being keys to helping us look both better and younger. What can diet and exercise do for our brains? Do good looking/functioning brains and good looks have something in common? This is what Dr. Willeumier told us:
“Diet can play a key role in reducing the inflammation, reducing free radical production, thereby enhancing our appearance. In addition, diet can help improve our mood, shrink our waistline, reduce the wrinkles on our face, improve things like our hair, our skin, our nails, can help reduce joint pain, can help enhance our digestion, improve our gut health and improve our immune system. So, all of these things are linked.”
Is there any evidence to show that a better functioning brain can actually improve our looks? Kristen shared this:
“Improving brain function through things like sudoku, crossword puzzles, new learning, can really help improve our looks because when we feel better about our memory and our cognitive ability, that sense of well being can help enhance our looks. I think one of the things that we can think about is when we do brain training games, we can also work on enhancing the circulation to the brain and circulation is also correlated with keeping good blood flow to the face. So again, that would be linked to maintaining your aesthetics and healthy glow.”
In addition to her research endeavors at the Amen Clinics, Dr. Willemuier leads the weight loss programs. Kristen shared with us some things we can all do to improve our brain function and overall health. Below is a partial list of her suggestions. Please listen to the entire CYInterview to get the full picture:
1. Do not forget to hydrate. Make sure to drink clean, pure water. You should drink half your bodyweight, in ounces each day.
2. Consume more sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. Consume good fats and coconut oil.
3. Take Vitamin D. Kristen says your Vitamin D levels should be between 60 to 80. Take 2000 international units a day.
4. Consume probiotics daily. Dr. Willeumier notes our gut is tied to our overall health and even the brain. She says probiotics help keep gut bacteria at proper levels.
5. Keep artificial sweeteners out of your diet and keep your sugar levels as low as possible. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
CYInterview Note: The above suggestions should not, in any way shape or form, be considered medical advice. Consult with your physician regarding your health regimen.
You can find more information about the Amen Clinics at their official website here.
You can find more information about Dr. Kristen Willeumier here
You can reach me with your questions and comments at Jay@CYinterview.com