Brain Health Matters

Send us Fan Mail

Taylor Chastain Griffin joined Kate Kunkel on Brain Health Matters to explore the many ways that animals can help us improve body, mind, and spirit.

Taylor is Executive Director of the Association for Animal-Assisted Intervention Professionals. With her doctorate in research psychology focusing on the human-animal bond, Taylor is passionate about bolstering pet therapy with empirical investigation. Taylor is also a dog trainer and a registered handler with Pet Partners. Taylor is based in Georgia where her family includes 9 dogs and 3 cats.

Some of the highlights of the show:
3:09  What Animal-related engagement can tell us about ourselves
6:26  How animal-assisted therapy can help stave off dementia
8:26   Kittens can change your life!
12:13 Once someone is already suffering cognitive decline, animal-therapy can be a Godsend
15:20 Live-in therapy animals for assisted living and nursing homes
17:29 Improving children's mental health
18:45 A vision of a beautiful world with animal therapy in schools
20:52 You can get involved!

The organizations Taylor mentioned are:

Pet Partners:  https://petpartners.org/
AAAIP: https://petpartners.org/learn/aat-professionals/


If you prefer to watch Brain Health Matters on YouTube, visit Brain Health Matters Today.

Join us for connection, information, and support in building a better brain and a healthier future in our Facebook group.

Start your Brain Health Journey with Five Easy Things you can do Right Now to Improve Your Brain https://harplady.lpages.co/five-steps-to-a-better-brain/

To learn even more about the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet for a healthier brain, check out Kate’s books, "Don't Let the Memories Fade", "The Vegan Brain" and "The Musical Brain"

Check out the Brain Health Matters BLOG for many more ways to improve your brain and your life!

Send us Fan Mail

Let us count the ways that sugar can disrupt your health and your brain.

In a study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s, 1000 seniors who were studied. Those with the highest intake of carbos and processed foods and sugars were 89% more likely to have cognitive decline. The more sugar they ate, the higher their likelihood of developing dementia. Those who ate the lowest amount of sugar and highest amount of healthy fats had a REDUCTION in likelihood of developing dementia.

That's why I invited Registered Dietician Becky Bell to join me on Brain Health Matters in a highly enlightening conversation that demonstrated how insulin resistance and sugar addiction can cause problems with your body and your mental facilities.

Here are a few snippets of what you'll learn:

7:30 - How sugar spikes mess with your insulin levels
8:34 - How insulin resistance develops
10:58 - Tips for getting rid of sugar from your diet and your life
12:09 - What about fruit?
13:45 - Sneaky sources of sugar
18:07 - The effects of sugar and artificial sweeteners on the gut microbiome
20:12 - Going cold turkey
24:04 - Stress and blood sugar

Connect with Becky Bell on Instagram at Rooted.Dieticians  https://www.instagram.com/rooted.dietitians/
Becky's website is RootedNutritionTherapies.com   https://www.rootednutritiontherapies.com/

Kate Kunkel is an Amen Licensed Brain Trainer and Certified Brain Health Professional, sound therapist, and vegan nutritionist. She coaches midlife and older clients to improve brain function that is compromised due to head trauma, diabetes, obesity, or early cognitive decline. 

We are not stuck with the brains we have, and Kate helps you make yours the best that it can be. With this podcast and a series of courses, programs, and books, Kate shares proven techniques and tools to help you create a healthier, more vibrant future free of worries about dementia or other neurodegenerative diseases.

You can listen to the episode on your favorite podcast service or Buzzsprout here: https://brainhealthmatters.buzzsprout.com/

Learn much more about using music for a healthier brain with Kate’s book: Don't Let the Memories Fade https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Let-Memories-Fade-Preventing-ebook/dp/B08GBR1Z37

To become part of a community that helps you stay on track and committed to nurturing a healthier brain, join the Boost Your Brain and Prevent Dementia Facebook Group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/preventdementiaandalzheimers


If you prefer to listen to this episode, remember, this, and many more Brain Health Matters episodes are available on all podcast services. Find the show on your favorite service here: https://brainhealthmatters.today/podcasts/

Start your Brain Health Journey with Five Easy Things you can do Right Now to Improve Your Brain https://harplady.lpages.co/five-steps-to-a-better-brain/

To learn even more about the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet for a healthier brain, check out Kate’s books, "Don't Let the Memories Fade", "The Vegan Brain" and "The Musical Brain"

Check out the Brain Health Matters BLOG for many more ways to improve your brain and your life!

Send us Fan Mail

Dr. Larry Rosen is Past Chair and Professor of Psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He is a research psychologist with specialties in generational differences, parenting, child and adolescent development, and educational psychology, and is recognized as an international expert in the Psychology of Technology.

He is co-author with Adam Gazzaley of “The Distracted Mind: Ancient Brains in a High-Tech World 
https://www.amazon.com/Distracted-Mind-Ancient-Brains-High-Tech/dp/0262034948/ 

In this candid interview with Kate Kunkel, Dr. Rosen explains what obsession with devices does to our brains, and how anxiety and other mental health issues can be exacerbated with overuse. 

Plus – what effect does technology have on developing brains and how can we use it without losing our ability to communicate and make good decisions?

Some highlights from this show;

2:32 What happens in the brains of kids who use technology to excess
4:42  Parents need to set limits on technology
7:44 Is multitasking possible or is it task switching? And what does that do to the brain?
12:11 Did technology make things easier -  or not?
18:34 Why we make poor decisions when we are young
27:37 Suggestions on ways to live kindly with technology

Learn more about Dr. Rosen's work at: http://drlarryrosen.com/

Kate Kunkel is an Amen Licensed Brain Trainer, sound therapist, and vegan nutritionist. She coaches midlife and older clients to improve brain function that is compromised due to head trauma, diabetes, obesity, or early cognitive decline. 

We are not stuck with the brains we have, and Kate helps you make yours the best that it can be. With this podcast and a series of courses, programs, and books, Kate shares proven techniques and tools to help you create a healthier, more vibrant future free of worries about dementia or other neurodegenerative diseases.

Learn much more about using music for a healthier brain with Kate’s book: Don't Let the Memories Fade https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Let-Memories-Fade-Preventing-ebook/dp/B08GBR1Z37/

To become part of a community that helps you stay on track and committed to nurturing a healthier brain, join the Boost Your Brain and Prevent Dementia Facebook Group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/preventdementiaandalzheimers

If you prefer to listen to this episode, remember, this, and many more Brain Health Matters episodes are available on all podcast services. Find the show on your favorite service here: https://brainhealthmatters.today/podcasts

If you prefer to watch this episode on video, this, and all Brain Health Matters episodes are available on Videos – Brain Health Matters

Meet Kate at: https://brainhealthmatters.today

Start your Brain Health Journey with Five Easy Things you can do Right Now to Improve Your Brain https://harplady.lpages.co/five-steps-to-a-better-brain/

To learn even more about the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet for a healthier brain, check out Kate’s books, "Don't Let the Memories Fade", "The Vegan Brain" and "The Musical Brain"

Check out the Brain Health Matters BLOG for many more ways to improve your brain and your life!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Kate interviews Ariel Jarvis, a Natural Health Practitioner located in British Columbia, Canada. 

Ariel's passion to help people has led her to persist through the education required to discover the most effective ways to see life-changing results with natural health options. Her specialty is in cellular rehabilitation & gut health. She also has a passion for the deaf and is one of very few health care workers fluent in ASL and committed to making a difference in that community!

 Today, we're talking about sleep, gut health and... water.  When you hear this episode, you'll be thinking a lot about the quality and quantity of the water you drink each day!

2:40 Understanding the cycles of sleep and how long it takes to clean out the detritus of living

4:09 What happens if you don’t get restorative sleep?

5:29 The Four Pillars of Health to produce a healthy ecosystem – Water, Sleep, Food and Herbs are Medicine, Exercise and Stress Management

6:26 What is structured water?

10:09 Sleep hygiene and parasites

20:30  Feeding the neurotransmitters in the brain

22:36  The one thing you must do to have a healthy brain 

Connect with Ariel on her website at https://vitalitywc.com/

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vitality_wellness_/

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vitalityHW/

Kate Kunkel is an Amen Licensed Brain Trainer, sound therapist and vegan nutritionist. She coaches midlife and older clients to improve brain function that is compromised due to head trauma, diabetes, obesity, or early cognitive decline.  

We are not stuck with the brains we have, and Kate helps you make yours the best that it can be. With this podcast and a series of courses, programs, and books, Kate shares proven techniques and tools to help you create a healthier, more vibrant future free of worries about dementia or other neurodegenerative diseases.

Connect with Kate on the website:  https://brainhealthmatters.today
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrainHealthMattersToday
On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dementiapreventionspecialist/

To learn many more ways to use music, nutrition, exercise, and mindfulness to build a healthier brain and a more robust memory, read Don't Let the Memories Fade, a Holistic Approach to Preventing Dementia and Creating a Healthier, More Vibrant Future

If you are looking for more ways to improve your sleep, check out an earlier episode of Brain Health Matters in which hypnotherapist Randi Light shared a beautiful practice to help improve your sleep naturally. 
 

Start your Brain Health Journey with Five Easy Things you can do Right Now to Improve Your Brain https://harplady.lpages.co/five-steps-to-a-better-brain/

To learn even more about the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet for a healthier brain, check out Kate’s books, "Don't Let the Memories Fade", "The Vegan Brain" and "The Musical Brain"

Check out the Brain Health Matters BLOG for many more ways to improve your brain and your life!

Send us Fan Mail

Allison Davies is a music for the brain specialist who creates online resources for parents and educators. She works with schools to deliver professional development around the topics of childhood brain development and the use of music to support brain function  and reduce anxiety for children and their parents.
As a person with autism herself, Allison understands the challenges of being neurodivergent, and does powerful work to help parents work with their children to embrace and appreciate differences while working to enhance cognitive development.

Highpoints of her interview with Kate Kunkel on Brain Health Matters:

At 4:48 – what happens to our brains when we listen to or even THINK about music
At 6:07 – why Allison considers neurologic music therapy the “atheism” of music therapy
At 7:48 – how working to change society’s interpretation of cognitive health is the way to lessen trauma and nurture children to develop healthier brains no matter their neurological state
At 12:32 – using music as a tool to make the brain feel safe
Contact Allison at https://www.allisondavies.com.au/
Allison is also available on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/allisondavies.com.au/
and Instagram at
https://www.instagram.com/allisondavies_musicandthebrain/
Learn much more about using music for a healthier brain with Kate’s latest book, “The Musical Brain” https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Q2FTWB9

Start your Brain Health Journey with Five Easy Things you can do Right Now to Improve Your Brain https://harplady.lpages.co/five-steps-to-a-better-brain/

To learn even more about the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet for a healthier brain, check out Kate’s books, "Don't Let the Memories Fade", "The Vegan Brain" and "The Musical Brain"

Check out the Brain Health Matters BLOG for many more ways to improve your brain and your life!

Send us Fan Mail

Lois Hollis suffered years of physical abuse and emotional trauma, which consequently left her with debilitating pain, crippling migraines and severe anxiety and depression.

But a chance encounter led her to unlocking the prison of her past.
Understanding that one emotion was holding her captive allowed Lois to be free of her past.

As Lois said: "Shameguilt has only one defect: It dissolves in Detection."

Once you understand it and pull back the curtain on shameguilt, you can also become healthier and happier.  

 Learn more about Lois here: https://www.loishollis.com/
Lois's film is https://www.imgoodfilm.com/

To learn more about Kate Kunkel's work helping you improve mental, physical and brain health, visit https://brainhealthmatters.today

For many fun and easy ways to help you overcome trauma and improve your own health and your brain, get The Musical Brain and Improve Memory, Sharpen Focus, and Master Your Mind with the Healing Power of Music. 

Start your Brain Health Journey with Five Easy Things you can do Right Now to Improve Your Brain https://harplady.lpages.co/five-steps-to-a-better-brain/

To learn even more about the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet for a healthier brain, check out Kate’s books, "Don't Let the Memories Fade", "The Vegan Brain" and "The Musical Brain"

Check out the Brain Health Matters BLOG for many more ways to improve your brain and your life!

Send us Fan Mail

Good, Good, Good, Good Vibrations. (Gotcha singing?)

We are all vibrating all of the time. Everything is in a state of vibration all of the time. When something with a negative vibration intersects with our vibration, we feel bad. That can be anger, fear, hate.... those emotions emit a vibration just as much as a jet engine over our head or a boom box disrupting a quiet morning on the beach. (I speak from experience here.)

On the other hand, positive feelings like joy, appreciation, and passion vibrate at high frequencies. These high frequency vibrations make us feel good, and that’s why we call them “good vibrations”. 

We can also create these good vibrations with music, and it doesn’t mean you have to be “good” at creating music. Just be yourself.

Today, on Brain Health Matters, with special guest Diane Annie Mathias, you’ll learn how to capture and utilize the vibration-raising power of music and sound and silence to become healthier and happier.

With respect to silence, Annie says, “Being a part of the whole, in the silence, is a powerful place to be.”

This is one of the most powerful and beautiful episodes we've ever done on Brain Health Matters. Be sure to join us.

Join Annie in one of her groups or watch one of her videos by going to her website at: https://uncoveringwonder.org/

To learn more about the many other ways you can utilize music to heal body, mind and spirit (and your brain), purchase The Musical Brain, Kate Kunkel's newest book. It is available on Amazon everywhere.  https://www.amazon.com/Musical-Brain-Improve-Sharpen-Healing-ebook/dp/B09Q2FTWB9

Start your Brain Health Journey with Five Easy Things you can do Right Now to Improve Your Brain https://harplady.lpages.co/five-steps-to-a-better-brain/

To learn even more about the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet for a healthier brain, check out Kate’s books, "Don't Let the Memories Fade", "The Vegan Brain" and "The Musical Brain"

Check out the Brain Health Matters BLOG for many more ways to improve your brain and your life!

Send us Fan Mail

Have you ever heard of The Resurrection Code? Once you learn what it is, you'll be incorporating it into your life as Del Hungerford has!

 And... what if your music was based on a frequency that is more in tune with your body and the earth than the 440 hz. that we're most familiar with?

Del Hungerford is a professional clarinetist and music educator, but beyond her amazing classical music training and knowledge, Del is an intuitive and creative composer whose music is used for healing, meditation and much more.

In this episode of Brain Health Matters, Del shares the value of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) for helping people deal with trauma including PTSD. If you know anyone suffering from any form of trauma, this is an important show.

PLUS - Have you ever wondered why some music feels more comforting to you than some other music? Beyond the tune is the intention and the tone.

Learn more about Del and claim your free song and scavenger hunt at https://www.healingfrequenciesmusic.com/

Visit Kate’s website at Brain Health Matters to get more tips and tools to improve body, mind, and spirit for a healthier brain.
Coming up next week: A beautiful soul and talented creative, Diane Annie Mathias, who will be sharing the transformative power of drumming, didgeridoos and Native American flutes.

You’ll find The Musical Brain at https://www.amazon.com/Musical-Brain-Inspiring-Healthier-Healthy-ebook/dp/B09Q2FTWB9

When you purchase The Musical Brain between now and April 10th, 2022, you can also receive free admission to ReSet Your MindSet, a powerful online retreat to help you deal with anxiety, depression and worry in a beautiful way. Get the details here:  https://harplady.lpages.co/reset-gift-with-musical-brain/ 

Start your Brain Health Journey with Five Easy Things you can do Right Now to Improve Your Brain https://harplady.lpages.co/five-steps-to-a-better-brain/

To learn even more about the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet for a healthier brain, check out Kate’s books, "Don't Let the Memories Fade", "The Vegan Brain" and "The Musical Brain"

Check out the Brain Health Matters BLOG for many more ways to improve your brain and your life!

Send us Fan Mail

Join host Kate Kunkel on Brain Health Matters for a heartfelt discussion with healing harpist Tami Briggs.

Be sure to catch each new episode of Brain Health Matters by subscribing to this channel or to Brain Health Matters on your favorite podcast service.

In this powerful and heart-warming episode, you'll learn how playing a musical instrument improves the functioning of the brain and increases the size and strength of the corpus callosum.

The healing power of the harp and music extends to the end of life as well, and hospice patients can also benefit from this powerful modality.

Harpists - Tami is inviting you to join her Healing Harps for Global Peace and Unity. Learn more Here: https://musicalreflections.com/healing-harps-for-global-peace-and-unity/

Visit Tami's website at https://musicalreflections.com/

To learn many more ways to use music to build a healthier brain and a more robust memory, read The Musical Brain, on Amazon everywhere.  https://www.amazon.com/Musical-Brain-Inspiring-Healthier-Healthy-ebook/dp/B09Q2FTWB9

Join Kate for her upcoming program, Tune Up Your Brain. Five weeks to enjoy music, art, mindfulness and more to improve your memory, banish brain fog, and reduce stress. https://brainhealthmatters.today/tune-up-your-brain/ 

Start your Brain Health Journey with Five Easy Things you can do Right Now to Improve Your Brain https://harplady.lpages.co/five-steps-to-a-better-brain/

To learn even more about the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet for a healthier brain, check out Kate’s books, "Don't Let the Memories Fade", "The Vegan Brain" and "The Musical Brain"

Check out the Brain Health Matters BLOG for many more ways to improve your brain and your life!

Send us Fan Mail

Music teacher and coach Emma Nottage joined Kate Kunkel on Brain Health Matters in a wide-ranging discussion about the power of music to enhance mental abilities and health while also improving brain function. 

Whether it is through listening, dancing to, or playing music, the importance of this, like all arts, cannot be overstated. 

For more ways to use music for a better brain, be sure to get Kate Kunkel's newest book, 'The Musical Brain' available on Amazon everywhere. 

And to be sure you get all the latest Brain Health Matters episodes as soon as they’re available, subscribe to this channel You Tube, or tap into the show on your favorite podcast. 

Find the links HERE: https://brainhealthmatters.today/podcasts/

Start your Brain Health Journey with Five Easy Things you can do Right Now to Improve Your Brain https://harplady.lpages.co/five-steps-to-a-better-brain/

To learn even more about the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet for a healthier brain, check out Kate’s books, "Don't Let the Memories Fade", "The Vegan Brain" and "The Musical Brain"

Check out the Brain Health Matters BLOG for many more ways to improve your brain and your life!