Brain Shaman

Welcome to episode 100 of the podcast—celebrating two incredible years since we began! Today, I’ll share my heartfelt gratitude to all my guests and listeners, spotlighting our top cities, countries, and episodes. We’ll explore the most powerful ideas and principles we've discussed, highlight essential tools, outline key things to avoid for better brain health, and give you a sneak peek into the exciting future of the podcast. Thank you for being part of this amazing journey! 

In this episode, I interview Dr. Ken Sharlin, a neurologist and the author of The Healthy Brain Toolbox, to discuss Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's and ALS. Dr. Sharlin explores the symptoms, causes, and potential breakthroughs in treating these diseases through both conventional and functional medicine.

What We Discuss:

• Parkinson’s Symptoms and Early Signs: Both motor symptoms (such as tremors, rigidity, and shuffling gait) and non-motor symptoms (including anxiety, depression, constipation, and REM sleep behavior disorder) can appear during a pre-motor phase that may last over a decade before diagnosis. 
• The Neuroscience of Parkinson’s: We explore how dopamine loss and damage to the basal ganglia disrupt movement, highlighting the role of dopamine in the disease’s hallmark symptoms.
• Current Treatments: While there’s no cure, treatments like levodopa manage symptoms. Diagnostic tools like DAT and SPECT scans reveal brain abnormalities that guide treatment.
• Levodopa: This vital medication helps restore dopamine but can cause side effects like psychosis, making it important to balance with functional approaches.  Explore its science, benefits, risks, and limitations. 
• Environmental Factors: Toxins, head injuries, and gut health may contribute to Parkinson’s, with inflammation and oxidative stress playing key roles in its development.
• Gut-Brain Connection: We discuss how gut health affects brain function and the potential of diet and probiotics to slow disease progression.
• Diet and Lifestyle: A plant-based, anti-inflammatory diet, along with sleep, exercise, and stress management, is crucial for brain health and reducing inflammation.
• Understanding Systems Biology: We explore systems biology and how our interconnected bodily systems influence neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's, advocating for a holistic strategy instead of just treating individual organs or symptoms. 
• Reversing Cognitive Decline: Dr. Sharlin shares success stories of reversing Alzheimer's through functional medicine, emphasizing the importance of lifestyle changes and controlling inflammation.

RESOURCES

BOOKS
- An Essay on the Shaking Palsy by James Parkinson
- The Healthy Brain Toolbox by Dr. Ken Sharlin
- Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky 

DRUGS
- Aducanumab (Aduhelm)
- Donanemab (Kisunla)
- Fluoxetine (Prozac)
- Omeprazole (Prilosec, Losec)
- Lecanemab (Leqembi) 
- Levodopa and Carbidopa (Sinemet)

MOVIES & TV
- Awakenings
- Star Trek
- Supersize Me

PEOPLE
- Barbara Pickut
- Brett Favre
- Hans Selye
- James Parkinson
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Morgan Spurlock
- Robert Sapolsky
- Robin Williams
- Robert De Niro
- Walter Cannon

ORGANIZATIONS
- Bened Life
- Biogen
- Eli Lilly
- Eisai 
- Green Bay Packers
- The Institute for Functional Medicine
- University of Michigan

VOCABULARY
- Alpha-synuclein
- Cytochrome P450
- General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
- Glutathione
- Krebs Cycle 
- Lateral ventricles
- Montreal Cognitive Assessment
- Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH)
- mTOR pathway
- Postencephalitic Parkinsonism 
- Trichloroethylene

Connect & Learn More
Website: functionalmedicine.doctor
Book: healthybraintoolbox.com
The Parkinson's Solutions Summit 2.0: drtalks.com/summit/parkinsons-summit

 In this episode, I interview Michael J. Gelb, author of Walking Well and 17 other insightful books. He teaches us how to transform our walking experience, increasing comfort, awareness, connection, energy, creativity, presence, and joy with every step. Learn to undo bad habits that hold you back and discover principles from tai chi, qi gong, aikido, and the natural movements of humans and animals. Explore how to connect with the ground, the air, historical figures, animals, the sacred, each other, and your true self. This episode serves as a quick guide to re-learning the natural art of walking.


RESOURCES

ANIMALS
- Bear
- Crane
- Eagle
- Heron

BOOKS
- Body Learning by Michael J. Gelb
- How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci by Michael Gelb
- Walking Well by Michael J. Gelb & Bruce Fertman

PEOPLE
- Albert Einstein
- Bruce Fertman
- Georgia O’Keefe
- Giorgio Vasari
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Nikola Tesla
- Thomas Edison
- Thomas Jefferson
- Tony Buzan

PLACES
- Albert Einstein Walk
- Cerro Pedernal
- Coyote, New Mexico
- Mount Kailash
- Omega Institute
- Princeton University
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Santiago de Compostela

PRACTICES
- Aikido
- Tai chi
- Qi gong

SONGS
- You’ll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and the Pacemakers
- Walk Like a Man by The Four Seasons

VOCABULARY
- Mind mapping
- Passeggiata
- Pedometer
- Plantigrade
- Digitigrade
- Cervical vertebrae 

**Connect & Learn More**
website: michaelgelb.com
book website: walkingwell.com
Instagram: @michaeljgelb

In this episode, Diante Fuchs, author of The Gift of Anxiety, guides us through our emotions and how they reflect our unmet needs. She emphasizes the importance of listening to and embracing these emotions, allowing them to guide us forward into a better life. Emotions like anger, sadness, frustration, and anxiety often signal unmet needs—such as connection, safety, independence, acceptance, boundaries, and spontaneity. Learning how to understand, engage, accept, and communicate them, will help us improve our mental and emotional well-being, relationships, and overall life.

We delve into various emotions, with anxiety taking center stage. Diante explains how anxiety arises from the need for safety and predictability, manifesting in both mind and body through symptoms like muscle tension, a racing heart, and shortness of breath. Instead of merely managing these symptoms or reducing our anxiety through relaxation strategies such as deep breathing, cold water exposure, and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), Diante advocates embracing your anxiety (as well as anger, sadness, etc.), having self-compassion, questioning and shifting your beliefs, and communicating and fulfilling your unmet needs. This approach allows us to meet our emotions with kindness, process them without self-judgment, and avoid getting stuck in them.

We also discuss societal pressures to conform to a narrow emotional range, cultural influences on emotional expression, and common misconceptions about mental health. Diante reframes mental illness not as a sickness but as emotions that have gotten horribly stuck. She urges us to give our emotions the space they need to be expressed rather than suppressing or ignoring them.

Communication plays a critical role in this process. Diante emphasizes the importance of expressing our needs and being honest about our feelings. By fostering open dialogue without making assumptions about others, we can create clearer, more meaningful connections in our relationships, and reduce our anger, sadness, or anxiety.

A key insight from the episode is Diante’s perspective on anxiety as a gift—a signpost for change. She explains how anxiety and excitement share the same physiological response, showcasing anxiety as a positive force guiding us toward growth and transformation. Self-compassion remains the best tool for navigating these moments, allowing us to embrace discomfort as part of our journey.

RESOURCES

PEOPLE
- Jeffrey Young

PLACES
- Denmark
- Japan
- Norway
- United States

THERAPIES
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Cold Water Immersion (CWI)
- Schema therapy


**Connect or Learn More**
website: theunstuckinitiative.com
book: The Gift of Anxiety
podcast: EASE Anxiety
Instagram: @the.unstuck.initiative

Birthday boy is back! Join me on this wacky, healthy journey as we gear up for the big day. Instead of relying on quick, distracting thrills like sweets, alcohol, social media, or overloaded schedules and stomachs, we’ll focus on creating a birthday that brings true, lasting happiness—one built on long-term healthy habits.

We’ll break down the difference between short-term and long-term happiness, and why the days and weeks leading up to your birthday may actually matter more than the day itself. By shifting your focus beforehand to habits like sleep, healthy eating, time in nature, and meaningful connections, you can frontload the happiness, making it easier to avoid that post-birthday hangover, exhaustion, and regret.

You can still have fun on your special day—embrace those dopamine highs! But they’ll feel even better if you’ve taken care of yourself in the days leading up to it. Pre-game your brain, load it up with health and happiness, and launch yourself into pure bliss when your birthday arrives.

RESOURCES

ANIMALS
- Alligator
- Anglerfish
- Blue whale
- Chimpanzee
- Clownfish
- Dingo
- Pterodactyl

CHARACTERS
- Care Bears
- Popeye
- Poseidon

FIREWORKS
- Dynamite
- Firecracker
- Piccolo Pete 

Media
- Brain Energy by Chris Palmer (book)
- Chimp Crazy (documentary)
- Metabolic Mind (podcast)

People
- Abraham Lincoln
- Chris Palmer
- Matthew Bernstein
- Paul Zak
- Travis (famous chimp)

Places
- Miyakojima Station
- Miyakojima-ku
- Myanmar
- Pacific Ocean
- Thailand
- The Everglades

TOYS
- Jack-in-the-box
- Lincoln Logs

EXTRA VOCAB
- Blowhole
- Jump scare
- Kansai-ben
- Mendokusai
- Mitochondria

In this episode, I interview Paul Zak, neuroscientist, oxytocin expert, and founder of Immersion Neuroscience. We explore how to create extraordinary experiences—not just for yourself, but for your customers, employees, patients, and everyone you encounter. 

Paul introduces the concept of "Immersion," a state where we are fully present and emotionally engaged. We dive into the neurochemistry behind it, focusing on oxytocin and dopamine, and explore practical ways to ignite this state. You'll learn how to cultivate deeper human connections and harness technology to understand your energy, mood, and preferences. 

A key theme throughout our conversation is the power of social connection. Paul shares simple yet powerful ways to enhance this connection, such as hugging, expressing love, giving your full attention, talking to strangers, volunteering, slowing down, disconnecting from tech, spending time outdoors, getting a dog, going to church, and playing together.  We also explore cultural practices like "Fika" and "Hygge" in Nordic countries, as well as traditions from Loma Linda's Seventh-day Adventists, such as emphasizing community, Sabbath rest, and living with a strong sense of purpose. 

This episode will inspire you to build emotional fitness, deepen your presence, and enhance your connections. Join us in discovering how to make life richer, more meaningful, and filled with extraordinary moments for everyone. 

RESOURCES

EVENTS
- Nudgestock

PEOPLE
- Michael Allison
- Peter Drucker

ORGANIZATIONS
- Boston Celtics
- BrainBit
- Claremont Graduate University
- Department of Defense
- Loma Linda University Health (LLUH)
- Loma Linda University Medical Center - Murrieta
- Muse
- Ogilvy Consulting
- Polyvagal Institute
- Seventh-day Adventist Church

PLACES
- Denmark
- Kuala Lumpur
- London
- Loma Linda
- San Diego
- Sweden
- Tahiti

VOCAB
- Blue zones
- EEG
- Fajr prayer
- Fika
- Hygge
- PPG
- prodrom
- sieve estimator
- striatum 

**Connect and Learn More**
app: SIX
book: Immersion
website: getimmersion.com

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Torkil Færø — a general practitioner, emergency physician, photographer, and author of the best-selling book The Pulse Cure — to explore heart rate variability (HRV) and how you can harness smartwatches to measure and regulate stress, enhance health, and ultimately extend your lifespan.

Dr. Færø delves into common sources of stress that can lead to low HRV, such as dietary choices, meal timing, alcohol and nicotine consumption, overexercising or lack of physical activity, and environmental factors like heat, noise, and nighttime light exposure.

We also discuss effective strategies to bolster the resilience of our nervous system and raise our HRV. Key practices include cold exposure, moderate exercise, adequate sunlight, quality sleep, and intentionally scheduling time for relaxation.

Gain insight into how HRV functions, what it signifies, and practical steps you can take to monitor and improve yours. In today’s world, stress is linked to a range of health issues and chronic diseases, from heart disease to cancer to infertility. By utilizing HRV data from wearables like smartwatches, we can identify our individual stressors and proactively mitigate their impact, fostering a longer and more fulfilling life. Empower yourself by taking charge of your health through HRV tracking.

Topics discussed include: alcohol, food, temperature, exercise, the menstrual cycle, seasonal changes, circadian rhythms, trauma, interoception, ECG vs. PPG sensors, photography, play, and more.

RESOURCES

BOOKS
- The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk
- The Pulse Cure by Torkil Færø
- Kamerakuren by Torkil Færø
- When the Body Says No by Gabor Maté

COMPANIES
- Apple
- FitBit
- Firstbeat Analytics
- Garmin
- Samsung

PLACES
- Panama Canal
- French Polynesia
- Seychelles

PEOPLE
- Bessel van der Kolk
- Charles Darwin
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- K. Anders Ericsson
- Gabor Maté
- Loretta Breuning
- Peter Attia

PODCASTS
- The Drive
- WHOOP Podcast

**Connect or Learn More**
website: thepulsecure.com
Instagram: @dr.torkil
LinkedIn: /torkil-færø-97348b1

In this episode, Susi Amendola — yoga therapist, meditation teacher, and author — shares insights from over four decades of experience in stress management and yoga. We explore practical tools from yoga that can help you manage stress, enhance presence, and nurture your heart and well-being.

Susi delves into key yogic practices for stress management, including meditation, breathwork, connection with nature, gentle movement, compassion, relaxation, and imagery.

She reflects on how yoga has evolved since the late 1970s, emphasizing the importance of listening — not only to your body but also to the natural world and the rhythms impacting our mind-body health.

We also examine how breath and movement influence the nervous system, with Susi explaining the connection between our breath patterns and the cycles of the sun and moon. She introduces techniques such as right and left nostril breathing to balance energy and calm both heart and mind.

Other key topics include the role of imagery and meditation in stress reduction, the effects of technology on memory and presence, the benefits of yoga nidra and slow gentle movement, and strategies for managing anger and emotional outbursts.

Reconnect with your inner wisdom, return to a calm and spacious heart, and embrace your full, loving self through these Yogic tools that have guided people in navigating stress for millennia.

RESOURCES

BOOKS
- The Centered Heart by Susi Amendola
- Radical Healing by Rudolph Ballentine
- You Are the Placebo by Joe Dispenza

ORGANIZATIONS
- Menninger Foundation
- Minnesota Zen Meditation Center
- Mutual of Omaha
- Ornish Lifestyle Medicine
- Yoga Now

PEOPLE
- Andrew Huberman
- Dainin Katagiri
- Dalai Lama 
- Dean Ornish
- Immanuel Kant
- Joe Dispenza
- Rudolph Ballentine
- Swami Satchidananda 

PLACES
- Kuala Lumpur
- Chicago
- Omaha
- Pocono Mountains 

VOCAB
- Agni
- Ashram
- Asana 
- Ayurveda
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
- Drishti
- Electroshock therapy
- Homeopathy
- Leukemia 
- Mad studies
- Pratipaksha Bhavana 
- PTSD
- Sanitarium 
- Simon Says
- Swami
- Yogi
- Yoga nidra 
- Yoga sutras of Patanjali 

**Connect and Learn More**
website: yourcenteredheart.com
Facebook: /SusiAmendolaYoga
Instagram: @thecenteredheart
Yoga studio: doyoganow.com

In this episode, I sit down with Amita Sharma, co-founder of NourishDoc, a platform that focuses on integrative and holistic health solutions for women. We dive into the nuances of perimenopause and menopause, shedding light on what these life stages mean for women’s bodies and minds.

Perimenopause can start as early as the late 30s or mid-40s and may last up to 10 years before menopause fully sets in. Symptoms like night sweats, hot flashes, brain fog, and a decline in libido are all tied to fluctuating hormone levels, especially estrogen and progesterone. Amita explains how these hormonal changes impact mood, memory, and overall cognitive function. We also discuss the potential connection between hormonal imbalances and the increased risk of dementia, breast cancer, osteoporosis, and heart disease as women age.

Lifestyle factors—such as poor diet, lack of exercise, and high stress—can trigger early menopause, which might explain why certain ethnic groups like African Americans, Latinas, and Indians are experiencing early perimenopause. Amita emphasizes the need for early awareness, preparation, and self-care strategies, encouraging women to proactively adopt healthier habits, including proper nutrition, stress management, and mindfulness practices.

The episode also touches on natural solutions to alleviate perimenopause and menopause symptoms, including dietary changes, herbal supplementation, and holistic therapies like acupuncture, aromatherapy, hypnotherapy, breathing exercises, and cleanses. Amita highlights how alcohol and caffeine can worsen symptoms like hot flashes, making it crucial for women to limit or avoid them, especially during these pivotal stages in life. We explore how integrative approaches, such as those offered by NourishDoc, can support women during these transitions, helping them maintain balance without solely relying on hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

Key topics covered in this episode:

• Hormonal shifts in perimenopause and their impact on mood, anxiety, and cognition
• The importance of lifestyle changes to prevent early menopause
• Natural remedies and holistic therapies to manage symptoms
• Cultural and ethnic differences in menopause experiences
• How to naturally cool down your body and reduce hot flashes
• Why it’s crucial for both women and men to be aware of these changes

RESOURCES

PEOPLE
- Mario Fields

PODCASTS
- Unarmored Talk

VOCABULARY
- buttermilk
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
- estrogen
- hypothalamus
- Kitchari cleanse
- Meno belly
- menopause
- perimenopause
- progesterone
- Sitkari
- Sitali

**Connect or Learn More**
website: nourishdoc.com
LinkedIn: /nourishdoc
app: coming soon! Check the website for updates.

Dr. Jennifer Stelter is a clinical psychologist, the CEO of the Dementia Connection Institute, and the author of The Busy Caregiver's Guide to Advanced Alzheimer Disease. In this episode, she shares insights on how to better care for and connect with individuals with dementia. Dr. Stelter delves into the neuroscience and psychology behind their frustrations and behaviors, offering sensory-based tools to enhance the well-being of both those with dementia and their caregivers.

We explore how engaging the senses — smell, sight, sound, taste, and touch — can create positive experiences. By incorporating tools like essential oils, music, color, and hands-on tactile experiences, we can enhance mood, attention, memory, language, neuroplasticity, food intake, independence, and connection. Likewise, reducing or eliminating negative stimuli, such as distressing news, violent media, or disruptive lights and sounds, helps diminish negative emotions and behaviors, fostering a more positive environment and overall experience.

We discuss the psychological effects of various scents, including lavender, rosemary, citrus, and peppermint, and how we can use them to alter our mood and actions.

Even if you don’t have a loved one with dementia, these sensory tools can still benefit your own mood, health, cognition, and overall well-being. Experiment with different sensory experiences, embracing those that work best for you while removing those that don’t.

RESOURCES

BOOKS
- The Busy Caregiver's Guide to Advanced Alzheimer Disease by Jennifer Stelter
- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald

ORGANIZATIONS
- International Caregivers Association (ICA)
- Johns Hopkins University
- McDonald's

PEOPLE
- Barry Reisberg

TV PROGRAMS
- Memory Lane TV

VOCABULARY
- activities of daily living (ADLs)
- amygdala
- hippocampus
- limbic system
- Memory Care
- occipital lobe
- olfactory bulb
- Pavlov's dog
- retrogenesis
- Santa Fe

**Connect and Learn More**
Website: dementiaconnectioninstitute.org
Book: The Busy Caregiver's Guide to Advanced Alzheimer Disease
Instagram: @neuroessenceorg
LinkedIn: /neuroessenceorg