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Health Matters Observer

AUGUST 2017

MIND & BODY Keeping your brain healthy at any age takes work — both mental and physical.

A LOT OF LEARNING

IT’S JUST NATURAL

DEATH TO THE DIET

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Babies learn plenty before they’re born.

Teens’ brains are wired to be contrary.

They don’t work. Here’s what does.

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AUGUST 2017

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Touch and relationships stimulate brain health and help babies grow.

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efore they are born, babies pick up on a lot.

When Kathryn Shea’s daughter was pregnant with her first child, she worked on a cruise ship that played a lot of reggae music. Once Shea’s granddaughter, Riley, was born, she jumped around every time she heard a little Bob Marley.

“Even though you can’t see them, they can hear,” said Shea, CEO of The Florida Center for

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Early Childhood, with more than 35 years of experience in infant mental health. “And so, those parts of the brain, mostly the right side, that are stimulated by music, you can activate brain cells. In reading to them, they can pick up on the tone of your voice.”

A protective prenatal period is essential. Drugs, alcohol and tobacco can cause lasting brain damage that can’t always be reversed. It’s also important for the mother to avoid too much stress during her pregnancy.

Once born, there are two things babies need to foster growth. Shea says relationships are

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AUGUST 2017

“The relationship is actually much more important than the gadgets or the stimulation or those things, but the core is that attachment and bonding with their primary person that actually starts prenatally.”

— Kathryn Shea

Katie Johns

Kathryn Shea, CEO of The Florida Center for Early Childhood, says even unborn children learn.

vital. Barbara Leverone, a certified Child’Space educator and trainer with a master’s degree in mental health counseling, says it all starts with touch.

Social, emotional and cognitive growth start from the beginning.

Leverone said parents touching and interacting with their baby lays the primary foundation for brain development.

“Babies that aren’t touched

and held and soothed can grow up with serious developmental delays,” she said.

Both Shea and Leverone recommend little, if any, computer screen time, even if a software is touted as educational. Leverone said it’s a fallacy for parents to buy into marketing ploys. Babies learn from watching their parents and seeing them face-to-face. That’s how language is taught as well,

Leverone said.

“Today’s parents are so bombarded with the belief that a baby needs to have this piece and that piece and this specialized blanket and that specialized toy, but what they really need is mom and dad on the floor playing with them,” Leverone said.

And that play time will foster a good parent-child relationship.

“The relationship is actually

Babies develop voluntary movement, reasoning and perception. Emotions, attachments and a sense of self are developing.

0 to 6

This is when babies need a nurturing environment and daily communication. Harsh treatment may come with negative consequences.

else like holding a block and pretending it’s a phone.

“That’s when toys become instant and creative because that’s when you want their imagination to bloom because that’s the beginning of pre-executive function in the brain,” Shea said.

And if a child fixates on a certain blanket or stuffed animal, parents are not to stress out.

“I say to parents, in this day and age, don’t worry about it,” Shea said. “They’re not going to walk down the aisle with their blanket.”

That blanket or stuffed animal a child won’t let go of could help them self regulate. When a child is regulated, he or she behaves well, listens, follows the rule and doesn’t act impulsively. If a child is emotionally “dysregulated,” he or she might hit, cry, throw a tantrum or exhibit other unsocial behavior, she said.

“Anything that’s going to help them feel less anxious and insecure, I say let it happen,” Shea said.

By age 6, the brain is 95% its adult weight.

N ENW EW

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much more important than the gadgets or the stimulation or those things, but the core is that attachment and bonding with their primary person that actually starts prenatally,” she said.

Once the baby is born, it’s important for parents to understand their baby’s temperament.

Do they need time to warm up?

Can they handle a lot of highpower simulation? Parents should adjust their interactions to match the baby’s temperament.

Shea cautions parents to watch their baby’s responses. When talked to or smiled at, a healthy baby will light up and kind of smile back, Shea said.

“That’s the kind of healthy dance you want to see taking place,” She said.

And with their temperament comes the importance of environment. Leverone said babies need a friendly environment where they can kick and squirm and move and roll around.

At age 3, kids begin to use symbolic play — they will use an object to represent something

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AUGUST 2017

TEENAGE IMPULSE CONTROL Local mental health experts weigh in on how to keep teens on the right path to healthy brain development.

NIKI KOTTMANN STAFF WRITER

T

eenagers get a bad rap for their stereotypical impulsive behaviors.

But what if there were a scientific reason why film’s most famous hookie-player persuaded his teenage pal to lend him his dad’s Ferrari in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?” And what if his parents could have helped him prevent such behavior, thus saving said Ferrari?

It all starts with the prefrontal cortex. This part of the brain is found right behind the forehead, and it manages self control. It’s the last part of the brain to mature, so as teenagers get older — hypothetically, at least — they should be able to control their impulses.

However, as Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Dr. Christina M. de Guia points out, they’re still the most likely age group to engage

7 to 22 YEARS

in risky behaviors, even more so than children who have had less time to develop.

De Guia said to understand adolescent impulsive behavior, one has to understand the maturity process of the limbic system — that part of the brain responsible for rewards and emotions. A mature and active limbic system will seek out excitement, adventure and thrills. Simultaneously it will also be more sensitive to shame, anger and yelling, along with other negative threats if directed at them.

“It is this contrast between the mature limbic system and immature prefrontal cortex that causes teens to fold to peer pressure and seek out doing ‘reckless’ acts like silly stunts,” she said.

The reason for this, de Guia said, is because exciting and dangerous actions cause a dopamine rush that feels good and gets positive attention from peers, causing another dopamine rush. Teens are also less likely to listen to adults when they’re telling adolescents to be careful, or when adults get

SPORTS AND THE BRAIN Perhaps one of the most frequently discussed topics regarding adolescent brain health is sports-related brain injuries, most commonly concussions.

We spoke to child neurologist Dr. Steven Portman to get a better understanding of how concussions occur and what studies he turns to for further education.

“The brain is surrounded by a cushion of fluid — cerebrospinal fluid — and both sit in the skull,” he said. “A concussion may occur when the head is subjected to a sudden force. ... While the head, tethered by the neck, stops moving, the brain inside may keep going and crash into the inside surface of the skull. ... Concussion occurs when protection by the cushion of cerebrospinal fluid is not adequate to prevent physical injury to brain cells.”

Portman turns to the American Academy of Neurology’s 2013 report “Recognizing Sports Concussions in Athletes” to explain the signs and symptoms of concussions, which occur 1.6 -3.8 million times a year in the U.S. as a result of sports injuries.

SOME SIGNS OF A CONCUSSION CAN BE OBSERVED: n Behavior or personality changes n Blank stare, dazed look n Changes to balance, coordination, reaction time n Delayed or slowed spoken or physical responses n Disorientation (confused about time, date, location,

game) n Loss of consciousness or blackout (occurs in less than 10% of cases) n Memory loss of event before, during or after injury occurred n Slurred or unclear speech n Trouble controlling emotions n Vomiting

From adolescence through the teen years, neural connections — gray matter — are pruning and the brain wiring is still in progress. The fatty tissues around neurons — white matter — increase and help speed up electrical impulses and stabilize connections.

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The prefrontal cortex is the last to mature, and that’s where impulse control and decision-making skills form.

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Courtesy photos

Bradley Dorrill, mental health counselor

angry for a teen’s “stupid” behaviors. This triggers an adolescent’s stress and anger response, causing them to avoid telling their parents when they do something wrong.

But adolescents aren’t doomed to six years of wanting to skip class, steal cars and crash parades on top of lying to their parents.

Mental health counselor Bradley Dorrill said parents can take a different approach in their parenting style to foster mature decisionmaking and better communication skills.

Dorrill said a nondirective approach to parenting is the way to go in general, but particularly during a child’s adolescent years.

He notes that healthy relationships arise when both parties set aside time for one another and when parents avoid lecturing and instead try to be more understanding.

7 to 22 YEARS

Dr. Christina M. de Guia

Dr. Steven Portman

“If a parent can empathize with their teenager and try to understand their experiences and their feelings, I think they’re going to have a lot more success in having their opinions valued by their teenager,” he said.

Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Dr. Steven Portman is a child neurologist who said it’s important for parents to remember where that stereotypical teenage oppositional behavior is coming from. Adolescence is a stage of autonomy, he said, during which teenagers are trying to establish their own individual sense of self that’s separate from their parents.

“Telling them what to do encroaches on that,” he said.

“They’ll say ‘no’ not necessarily because they’re being told what to do bothers them but simply because they’re being told what to do.”

He also notes that adolescents might do things an older per-

son would never consider due to immature impulse control.

So it’s important to differentiate between impulsive undesirable behavior and premeditated consciously unhealthy behavior when reprimanding their child.

Asked what parents can do, Portman makes clear there’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to parenting, especially when it comes to the question of how much time parents should let their adolescent spend using technology.

“There are no rules. There are just feelings that different people have, but there’s no question that social media and game playing can be a problem when it’s excessive just like in the old days watching too much TV could be excessive,” he said.

Both Dorrill and de Guia said getting enough sleep and limiting an adolescent’s screen time is crucial to their brain’s develop-

Experts say teenagers need to be guided and taught how to control reckless, irrational and irritable behavior.

ment. De Guia added that parents should also focus on practicing impulse control from a young age to kickstart development before adolescence.

“Teaching kids limits — how to accept the word ‘no’ without throwing a big tantrum and learning impulse control by doing things like saving some birthday money for later use or not eating ice cream before the main meal,” she suggested. “The sooner kids learn the better, so that when the limbic system gets out of control when they get older, they have some sense of a baseline of control.”

As for working through issues during the teenage years, de Guia suggests parents praise good behavior, teach their child how to negotiate for privileges, explain why they weren’t allowed to do something and maintain a neutral face and tone in lieu of yelling at them when they mess up.

“I validate t h e i r fe e l ings, but also e n co u ra ge them to take responsibility for their negative behaviors and accept the consequences,” she said of the teenage patients she works with. “I tell them that they need

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to respect the parents or guardians who are trying their best to keep them on track, because parents who do that are the ones that love them and are being socially responsible.”

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t has been said before, and will be said again — the best thing you do for your body is stay active and eat healthy.

It turns out the same applies when it comes to keeping your brain healthy in your adult years.

“Everything we do in our lives is based upon what we eat,” said Paul Evans, director of food and nutrition services at Doctors Hospital.

Yes, even maintaining good cognitive health in our adult years. Evans said eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like fish and nuts, as well as foods

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The brain reaches its peak power around age 22 and lasts for five more years. After that, experts say it’s all downhill.

YEARS

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“Your body cannot sustain that dumping of cortisol for long periods of time.”

— Michael Fitzgerald, director of Serenity Place at Doctors Hospital

high in vitamin E are good tactics to maintaining brain health.

These foods keep brain cells from decaying and decrease the body’s inflammation.

“Part of the reason we start having cognitive issues is our blood flow to our brain is diminished by our vascular health,” said Michael Fitzgerald, director of Serenity Place at Doctors Hospital.

Serenity Place is a behavorial health clinic that focuses on equipping people with the tools to treat and prevent mental and cognitive illnesses.

“One place to start is that the notion that cognition declines with age,” Fitzgerald said. “It does not have to.”

Fitzgerald said nutrition sets the foundation for long-term brain health, but there are additional strategies a person can use to increase their odds of maintaining their cognitive health

Courtesy photo

Michael Fitzgerald, director of Serenity Place at Doctors Hospital

through their adult life and into their senior years. And it all comes down the neuroplasticity.

“It’s a fancy word for the brain’s ability to form more connections in their brain,” Fitzgerald said.

To keep those connections active, the brain and body need time to rest, which is why getting at least eight hours of sleep a night is integral to long-term cognitive function.

“That’s the restorative time that people need to detoxify and get the rest that they need,” Fitzgerald said.

Sleep also helps the body manage its cortisol levels. Cortisol is often called the stress hormone.

It temporarily allows the body to function at higher levels, increasing vascular and cognitive function. However, in extended doses

The last to mature and the first to go — executive control in the prefrontal and temporal cortices.

it can begin to cause inflammation in key organs like the liver and lungs, decreasing vascular function over time.

“Your body cannot sustain that dumping of cortisol for long periods of time,” Fitzgerald said.

In addition to maintaining what he calls “good sleep hygiene,” Fitzgerald said exercise can also help decrease overall cortisol levels, improve vascular health and boost the amount of blood to the brain, which extends cognitive health.

While nutrition, exercise and sleep create the foundation for a health brain, Fitzgerald said brain health is not all physical. He said learning a new skill or doing a puzzle can maintain neuroplasticity.

He often tells his patients that little habits like going for a walk or getting the appropriate amount of sleep can go a long way.

“They have a tendency to be so caught in their daily routines they forget that they have to create healthy habits for themselves,” Fitzgerald said.

And being social can have longterm cognitive benefits.

“What does contribute to that is people not engaging in life,” he said. “When you’re younger, you have a tendency to be more active anyway. You do social things with your friends. When you get older, the tendency to do that has to be more mindful and more purposeful.”

Fitzgerald said much of what applies to your overall mental and physical health also applies to your overall brain health. That, he said, doesn’t change, no matter what age you are.

Recall begins to decline and processing speed slows. The brain’s ability to store memory begins to decline.

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“Each and every day, develop a routine for yourself,” he said.

“Having goals, setting goals for yourself — that helps with brain health. That helps with everything that you do.”

It’s important for adults to stay mentally and physically active, learn new things, and eat a healthy diet. Avoid tobacco, alcohol and mind-altering drugs.

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AUGUST 2017

SENIOR MOMENT OR MEMORY CONCERN? Fore senior citizens, lifestyle choices become even more important.

KEY TIPS

PAM EUBANKS SENIOR EDITOR

65-plus YEARS

strength and trying to remember things is clearly there.”

His wife, Greta Schofield, agreed: “I think it’s helped her to survive. It keeps stimulating her, and she’s doing well with all the activities.”

Cognitive decline is a part of aging, but health care professionals say good nutrition, social interaction, exercise and brain stimulation all are key elements for helping to minimize cognitive impairment as you age.

From a scientific standpoint, the brain physically changes over time. Blood vessels to the brain begin to stiffen, reducing oxygen supply, and chemical connections — synapses — between brain cells — neurons — diminish, reducing

the brain’s ability to communicate properly.

Combating those changes comes down to lifestyle choices, said Suzy Brenner, executive director of Aging in Paradise on Longboat Key. “It’s important to keep working your brain — doing new things,

It helps to learn new skills and practice mediation to promote neutral emotions. Exercise improves abstract reasoning and concentration.

trying new things,” Brenner said.

“There’s natural deterioration we all experience as we age, but you want to do as much as you can.”

Brenner compared brain exercise to physical exercise. If you lift the same weights every day, at some point, your body will plateau and the exercise is no longer

If you can’t totally avoid stress, add stress-reducing meditation and exercises to your routine.

Photos by Pam Eubanks

Elyse Gordon, director of therapy services at Aviva — A Campus for Senior Life in Sarasota, chats with resident June Schofield. Gordon says social interactions, games and other brain-focused exercises are important for maintaining brain health.

Eat food to nourish your dopamine levels — nuts, avocados, olive oil, flax-seed oil, etc.

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t 95 years old, June Schofield may remember almost every word to her favorite song, Elvis Presley’s rendition of “Blue Suede Shoes,” but she sometimes forgets whether she’s eaten lunch, taken her medicine or even how to get back to her apartment.

As typical with aging, Schofield suffers from a form of dementia.

Although her cognitive abilities have declined, the social interactions, games, music and other activities at her housing complex have helped slow the progression, her son, David Schofield, said.

“She was just a happier person,” David Schofield said of his mother’s living arrangements at Anchin Pavilion, the assistedliving and memory-care center at Aviva — A Campus for Senior Life in Sarasota. “That’s what keeps the memory at a level it is, or improved ever so slightly. Her

n Be physically active every day. n Learn something new every day. n Follow a heart-healthy diet. n Manage stress. n Stay socially active.

HEALTH MATTERS

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AUGUST 2017

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SIGNS OF DEMENTIA

BRAIN HEALTH AND FITNESS TRAINING

Memory loss is a typical part of aging, but health care professionals say signs of cognitive impairment include forgetting to take medications, missing appointments or having trouble finding the right words.

Changes in hygiene habits also can be an indicator.

“It’s not whether you lost your keys,” said Nicci Kobritz, president of Sarasotabased Center of Brain Health. “It’s when you find them, do you know what to do with them?”

Suzy Brenner, executive director of Aging in Paradise on Longboat Key, said if you begin to forget how to complete basic tasks, you should start paying attention.

Simple things like a calendar or a list of tasks can be helpful.

effective. It’s the same with using your brain.

If you write with your right hand, learn to do it with your left.

Learn a new language. Learn a new game. Become a docent at a museum. All such activities challenge the brain in different ways.

Daiquiri Frieling, an advanced registered nurse practitioner at the Center of Brain Health who specializes in brain health and aging, said those brain exercises create more brain synapses, and even can create communication pathways around old brain injuries, such as from a fall or a stroke.

“Our brain likes to get lazy when we get in a routine,” she said. “Keep yourself active and challenge your brain every day.”

Physical exercise also is critical to brain health, Frieling said. Body movement not only makes the mind exercise, it stimulates the production of a chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. BDNF creates new synapses between neurons. The type of exercise is less important than having a safe, elevated heart rate.

“It stimulates the body to produce neurons, create memories and allow the brain to talk with the brain and body,” Frieling said.

Frieling said nutrition can have a big impact on brain health, as well. Individuals should practice a Mediterranean diet — full of leafy greens and fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, nuts and whole grains. The diet features low levels of saturated fat and limits meat primarily to fish, just

ACHIEVE BALANCE WITHOUT DRUGS. once or twice a week.

Hydration, stress and quality sleep can impact cognition, regardless of age, and should be monitored.

As individuals age, they also should pay attention to their hearing. Sometimes, what appears to be dementia or memory loss is simply an inability to hear properly, Brenner said.

However, individuals suffering from hearing loss are at a higher risk for cognitive impairment and should consider hearing aids.

Hearing loss also can mask memory issues. Is it that you cannot hear, or are you unable to process what you are hearing?

“If you’re not hearing as much, you’re not using your brain as much,” Brenner said. “We need to really be aware of how much interaction you’re having with other adults. Being able to hear can really impact your cognitive abilities.”

Frieling recommends individuals begin having their hearing checked annually by age 70, for good measure.

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AUGUST 2017

Gregg Sledziewski: The trainer of brains The Brain Wave Center in Sarasota uses a holistic approach to retraining irregular brain patterns.

BERKLEY MASON STAFF WRITER

As smart and capable as one might believe himself to be, you will never see a normal brain.

The world is filled with too many day-to-day stresses, surprises and devastations for that to possibly be the case, said Gregg Sledziewski, founder and managing director at The Brain Wave Center in Sarasota.

“Some brain imbalances can come from diet, hating your job, a bad marriage, daily commutes — basic everyday environmental things,” Sledziewski said. “Over time, the brain, in an effort to protect itself, will develop imbalances from environmental stress.”

If someone is suffering from anxiety, depression or even post-traumatic stress disorder, neurofeedback can offer a holistic approach to figuring out the imbalances in your brain and the means for correcting them.

The Brain Wave Center, established four years ago, practices the drugless method of neurofeedback, also called EEG Biofeedback, a learning strategy

Photos by Berkley Mason

Gregg Sledziewski, founder of The Brain Wave Center, talks about how the neurofeedback process works.

to help people alter their brain waves. A person learns to retrain irregular brainwave patterns and, as a result, allows the brain to function normally.

Neurofeedback is a method that trains the brain to function in a more balanced, healthy way through tracking electrical impulses. These impulses are called frequency bands — delta, theta, alpha, beta — that help neurofeedback specialists see which parts of an individual’s brain are most active.

The first step in neurofeedback is a brain map.

A brain map measures the brain, showing specialists the areas of “unbalanced and irregular brain wave patterns” based on age and sex, Sledziewski said.

“With the brain map, we can see areas of the brain that are either high- or low-volted,” Sledziewski said. “We start by coming up with what may be happening with you based on your brain patterns. If you have global over-arousal, it is an indicator that you may be suffering from anxiety; global inhibited means that you have a potential for depression.”

The Brain Wave Center does not diagnose or prescribe medication.

It simply offers feedback with regards to things you are likely most susceptible to — anxiety, depression, learning disorders, etc. — based on your brain map.

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Far Left: A cap with sensors records a patient’s brain waves during a neurofeedback session.

Left: An EEG monitor might look like this while recording a patient’s brainwaves during a neurofeedback session.

Wave Center and get his or her brain mapped. People also can take part in a 30-minute neurofeedback session where specialists monitor their brainwave activity by attaching wires and sensors to their head.

“A lot of people just come in here to do the brain map,” Sledziewski said. “Many people think they have anxiety, but after doing the brain map, we find that it is more likely depression. It can be a very cathartic experience.”

During a brain-training ses-

sion, patients watch a video of their choice — the video is the “reward” — while electrodes are attached to their ears and temporal lobe and connected to a computer and its software.

“We wire the electrodes to our computer program and then watch in real-time what is going on in the brain,” Sledziewski said.

“When waves begin to vary out of the norm, the visual and audio (of the video) both fade, and when the brain wave goes back to normal, we turn it back up.”

When the visual and audio are faded out, the brain automatically creates a new neural pathway.

As the normal neural pathway repeats this process, it gets stronger.

“As you get better, the computer makes it harder for you,” Sledziewski said. “As it notices your brain is getting tired, it makes it easier for you, that way you don’t get aggravated.”

Sledziewski said brain training is similar to riding a bike for the first time.

“You get on and you fall off, but then you get right back on and try it again, over, and over again until you get it,” Sledziewski said.

“Before you even hit the ground, your brain has already built a new neural pathway, helping you get better as you practice more.”

Sheri Hartnell’s two daughters, 5-year-old Cora and 7-year-old Cayman, have been through sessions at the Brain Wave Center.

Sheri Hartnell, of Sarasota, brought then 6-year-old Cayman to the Brain Wave Center a year ago for brain mapping and brain training sessions because she was having behavioral issues that were beyond what she could handle, Hartnell said.

“She would have temper tantrums for hours, and I was never able to calm her down,” Hartnell said of Cayman, who has had 20 neurofeedback sessions.

She was so worried about Cayman that she went to a holistic doctor in Tampa who specializes in behavioral issues. The holistic doctor recommended neurofeedback.

“Now, [Cayman] reasons with me, she understands what I’m saying and she has started listening to me,” Hartnell said. “Before, no matter what you said to her, it didn’t help. This has made a huge difference for us.”

Sledziewski feels strongly about the brain, and he feels good to be a part of something that can be useful to “everybody.”

“The brain is involved in everything that you do whether you’re happy, angry, in love. It is the most important organ in your body,” Sledziewski said. “My job is simply to enhance brain health.

This is not mental health, but a great alternative.”

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AUGUST 2017

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

THE PRIVATE DUTY HOME CARE COMPANY

Sarasota psychotherapist explains why diets don’t work — and what does.

RYAN KOHN STAFF WRITER

Losing weight is hard when there are more supposed miracle diets out there than calories ingested in an average day.

Atkins, Palm Beach, Master Cleanse. Sarasota author Karen Koenig has seen them all, and even tried a few herself. That’s how she knows they don’t work.

Koenig was a “world-class binge eater,” she said. She was caught in a toxic cycle of bingeeating and dieting, and it was doing nothing good.

Her perspective on eating, and her life, changed when she read “Fat is a Feminist Issue,” by Susie Orbach. She carried it around like an Alcoholics Anonymous booklet, she said.

The book taught that it isn’t what you’re eating (or not eating) that’s the most important thing when trying to get healthy. It’s the

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psychology of how you’re eating.

Now, Koenig, a licensed clinical social worker and a licensed psychotherapist, has written eight books on the subject. It’s imperative that her patients get the idea of diets out of their heads, she said. She refers to a New York Times article about contestants

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Karen Koenig says diets don’t work, and that eating normally is the best way to get healthy.

HEALTH MATTERS

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AUGUST 2017

13

OTHER BOOKS BY KAREN KOENIG

STARTING MONDAY

“THE RULES OF ‘NORMAL’ EATING” Readers learn to reprogram their beliefs and establish new habits that tune their bodies into natural sensations.

you’ve lost weight, so your brain says, ‘Great, I’ll go eat more.’

“Health is the best motivator.

Weight isn’t. We take care of what we love. I love my cat, I take care of her. Some of my plants I don’t care about, I leave them on the lanai. It’s innate. When we love ourselves, we take care of ourselves. It’s about self-care and health.”

People want to be thin, but they also want to watch television networks dedicated to food, especially food filled with fat, sugar and salt. This food culture society has people’s brains all discombobulated, Koenig said.

To rewire the brain and begin eating normally, Koenig suggests people follow four rules. The first is to only eat when you’re

The premise: When our behaviors don’t align with our expressed intentions, we’ve got a conflict going on, often outside of our awareness.

truly hungry. People eat for many reasons, Koenig said, including stress, boredom or as a “treat.”

“Ask yourself, ‘If I’m not hungry, what am I feeling?’” Koenig said.

Getting in tune with your body and brain before you eat can help stop unnecessary consumption.

The second rule is to choose foods that satisfy you and that you like eating. Koenig says to “eat like a kid,” in that it’s OK to be picky. If you’re eating things you enjoy, your brain is more likely to stick with the program. Just try to avoid large portions of the fatty, sugary and salty stuff shown on television.

Eating with awareness is the third rule. This means slowing down and eating with no other

OUTSMARTING OVEREATING

THE FOOD & FEELINGS WORKBOOK

This work looks at your relationship with food and what’s been messing up that relationship.

This book is a guide to dealing with emotions and how that relates to your diet health.

distractions. Put your fork or spoon down after each bite. Let the food sit on your tongue, letting the taste buds soak up the flavor. If the food doesn’t have time to register with your brain before being digested, your brain will have no idea how much you’re consuming and won’t send the “I’m full” signal, a hormone called leptin, before you overeat.

(Caloric deprivation can also lead to lower leptin levels, another reason low-calorie diets are ineffective over time).

The fourth rule to eating normally is stopping when full or satisfied. Just like the first rule, people should ask themselves if they feel satisfied.

Other, smaller tips include stopping the use of the word

“overweight.” It implies there’s a perfect weight for everyone, when in reality, everyone’s needs are different, Koenig said. It isn’t an equal playing field.

There are certified coaches, like Koenig, who can help people make the transition to normal eating. It’s not always easy to do on your own, Koenig said. Her clients take anywhere from a few months to a few years to overcome their issues. For lots of them, overeating was a symptom of other things. Once people figure out how to eat normally, they see results and feel much better, both physically and about themselves, Koenig said.

“Diets don’t work,” Koenig said. “But there really is a path that does.”

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The latest book by Karen Koenig, written with Paige O’Mahoney, offers a way for doctors and health care providers to treat their patients who are concerned about their weight and eating habits.

A review of the work by Publishers Weekly says, “Discussions of the process of weight loss, insights into the psychological issues behind dysregulated eating habits, and the dangers of yo-yo dieting are supported with cited research.”

248389

‘HELPING PATIENTS OUTSMART OVEREATING’

from “The Biggest Loser” gaining weight once off the show. Their metabolisms slow down while dieting and exercising and never recover to a normal pace, the article says. It’s the body’s way of fighting back. The more drastic the magnitude of weight loss, the more drastic the slowing down of metabolism.

To prevent this — and to not just lose weight, but actually get healthier — people need to learn to “eat normally,” Koenig said.

This involves essentially rewiring your brain to make sure all your meals are productive.

First order of business: Lose the scales.

“It sounds counterintuitive, but stop weighing yourself,” Koenig said. “You get on the scale and

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AUGUST 2017

YOUR CALENDAR

You, Perfected Rita Medical Elite is proud to welcome Heather Flanagan, ARNP, Board Certified Nurse Practitioner, Laser Specialist.

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CAREGIVERS SUPPORT GROUP Takes place from 10-11 a.m. at Doctors Hospital, 5731 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota. This is a group for those who have care-giving responsibilities for someone with physical or mental illness. To register, call 888-685-1596.

DEPRESSION AND BIPOLAR SUPPORT GROUP Runs from 7-8 p.m. at St. Andrews United Church, 6908 Beneva Road. Attendees can expect an open and supportive discussion. For information, visit smh. com/Home/News-Events/Event/ evr/77/depressionbi-polar-support-group.

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THURSDAY SEPT. 14

HERBAL REMEDIES AT HOME Runs from 9-10:30 a.m. at Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension & Sustainability, 6700 Clark Road, at Twin Lakes Park, Sarasota.

Katherine Clements, an ecology and natural resources educator, will lead the first class in the “Medicines from Nature” series. It is an introduction into herbal remedy making. For more information, call 941-861-5000 or email sarasota@ifas.ufl.edu.

THURSDAY, AUG. 31THURSDAY, SEPT. 14

SENIORS ZUMBA Runs from 10 to 11 a.m. at Aging in Paradise Resource Center, 6200 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key. The cost is $10 per person. This class works on flexibility, core strength and balance.

For information, visit aginginparadise.org

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 6

STROKE SUPPORT GROUP Begins at 1 p.m. at the Institute for Advanced Medicine, 5880 Rand Blvd., Suite 100. No cost or RSVP needed. This group helps share goals, struggles, ideas and accomplishments. For information, call 917-3890.

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BALANCE, MOVEMENT AND FALL PREVENTION There are two classes available.

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AUGUST 2017

15

PI CTURE O F HE ALTH WITH DICK PELTON

Healthy brains lead to happier people CASSIDY ALEXANDER

ABOUT PELTON Residence: Sarasota Bay Club resident Age: 79 years old Spouse: Married 39 years Children: Two children, Four grandchildren

STAFF WRITER

D

ick Pelton stays very busy.

He’s 79 years old, has two kids and four grandkids. He used to be a longdistance runner and a passionate golfer, and he remains physically active.

He’s a volunteer at the Friendship Center and a founding member and board co-chair of the Aging in Paradise Resource Center. He’s a resident at Sarasota Bay Club, where he serves on the resident advisory board.

He volunteers to raise money for Alzheimer’s research. He’s active at his church on Longboat Key. He has also done a lot of research on brain health, which is part of what prompts Pelton to stay so busy.

Pelton says brain health can be divided into three categories: physical, behavioral and spiritual.

The physical keys to brain health include the obvious: diet and exercise. But it also includes genetics, affluence and sleep.

PELTON’S SUGGESTED READING n “On Purpose: The Graphic Novel,” by Vic Strecher n “Too Young to Be Old: Love, Learn, Work and Play as You Age,” by Nancy Schlossberg

Your standard of living and whether you’re getting “real, deep sleep” are important to keeping your brain healthy.

The behavioral keys are perhaps a little more difficult to attain. These are things like socialization, staying engaged, lifelong learning and having a purpose.

Some would say Pelton’s purpose is being a caregiver for his wife, who was diagnosed with dementia in 2009. Pelton is quick to dismiss this idea.

“Having a purpose that transcends your everyday life … that’s powerful for your brain,” he said. “I take caring of my wife as a given, and that’s what I do.

But there’s life beyond that.”

For Pelton, continuing to learn new things to build new synapses in his brain, and staying engaged by being involved in the community, is a must.

Finally, Pelton said you can’t overlook the spiritual aspect of brain health.

“Even nonbelievers do have — most — have a spirit that they think about or feel about. That can make a difference.”

Pelton summed up his perception of how to have a healthy brain by encouraging people to do activities that contribute to an active, vital mind.

“We tend to take our brain for granted,” he said. “The mind is an organ. It needs exercise, it needs feeding, it needs nourishment.”

Threats to brain health include stress, depression or feeling like you’re too busy to work on it.

“The stress thing — not good for your brain,” he said. “And that’s, I think, a reason I stay busy, given the personal situation that I have with my wife. It is a stress reliever to stay busy and learn new things.”

And to people who say they’re just too busy to do these things, Pelton said it’s just like exercise — you can’t do it once a month or once a year. It has to happen on a continual basis.

“People with healthy brains are typically happy.”

Cassidy Alexander

Seventy-nine-year-old Dick Pelton stays busy beyond caring for his wife.

It’s all about having a purpose, he says.

248689

To live life to the fullest, resident advises to stay busy, stay engaged and have a purpose.

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AUGUST 2017

Brain games for a challenge

W

e’ve learned about brain health from birth through senior years. You know what you need to do to keep your brain active and fit and be satisfied in your golden years.

So let’s have some fun. Here are 10 basic questions about the brain, a few challenging games and a fast quiz.

Which part of the body is the control center for the nervous system?

1

4

7

A) Spinal cord B) Stomach C) Brain D) Heart

A) Cerebellum B) Medulla oblongata C) Pituitary gland D) Spinal cord

2

5

8

A) Walk B) Breathe C) Think D) All of the above

A) 3 pounds B) 3 ounces C) 3 tons D) 6.6 pounds

A) Breathe-o-meter B) Brain stem C) Pituitary gland D) Cerebellum

3

6

9

A) Brain, heart, and spinal cord B) Brain, spinal cord, and nerves C) Nerves, arteries, and veins D) Nerves, liver, and heart

A) Brain stem B) Think tank C) Cerebrum D) Cerebellum

This system controls every­ thing you do:

A) Nervous system B) Olfactory system C) Respiratory system D) Endocrine system Without the nervous system, you couldn’t:

The nervous system is made up of these three parts:

A typical brain weighs how much?

What is the biggest part of the brain?

Which part of the brain helps keep your balance so you don’t fall flat on your face?

Which part of the brain keeps you breathing?

The brain creates connec­ tions, or pathways, between these microscopic cells: A) Blood cells B) Tiny cell phones C) Brain tissues D) Neurons

10

Your emotions are believed to come from the: A) Cerebellum B) Medulla oblongata C) Amygdala D) Heart

NOW THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT THE BRAIN, LET’S PUT IT TO WORK! The website SharpBrains.com offers these mental challenges: 1. Say the days of the week back­wards, then in alpha­bet­i­cal order.

2. Say the months of the year in alpha­ bet­i­cal order. Easy? Well, why don’t you try doing so back­wards, in reverse alpha­ betical order.

3. Find the sum of your date of birth, mm/dd/yyyy. Want a tougher mind teaser? Do the same with your spouse’s or best friend’s date of birth (without looking it up…)

4. Name two objects for every letter in your first name. Work up to five objects, try­ing to use different items each time.

5. Look around wherever you are and, within two minutes, try to find five red things that will fit in your pockets and five blue objects that are too big to fit.

Quick, find the number of Fs in this sentence: “Finished files are the result of years of scientific study combined with the expe­ rience of years.”

How many did you count? Three? Four?

Well, the answer is five. Why do most people say three? The folks at Sharp­ Brain say, “We often don’t correctly process the word ‘OF’ for two reasons.

First, the letter F usually makes the ‘f’ sound, like in ‘fox.’ However, in the word ‘of’ it makes a ‘v’ sound. Second, you have probably read the word ‘of’ so many times in your life that you process it as one unit, overlooking the second letter and sound.”

QUIZ ANSWERS: 1. A, 2. D, 3. B, 4. C, 5. A, 6. C, 7. A, 8. B, 9. D, 10. C

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