Monday, February 02, 2009

Book Review: This is Your Brain on Joy

This Is Your Brain on Joy by Dr. Earl Henslin [Product Image]

I just finished reading This Is Your Brain on Joy: A Revolutionary Program for Balancing Mood, Restoring Brain Health, and Nurturing Spiritual Growth.

I was surprised that I looked forward to reading more about my brain each night. Written so that a non-medical person can understand the brain, its functioning, and how it relates to behavior, you are led on a virtual tour of your brain complete with photos of brain scans showing what normal brain function in each area looks like as well as what abnormal function looks like as well.

I appreciated the humor, science, medicine, research, and the applicable sections in each chapter which recommended how you and your physician can best help you overcome brain function challenges using nutrition, supplements, medication, scripture meditation, aromatherapy, exercise, music therapy, cinema therapy (lists of movies) as well as listing additional resources for further reading and study.

I was reminded that taking care of my body and charge of my health is within my own reach. That understanding brain function is becoming more and more understandable. That things like anger, ADD, depression, and anxiety are brain illnesses that are easily treated and that medication is not the sole option for treatment.

Although there was a lot of talk about the SPECT scans (SPECT = Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography), it was balanced with other forms of evaluation and therapies.

I have re-started taking Omega-3 fish oil tablets, downing handfuls of fresh blueberries, ensuring plenty of "good fats" in my diet, trying to rest more, remain hydrated, not depend on caffeine so much, and know that exercise would really give me a boost but one step at a time is about all I can do.

On a final note, I loved the raised imagery on the cover.

2 comments:

amelia said...

so it's worth the read then? Sounds interesting!

Cheeky said...

Amelia--I'll let you borrow it when you move back into town. Yeah, it's a pretty good read. Kind of along the lines of Blue Genes.