Rewire Your Brain: Think Your Way to a Better Life

Good Sources of Calcium 
•
Dairy products
•
Kidney beans 
•
Salmon 
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•
Bok choy (Chinese cabbage)
•
Almonds
•
Broccoli
Magnesium is involved in as many as 350 enzymatic functions in 
your body. It plays a role in maintaining metabolism, aiding muscle 
contraction, and supporting liver and kidney functions. Magnesium 
is important in the conversion of blood sugar into energy and is 
needed by cells for the creation of genetic material. Magnesium 
also helps with the absorption of calcium, vitamin C, phosphorous, 
sodium, and potassium. 
Magnesium, like calcium, is involved in the conduction of nerve 
impulses. A magnesium defi ciency contributes to irritability, ner-
vousness, and depression. Magnesium regulates a key receptor in 
the hippocampus that is important in learning and memory. A proper 
level of magnesium is essential for maintaining the capacity for 
neuroplasticity. Magnesium is the gatekeeper for a crucial receptor 
that receives the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Magnesium 
helps this receptor to open up for meaningful input, which increases 
the effi cacy of synaptic connections. 
Good Sources of Magnesium 
•
Wheat and oat bran
•
Brown rice
•
Nuts
•
Green vegetables
Iron is involved in the synthesis of serotonin, dopamine, and nor-
epinephrine. It is a cofactor in many enzyme reactions that produce 
these neurotransmitters. Iron also plays an important role in the 
enzymes that convert dietary fatty acids into a form that is crucial 
for the brain. 
Phytonutrients are substances that are found in the pigment of 
many plant foods. Phytonutrients have antioxidant abilities and 
include substances called
fl avonoids
that are found in green tea, 
soy, apples, blueberries, elderberries, and cherries. This is why 
blueberries have received so much attention in the popular press. 
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Researchers have demonstrated that diets rich in blueberries are 
correlated with improved cognitive and motor functions. 
The fruits with the highest oxygen radical absorbing capacity 
(ORAC) — that is, the capacity to absorb free radicals — are blueber-
ries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and plums, in that order. 
Plums have less than half the ORAC of blueberries and blackberries.
Nancy ’ s Fat Problem 
Nancy came to see me with complaints that she was tired all the 
time, felt easily stressed, and had memory problems. She thought 
that she had “ some deep buried secrets that needed airing out. ”
When I asked her why she thought she suffered from a problem 
buried in the past, she answered, “ Because I just feel bad, and 
there is nothing that should be bothering me. I should be happy. 
Everything is going great except how I feel. ”
My fi rst task was to complete a mental - status evaluation to deter-
mine whether Nancy was suffering from depression. What became 
immediately clear, however, was that her diet was extremely poor. 
She started her day by picking up a fried breakfast burrito at the 
local fast - food drive - through. At her morning break she would eat a 
few doughnuts and drink some coffee. For lunch she had chicken 
nuggets. For an afternoon snack she would eat potato chips or 
cheese puffs. Her dinner consisted of fried chicken, french fries, 
fried mozzarella sticks, or some other fried foods. 
Nancy had all the symptoms of essential fatty acid defi ciency, 
including the following: 
•
Dandruff
•
Dry skin
•
Dry, unmanageable hair
•
Brittle, easily frayed nails
•
Excessive thirst
I pointed out that if she changed her diet, her energy level would 
probably increase and many of her symptoms would evaporate. 
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“ What are you, some kind of fanatic? ” she demanded. “ I know a 
lot of people who eat the same things. Can ’ t you help me and not 
get sidetracked? ”
I told Nancy that we needed a solid foundation to work from 
and that her high trans - fatty acid consumption had to be addressed 
because it undermined her brain ’ s capacity to think clearly and learn 
anything new through neuroplasticity. 
“ All right, ” she conceded, “ I ’ ll change my diet after I feel better. ”
“ I don ’ t think you ’ re going to feel better until you make those 
changes, ” I informed her. “ You need to eliminate all the fried 
foods. ”
We agreed that I would teach her some techniques to improve 
her memory after she added an omega - 3 tablet and a vitamin E 
supplement each day. Cutting out the trans - fatty acids and adding 
the supplements would promote healthier cells and make neuro-
plasticity possible. 
After a month, Nancy started to have more energy and was able 
to think more clearly. Over the next few months, she was increas-
ingly able to use the FEED technique to rewire her brain. 
Getting the Right Fats 
Nancy ’ s dietary fat problem is actually very common. She didn ’ t 
have to avoid consuming all fats, just the wrong kinds of fats. Nancy 
wasn ’ t getting the right fats, like omega - 3 essential fatty acids. These 
are so important that the next time someone calls you a fathead, you 
should say, “ Thanks! ” Your brain is actually composed of 60 percent 
fat. Therefore, you need the right fats to manufacture the cell mem-
branes in your brain — and throughout the rest of your body. These 
fats are called