1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: Now here's a highlight from Coast to Coast am on 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,760 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio and welcome back to Coast to Coast. George 3 00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Nori with you. Doctor Kristen willamire with us, and we're 4 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: talking about her book that has just come out called 5 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: Biohack Your Brain. Kristen, let's talk about memory in the 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: brain for a moment. What creates memory? Anyway? What a 7 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,800 Speaker 1: great question. What creates memory? So when we learn things 8 00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: during the day, it goes into our short term memory 9 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:30,720 Speaker 1: and when we sleep at night, this is why sleep 10 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: is so important. Those short term memories get consolidated and 11 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: encoded into long term memories and then get stored throughout 12 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: the brain. So there's a really important strip key area 13 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 1: of the brain called the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the 14 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: area of the brain that is essential to encoding those memories. 15 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: So when we think about wanting to protect our brain 16 00:00:56,160 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: and protect our cognitive health, you're going to hear a 17 00:00:58,680 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: lot of people talk about wanting to protect the hippocampus 18 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:06,320 Speaker 1: and to keep the volume of the hippocampus of large 19 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: as we age. What if some people have great memories, 20 00:01:09,880 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: other people don't. And here's an example, I mean, there 21 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: was somebody that I know that you know, he was 22 00:01:15,480 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 1: talking about something and he said, I got to look 23 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: it up on the internet. And two minutes later he 24 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: forgot what he was going to look up on the internet. 25 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:27,279 Speaker 1: How does that happen? And I think it's probably happened 26 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,479 Speaker 1: to all of us at some point in our lives. Well, first, 27 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: I would say, you know, if he distracted like this 28 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: at this point in time, you know, we're all going 29 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:37,600 Speaker 1: through COVID and we're stressed, and we have a lot 30 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 1: of stress. You're not always focused. So I think people 31 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: who are able to have great attention spans and are 32 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:49,480 Speaker 1: able to have sustained attention tend to have better memories. 33 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: But memory is so complex, so there's so many factors 34 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 1: that can impact it. For example, if you have diabetes, 35 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: midlife hypertension, obesity, if you smoke, if you struggle with depression, 36 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: if you're cognitively inactive, so if you just don't do 37 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: stimulating activities to keep the brain sharp, and if you 38 00:02:13,240 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: don't move our exercise, all of those things can lead 39 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:21,240 Speaker 1: to decrements in our memory. So interesting, Yeah, they're all important. 40 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: I know you talk about this a lot on your 41 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: show with pharmacists then you know, in the dock. So 42 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:29,600 Speaker 1: I think for people, if they really want to keep 43 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: their memory sharp, you know, it's important. You know, if 44 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: you have diabetes. You know, twenty twenty nine million people 45 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: have diabetes, eighty five million pre diabetes. You've gotta get 46 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:45,959 Speaker 1: the diabetes treated because literally this is starving the brain 47 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: of nutrients. Well, how many people, for example, are introduced 48 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:52,800 Speaker 1: to somebody and they forget their name, you know, the 49 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 1: minute they walk away. Oh, do you want Do you 50 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: want a little trick on how to remember somebody's name? Yeah, 51 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: that would be great. So what's interesting about that is 52 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:05,400 Speaker 1: if you're not focused, like when you meet somebody, if 53 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: you're not what we would say in present time consciousness 54 00:03:07,720 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: and really focused on that person, you know, it's fleeting, right. 55 00:03:11,600 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: It goes into your short term memory and right now 56 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: you hear their voice, but you're not really registering, correct. 57 00:03:17,480 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: So what you have to do is play a little game. 58 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:23,519 Speaker 1: So for example, I live in a high rise here 59 00:03:23,760 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: in Century City, and there's four hundred people that live 60 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: in the building, and so there's a lot of people, 61 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 1: a lot of names to know. When I go out 62 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: and walk oscar, there's a couple, Rich and Diane. When 63 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: I first met Rich, the first thing I thought of 64 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: when I saw him was a bag of money. I 65 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,080 Speaker 1: know that sounds crazy, Okay, that's I'm going to remember Rich. 66 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: And then when I see Diane, I think of Princess Diana. 67 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: Every time I see them, I can just go to 68 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 1: the memory. So what I do is create some sort 69 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 1: of visual in my mind. Because the mind is really 70 00:03:57,320 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: all about visual imagery. So if when you meet somebody, 71 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:05,840 Speaker 1: you can sort of create a visual image that associates 72 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: that name with that vision. Because nothing impresses a person 73 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: more than when you meet them the second time and 74 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: you remember who they are, you are absolutely right, you 75 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: are absolutely and people know if you know their name, 76 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: they do. I mean because most of the time, if 77 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,120 Speaker 1: somebody comes up and you don't remember their name, it's hey, 78 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: how are you good to see you again? But if 79 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: you know their name, it's hey, Bill, good to see 80 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: you again, Well, that actually shows that you care, You're focused. 81 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: I mean, how many people are attentive listeners. Not a 82 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:43,159 Speaker 1: lot of people. So it shows that somebody actually cares 83 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: to remember their name. And if you use that little 84 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: trick and you associate that person with either again a vision, 85 00:04:52,040 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: a sort of a visual with that. So if somebody 86 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: met me Kristen and wanted to remember my name, they 87 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: could think of Christmas crystals, like anything that has the 88 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: Chris in it. I've got a little fifteen month great 89 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: grandchild Okay, her name's Mila, and she is as sharp 90 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:13,480 Speaker 1: as attack. I can already tell the girl's going to 91 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: be brilliant. I mean she just she's doing things at 92 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:20,040 Speaker 1: that age that is amazing. You can watch her little 93 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 1: brain work grow. I know you're watching. But when they're 94 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:28,400 Speaker 1: babies at about that age, how good is their their 95 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,919 Speaker 1: brain for memory and things like that. Well, so the 96 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:36,160 Speaker 1: brain is going through this process of development, rapid growth 97 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 1: from you know, from birth all the way to age 98 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: twenty five, and the most accelerated period of growth is 99 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,720 Speaker 1: literally between the ages zero and five. So you know, 100 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: you're watching the development of this little mind right exploring 101 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:56,720 Speaker 1: the environment and taking on all this information. And they're 102 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,280 Speaker 1: taking an information. It's like this. The brain is a 103 00:06:00,360 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 1: sensory processing organ, so it's taking in everything in its 104 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: environment and going into that not just the conscious mind, 105 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,720 Speaker 1: but the subconscious mind. Tell me about dementia, exactly what 106 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: is it? What causes it. Oh, you want, you want 107 00:06:14,200 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: to know about dementia. That's a good topic. So wait 108 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 1: a minute, I just forgot what did I just ask me? 109 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: I'm kidding. So dementia is just dementia is talking about 110 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:32,840 Speaker 1: what happens when you are losing memorica. It's funny. As 111 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: I'm talking to you, Oscar just distracted me. I thought 112 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:40,480 Speaker 1: something was going on in that place. Yes, my little 113 00:06:40,560 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: child here, put him on the ear with us. Does 114 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: he bark? He does? He's actually being quite quiet. So 115 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: dementia's just a general term for loss of memory, language issues, 116 00:06:54,000 --> 00:06:57,559 Speaker 1: or problem solving that can interfere with your quality of life. 117 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 1: So with also members disease, usually sixty percent of those 118 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: cases are related to dementia. Well, now, what'll kill you 119 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: dementia or Alzheimer's? Well you actually, they don't kill you 120 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: per se. They don't shut your systems down or anything 121 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: like that. As you age, they can you know, I 122 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: know you would. Pharmacists been on talking about what happens 123 00:07:25,080 --> 00:07:30,320 Speaker 1: as people age and have dementia. Sometimes they stop eating 124 00:07:31,640 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: and those things can actually lead to people passing away. 125 00:07:36,880 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: What are some of your favorite foods to kind of 126 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: prevent those things happening. So one of my favorite foods 127 00:07:44,520 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: are blueberries. So berries are any kind of berries, blueberries, raspberry, 128 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:56,120 Speaker 1: strawberries are essential to protecting brain health. They are loaded 129 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: with flavonoids which can actually cross the blood brain berrier 130 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: and protect your neurons from dying. So that's really importing. Blackberries, 131 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: raspberries all the same, blackberries, raserris they all have a 132 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: really high anti accident potential. Helps to protect the cells 133 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 1: of your brain. And Harvard did a fascinating longitudinal study 134 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: over the course of twenty years in sixteen thousand people, 135 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: showing that people who consumed blueberries at least three times 136 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: a week had slower cognitive aging by as much as 137 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: two and a half years. Wow, that's a lot when 138 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,200 Speaker 1: you get up there in age. No, it's really impressive. 139 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:41,960 Speaker 1: So just thinking about the daily habits that you have 140 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: consuming the berries is really important protecting your cognitive health. 141 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: I am convinced Kristen that people who work longer and 142 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: don't retire have more sharper brains and live longer than 143 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: people who retire. Am I right. Absolutely, working is a 144 00:09:01,240 --> 00:09:06,600 Speaker 1: cognitively stimulating activity. You know, whether you're reading, you know, 145 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: having meetings, with people. Just keeping yourself mentally challenged is 146 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: really important for brain growth. So there's something called neuroplasticity, 147 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:19,880 Speaker 1: which is when the brain is making new connections. So 148 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: when you're learning through work, you're stimulating neuroplasticity. And then 149 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 1: there's also neurogenesis when you're growing new brain cells, particularly 150 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:33,800 Speaker 1: in that region we talked about called the hippocampus, which 151 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 1: is important for learning and memory. So that's why working 152 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: is so important because it stimulates both the neuroplasticity and 153 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:45,439 Speaker 1: the neurogenesis. Okay, great, well I want I'm going to 154 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: be bringing Tom for a second, our producer, and this 155 00:09:48,480 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 1: is what I told him years ago. This is how 156 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 1: I want to go. I don't want to retire. When 157 00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: I first got this job almost nineteen years ago, I 158 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: figured I'm going to retire around the Scember twenty first, 159 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:04,439 Speaker 1: twenty twelve, the Mayan calendar end day, It's a perfect 160 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,079 Speaker 1: time to go out. Once I got to that date 161 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 1: and I'm still kicking along, I'm going I'm not going 162 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: to retire. I'm having too much fun. I like this. 163 00:10:13,480 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 1: But I told Tom how it's going to be. So 164 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:18,840 Speaker 1: I want you to imagine for a second, Kristen. We're 165 00:10:18,920 --> 00:10:22,199 Speaker 1: in a commercial break, right, and you're hearing a commercial 166 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 1: as you just did, and then we come out of 167 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,439 Speaker 1: the commercial to Tom go ahead, Tom, Well, I first 168 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:30,079 Speaker 1: have to say that I'm glad that you think you're 169 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,839 Speaker 1: going before me in offense. But it's going to depend 170 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: on the situation and how you go. But basically, I'm 171 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 1: going to run in there and I'm gonna go, ladies 172 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:42,040 Speaker 1: and gentlemen, and I'm going to explain what happened to George, 173 00:10:42,080 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: if he whether he fell, or what he did. And 174 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:48,199 Speaker 1: I'm gonna if we're depending on the timing, if we're 175 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:50,920 Speaker 1: in the middle of a segment, we'll probably take it 176 00:10:51,000 --> 00:10:53,480 Speaker 1: to the break, or else we'll just go straight to 177 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: a commercial, probably to a commercial because we're all going 178 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: to be bawling and calling nine one one and that 179 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:00,920 Speaker 1: so forth. But we do have a little plan. I 180 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:04,880 Speaker 1: must say you. You guys have actually planned it. We 181 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:08,040 Speaker 1: planned this. This, this is the way I want to go. 182 00:11:08,640 --> 00:11:11,920 Speaker 1: You're going to continue working until your last breath. Yep, 183 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 1: that's right, George. We haven't planned If I go though, No, 184 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:17,599 Speaker 1: that's gonna be that's gonna be sad. That's gonna be 185 00:11:17,679 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 1: sad for me because you've been by right hand for 186 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: all these years. You'll be no, but your replacement is 187 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: outside the door right now. Producers are diamonds, all right, Thanks, Yeah, 188 00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: but that's that's the plan. But but I'm convinced. My 189 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:35,640 Speaker 1: father retired from the Ford Motor Company, was a financial 190 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:39,679 Speaker 1: analyst at sixty. He had a program called sixty and 191 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 1: out and he wanted early retirement. He'd still got a 192 00:11:42,880 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: portion of his salary. But but I saw him kind 193 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 1: of He lived until he was eighty eight. Wow, But 194 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: I saw him wither away when he retired because he 195 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:55,920 Speaker 1: didn't do much. You know, he loved his family and 196 00:11:55,960 --> 00:11:58,440 Speaker 1: that was that was what he did, right, But in 197 00:11:58,559 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: terms of at activity and keeping busy, and he wasn't 198 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 1: in the golfing or sports or anything like that. I 199 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:09,199 Speaker 1: saw him for twenty eight years just kind of there. 200 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 1: And I don't want that to happen to man. Yeah, 201 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: gives this a sense of purpose, like you said during coronavirus, 202 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: like this is the one thing that really brings you joy. 203 00:12:20,120 --> 00:12:23,439 Speaker 1: You love coming into work, connecting with your audience, teaching 204 00:12:23,440 --> 00:12:27,559 Speaker 1: people new things. So I think you should keep going. 205 00:12:27,920 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 1: What are three popular myths about the brain that you 206 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:35,160 Speaker 1: want to debunk. Oh, I love the brain myth question. 207 00:12:35,520 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 1: So first of all, and I know I've been talking 208 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:43,720 Speaker 1: about the hippocampus a lot. So one common myth is 209 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:48,079 Speaker 1: that the adult brain cannot grow new brain cells. But 210 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: the truth is that we can grow new brain cells 211 00:12:50,679 --> 00:12:53,520 Speaker 1: from adolescents into adulthood. They used to tell us that 212 00:12:53,600 --> 00:12:57,080 Speaker 1: if you had a glass of wine or a glass 213 00:12:57,120 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: of beer, it would kill your brain cells. Right, well, 214 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,959 Speaker 1: it will short circuit the connections between them, and it's 215 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:08,560 Speaker 1: not so great for your liver. But the brain can 216 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:10,959 Speaker 1: grow new brain cells again in that area of the 217 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,680 Speaker 1: brain I was talking about, called the hippocampus. And why 218 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:17,120 Speaker 1: is that so important? Because this is the reason of 219 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:19,680 Speaker 1: the brain where we take our short term memories that 220 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 1: we learned during the day cansolidate them into the long 221 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: term memories that we can keep for a lifetime. So 222 00:13:26,679 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: we want to make sure that we protect that reason 223 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: of the brain. But I think what's really exciting for 224 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: people is to understand that we can grow new brain 225 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:37,440 Speaker 1: cells as we age. All right, that's one myth. What's another. 226 00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: So another myth I think you'll appreciate this is that 227 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 1: multitasking so people think multitasking is a way for the 228 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 1: brain to be more organized and efficient. But truth be told, 229 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 1: the human brain is incapable of focusing on two things 230 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:56,079 Speaker 1: at once. Really, I love multitasks. I think we all 231 00:13:56,160 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: think we do, right, so multiple I'm doing another radio show. 232 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 1: All I'm talking to you, but nobody knows. No, I'm kidding, 233 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:06,640 Speaker 1: But I do like multitasking. Yeah, Well, multitasking is essentially 234 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: just switching our attention between two tasks. So when we 235 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:15,199 Speaker 1: quote multitask, we're decreasing our brain's ability to maintain focus 236 00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:20,280 Speaker 1: and sustain attention, which reduces our cognitive proficiency in reaction time. 237 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: And the perfect example is if we're driving and trying 238 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: to text or look at our phone, right, that's dangerous. Well, 239 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: that's dangerous. That's exactly it. That's the perfect example of 240 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:35,640 Speaker 1: why we really can't multitask. If you want to focus, 241 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:37,760 Speaker 1: you have to do one thing at a time and 242 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 1: do it well. Well, but it's multitasking. Though. Let's say 243 00:14:41,120 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: you're in a meeting, You've got some people in your office. 244 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: Somebody else calls for something else, You talk to him, 245 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:49,600 Speaker 1: You talk to them. You can do that, can't you? 246 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:52,080 Speaker 1: You can do that, but if you want to be 247 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: if you want your brain to be at its most proficient, 248 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 1: you sort of focus on the singular task. So, say 249 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:00,720 Speaker 1: you were trying to do some sort of work on 250 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: your computer and then you know, a little beep goes 251 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 1: off on your phone, and you decide to look at that. 252 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 1: You get distracted, Then you go back to what you're 253 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:12,359 Speaker 1: working on the computer, but you then have to refocus. 254 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,640 Speaker 1: So I think the important part for people to know 255 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 1: is if you really want to get things done, you 256 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: want to improve your sustained focus and try not to 257 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: do as much multitasking. And what about the third myth? 258 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 1: Thirdmit So, and I'm sure you've heard this, We only 259 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,400 Speaker 1: use ten percent of our brain. You hear this all 260 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 1: the time, I know, But the truth is we use 261 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 1: all of our brains and it is continually active when 262 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:41,040 Speaker 1: we are awake as well as when we are sleeping. 263 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: And in fact, our brain works just as hard when 264 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 1: we are asleep as when we are awake, you know, 265 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 1: performing essential housekeeping functions like clearing abnormally folded proteins that 266 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:56,200 Speaker 1: can lead to Alzheimer's. And again I talked about consolidating 267 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: the short term memories to long term memories as well 268 00:15:58,760 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 1: as helping us to regular our emotions. So, ellie, do 269 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: we use one hundred percent of our brain all of 270 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: the time? It is very active while we are sleeping. 271 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 1: And I know I think your next segment is discussing dreams. Yea, yeah, absolutely. 272 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: I listened to a lot of Frank Sinatra songs. Well, 273 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:20,720 Speaker 1: I love Franks. This guy at his peak could remember 274 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: hundreds of songs. How in the world does the brain 275 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 1: allow you to do that? That's because the songs are 276 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: tied to emotion. So when we tie a memory to 277 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: something that hits the emotional center of his brain, the 278 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: a magdala, we're able to remember things. So like when 279 00:16:40,400 --> 00:16:44,040 Speaker 1: you were in your twenties or twenties or thirties, don't 280 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: you remember like the song that you Oh yeah, yeah, 281 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:50,600 Speaker 1: I still play them sometimes. Yeah. Well, I know you 282 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:54,960 Speaker 1: love music. You know music is emotion and it's the mood. 283 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 1: It is the mood. I will tell you. I think 284 00:16:57,040 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: you'll really appreciate this. A friend of mindset this incredible 285 00:17:01,240 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: video of a woman who had dementia and she was 286 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: a I think like a premier ballerina. They showed her 287 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:14,360 Speaker 1: a video of her as the ballerina and she started 288 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:18,119 Speaker 1: she heard the music and started doing the movement. It 289 00:17:18,280 --> 00:17:20,919 Speaker 1: was firs beautiful. So it just goes to show that 290 00:17:21,840 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: the memories they're associated with music because it's emotional, are 291 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 1: the ones that are some of our strongest. Listen to 292 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 1: more Coast to Coast AM every weeknight at one am 293 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: Eastern and go to Coast to Coast am dot com 294 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: for more