Q&A time! This episode of The Brain Warrior’s Way Podcast features Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen answering some of your questions. Topics covered in this episode include the health benefits and risks of drinking milk, and what you can do to avoid a midday crash. If you’d like your own question answered on the show, please visit brainwarriorswaypodcast.com for instructions on how to submit.
Dr Daniel Amen: Welcome to The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast. I'm Dr. Daniel Amen.
Tana Amen: And I'm Tana Amen. In our podcast we provide you with the tools you need to become a warrior for the health of your brain and body.
Dr Daniel Amen: The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast is brought to you by Amen Clinics, where we have been transforming lives for 30 years, using tools like brain SPECT imaging to personalized treatment to your brain. For more information visit amenclinics.com.
Tana Amen: The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast is also brought to you by BrainMD, where we produce the highest quality nutraceuticals to support the health of your brain and body. To learn more go to brainmd.com. Welcome back. We have been talking about toxins this week, and in this episode, though, we are going to answer your questions. But first we are going to talk about our book winners. Every time you guys go to brainwarriorswaypodcast.com and you leave a question or a review, it enters you into a raffle. So, our winners from this week are Mark, from Round Rock, Texas; Cody, from Salt Lake City, Utah; Bridget, from Aliso Viejo, California, and Dwayne, from Seattle, Washington. So, here's how-
Dr Daniel Amen: Congratulations.
Tana Amen: Yes, congratulations. So, go to brainwarriorswaypodcast.com, leave a positive review on Apple Podcasts, go to our website and ask your questions, and that will enter you into our drawing, into our raffle.
Dr Daniel Amen: Yeah, no, you can leave a negative review and we'll still enter you-
Tana Amen: But we'd rather you leave a positive one.
Dr Daniel Amen: We'll still enter you into the drawing.
Tana Amen: I was trying to be sneaky.
Dr Daniel Amen: But we want to know how you think we can improve this. Tana reads all of them.
Tana Amen: I do. But this is the book you will get if you win.
Dr Daniel Amen: Good. All right. Well, I have one of the reviews. We took our son to get a brain scan to help us understand his ADD, and we are so grateful we did. Our eyes have been open so much to the actions we can take to navigate this road much more smoothly. Excited for even more information via these podcasts. This is from Dre W.
Tana Amen: Awesome.
Dr Daniel Amen: Bless you, thank you for the reviews. So, this is a new podcast that we're doing where we answer people's questions. I'll read the first one, and you probably have an answer. Hi, Tana and Daniel. I have a question about milk. Specifically, what's your take on it? I quit drinking cow's milk years ago, except for the occasional bit on my oatmeal or yogurt. Usually, I use a homemade nut milk. However, I'm taking a nutrition class right now, and the USDA recommends three cups of dairy per day.
Tana Amen: Of course they do.
Dr Daniel Amen: Three cups. That seems outrageously high. It feels more like a market-manipulated suggestion than an actual health benefit. Any thoughts on how cow's milk or other milks affect the health of the body and brain? Valerie.
Tana Amen: Yeah. So, yes, I would agree with your comment in there about the market. There's no evidence that cow's milk is good for you or that it's even a good source of calcium, really. But what they're trying to do is make a blanket statement so that the general population at least gets some. Your nut milk is actually a fine... Well, if you're making it yourself at home you might not be getting enough calcium, because store-bought nut milk actually is enriched with calcium, so just make sure you're getting a good source of calcium, but the best way to get vitamin D and calcium is obviously with your greens, is really the best way. So, just make sure you're getting enough calcium and vitamin D. Most people don't digest cow's milk very well, so you're correct about that. The small amounts aren't going to hurt you. I have a whole section on cow's milk in Omni Diet and in Brain Warrior's Way. So, if you want to get into detail about that, I would read that in there, but you are actually correct. And three? You don't need three cups of milk a day, so...
Dr Daniel Amen: Let me add to that a little bit. Almost all the dairy in the United States is raised with hormones and antibiotics.
Tana Amen: Yes, yes.
Dr Daniel Amen: You don't need those hormones and you don't need the antibiotics. I think both of us are a fan of eating sustainably-raised, clean meat, but one thing nobody ever thinks about is your body, when sad, when you're lonely, when you're angry, when you're depressed, actually produces chemicals that go with being sad, lonely, angry, and depressed. So, if you're eating industrial-raised animals or drinking their milk, you are also not only getting the hormones and antibiotics, but you're getting the chemicals of animals that are generally lonely and sad, angry and depressed. I'm very concerned about it, in addition. So, you don't need the hormones, you don't need the antibiotics, you don't need the lonely chemicals.
Casomorphins casing the protein, one of the primary proteins from dairy, combines with stomach acid and turns into something called casomorphins that work on the heroin or opiate centers in your brain. So, I remember, and you remember, when... At Christmas we go over to my mom's house and she makes these incredibly tasting pizzas. So, the pizza is filled with love and cheese, and I wouldn't have one piece. I mean, before I got smart, I'd eat eight and feel completely like crap. Cheese can be addictive, so we just-
Tana Amen: It's totally addictive.
Dr Daniel Amen: ... have to be thoughtful and careful. I'm a fan of almond milk that... Costco actually makes a really clean vanilla organic almond milk that's not expensive at all.
Tana Amen: And for people who are not lactose intolerant, raw dairy would be okay with the exception of the fact that you have to be very careful then. So, if you're not getting pasteurized milk, you're not killing the bacteria in it. You have to be very careful of the source you're getting, right? So, it's very risky. The other thing is people who are very sensitive and have allergies to cow's milk often don't have the same allergies to goat's milk. That's a whole long discussion, but I do go into detail on that in the Omni Diet. So, for those of you who really do want some form of milk, sheep's milk, cow's, milk, especially the yogurt or the cheese, oftentimes you don't have the same reaction to that that you do to cow's milk. So, big section on that-
Dr Daniel Amen: Didn't you say in one of your books that with goat milk there was 90% less reactions?
Tana Amen: Yeah. Yes, reactions. They actually did a study with kids who had severe milk allergies, and it was 85% of the kids that have milk allergies to cow's milk did not react to goat's milk.
Dr Daniel Amen: I think one of the reasons the USDA comes out with these recommendations is the political lobby from the dairy industry.
Tana Amen: It is, and it's also [crosstalk 00:08:19].
Dr Daniel Amen: Often, the people who work at the USDA and... It's a huge scandal, and after their stay there, working at the dairy companies.
Tana Amen: Some of these were created so long ago and they're not updated. They were created to protect people from one nutritional deficiency, but then they're not updated for a zillion years.
Dr Daniel Amen: I'm getting ready to speak at TACA, Talk About Curing Autism, and many of the parents there say when they get kids off dairy and off gluten-
Tana Amen: For sure.
Dr Daniel Amen: ... their words go up.
Tana Amen: Yes.
Dr Daniel Amen: The number of words they use go up, so that indicates-
Tana Amen: And their anger outbursts go down.
Dr Daniel Amen: Often. Do you want to read this one?
Tana Amen: Yes. So, I've recently started The Brain Warrior's Way class, and I love it. I'm having an issue, though. I'm crashing midday, usually around 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. I'll get really tired and very grumpy. From what I'm learning from you this is my blood sugar. I know you've said to take protein like medicine. Can you give me some examples of good snack that has protein? Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Also, I feel like I need a schedule, something that guides me as to the best times to eat, exercise, snacks, wake up, et cetera. Is it possible to help me with that? Also, I greatly appreciate everything you and Dr. Amen are doing. I watch you all every day when I'm working. I keep the podcast... When I'm working I keep the podcast on. I'm very new to this lifestyle and I do not want to fall off. This is great. What I'm learning is so eye-opening. It is so sad that I've lived for 42 years without knowing how evil sugar is. I can't thank you both enough, Amber.
Awesome, I love this. Okay, so where to start? Number one, the midday crash is probably because you're coming down off of sugar. That's number one. Number two, yes, it's probably your blood sugar and you need a good snack. Number three, it could be that your brain type is telling you you maybe need some smart carbs at that time. Not dumb carbs, not sugar, but maybe a little bit of smart carbs. You may need a little boost. Maybe you need some energy in the form of some high fiber carbs. So, maybe a half-piece of fruit, maybe an apple, sliced apple with some almond butter on it might be good, and you could even have a hard boiled egg along with that for some protein. So, that would be my suggestion.
Dr Daniel Amen: That actually sounds like a great snack.
Tana Amen: It's a great snack, and I do have a suggestion for a very specific, very specific... She wanted a very specific schedule, so I have a very specific schedule for food, snacks, menu, exercise, sleep, all of it in Omni Diet. It's a six-week program. It's got three phases. So, highly recommend you get Omni Diet. In fact, because you wrote this, I will send it to you. Amber, if you go to brainwarriorswaypodcast.com, don't leave it on the main page. Go to the section, leave us a private message. I will send you the Omni Diet. So, if you are listening, go there and I will send it to you because you wrote in.
Dr Daniel Amen: That's really practical. It's really-
Tana Amen: Because you are working so hard at this and you are actually doing the program, I'm going to send that you and it's got a six-week very specific program: how much to eat, what to eat, all it.
Dr Daniel Amen: Also, the Brain Warrior's Way class that people can take online at Amen University.
Tana Amen: So, what I want to point out too, because she's just been so good about this, the cookbook... When you look at the food portion, the food program in Omni Diet, all of the recipes are interchangeable. They're just there to show you the suggestion of how versatile it can be; of how many options you have. You can switch any of those recipes out with these. So, I don't want you to think, oh, I have to spend all this time cooking all these different recipes. No, switch them out for whatever you want. It's just to show you what you can have.
Dr Daniel Amen: All right. Well, we're out of time. That was great. You are so smart.
Tana Amen: So are you.
Dr Daniel Amen: That's why I like hanging out with you. We are grateful if there's one thing you took away, maybe about dairy or about the afternoon blues. Sometimes if I get tired in the afternoon I use Brain Boost On The Go from BrainMD.
Tana Amen: Yeah. That's a good point.
Dr Daniel Amen: That's why I created it.
Tana Amen: She might be dehydrated. You might need more hydration.
Dr Daniel Amen: Well, also, Brain Boost On The Go has B6, B12, folate and thiamine, and it is just a great little energy drink for you. So, write down the one thing you learned on any of your social media channels and hashtag Brain Warrior's Way Podcast. Or, go to Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, leave a review, leave a question. We'll answer as many questions as we can, and then, automatically, when you leave a review or a question, we'll enter you into a raffle for The Brain Warrior's Way Cookbook. Stay with us.
Tana Amen: If you are enjoying The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast, please don't forget to subscribe so you'll always know when there's a new episode. While you're at it, feel free to give us a review or five-star rating, as that helps others find the podcast.
Dr Daniel Amen: If you're considering coming to Amen Clinics or trying some of the brain-healthy supplements from BrainMD, you can use the code PODCAST10 to get a 10% discount on a full evaluation at amenclinics.com, or a 10% discount on all supplements at brainmdhealth.com. For more information give us a call at 855-978-1363.
