Q&A: Which Personal Products Are The Least Toxic?

Dr Daniel Amen and Tana Amen BSN RN On The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast

In this episode of The Brain Warrior’s Way Podcast, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen address some listener questions and dole out helpful advice. This week’s topics include clean products for personal and household use, sedation vs. general anesthesia during surgery, workout tips, intermittent fasting to lose weight, and eating clean while away from home. If you’d like your question answered on the Brain Warrior’s Way Podcast, you can submit your questions at brainwarriorswaypodcast.com

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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 personalize treatment to your brain. For more information, visit amenclinics.com.
Tana Amen: The Brain Warrior's Way Podcast is also brought to you by Brain MD where we produce the highest quality nutraceuticals to support the health of your brain and body. To learn more, go to brainmd.com.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Welcome back. In this episode, we're going to answer your questions and earlier in the week we promised Gem 60 we're going to answer his or her question.
Tana Amen: Right.
Dr. Daniel Amen: I don't know what Gem 60 is, but before we do, think about what's the one thing you're going to learn during this podcast and then post it on any of your social media sites. And don't forget to leave us a review, a comment or a question. And when you do, we'll enter you into a raffle to win the Brain Warrior's Way Cookbook.
Tana Amen: Okay. This is a good question.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Do you want to answer this one?
Tana Amen: I do. We'll both answer it, but let me start. So I've been on a mission, I have been posting on my Instagram a lot and we did a podcast about natural products. I'm on this mission to start to replace everything I can that's toxic with the app Think Dirty. And I was shocked at how many things. Yeah, so you can actually run your hands through my hair now because I don't have any hairspray.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Since she stopped using so much hairspray or none.
Tana Amen: No hairspray.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Yeah, her hair is prettier.
Tana Amen: Well, I don't if it's prettier.
Dr. Daniel Amen: It's softer.
Tana Amen: It's in my face.
Dr. Daniel Amen: No, it's prettier because you do this for me. And I say it's prettier.
Tana Amen: Thank you. It's in my face. But it's okay because it's not toxic anymore. So it's good. He likes it better and I guess that's what really matters.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Thank you.
Tana Amen: So I've been...
Dr. Daniel Amen: That's what really matters.
Tana Amen: It's what really matters. So I'm trying really hard to replace everything and I agree Gem, that it was difficult at first. So when I started this journey, what eight years ago, the products weren't as good. It was really hard, especially things like makeup and sunscreen and hairspray and they were not good. They were hard to switch. Now there are so many great products. So several of my brands that I love for body products and face and makeup are things like a 100% Pure. Lux is really good. For makeup, Ilia is really good. There's some really great makeups and products out there now.
For household products, ECOS is awesome. Seventh Generation is awesome and they actually make products that work. So to answer your question, yes, they work. Now do they always work the same? So to be honest, there are times where if we're filming and we're filming something really important, I need HD makeup. Okay. Then I actually do need something that looks different than the natural stuff that doesn't really look the same, right? Well, you think it looks the same but it doesn't look the same. It doesn't look the same. So during those times that I have to use it...
Dr. Daniel Amen: Doesn't she look awesome? For those of you that are watching.
Tana Amen: What are they going to say? First of all, they can't say anything.
Dr. Daniel Amen: They can write it in. Yeah, she looks awesome.
Tana Amen: Okay. So anyways, the point being this, what I decided to do was go as like, I haven't found a way around hair dye because I'm not ready to go gray yet. But I did find a less toxic version that has no ammonia in it. So I found less toxic versions of things. And so what I do...
Dr. Daniel Amen: And that's what you always say, compared to what?
Tana Amen: Compared to what. And so what I do is during the week when I'm not filming, when I'm not in front of people, I really wear almost nothing. So I've gone to this place, which I never thought I could do, but I'm doing. No makeup almost, like maybe some blush and lip gloss or lip balm. That way when I do, on the rare occasion that I do, I'm not doing it very often. I'm not overburdening my body with all these toxins. I just don't do it very often anymore.
Dr. Daniel Amen: So you're making, you're being nice to your liver?
Tana Amen: Right. And so I'm doing a 95/5 rule now.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Be nice to your liver.
Tana Amen: Just like with food.
Dr. Daniel Amen: That should be a whole campaign.
Tana Amen: Yeah.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Be nice to your liver.
Tana Amen: Yeah, what did it ever do to you other than help you? So just like we do with food, 95/5, I'm doing that with product now. There you go.
Dr. Daniel Amen: So I use Kiss My Face shaving cream. I've used Barbasol ever since I was 14 until I got Think Dirty the app and it was a 10 on a scale of one to 10. And I'm like no, I'm not going to put something on my face everyday that hurts me. And now I'm only shaving every other day. But Kiss My Face is rated a two.
Tana Amen: Yeah.
Dr. Daniel Amen: And it lasts longer.
Tana Amen: Yeah.
Dr. Daniel Amen: So it's actually cheaper because the lie is, oh, I can't do that. It's so expensive. And what the lie really is you're not that smart because you're not going to actually take time, focus, find things you love that love you back.
Tana Amen: Yeah. It takes a little time. So if we can help you with the time part, Babo's makes a really, Babo's, Babo's whatever. Makes a great sunscreen. That's a zero. That's really hard to find because sunscreens are hard to get that are nontoxic. That one's a zero, so that's really great.
Dr. Daniel Amen: All right, more questions. After hearing Tana describe her experience with brain fog following anesthesia, my question is, does sedation for surgery effect the brain as much as general anesthesia?
Tana Amen: Oh, I don't know.
Dr. Daniel Amen: This year I've had two total knee replacements, both done with a block administered through my spine and IV sedation. It's 10 weeks after the second surgery and I'm still rehabbing three times a week, but tire easily. What are your recommendations for optimal brain health following these surgeries? PS, I have learned so much through your podcasts and books. Thank you for making them available.
Tana Amen: Awesome.
Dr. Daniel Amen: From Carol. I think you did the exact right thing is by doing the block and the IV sedation versus general anesthesia.
Tana Amen: Because general anesthesia, you actually aren't breathing for yourself, you're on a machine. It's a very different thing. So I'm assuming it's probably not great for you, but probably not as bad as general anesthesia. Right?
Dr. Daniel Amen: Not as bad. That would be the thing I would do.
Tana Amen: But I want to answer her question about why she tires easily. People underestimate the healing necessary after something like a knee surgery because your knee is small, right? So they don't really think about it. It's bone and it requires a lot of healing and it takes a long time to heal and it does make you tire easily. So that's not abnormal. Just FYI.
Dr. Daniel Amen: You want to read the next one?
Tana Amen: You guys are terrific. Thank you.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Thank you.
Tana Amen: You're full of so much good information and everybody should be a brain warrior. I'm writing to you to ask a question. I took the brain health assessment and it said for me to work out, to lift weights twice a week. I didn't know which muscle groups to work or which days. So thank you and God bless. Okay. So I'm assuming the question here is the brain assessment said for him to work out, lift weights twice a week and doesn't know which muscle groups to work.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Yeah.
Tana Amen: Okay.
Dr. Daniel Amen: So I would do upper body one day, lower body the next day.
Tana Amen: Or you can do circuit training both days. So we're less focused on, if you're going to be a bodybuilder, then find someone who's going to help you do the perfect workout to build which muscle on what days. No, we're focused on your brain health. We want you to be overall healthy. And that means move your body. Just get up and move and do exercise a couple times a week. And if you're going to do, we want you to work, we want you to exercise more than two days a week. But if you're going to do weights two days a week, you can either do upper body one day, lower body the other day, or do circuit training and do the whole body both days, twice a week.
Dr. Daniel Amen: So do something for your chest, something for your upper back. Do your abs, something for your lower back, your arms, your triceps, the front of your legs, the back of your legs.
Tana Amen: And I have a whole basic workout at Omni diet. If you're not sure where to start. I have an entire basic workout to get you started in Omni diet. I also post on my Instagram.
Dr. Daniel Amen: On Tanaamen.com is their...
Tana Amen: There's workout stuff. There's a lot of workouts for free.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Also on brainfitlife, which we're really excited about.
Tana Amen: But it will get you started. Don't get so hung up on what to do. Just start doing it.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Next question. I recently joined your podcasts and have listened to several of them in the last couple of days. I'm trying to decrease the toxicity in our household. My problem is finding personal products the guys in my house will like, body wash, shampoo, deodorant. What products do you like and use Dr. Amen?
Tana Amen: Another one.
Dr. Daniel Amen: So Alaffia for one.
Tana Amen: Okay.
Dr. Daniel Amen: I mean, I don't have a lot of hair, so shampoo is gone. But Alaffia makes this great body wash, not terribly expensive. I get it on Amazon. I like how it smells. They have a couple of different...
Tana Amen: And I've got a couple of ideas for the other stuff.
Dr. Daniel Amen: For my teenage son. It's all about the smell. Thanks so much for your help and I love the podcast from Dina. Sorry.
Tana Amen: So I think a lot of men would love the one you use because it really doesn't have a lot of smell. It just smells very light mint. But if your son loves fragrant, like the smell of things, if that matters to him. Then one that I found that I love, besides a 100% Pure, they've got amazing ones. They have a lime one and a eucalyptus one that's fantastic. But Puretanica, I found Puretanica that has rosemary, mint and lavender. And rosemary, mint and vanilla, one of those. Anyways, it's super clean smelling, light. It's not girly and so it's just clean and that one's a zero on Think Dirty. For deodorant, Biosense is my favorite. It's because there's other ones that are zero, but they don't work as well. Biosense actually works. You can get that at Sephora actually. So Biosense is amazing. It works really well. And I think it's a zero too. So those are my favorites. For shampoo, Puretanica or 100% Percent Pure.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Why don't you read this?
Tana Amen: I've been watching your podcast for the last three to four months and bought the book Brain Warrior's Way and I'm grateful that I've found you. Your information has been so helpful and I'm ready to change. Awesome. How do you feel about intermittent fasting? Oh, I just did a thing on, a video on my Instagram on that. I take blood pressure medication morning and night and I'm not sure if intermittent fasting is safe. I do feel much more fatigued since going on the medication. I have a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy recently diagnosed, my mother had it and at 63 it's a lot to comprehend and navigate my health. What do you suggest to help me lose weight safely? Thank you for enlightening all of us. I love this question. There are so many.
Dr. Daniel Amen: The Brain Warrior's Way is just perfect for you.
Tana Amen: Yeah.
Dr. Daniel Amen: And you might want to start intermittent fasting with 12 hours.
Tana Amen: Right.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Rather than 16 hours and just see how you feel and see if you can go to 13 or 14 hours. I try to do intermittent fasting and actually most days.
Tana Amen: Yeah.
Dr. Daniel Amen: And so if I finished eating last night at seven and I didn't have anything to eat until nine o'clock this morning, so that's 14 hours.
Tana Amen: Right.
Dr. Daniel Amen: And I try to do that routinely. And the beautiful thing it does is it just cuts down nighttime eating, which is what puts fat on people's bodies.
Tana Amen: Right. And I want to address the heart medication because I actually was on heart medication at one point. It does make you feel pretty yucky at first. Now they say that most of the time you'll adjust to it and you won't feel awful. If you continue to feel that bad, go talk to your doctor. Because most of the time there are other medications they can use, they can switch you to something else that's equally effective. If that ones, you're not agreeing with you. Now that's not always true, but sometimes that's true. So make sure you do that. And one thing that's going to help you is light exercise. You want to keep the blood flowing right? It's going to help you feel better.
Dr. Daniel Amen: One more question. On a recent road trip, we watched several of your YouTube videos where you recommended on the sugar epidemic. Knowing that you and Tana often travel, I was wondering how you guys eat clean on trips away from home. We packed some things that we took with us, but struggled to always find healthy options for meals. What are your solutions for clean eating when you are away from home or traveling? Thanks again for all you both are doing. You've changed the way we think. From Melanie.
Tana Amen: So Melanie, I think first of all, thank you for that. You're going to learn, first of all, we're 95/5. I want people to hear this. We eat super clean 95% of the time. Once in awhile if you're out somewhere, I mean there was one time we literally got stuck in the middle of nowhere and there was nothing. I remember we got McDonald's because it was the first time I had McDonald's in like 10 years. And I felt like it was going to make me sick but there was literally nothing else. And so it's not like it never happens, but it's so rare. Okay. So the 95/5 rule applies.
The second thing is we do try to be prepared. So we travel with bars. We travel with, I like Truth bars. I haven't found a bar that I'm completely in love with yet. So I'm actually going to try and make one. But I travel with protein powder and bars. Because if you have protein powder you just dump it in some water. I travel with nuts. But you're going to find that as you do this, what's going to happen. The biggest obstacle to finding healthy food on the road is your mindset. There's healthy food all around you or at least healthier. So we say compared to what. Healthier options, even at McDonald's you can get scrambled eggs.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Well and make sure when you go to a restaurant that you go, oh I like this salad. But dressing on the side.
Tana Amen: No cranberries.
Dr. Daniel Amen: No croutons or fried onions. I mean you'll know what's the healthy thing if you're a brain warrior and just be assertive in a kind way. And most restaurants because they want you to come back, are going to do what you ask them to do. So it just takes forethought and in the Brain Warrior's Way Cookbook, Tana actually has...
Tana Amen: Tips.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Lots of tips for snacks. All right, we have to stop. But this has been a great week.
Tana Amen: It has.
Dr. Daniel Amen: And I adore you.
Tana Amen: And I adore you.
Dr. Daniel Amen: Thank you for being my partner. And if you learned one thing, which we hope you did, please post it on any of your social media sites and #BrainWarriorsWayPodcast. Leave a question, a comment or review on brainwarriorswaypodcast.com. Leave reviews on Apple podcasts. We're just so grateful. If you help us spread the message, you have to live it and then it's important to give it away. Stay with us.
Tana Amen: If you're enjoying the Brain Warrior's way Podcast, please don't forget to subscribe. So you'll always know when there's a new episode. And 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 Brain MD, you can use the code podcast10 to get a 10% discount on a full evaluation at at amenclinics.com or a 10% percent discount on all supplements at brainmdhealth.com. For more information, give us a call at 855-978-1363.