The Brain Trust Program: A Scientifically Based Three-Part Plan to Improve Memory, Elevate Mood, Enhance Attention, Alleviate Migraine and Menopausal Symptoms, and Boost Mental Energy (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Brain Trust Program provides everything you need to know to ensure optimal brain functioning for a lifetime!"
-Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, The Wisdom of Menopause, and Mother-Daughter Wisdom

"It isn't difficult to find people who are suffering from a wide range of debilitating neurological conditions such as migraine headaches, Alzheimer's disease, brain cancer, and worse these days. But leave it to a brain surgeon to figure out many of these can actually be treated and even reversed metabolically through some rather simple changes in the diet. Dr. Larry McCleary has figured out that controlling the amount of insulin production by consuming a healthy low-carb diet is indeed the most 'brain-friendly' way you could possibly eat. The Brain Trust Program he has developed from his many years of experience challenges people to think about the long-term impact of the high-carb foods they are eating not just on their waistline, but also on that gray matter between their ears! This book is guaranteed to shake up the status quo and quite literally turn traditional brain treatment on its head!"
-Jimmy Moore, author of Livin' La Vida Low-Carb

"One of the best books I've seen on the care and feeding of your brain! Dr. McCleary knows what he's talking about and even better, has a gift for communicating this important information!"
-Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, Board Certified Nutritionist, author, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth and The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth

Product Description

A leading neurosurgeon delivers a groundbreaking program for increasing brain function at any age.

The brain, like the muscles, heart, and other organs, is made of flesh and blood and requires proper care to maintain its optimum state of wellbeing. In this remarkable prescription for brain health, Dr. Larry McCleary reveals not only how to forestall the effects of aging but also how to improve brain function.

Taking a unique metabolic approach in his scientifically-based program of prevention and regeneration, Dr. McCleary shows readers how to:

- Assess their risk for memory loss and other cognitive impairment - Incorporate a comprehensive regimen of a brain-building diet, brain-specific supplements, mental (and physical) exercise, and stress reduction techniques to enhance memory, acuity, and clarity - Personalize the three-part Brain Trust program for a more dynamic brain from childhood to age 100 - Avoid surprising and common lifestyle pitfalls that may unknowingly damage brain cells - Relieve or greatly reduce migraines, hot flashes, and hearing loss

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Perigee Trade; 1 edition (September 4, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399533583
• ISBN-13: 978-0399533587
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #415,274 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Book Should Be Required Reading for Everyone, September 24, 2007

By	B. A. Davis (Kansas City, MO USA) - See all my reviews

If you read only one book this year about improving your brain, as well as your body, make it The Brain Trust Program. If you still feel you need to read two or three other books, put down whatever else you're reading. Instead, pick this up and start reading it until you finish, which won't take very long because it's such a compelling and easily readable book.

I'm not sure exactly what I expected when I picked it up, other than maybe I had a fear that it would fly right over my head because a brain surgeon's writing just might be jammed with complicated medical jargon. I was wrong, and found it readily readable. I was also surprised to find it's not filled with the same mumbo-jumbo I've read in other self-improvement books, which can not only be difficult to comprehend but often fail to offer any reasonable life-changing suggestions. From the opening chapter about life experiences of people who've suffered from brain-drain and overcome it, to succeeding chapters about how the brain actually functions; determining whether you're at risk; how to care and feed your brain and body through nutrition and exercise; which nutrional supplements work and which don't really help your body or brain in the least; and how exercise makes a dramatic difference in your brain functions and your overall outlook on life, The Brain Trust Program unfolds in easy-to-read fashion. There's even a chapter specifically devoted to menopause, migraine headaches, how to prevent your senses from dimming over time and how to potentially offset the dreaded effects of Alzeheimer's Disease, which so many of us either now face or will face in the coming years.

Also included are some great mental exercises, much like gym workouts, designed to help you in a matter of weeks start improving your brain and eventually keeping your brain whip-sharp along the way. They even help you improve your brain power far into the future. It's a program that simply lets you work at your own pace to improve your mental and physical abilities today, tomorrow and for the rest of your life. Unlike so many other similar books, The Brain Trust Program isn't a chore or drudgery. It's fun, and you'll wonder why it took so long for somebody to make such easy, simple-to-follow suggestions, along with why you hadn't figured it out yourself and started improving your life sooner.

I know this might seem as if I'm gushing, but I'm genuinely surprised by how much I thought I knew about improving my mind and body before I opened this book, and then shockingly realized I didn't know as much as I thought.

I believe this book can make a significant difference in my life. And it can also make a difference in your life, in the lives of your children and especially in the lives of your parents and grandparents.

The Brain Trust Program should be required reading for everyone.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ IF YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR OWN HEALTH, October 7, 2007

By	M. Mora (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are interested about the numerous "diet" books and health programs out there, this books helps to put it all in perspective. When you finish reading it, you'll probably want make your brain a priority. Why? Because the way we "feed" our brain by what we eat and what we do not eat, is going to affect our brain's health for the rest of our lives and no one wants to end with a "bad" brain.
In this book you'll find awfully interesting, practical, explanations and a simple how-to help yourself guide. Dr McCleary's book is easy and enjoyable to read, so much so that I gave it to my 12 year old with the warning: "This is the most important book about your health you can ever read." A few hours later she was saying, "You know, mom? If I load myself with candy bars this is what happens to my brain..." To say I was thrilled to hear my daughter talking about the effect of sugar overload is an understatement. Dr McCleary's book might well become the key to good health to today's youth and the starting point to healing and prevention for us, the middle aged.
Dr McCleary also has a web site with very good articles (www.drmccleary.com)

64 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LivinLaVidaLowCarb.com Interview With Dr. Larry McCleary About 'The Brain Trust Program', September 8, 2007

By	Livin' La Vida Low-Carb Man "Jimmy Moore" (Spartanburg, SC) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that the low-carb lifestyle is one of the healthiest nutritional plans out there to battle obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and so many other health ailments that plague modern society. But what about that actual gray matter between our ears? Can a low-carb diet do anything to improve brain function, memory, and even diseases like Alzheimer's?

One of America's top neurosurgeons says YES!

His name is Dr. Larry McCleary and his brand new book about this subject entitled The Brain Trust Program: A Scientifically Based Three-Part Plan to Improve Memory, Elevate Mood, Enhance Attention, Alleviate Migraine and Menopausal Symptoms, and Boost Mental Energy released today. I'm happy to share an exclusive interview I conducted with Dr. McCleary with you today so we can all learn from one of the brightest minds in the field of cognitive health.

You'll be pleased to hear that Drs. Mike & Mary Dan Eades not only endorse this book, but they actually wrote the foreword to it. And I was also asked by Dr. McCleary to preview the book and provide a blurb quote included on the jacket of the book. COOL!

Here's my quote about The Brain Trust Program:

"It isn't difficult to find people who are suffering from a wide range of debilitating neurological conditions such as migraine headaches, Alzheimer's disease, brain cancer, and worse these days. But leave it to a brain surgeon to figure out many of these can actually be treated and even reversed metabolically through some rather simple changes in the diet. Dr. Larry McCleary has figured out that controlling the amount of insulin production by consuming a healthy low-carb diet is indeed the most 'brain-friendly' way you could possibly eat. The Brain Trust Program he has developed from his many years of experience challenges people to think about the long-term impact of the high-carb foods they are eating not just on their waistline, but also on that gray matter between their ears! This book is guaranteed to shake up the status quo and quite literally turn traditional brain treatment on its head!"

You must get your hands on a copy of Dr. McCleary's book because it is absolutely stunning information that neurosurgeons and patients alike need to be aware of to protect the health of their brains (this book will make a very nice complement to your low-carb library along with the upcoming Gary Taubes' masterpiece Good Calories, Bad Calories).

Are you ready to hear from Dr. Larry McCleary himself? Here he is!

1. Today we have a bona fide expert in the field of brain function and the surprising metabolic connection. He is Dr. Larry McCleary, a brain surgeon currently serving as the Director of Research for the Advanced Metabolic Research Group as well as the former acting Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery and former Director of the Neuroscience Research Program at the famous Children's Hospital in Denver, Colorado. A world-renowned speaker who has been published extensively in some of the most prestigious medical journals dedicated to brain health, Dr. McCleary is THE go-to man for all things related to the brain.

It's an honor to have you with us today, Dr. McCleary, and we look forward to gleaning from your knowledge and experience in this interview. What first got you interested in brain health and is it everything you expected it to be? What has been most surprising to you about this particular field of medicine that you never would have expected going into it?

Hi Jimmy. It's great to be with you today.

As a pediatric neurosurgeon I took care of thousands of very sick brains. They were suffering from blood clots, infections, birth problems, tumors and traumatic insults. I was always searching for things that could help these sick brains recover and stay healthy.

Early in my career, I had the pleasure of working with a neuroscientist who was investigating the therapeutic potential for certain nutrients to improve brain function. Hollywood types were always stopping by to hear about the latest brain health tips from Dr. Harry Demopoulis. I had the opportunity of experiencing the dramatic impact of some of these brain-healthy compounds first hand.

So when I moved to Denver Children's Hospital I continued the research. Working hand-in-hand with the Neuro-Rehab Division at the hospital, we provided the children under our care with a mix of essential fats, medium chain triglycerides, amino acids and other nutrients. We were convinced that these sped up brain recovery and enhanced mental function. The take-home message for me was if they could help the sickest of brains they could certainly help our brains as we aged.

2. Brain health entails more than most people even realize as you so brilliantly share in your brand new book entitled The Brain Trust Program. It is an outstanding resource that I was privileged to review and in it you share a three-part method for actually improving brain function through the use of diet, supplementation, and brain exercises. How does your novel new approach differ from the most common ways to correct brain abnormalities and conditions?

Jimmy, I think we have all heard that the brain burns glucose, or sugar. So if that's the case, then giving it lots of sugar must make it work better. Although that might seem logical, the science doesn't back it up. Just the opposite, there is a groundswell of medical evidence that documents how too much sugar can make the brain shrink, wither, atrophy and just plain work badly.

If you want to age your brain just eat the typical diet most Americans consume. That will lead to memory, attention and mood difficulties and will hasten the path to Alzheimer's. The Brain Trust Program builds upon this concept and provides the science behind the recommendations.

3. Many eyebrows will certainly be raised when people find out what a "brain-healthy diet" actually looks like. Foods like fish, berries, green leafy vegetables, eggs, avocados, nuts, seeds, and coffee--conspicuously all low-sugar and low-carb, by the way--are highly recommended by you for maximized brain function. It falls right in line with the latest research for neurological diseases.

Essentially, you are stating that the health of the brain is directly tied to blood sugar levels in the body--something that medical literature confirms. I'm sure some of your colleagues will no doubt scoff at your contention that a simple nutritional approach is what is needed to preserve this most vital of our organs.

What led you to go down this path for treating your patients? Have you seen similar or better improvements in brain health compared with prescription drugs and other treatment options?

As you well know, prescription drugs usually act on a single metabolic, or cellular, pathway. By increasing or decreasing a specific functions, drugs might be able to treat something like an under-active thyroid. However, all of the diseases associated with aging such as heart disease, arthritis, thinning of bones, memory loss and stroke are hardly changed by drug therapy. The key question is why.

As we have seen, drugs act on a single highly specialized pathway. The diseases that cause most concern today involve disruption to multiple cellular pathways. That is why the pharmaceutical industry has failed us. We need a solution that improves MANY cellular functions. This is the very act of eating well. It is also closely tied to our DNA and evolutionary history. Simply stated, that is why nutrition is so important and so beneficial.

4. There's a lot of controversy right now being discussed over the role of artificial sweeteners in a healthy diet. In terms of their impact on the brain, what do you think about the most popular sugar substitutes being used these days, including Nutrasweet (aspartame), Sweet `N Low (saccharin), and Splenda (sucralose)? What about the claim that these substances are merely excitotoxins that fool the brain into thinking they are sugar and, thus, the body responds in the same manner as sugar?

How about the plant-based stevia which is set to be approved as a sweetener by the FDA soon? Is it safer? Or is it just better to eat pure cane sugar, honey, and other natural sources of sugar in moderation as some studies have suggested for good brain health rather than risking any adverse side effects from these alternatives?

Most of the artificial sweeteners share a dark chemical side with the drugs that are prescribed like water in this country. Both share the fact that they are chemicals to which the body has never been exposed. For this reason they may be patented. When this occurs only one manufacturer may produce them and the profit margin is high. That is what is driving both industries.

Since the body has never seen them before, they may cause problems in certain people. This has been documented abundantly in the drug and artificial sweetener arena. For these reasons I would stick to fruits (which contain natural sweeteners) and spices (which are akin to stevia). I think we all must realize that sweetness is an acquired taste and just as we have been conditioned by the food manufacturing industry to crave sweets, we can de-condition ourselves be choosing natural foods. In time we will lose the urge to eat foods containing such additives.

5. Nutritional supplementation has become a multi-billion dollar industry these days with people taking every vitamin they can get their hands on in an effort to improve their health and ward off disease. Drugstore shelves are full of everything from A to Z, but who knows what to take? And are there better quality supplements people need which are not easily found... Read more ›