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Over the past few weeks, I’ve been reading the book The UltraMind Solution, Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First by Dr. Mark Hyman.
The UltraMind Solution is currently #159 on Amazon bestselling list, so as you can guess, this book is on everyone’s coffee tables this year. This is a pretty substantial read at 403 pages, which explains why I’ve been working on it for a while!
The Short Version
This brilliant book is both informative and shocking in its revelations. The research that went into The UltraMind Solution is simply amazing. Its thorough data collection and straightforward, factual presentation provides textbook quality with everyday reading ease. Some of the information I learned from this book prompted me to make immediate changes to my everyday activities.
Danger of Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup
The shocking information provided on the effects of sugar in the brain were enough for me to evaluate my pantry immediately. We already limit sugar greatly in my household, opting for sugar substitutes and natural sweeteners whenever possible. For some common processed foods, however, such as breakfast cereal, ketchup, and salad dressing, small to medium amounts of sugar are hidden in the ingredients and you may never think to check.
The UltraMind Solution:
Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First.
by Mark Hyman, M.D.
Publisher: Scribner
403 pages
Buy at Amazon for $17.51.
Switching from boxed breakfast cereal to home cooked hot cereal (such as natural oats and porridge made from whole grains) was a worthwhile change for us to eliminate the morning sugar consumption.
Danger of Metal Dental Fillings
The second point that stood out in my mind more than anything else in the book was the danger of metal dental fillings. Metal fillings that contain mercury (although considered safe in the United States) are banned from use in many other countries.
Mercury is the 2nd most toxic substance to humans, and Dr. Hyman confirms that “studies show that the mercury migrates right through the teeth into the bloodstream.” I will never allow all metal fillings to be used by the dentist on my family again, to be sure.
Preview Video
Synopsis
Dr. Hyman relates the everyday culprits of brain damage that we don’t even know is being caused. Among the offenders are:
- Toxic foods
- Brain trauma caused not wearing a helmet
- Not getting enough sleep
- Not getting enough exercise
- Too much stress
- Toxic drugs and medications (including sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and cigarettes)
- Poisoning from metals, such as aluminum and mercury
“Most of us have no clue that sitting around on our couch watching TV hurts our brains. So does losing a few hours of sleep that night, drinking a can of cola, having that Starbucks grande latte, getting the flu vaccine, having those two glasses of chardonnay, taking a few Rolaids for heartburn, eating strawberries grown on a conventional farm, having a fight with our spouse, and talking on our cell phones for a few hours a day.”
The two toxic foods that Dr. Hyman suggests to stop eating completely are high fructose corn syrup (and any form of sugar) and trans or hydrogenated fats. We all know about sugar’s ability to add inches to our waistlines, but the effects it has on our brains it is absolutely shocking.
The UltraMind Solution:
This brilliant book is both informative and shocking in its revelations. Its thorough data collection and straightforward, factual presentation provides textbook quality with everyday reading ease.
Eating sugar is linked with “lower IQ, anxiety, aggressive behavior, hyperactivity, depression, eating disorders, fatigue, learning difficulties, and premenstrual syndrome.” Another scary fact is that sugar causes your brain to “crust” by binding with proteins to form plaques that cause your brain to stop functioning properly.
The good news is that we can eliminate or cut back on all of these brain damaging items!
“We all learned that once you lose brain cells, that’s it, they’re gone forever. Or so we thought… Some of the most exciting research on the brain… has clearly shown that the brain can heal, renew, repair, and regenerate itself. You can make new brain cells (neurogenesis), you can wake up and activate damaged brain cells…”
The UltraMind Solution covers step by step instructions for stopping and even reversing the effects of brain damage caused by environmental and other factors.
About the Author
Dr. Mark Hyman is a medical doctor and New York Times bestselling author. Dr. Hyman is the editor in chief of the Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine journal. Find more about Dr. Hyman at his website, UltraWellness.com. He has also written these books:
- UltraMetabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss
- Ultraprevention: The 6-Week Plan That Will Make You Healthy for Life
- The UltraSimple Diet: Kick-Start Your Metabolism and Safely Lose Up to 10 Pounds in 7 Days
- The UltraMetabolism Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes that Will Turn on Your Fat-Burning DNA
- Detox Box (Audio CD)
The Ultramind Solution is a fantastic book filled with timely information and ways to take back control of our own health. His practical advice and step by step instructions are easy to understand and follow. If you have limited time and can only read a few pages of this book, at least read chapter 4 (on dangerous foods and toxic substances).
I’m appreciative of all the research that went into the making of this book, and feel great about my family’s improved health due to vital facts presented by Dr. Hyman. If you haven’t read this book – especially if you have children – I highly recommend you check it out now.
Thank you to Dr. Hyman and Scribner publishing for providing us with a review copy of his book, The UltraMind Solution: Fix Your Broken Brain by Healing Your Body First.
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Tags: Books, Food, Health, Medicine, Sugar, Trans Fats, UltraMind Solution
April 26th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
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