May Read-2

Title: Reclaim Your Brain: How to Calm Your Thoughts, Heal Your Mind, and Bring Your Life Back Under Control.
Author: Joseph A. Annibali, M.D.
Call Number: 158.1 A615R 2015
Subjects: Calmness; Brain; Stress Management; Mindfulness
Book Description from amazon:
A prescriptive guide to restoring cognitive calm, based on Amen Clinics chief psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Annibali’s three decades of treating patients who suffer from overloaded, overstimulated brains.
 
Dr. Joseph Annibali has treated thousands of people with overloaded, overstimulated brains. Some people describe their brain as being “in chaos”; others feel that their brain is “on fire.” But whether they are ultimately diagnosed with anxiety, disabling OCD, depression, bipolar disorder, or even substance abuse, the underlying problem is a Too-Busy Brain, a great irritant that interferes with attention, concentration, focus, mood, and often much more. It may even be a sign of undetected damage to either the brain or the body itself. But through practical strategies, understandable explanations, and prescriptive mind-management techniques, Dr. Annibali will help readers finally reclaim their brains and get back in control of their lives.
My Read:
Takeaways from the chapters:
page 7-Many are quick to believe that their too-busy brains result from today's rapid-fire media culture, digital technology, and modern-world megadistractions. These ever-present distractions have a negative impact, no doubt. But an overactive brain is not strictly the result of our modern 24/7 device-driven culture. Hidden contributors to a busy brain can include genetics, vitamin deficiencies, dysfunctional thyroids, heavy metal toxicity, infections, and even physical brain trauma.
page 43-The healthiest stories about ourselves emerge from our ability to engage in self-reflection.
page 66-Rather, when you experience tension in the interaction, take a few moments to reflect before responding. A few seconds is all you need. Get ahold of yourself. Be calm, centered. Don't struggle to be in control of the experience. Instead, focus on first being aware of what is going on in your mind. Notice what you are experiencing. What do you feel? What are you thinking? Does this reaction seem familiar to you? Perhaps your reaction is rooted more in another relationship than in the current one.
page 128-The heart can be at the core of our being, if we know how to use it.

May Read

Title: Two Weeks to A Younger Brain
Author: Small, Gary and Vorgan, Gigi
Call Number: 616.8 S635T 2015
Book Description(from amazon.com):
Misplacing your keys, forgetting someone’s name at a party, or coming home from the market without the most important item — these are just some of the many common memory slips we all experience from time to time. But such cognitive lapses don’t just plague middle-agers and seniors; UCLA studies indicate that forgetfulness begins much earlier in life. Scientists can detect subtle changes in the brain that coincide with mental decline by the time we reach age 40, and our findings show that people as young as 20 already have memory problems.
Dr. Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan’s 2 Weeks To A Younger Brain translates the latest brain science into practical strategies and exercises that yield quick and long- lasting benefits. It will not only improve your memory, but will also strengthen your physical health by reducing your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The latest research confirms that there is a lot we can do to boost our memory and keep our brains young. After three decades of helping thousands of patients improve their memory and mental acuity, Dr. Small and Gorgan are convinced that our daily lifestyle habits are directly linked to our brain health. This book will show that it only takes two weeks to form new habits that bolster cognitive abilities and help stave off, or even reverse, brain aging.
If you commit only 14 days to 2 Weeks To A Younger Brain, you will reap noticeable results. During that brief period, you will have learned the secrets to keeping your brain young for the rest of your life.
My Read: 
At page 66, it states: to help keep your brain young and healthy, try some or all of the top 10 stress-busting strategies(from the chapter named Cut Stress to Sharpen Your Mind):
1-Meditation
2-Yoga and Tai Chi
3-Exercise
4-Cutting back on Multitasking
5-Lighten Your Load and Laugh
6-Restful Sleep
7-Get Organized
8-Acupuncture
9-Positive Attitude and Relationships
10-Asking for Help
At page 154, it says: They(scientists) found that emotional support of holding a spouse's hand turned off the frontal lobe brain area that manages pain anticipation..The researchers also found that holding hands had a greater antianxiety effect on volunteers from strong marriages. The findings suggest that holding hands with someone you love can have a profound effect on the deepest parts of your brain that controls stress.
At page 151, the author points that "Maintaining close relationships with other people is a basic human need. Interacting with family and friends not only increase our life expectancy, it lowers our risk for future cognitive decline by keeping our brain engaged and young." "Live longer and smarter with friends. But connection with the right people is also crucial, the author points it out at page 157 to page 160.
At the end of this book the author lists the two-week younger brain program. It includes physical fitness, brain training, stress management in the morning, afternoon and the evening.
At page 135 there is this case the author shares with his readers. Here it is:
World's Oldest Marathon Runner: On October 16, 2011, Fauja Singh became the oldest person to complete a marathon. At 100 years of age, Singh completed the 26-mile Toronto Waterfront Marathon in eight hours. It's never too late to start running marathon. Singh ran his first one at age 89. How inspiring this story is!