My Brain Hurts

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-amen-md/change-your-brain-change_b_474293.html?view=print

I watched a show on Channel 13 last night called Change Your Brain, Change Your Body hosted by Dr. Daniel Amen. He said a lot of things that make sense, although most people hawking some weight loss regimen usually do -- even Kirstie Alley.

Amen has clinics in Cali. The closest one to me is in Virginia, so I won't be stopping by any time soon.

Anyway, he says there are five types of brains and the one you have determines how to choose your weight loss method. I read each type and quite frankly, I felt that at one time or another I could have fallen into all five categories: The woman with five brains, if you will.

So I went to the website www.amenclinics.com and took the quiz. (The results are immediate, FYI.)

I am a combo platter: Type 1 -- Compulsive Overeater -- and Type 5 -- Anxious Overeater.

In other words, I eat to self-medicate my stresses away. I get stuck on thoughts of food and in the bigger sense, I have trouble seeing options and want to have things my way (and this is a problem why?) Well, the quiz results were pretty much on the money.

For my Type 1 brain, the doctor suggests a high carb diet and the supplement 5-HTP to boost serotonin. I am already a carboholic and consider this my downfall. I do not know what 5-HTP is and am not sure I want to find out.

For my Type 5 brain, he says I have low levels of the calming neurotransmitter GABA which I need to boost with relaxation exercises as well as Vitamin B6, magnesium.

I have a headache now. It makes me want to eat something. But I'm not going to. I'm drinking sparkling water -- the water with bite, like food. I believe that's using my brain.