The Care Girl Podcast
The Care Girl Podcast
Dr. Philippe Douyon on Uncovering the Brain's Potential and Substance Realities
Embark on an enlightening exploration of the mind with Dr. Philippe Douyon, where we unravel the remarkable adaptability of the brain and the impact our daily decisions have on cognitive development. Our discussions with this neurology and clinical neurophysiology expert transcend the clinical realm, as we delve into the complex influences of alcohol on societal norms and personal health. This episode peels back layers of common misconceptions, revealing the sobering truth about alcohol's physiological effects and the less talked about social pressures that shape our drinking habits.
Relationships and substance use often find themselves entwined in a delicate dance, as we examine through personal narratives and the broader societal context that envelopes them. Navigating the intricacies of marijuana dependency, especially when connected to trauma and the pursuit of creative endeavors, becomes an honest reflection on the support and struggles within intimate partnerships. We also uncover the hidden strengths of ADHD, discussing natural remedies and lifestyle choices that can harness the energetic potential within those who think differently.
Concluding with a focus on the transformative power of neuroplasticity, the episode ventures into the innovative realm of brain health with my own literary contributions and the groundbreaking work of SeriSync. As we share stories of resilience and adaptation, listeners are invited to foster a better understanding of their own cognitive capabilities. This episode offers a roadmap to a healthier, more aware existence, emphasizing the profound change we have the power to enact within our brains and lives.
Follow Dr.Philippe Douyon on Instagram @philippe.md
Dr. Philippe Douyon is an Author, Speaker, Podcaster, and a Board Certified Neurologist. He is the founder of The Inle BrainFit Institute (https://www.inlebrainfitinstitute.com) a company that provides resources which promotes brain health. He is the creator of the online course, Take Charge of Your Brain (https://www.inlebrainfitinstitute.com/online-course), in which he teaches people how to become the leader their brain's need them to be to create the health, businesses, and lives that they dream of. He is also the Co-Founder of CereSync Corp (https://cere-sync.com), which is revolutionizing dementia diagnosis and care by using artificial intelligence and quantum machine learning.
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Hi everyone. It's Alex with the Care Girl Podcast Today. I have Dr Duyon on today. Thank you so much for coming. As you know, we talk all things about health and wellness and today we're going to be talking about the brain. Let me give you a little bit of background.
Speaker 1:So, dr Philippe, tell me your name, say your name's philippe dion dr philip dion is an arthur speaker, podcaster and a board certified neurologist and I'll let you, I'll let him tell you all the things that he has, because he has so many other things going for him and, as you guys know, um, I'm a neurophysiology tech, um by trade. So I I nerd out on the brain all the time. I have friends as neurologists, neurosurgeons, as friends as well. So I, just when I saw you come up on my feed and the things that you were talking about, I was like man, I got, I have to talk to him because this is something that I haven't really seen a lot of neurologists get into.
Speaker 1:I see other people who are more influencers wellness, you know, maybe nutritionists and things of that nature. You know, you see the integrative docs in their functional medicine docs in this arena as well but you never really see a neurologist talk about the things that you talk about, which, which I believe you know that gives you the receipts Okay, cause you, you deal with the brain all the time. So I just want to thank you for coming in and I feel so blessed because, you know, I, I just feel like you, you're going to be amazing and be. You know you already are, but it's going to be even bigger. I kind of see where you're headed and your vision and I definitely believe in what you're doing.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you, and thank you for having me on. You mentioned that you are a clinical neurophysiology tech. Well, my specialty is in clinical neurophysiology.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow, okay, I'm coming to work for you. Well, you know, I was retired and I have a home care agency. That's my main business. I do in-home care for elderly and medically fragile children. I hire nurses and caregivers small plug out to take care of people in the home Been doing that over a decade. I actually retired from neurophysiology and I went back. I actually retired from neurophysiology and I went back, for I have my special doctors that call me where I'll go do case by case and kind of help them when they're doing like research and things like that. But I am, you know, now an entrepreneur. So, yeah, a little bit, that was a little bit about me.
Speaker 2:That's awesome.
Speaker 2:Well, look, you know, I think that everything that goes on in our lives, everything about who we are as individuals and as a community, as a society, has to do with our brains and we used to think that our brains were kind of static and didn't change, unless we got dementia, as we got older or we had some kind of brain injury.
Speaker 2:But the reality is that our brains are constantly changing, they're constantly evolving, and what's really powerful about that for me is that if our brains are changing and evolving, that means that we're able to change and evolve as individuals, as a society, as a community, as a people. And even more powerful is that the things that we decide to do every single day, the choices that we make, the actions that we take, influence how our brains are changing and evolving. So that means that this potential that we have lies within our control, right, and so part of my message is to really teach people how to harness the power of their brains, for them to be able to really create the lives that they want for themselves, create the health that they want for themselves, create the health that they want for themselves.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love that. So we're going to talk about that video that went viral, because that is where I believe I found you and the reason why I really liked your take on that is because I feel like a lot of the norm of societies goes against what you said. And basically what you said in that video was that you know you need to stop drinking. It's affecting your brain, it's affecting your livelihood. All of the above and, of course, you had like a lot of comments where people were like, oh, I'm drinking while watching this and all that. And this is a hit home for me because I had a father what he's still living.
Speaker 1:My father was a alcoholic and, for our family apart right. So, um, I was the youngest or whatever, and I kind of just saw like different things happening. And then, next thing, you know, my dad's not in the home. I didn't know that he did have. You know he smoked. You know he smoked. You know cigarettes and he he had, you know, beers all the time. So I didn't correlate the two until my mom told me, you know this was going on when you were that little and that was going on, and you know why he really couldn't have a good relationship with us and we kind of like rekindled and you know he's he's recovering now and you know, totally sober, doesn't drink at all, which is a blessing, um, but of course he had to go through those life trials to uh in order to get the wake up call. And sometimes you know, we all want to just grab a drink, uh, because we want to ease the pain of of life and just trials and tribulations, and just you know who had a rough day. So I think initially we want to go into like, uh, like, like that's something that is going to relieve us and, um, due to me having that gene, um, I really I really was very conscious of, you know, know that my consumption and I felt like I had to really just become aware of like you know, hey, when I'm out socially drinking, I'm doing that. I'm doing it In the back of my mind. I always had like that alcoholism is on your dad's side. So that's why it really hit home for me, because I really have been pondering the fact of like, hey, not doing it at all.
Speaker 1:And then, on my physical and mental health journey, I found that when I do have a hard day or something, I am reaching for a glass of wine or a shot or something like that. I was doing that and I was like, okay, well, what else can I do? So I I started reaching out and talking to people uh, different, different friends of mine who are in. You know, medicine and and um number one thing is just, really, you know, getting the therapy that you need. That I saw and and um magnesium, Like for me.
Speaker 1:Now I get some. I get a glass, a wine glass. I put some kombucha in there, I put two or three drops of magnesium in there. I'm out like a light and I feel amazing. You know, I figured out my levels as a black woman. The magnesium was low. So I feel like that kind of like calmed me down some. So just find a little bit different tricks other than alcohol, because I'm not saying it's wrong or you know that it's not good. It's no benefit at all, that's just point blank, period, and as a woman, it ages you for one. So can you give me a little bit about your take on alcohol, in a nutshell, on like this is why like you definitely should not have it on. Like this is why like you definitely should not have it and, as a neurologist, like I want to, I really want to, really want for people to understand like this is like real, real advice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so that that video that you mentioned got released, I think, about two weeks ago now, and as of this morning, it's got 8.7 million views. Wow, and so you know alcohol is really horrible. For us. It is the greatest marketing strategy ever. They have convinced everybody that you should drink right First. It's like you know, a glass of wine a day is good for your heart. Well, that's not actually true. The reason why they say that is because in grapes and other fruits and vegetables you've got a chemical called resveratrol. That's a really powerful antioxidant, but you get that from eating fruits and vegetables, not from drinking alcohol. They've convinced us that somehow, when we do have a rough moment, that we need to calm ourselves down with alcohol. They've convinced us that when we're celebrating, we need to somehow celebrate with alcohol. They've convinced us that in order to be social, we can only be social with alcohol. They've convinced us that after a workday right, we've got happy hour we should go and drink.
Speaker 2:And you know, yes, people talk a lot about alcoholism, but I see people every single day that do damage to their lives that you would never consider an alcoholic. I see people every single day that do damage to their lives that you would never consider an alcoholic. I see people every single day who ruin their lives because they went out and had a drink or two. And so what alcohol does? So? It's a poison to our entire body, including our brains. It shrinks our brains right. So when you're going out and you're getting tipsy or you're getting drunk, it's because it's causing dysfunction to the cells, the neurons within the brain, so they're not working properly right, and that's why people are stumbling around, that's why people can't get their thoughts together right. It's a poison to the heart. We see people develop cardiomyopathy, so their hearts don't function well.
Speaker 2:Alcohol is related to dementia. It's a leading cause of dementia and over the last month or so we've heard about Wendy Williams. I would put a ton of money on one of her biggest problems and why she is in the position that she's in is because of alcoholism or because she's been drinking alcohol, because I see this happen to people every single day that they develop dementia as a result of alcohol. I said in that video, alcohol is associated with over 200 different diseases 200 different diseases and we don't even have to look at necessarily our health and wellness. We can look at the impact it's having in society we see that alcohol is associated with violent crimes. Alcohol is the number one date rape drug out there. Alcohol is associated with accidental drownings, accidental house fires. So it's really bad from a health perspective. It's really bad from a society perspective.
Speaker 1:Right. So what do you feel like people are struggling with, to where they just feel like they have to do this? Or is it just like a brainwashed thing?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, I think people have been brainwashed from the time that we were young. I tell people all the time that our thoughts are so incredibly powerful that from the moment we're born, people are fighting to control the way that we think. And maybe when we're first born, it's our parents and families, and as we get older it becomes our schoolmates and teachers. But society is always there trying to point us in a certain direction. And so as we're growing up and we're seeing, oh well, people are always drinking when they're at parties or when they get together, you know, we might see alcohol in the home, we see commercials for alcohol and everybody is like, oh, I guess this is what you do. You know this is, this is good, right. And people feel like, oh, alcohol makes them more social, it's not necessarily alcohol makes you more social.
Speaker 2:It's that it's causing so much dysfunction in your brain. It makes you more impulsive. You don't think through things the same way, right?
Speaker 1:So I think we've been brainwashed and we're constantly being brainwashed about alcohol as a, as the younger uh, younger me, um, I really like understood the effects it could have on your family. But I see people that come in cause. I go to a lot of networking events, medical events, um, I see people that have been sober and they're like, wow, when I come to an event, like, I have like water or you know, I get ginger ale or something, and people ask me, like, why aren't you drinking Um? And you know, sometimes I ginger ale or something, and people ask me, like, why aren't you drinking Um? And you know, sometimes I just don't want to come around because, like, people just start acting crazy and I can't believe I was a part of that. And and, um, I just think that it's, I think that it's, it's, it's really, it's really wild.
Speaker 1:Like you said, that whole, you know, uh, people need to be awakened about it, it so. So thank you for being bold enough, uh, and then, like I said, you have the receipts and the degrees and and, and you have done the research and you've actually seen, um, these cases come in. It's, it's really notoriety, neurotic, um, I can't say the word, but you know it's really good that you have the receipts, okay, so how is the brain different from someone who drinks excessively to someone who doesn't like? What is it? What does that correlate?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So somebody, let's say you just go out and have a drink tonight. So what will happen is that your brain will will shrink, your brain will dehydrate. The alcohol will also impact how your neurons, your nerve cells, communicate with each other, so it disrupts their ability to communicate well. It also causes the release of GABA, which is why people tend to feel relaxed. That's a neurotransmitter that kind of slows things down.
Speaker 2:So if you just go out and you have a drink tonight, you might get tipsy, you might get drunk. Even if you don't, it's causing these changes in your brain. But assuming you don't drink tomorrow, your brain will start to heal itself. Assuming you don't drink any alcohol, assuming that you're drinking water, assuming you're getting some rest and doing things that are healthy for your brain. But every time you keep drinking, it's causing dysfunction. And so you might be a social drinker, whatever that means, because that means something different for everybody, right, you might be a social drinker, but if every time you're doing this, you're causing dysfunction, at some point your brain hits its tipping point. At some point your brain, you start having memory issues, you start having some cognitive dysfunction, right, and it's hard to come back from that.
Speaker 1:I understand that and I just wanted to also mention that there is also a root cause to all of it other than the brainwash part. But I think some people who just can't let it go you know they may have a New Year's resolution of it it's a root cause and sometimes you have to seek, you know, help for that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's addictive.
Speaker 1:It's an addiction.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it causes the release of dopamine, which is the chemical that is most associated with addiction. It's also the chemical that is most associated with motivation and pleasure and reward. So it changes our brains in such a way that, one, we become addicted to it, but two, we're constantly going to be chasing it.
Speaker 1:So do you think that America is addicted to pleasure?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, you know, I think America is addicted to whatever feels good in the moment. That's how we've been sort of brainwashed. And that's how we've been brainwashed to think about how our lives should should go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I think it takes a strong mindset to shift from there and I think, for me, I guess I would call myself a high performer because, you know, I work out, I do the best that I can, I'm also a mother. Out I I do the things that I can, I'm also a mother. So, um, I found myself really understanding. Like okay, no, like we're at a playground and like it's a center around it, you can get parents.
Speaker 1:Some parents are in line for drinks you got smoothies over here, but you got more parents in line for drinks than anything. And it's like it's almost's almost like, because I'm just observing everything. It's like, why are people not getting drinks while at the playground, when they're supposed to be playing with their children or watching their children play, or however it goes? So I think it's a lot of unhappiness, it's a lot of settling for things that we don't want, and that's the root cause of wanting to. I got to have a drink, I got to have a drink. I got to have a drink. So, getting to the root cause of why, and if you want something different, do that, do that. So I'm going to pull up my other notes because I, you know I'm it's really good I get a neurologist on here. I'm so excited about this. It's so crazy, because one of my close friends she's a neurologist who trained me, but she, she, she didn't do an audience. So let's talk about CBD and Mary Jane.
Speaker 2:How does that?
Speaker 1:affect the brain. You know anybody who doesn't know Mary Jane. You know marijuana. Is it a better alternative?
Speaker 2:So you know, for a while I was considered a medical marijuana expert because I have prescribed it to quite a few people, probably hundreds of people and I prescribed it. You know I treat it like I would treat any other medication in terms you assess the risk and benefits. So the people that I've prescribed it for are people who have seizures that are not being controlled with other therapies, people who maybe have chronic pain or multiple sclerosis that have some debilitating symptoms, you know medical issue or neurological issue where you say, okay, well, maybe this can help them.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Marijuana impacts the brain. That's why people get high, and so the way that it impacts the brain is that we've got these chemicals, we've got these receptors in our brains that the marijuana can bind to the THC and CBD can bind to, which then sort of exerts its impact. And what we do know is that over a long period of time, marijuana will change the brain, especially the younger you start. And so I'm sure a lot of us know people who are smoking weed constantly and they're kind of they're a little slow right, they're a little little too chill, they're really kind of laid back and slow. If you were to weigh the brain of somebody who has been smoking marijuana for a long time compared to somebody who's never smoked marijuana, the brain of the smoker the marijuana smoker would be heavier, because marijuana interferes with our brain's natural evolution. As we get older, our brains are trying to become more and more specialized, so it's getting rid of neurons and connections that we don't use and it's strengthening the ones that we do use.
Speaker 2:And marijuana interferes with that process. So it has a negative impact on the structure of our brains, the functioning of our brains, on our cognitive abilities. So you know, it's one of those things you have to weigh the risk and benefits. If you're taking it for a true medical reason and the benefits outweigh the risk, then sure.
Speaker 2:But if you're just doing it, recreationally then sure, but if you're just doing it recreationally, then yeah, I mean. And the bigger question becomes why have we been brainwashed, or why do we convince ourselves that, in order for us to relax, to face the challenges that we face in our lives, to, you know, accomplish certain goals, that we need to go outside of ourselves and use substances that are not good for us?
Speaker 1:Right, right, but again I think the self-soothing is not there, being able to deal with things. We saw parents. We had parents who used substances, who that was the way they sued weren't taught how to to even do that and to go through different difficult things, and sometimes it's fear of of what you could be right. Yeah, um, I, I dated a guy.
Speaker 2:don't judge me no, no judgment here, okay good.
Speaker 1:So I, I dated a guy, you know, uh, and he had to wake up to smoking marijuana, go to sleep to it, uh, you know, we traveled somewhere and he had to find somebody. You know when we got the plane, because you can't complain, um, you know, you can't go to the airport with marijuana, I think so anyway. Um, so that's when I realized I was like, yeah, this is not going to work because you have to be high every second of the day.
Speaker 2:And it's addictive.
Speaker 1:It's addictive and I was like why? I was like, why do you have to you know? But he had dealt with a significant amount of trauma which I found out later, right Hence why it was definitely not going to work out. Because people who have been resolved that trauma, it comes out.
Speaker 2:Oh, for sure.
Speaker 1:A little bit at a time at a time at a time at a time at a time. But you know, I figured it out pretty quickly because I'm a very strong advocate of therapy and that's one thing my mom did introduce to me early. I brought him to my therapist. She said are you around here? She called me. She said never bring him back. I said why not? She said he needs medication. You need to get away from him. That's why I said don't deal with me.
Speaker 1:Women, we love projects. That was the old, maybe 10-year version, or whatever. Him right. So that's why I said don't tell me. But you know, women, we love projects we like. You know that was the old, like maybe 10 year version or whatever.
Speaker 1:But now I've learned my lesson. I'm not, I'm not about a bit of bob, so but yeah, I mean I've, I've seen that, um caveat. And then I see someone who's extremely talented. Extremely talented because I come from the music world as well. I was the singer, songwriter, dancer, right, yeah, I didn't know that about me, I know y'all didn't know that.
Speaker 1:So I saw in the music world, like when I would go into the studio because I was a mom, you know, pretty early, I would say I had one child and I wouldn't smoke marijuana, like I was scared to do anything. I was what they call green if I have siblings, like they did all kind of crazy stuff. So I was like no, I just that was like my box, like I wouldn't cross that level. So I'm the only sober one in the studio and I see them, you know, of course, drinking and they they couldn't even write a song without being high and I needed to give you some type of creative something. But I think, of course, like moderation in that is better than just like everyday use. Because I see it a whole lot. I see it a lot in Black men, to be honest, something about Black men they like weed and they like pit bulls.
Speaker 2:And they like pit bulls and they like pit bulls. Well, you know, I think you know life can be challenging for everybody, but especially for Black men. You know, I was having this conversation the other day.
Speaker 2:Oftentimes, black men don't have a safe space. They don't even have a safe. We don't even have safe spaces a lot of times now with Black women and so Black men find other ways to escape, and I think, whether it's alcohol or drugs I mean alcohol is a drug or marijuana a lot of times it allows us to not take accountability. Not only do we get to escape, but we don't have to take accountability for our actions. So people will say, oh, but I was drunk, oh, that doesn't count because I was drunk, or that happened when I was drunk or when I was high, right, so it's like you don't have to take accountability, like it lets them off the hook. And the reality is that our lives truly get better and we're able to create the life that we want when we take radical accountability, radical responsibility for everything that happens in our life, good or bad.
Speaker 2:But in this society we get to be. You know, everybody wants to play victim.
Speaker 1:Well, yeah, and you know, you got to be, you got to conquer your own red flags.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:A lot of people have red flags and they know they have them. Um, I had a friend who's who's going through the wars I don't know how they're doing now. I had to check on them. But I met up with him just to check on them and see what he was doing and, um, he had gotten prescribed some. No, he I don't know if it was a prescription I know he had a support dog and then he also had like he was taking, like I don't know if it was a prescription. I know he had a support dog and then he also had like he was taking, like I don't know if it was mushrooms and it was something he was doing and you know. And he was like, oh yeah, I just, you know, I'm just high all the time, you know, and I just was like that's not healthy that's not it wasn't weed, it was something else.
Speaker 1:But he was like, oh you know, he stayed in arizona. I guess this is arizona where you can have like, uh, the gummies and all that it's like.
Speaker 2:So I think about 20 24 states have legalized marijuana, including um. You know the district of columbia, including dc so I'm sure arizona may be one of the 24.
Speaker 1:It might be more now, yeah, but he was like trying to. He was like, oh, just taste a little bit. I'm like I have to drive home. I'm such a lightweight and stuff like that. I'm just like, listen, no, I got to drive home, I don't know. That's a whole another story. We're going to move on with my questions because I have more. I saw a new video you posted and this is a little selfish of me, because this is something that I have been battling with and would love to get your take on ADHD. Is it real? Are there different things that affect us? How can you combat it and recognize it, and when you need help for it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so ADHD is definitely real. I think that the causes of ADHD are complicated. I think that the way that our society has evolved it certainly makes it a lot tougher for us to be attentive and to focus. I think in that video I mentioned that look, school, the way that we go about educating people, especially kids, is not actually natural for how our brains process information. You can't accept people to sit there for six to eight hours trying to learn something. That just doesn't work right, and so a lot of things can cause ADHD symptoms, and certainly there may be some changes that happen in the brains of people with ADHD. So you know, mothers who are smoking have been linked to ADHD If they're smoking when they're pregnant.
Speaker 1:Oh, you're not smoking when you're pregnant.
Speaker 2:Yeah well in medicine I see a whole bunch of things that should not be, that should not be happening. You know, a child that's born really early that can potentially lead to changes in the brain that make it difficult for that child to attend and focus and make that child more hyperactive for that child to attend and focus, and make that child more hyperactive. But ADHD is not, like, necessarily always a bad thing, right, because there are plenty of people who are incredibly successful and the reason that they say that they're successful is because they've learned to channel their ADHD symptoms. And so adults I've taken care of adults who have ADHD and the way that I usually help those people is that I teach them how to channel that energy that they have.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so it's, you know, making sure that they've got a regular exercise schedule, because that's really important to help the brain function at its peak, that's really important to keep our brains healthy for all of us. I teach them about channeling their energy into whatever business or whatever they're passionate about. And so you take somebody like I don't know if you know who Grant Cardone is yeah, but Grant Cardone successful real estate investor, I think worth billions. At this point he says he's got ADHD and you can tell when he is talking that he's got ADHD. But I would take that level of ADHD to be as successful as he is right.
Speaker 1:And he didn't do well in school. Yeah, a lot of entrepreneurs.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and so it's about learning to channel the energy that we have, the gifts that we have, and stop letting society give us these labels and then for us to think that we have to act a certain way because of it, as long as somebody with ADHD is not using their energy in some negative way to hurt themselves or somebody else. Just like anybody else, they've got certain talents and certain gifts and they're as smart as anyone.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true, I think for me it shows up as procrastination. And I was listening to a podcast the other day Well, this was a while back when I realized that one of my friends was like she just she always be like that's what she said about me. And because she said she has it and I just I just brushed it off like I don't have that, you know, I don't think I have that, you know. And but I was reading like, uh, you know not organized and just different, like procrastinating or waiting to the last minute for things. And then you know you have, you know you're, you're, you feel like you're handicapped at at succeeding at something, you know imposter syndrome. And and I was just like, ooh, this is, this is, this is like a lot. So but I also had, uh, I had two.
Speaker 1:I was drinking too much caffeine at one point, so that was anxiety, that was causing anxiety. So I started like, let me, let me survey my diet. Sugar, you know too much caffeine. Um, and I got with my, my lovely lady, dr True. I know I sent you her interview. She was just saying natural things, stimulants such as lion's mane. I started taking that when I needed to focus. I'm very good at channeling. Like I said, I work out, I go to dance places, I'm good at channeling. I'm like, well, this is going to be a superpower. I don't think I go to dance places like I'm good at channeling and I'm like, well, this is, this is kind of gonna be a superpower. I don't think I need to be educated for it, because there's so many natural remedies for it that I can actually get. So I kind of combated that and I just realized something about me that if I don't really want to do something, I just don't want to do it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's pretty much everybody.
Speaker 1:I do check out of certain conversations. I don't, I have no interest in it, I just don't.
Speaker 2:I don't, I don't relate to it, no-transcript. And so if you're noticing that, you know your energy is too high and you're taking caffeine, yeah, you want to limit that. Sugar is not healthy for our bodies or our brains, especially in the quantities that we consume it yeah and so you want to decrease the amount of carbohydrates and the amount of sugar that you're taking in yeah, yeah, absolutely, you know, and I and I was like, I was like no, I'm not like that. And even with our children.
Speaker 1:Right, I have um boy, he's his friend and the school kept calling me and they kept saying that you know, he needs to be tested for this, he needs to be tested for that, and everybody heard this story. Like, keeping me in time, I'm gonna keep telling it. Um, so he ended up having to get his tonsils out and ear tubes and, um, you know, he had to get speech therapy, occupational therapy, all those things, but I it was because of my intuition as a mother, knowing like I was like no, he doesn't have autism, he doesn't have this. We got tested for everything. I'm like he paid attention, he doesn't have that, but he is he.
Speaker 1:I also, uh, do a lot of of reading on you know, um, people who have scattered attention, and just just on my trip on kids period, so I forgot the name of the book. I'll drop it in the show notes when I figure it out. It's at home on my, in my, on my bookshelf. But it talks about the left brain and the right brain in a child and I was like, oh, wow, one of my kids is left brain and one of my my kids is right brain, and then it teaches you the parenting style to um, to kind of like, uh, develop that child and how you should communicate with them. And when I figured out where he like he was like a little bit in the middle but more right side, I figured out, oh, wow.
Speaker 1:So when I started just talking to him in that language differently, he instantly, he, he instantly trains affirmations, help him. You know we got a med, we have a meditation routine and you know, I, I speak to him before school. I'm like you're, so you're the smartest boy I know. You know like just really really pouring into our children and understanding like you don't have to take a diagnosis because somebody said that about your child. You need to really understand Some people are artistic, some people do have a certain diagnosis, but there's still different ways that you can learn how to combat that and so they can have a successful and full life right, because you don't want to handicap your child to a point where this diagnosis and they're getting heavily sedated with medication.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, you're absolutely right. And I see adults too that get a diagnosis and then they feel like they need to live up to that diagnosis and that diagnosis somehow stops them from living their life right. And so, as somebody who's taking care of a lot of people who have epilepsy, who have seizures, I remember seeing this guy who we had gotten into a place where he had been seizure free for like six months to a year. It's just seeing me and follow up. So you know, he comes to the office and I'm like hey, how's everything going? Have you had a seizure recently? He's like, nope, I've been good.
Speaker 2:It's like, oh, what have you been doing with your life? You know, like, are you working, are you volunteering? Like, what are you doing? He's like, oh no, I don't do anything. I have epilepsy. I'm like, but you haven't had a seizure in like a year, like, are you just waiting for the next one? And so just because we have a label doesn't mean that now we need to use that label to handicap ourselves, to handicap ourselves right. Something that you know I share online, but you may not know this about me, is that I'm a two-time kidney transplant recipient. I was diagnosed with kidney failure when I was 18, had my first transplant at 28,. Eight days after I graduated medical school had a second kidney transplant it's going to be three years in May and, you know, didn't allow that to stop me from pursuing and accomplishing the goals that I had for myself, even though that there were really tough moments.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And so that becomes part of my story. Maybe it's a chapter on the book of Philippe Dion. Maybe it's just a few pages, but it's not the entire book of who Philippe Dion is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, that's heavy, that's heavy and I understand that analogy. And for me I would say, my grandmother, on my dad's side, I think I met her one time, um, and she died of cervical cancer. So, um, I I have to get checkups more than than the average woman. I have to get, you know, the the um pap smears done, and all that just to make sure my service is is good. So, uh, one time they they was like, oh, you keep having they're abnormal. So we got to watch you for the sales and all of that. And they thought they saw some sales and and it came back. It was fine and so, you know, it scared me a little bit. So I started reading up on diet, you know, and like fried foods and and just sugar. Once again that came up again like, so next time I I had it done, she was like, oh, everything's cleared up. Yeah, food can heal us.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Food. So the way that we eat goes against the way that we're supposed to use food. Food is supposed to give us the energy to go about our day, and food is supposed to be used to heal us, but instead we see people who are just consuming large amounts of food. They're consuming really unhealthy foods. If we look at the last 30 plus years, the diseases that have gone up significantly are obesity, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease, and a lot of neurologists and neuroscientists will tell you that Alzheimer's disease is really type three diabetes, and so diabetes is impacting our brains in some really negative ways.
Speaker 1:And I see people all the time who develop dementia because of high blood pressure and diabetes because of the way that they eat Right and they should, they should. So what type of diet if you, if you have diabetes that runs in your family, by the way, my grandmother passed last year of MS and chronic diabetes. I don't have any diabetes in like on my mom's side, other than her. But what? What can someone do to who has diabetes, to kind of like not have it turn into Alzheimer's?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so you want to really control the way that you're eating, so you want to limit the amount of carbohydrates that you're taking in, the amount of sugar that you're taking in, the amount of processed foods that you're taking in. You want to be exercising on a regular basis. We are.
Speaker 2:This country is way too fat. People are way too fat, like you know, and I like I see it all the all the time. I mean, I told somebody the other day, a patient that I was seeing and I was seeing him for a stroke, and I was like you need to lose 100 pounds, you know, and he got offended. But I was like you need to lose 100 pounds, otherwise we're just going to be doing this back and forth where you're in the hospital all the time for the next few years until you die. And it's somebody who was young. His blood sugar was like over 500. Wow, we need to do a much better job of taking care of ourselves. We need to realize that just because things are legal does not make it good for us. Right, like alcohol, yeah, alcohol contributes to diabetes the amount of calories and sugar and alcohol contributes to diabetes and so we've got to do a much better job of taking care of ourselves.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, that's longevity and me being in the senior care industry, I see the bad side of you not taking care of yourself and it's absolutely insane. You know, a lot of people don't see that, that side. So when I'm, when I'm telling people because I did a reel the other day and I was like here, girl, I'm gonna ask you, did you eat today? I'm gonna ask you, did you take your vitamins today? Because a lot of times, um, there's a lot of of of deficiencies when it comes to vitamins.
Speaker 1:And I was telling one of my families mom has dementia and the way she was acting, I already knew it off bat. She had a UTI. I already knew it because she just started acting really crazy and even though dementia you can't tell, but I knew, because of how many people I've dealt with, who was doing the same things and she had a UTI, but also said you know, did she eat any vegetables? Did she? Did she have any vitamins? If you know, I don't know. Okay, well, that's your job to find out. So she started introducing um, a multi-vitamin powder, in smoothies, um, and she started like juicing for her and she I mean she noticed a significant change within two weeks. She. She was feeling better, she was having less episodes, and I think that we definitely need to start thinking more holistically when it comes to diet, and even in our families.
Speaker 1:A lot of times, families are busy, moms and dads are busy, especially those that are by themselves. So you want to go to McDonald's, or you want to go to mcdonald's, or you want to. You want to go to, uh, pop john's, you know and not saying that that that is, uh, something that's not good to eat, but, like all the time, it's probably not a good thing. Um and and it's hard because, yes, food is high.
Speaker 1:You know, healthy food is higher than the fast foods, but there's different ways to combat that as well.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I don't think it has to be right. So that's something that we are always telling ourselves, but I don't think that it has to be, I think, because the reality is that we should not, none of us should be eating until we're a hundred percent full. We should be eating until we're about 60 to 70% full, right? So if, let's say, for lunch I can have a banana, some mixed like peanuts, almonds, some, you know, trail mix, maybe a piece of avocado and drink some water, and that will sustain me for the rest of the day, and it will be a lot healthier, because I'm not going to get a huge spike in blood sugar, a spike in insulin, and then this rapid drop my level of energy, my level of sugar is just gonna go like this, right? So it's a much healthier way to eat, and so we have to change the way that we think about how we're eating as well, and we should be drinking at least two liters of water per day, depending on our body weight.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, absolutely. See, I love this. This is so educational. What about the effects of technology use in social media?
Speaker 2:Oh, so that is definitely changing our brains and that is that is certainly leading to use is OK and you know, like, what is.
Speaker 1:what is good hygiene for your brain, for technology?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So this is what I tell people you need to be a producer and not a consumer. Produce your content, put it out there, let other people consume it and get off social media. That's good, because it is changing our brains. It actually is making a lot of us more inattentive, so we're displaying signs of ADHD. We're not able to focus the way that we're supposed to right. Just look how people are just scrolling, scrolling, scrolling, scrolling, and over time, you have to get a lot more creative in your content to even grab somebody's attention. That's because of the way that it's changing our brains. When we're getting likes and comments, especially positive comments, that is causing the release of things like dopamine in our brain and it's motivating us. We want that, that it's giving us pleasure and we want that, and so we're constantly going to be chasing that, and so we've got to limit and change the way that we use social media as well, and it's making us antisocial that we use social media as well and it's making us antisocial.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a conversation in my house that I'm having with being a boy mom and I get a lot of I get a lot of flat back from it, but I feel like it's kind of controlling kids as well, and there's look at the suicide rate in young children and teens, you know, young adults. Do you think that that's that has something to do with it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, because social media is not real Right. So even what I post on social media, I'm giving you a snapshot into my life and I'm choosing what I want to speak to people about. I don't show you the entirety of my life. Nobody shows you the entirety of their life, and so when people are out there, you know, showing their fancy cars and showing you know however much money they make, and now everybody's comparing themselves to that person. Um, that, that takes its toll, and that person, you know it might all be fake, they may not have that fancy car, they may not have all that money, and so social media is certainly contributing to a lot of anxiety, a lot of depression. It's causing a lot of trauma.
Speaker 2:I don't read comments. So you mentioned that there were comments on that video that went viral. I don't read comments and I learned that from when I wrote my book Because you can have 10 positive comments and then one that's negative, and your brain will focus on the one that's negative, because your brain is always trying to keep you safe and its primary job is to make sure that you survive, and so the way that it does that is to focus on the negative. So I don't read. You know I don't read negative comments. People who are doing positive things in their lives are not making negative comments. It's usually the people who are, who aren't doing anything. They're at home, they're fat, they're miserable, they're lonely, they're isolated, they're drinking alcohol, they're smoking weed and they just, you know, isolated. They're drinking alcohol, they're smoking weed and they just, you know, they're miserable.
Speaker 1:And what is the saying? I'm suffering A hit dog on holler.
Speaker 2:Is that what it is? I've never heard that saying.
Speaker 1:You haven't. I'm suffering. If it resonated with them and they didn't like it, it made them feel some type of way. You know that they're going to holler like oh no, you know like. You know they're going to. They're not going to like that.
Speaker 2:They're not going to like that, but that's.
Speaker 1:That's a good analogy. Be a producer, not a consumer. I love that. So I know we're wrapping up. I don't want to hold you longer than an hour. I want to ask you, for those who are closest to you, what are three things that they would say? What are three things they would use three words to describe you. What would be three words?
Speaker 2:Ooh, I think that they would probably say resilient, because part of my story is that I, you know, I'm a two-time kidney transplant recipient. Like I've survived that, I've been blessed. I've had two kidney donors. The first one was my father and my father's doing well after all these years. The second one was my cousin-in-law, scott, so somebody who's not even blood related to me and he's doing well, and so I think part of that would say I'm resilient. Two I think that they would say I speak my mind. It's great.
Speaker 2:You go through certain things in life. You reach a certain stage in life where you really don't care what other people have to say. You know, and as long as you know that it's coming from a really good place where you're trying to help people. That's why I told people you need to stop drinking. You may have a problem with that, but doctors and nurses in every hospital across this country are tired of seeing people that are coming in with alcohol issues. And when people come in with alcohol issues, the first thought is I got more important things to do, so, unless they're dying, put them over there so I can go deal with the people that have real issues. Right, and so people are getting tired of taking care of you when you're coming in with your alcohol issues. So, yeah, I think that they would say, look, I'm resilient, I speak my mind and I am passionate.
Speaker 1:Okay, I love that. I love that. Oh, can you tell us everything you have going on and name your podcast where people can find you? And then, last, I would love for you to leave us some words of wisdom that may have helped you through a personal storm.
Speaker 2:Sure so. So I'm an author. I wrote the book Neuroplasticity your Brain Superpower, which is actually right behind me here. I've also written an e-book called Change your Brain, change your Life, and I've got a Children's Illustrated series called Nuri the Neuron, where I've created this little neuron character called Nuri, and he and his friend Crystal, you know, talk about brain and brain health and they sort of navigate life so that way they can keep the brain nice and healthy. I am a podcaster, so I've got my own podcast called Surviving your Brain with Dr Philippe Dion, where we've had some incredible guests and we talk about all types of things related to brain health. We've got really great solo episodes and we talk about everything, including the impact that sex has on the brain, especially noncommittal sex.
Speaker 1:I'm going to bring you back about that Hear about that yeah. I could definitely see that being, and I'm actually just added your podcast. That's what I'm going to be. I'm going to be binging it, I'm going to be binging it.
Speaker 2:I am the creator of the online course Take Charge of your Brain, where I help people one keep their brains healthy. I've been getting so many requests from people to have conversations this Friday and Saturday. I'm dedicating it just for people who want to have a conversation so they can schedule a 15-minute free conversation with me Friday and Saturday. All they have to do is go to my IG page, go to my Calendly and just schedule that.
Speaker 1:That's so sweet. What is next for you After you tell us your inspirational tidbit? What is next for you? What is something big that you feel like is going to happen or you want to happen for yourself?
Speaker 2:Sure. So I just co-founded a company called SeriSync, where we're using artificial intelligence and quantum machine learning to diagnose dementia early on and treat people with dementia so that way they can live every year of their life with all their cognitive faculties, being able to love on their families, being loved by their families and enjoying everything that this beautiful planet has to offer. So SeriSync is the next big thing.
Speaker 1:I love that. I love it. Oh, I can't wait to definitely keep me. Keep me abreast of how that's going, Cause I have plenty of dementia patients that can be tested for it. So is this like some people who already have it, or like the beginning stages?
Speaker 2:Both right. So both, if you're starting to get symptoms, you know we'll see what the reason is that you're starting to get symptoms. A lot of causes of dementia are actually reversible. Sometimes it could be depression, sometimes it could be a thyroid issue, a vitamin issue. So it's uncovering that early on. So that way we can come up with a plan that really helps that person and then, even if they do already have dementia, using artificial intelligence and quantum machine learning. So that way, on a daily basis, we're making changes right. So if I know that, like, if your oxygen saturation is at 97, 98%, that is where you tend to do best in terms of your thinking and memory, but today your oxygen saturation, for whatever reason, is around 93%. Well, maybe you know, we just send you a message and say, hey, let's do some deep breathing exercises right now, get that oxygen saturation up.
Speaker 1:I love it, I love it. Technology and infusion out. This is. This is like one part of my one of my favorite podcasts. Leave us with a few words of inspiration.
Speaker 2:I think that the big thing is that because our brains are capable of changing, that means that we're capable of changing. We can create whatever life that we want for ourselves. Don't let anybody hold you back, don't let society tell you that you are not meant to be the person that you know that you're called to be. You have everything that you need within you to create the life that you want absolutely.
Speaker 1:Oh my goodness, thank you so much for coming on and I'm I'm going to, I'm gonna keep pin you because I I definitely want to come back and talk about dementia and the effects of the whole thing you just said. I don't think I'm going to repeat it, but I can't wait to have one again and I look forward to this episode being published as well. You have a good rest of your day and thanks again.
Speaker 2:Sounds good. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1:All right, bye-bye, bye.