Brain Link. This course links researched strategies with their impact on brain function—and thus on the body, as well. The terms health and wellness are often used interchangeably, although they are two different concepts with different meanings. Both begin in the brain, since everything begins in the brain. According to the World Health Organization, health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity or illness. Wellness, on the other hand, is the optimal state of health of individuals and groups, expressed as a positive approach to living. “Health is a state of being; while wellness is the state of living a healthy lifestyle (nih.gov). Stephanie Murdock has been quoted as saying that health is the goal, and wellness is the active process of achieving it.
From the brain only arise our pleasures, joys, laughter, and jests, as well as our sorrows, pains, griefs, and tears … It is the same thing which makes us mad or delirious, inspires us with dread or fear, whether by night or by day, brings sleeplessness, inopportune mistakes, aimless anxieties, absent-mindedness, and acts that are contrary to habit. These things that we suffer all come from the brain, when it is not healthy. —Hippocrates (about 400 BC)
Some 2500 years ago, the Greek physician, Hippocrates, was clear that the brain was the seat of thought—not the heart. He was correct about several things, especially that the cerebrum has two hemispheres divided into four quadrants. That is amazing considering there were no brain scans or other sophisticated equipment to help prove him correct. Just imagine what he might think if he could pop into any of the centers or universities that are studying the brain. He would likely be floored—and extremely excited—to see how brain research is flourishing in the 21 st Century and fascinated to learn about what is being discovered. This is the age of the brain. Everything starts in the brain. It has been referred to as the most amazing piece of biological real estate in the known universe. As more is discovered, more questions arise.
The human brain is the most complex mass of protoplasm on earth—perhaps even in our galaxy. —Marian C. Diamond & Arnold B. Scheibel
People often ask: “How many thinking cells are there in the human brain?” There is no accurate way—at least so far—to obtain an exact count of the neurons in the Central Nervous System (CNS), much less the rest of the brain. Even if there were, each brain is unique. So far there is no indication that there is one finite number of neurons that is supposed to be present in each brain
The human brain is estimated to have about a hundred billion nerve cells, two million miles of axons, and a million billion synapses, making it the most complex structure, natural or artificial, on earth. —Tim Green, et al
Estimates are that the CNS contains over 100 billion neurons or nerve cells and a million billion synapses or spaces between the neurons, since they do not touch each other. Neurons are said to be located in the following areas.
1) 86 billion neurons in the brain
2) 15 billion neurons in the cerebellum
3) 13 million in the spinal cord
4) Two million miles of neuronal axons
5) 15 billion neurons in the peripheral nervous system of the body
Suffice it to say that if you have a healthy brain and body, you have plenty of neurons to help you learn how to stay healthier and younger for longer.
If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t. —Emerson M. Pugh
This online course is designed as a 12-week brain- based approach to health and wellness, although you may choose to go faster or slower. It is designed to share practical and doable strategies that can enable you to take personal responsibility for staying healthier, younger, and more successful for longer. Once these strategies are in place, you simply follow them for the rest of your life!
The human brain produces in 30 seconds as much data as the Hubble Space Telescope has produced in its lifetime. —Konrad Kording
For those individuals serious about building researched strategies into their daily lives, this course does require thought, time, practical application, practice, and consistency—which is why it works!
I am not what has happened to me. I am what I choose to become. —Carl Jung
Research by Phillippa Lally, et al, at University College London, found that on average it takes about 12 weeks for a new behavior to become automatic.
This course is not a fad nor a diet nor a deprivation plan nor a flash-in-the-pan solution nor a complicated calorie- counting exercise. It encourages developing new replacement behaviors that can be implemented into each person’s daily routines and maintained for life. It can help you pursue gradual and permanent lifestyle changes to prevent what is preventable, reduce the risk for what is not preventable, and manage more effectively what was not—or could not be— prevented.
To really solve our health problems, we will need to change what we are doing. Healthy choices are of primary importance in restoring health that has been lost because of poor lifestyle practices.
—George E. Guthrie, MD
The exponential power of science working with both the brain and body can often provide the potential to reverse some deficits—at least partially—due to either lack of knowledge and/or previous personal choices and decisions.
70% of how long and how well you live is in your hands.
—Michael A. Roisen, MD, & Mehmet C. Oz, MD
Brain Link. This course links researched strategies with their impact on brain function—and thus on the body, as well. The terms health and wellness are often used interchangeably, although they are two different concepts with different meanings. Both begin in the brain, since everything begins in the brain. According to the World Health Organization, health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity or illness. Wellness, on the other hand, is the optimal state of health of individuals and groups, expressed as a positive approach to living. “Health is a state of being; while wellness is the state of living a healthy lifestyle (nih.gov). Stephanie Murdock has been quoted as saying that “Health is the goal, and wellness is the active process of achieving it.”
From the brain only arise our pleasures, joys, laughter, and jests, as well as our sorrows, pains, griefs, and tears … It is the same thing which makes us mad or delirious, inspires us with dread or fear, whether by night or by day, brings sleeplessness, inopportune mistakes, aimless anxieties, absent-mindedness, and acts that are contrary to habit. These things that we suffer all come from the brain, when it is not healthy
—Hippocrates (about 400 BC)
Some 2500 years ago, the Greek physician, Hippocrates, was clear that the brain was the seat of thought—not the heart. He was correct about several things, especially that the cerebrum has two hemispheres divided into four quadrants. That is amazing considering there were no brain scans or other sophisticated equipment to help prove him correct. Just imagine what he might think if he could pop into any of the centers or universities that are studying the brain. He would likely be floored—and extremely excited—to see how brain research is flourishing in the 21 st Century and fascinated to learn about what is being discovered. This is the age of the brain. Everything starts in the brain. It has been referred to as the most amazing piece of biological real estate in the known universe. As more is discovered, more questions arise.
The human brain is the most complex mass of protoplasm on earth—perhaps even in our galaxy.
—Marian C. Diamond & Arnold B. Scheibel
People often ask: “How many thinking cells are there in the human brain?” There is no accurate way—at least so far—to obtain an exact count of the neurons in the Central Nervous System (CNS), much less the rest of the brain. Even if there were, each brain is unique. So far there is no indication that there is one finite number of neurons that is supposed to be present in each brain
The human brain is estimated to have about a hundred billion nerve cells, two million miles of axons, and a million billion synapses, making it the most complex structure, natural or artificial, on earth. —Tim Green, et al
Neurons do not touch each other. Neurons are said to be located in the following areas.
1) 86 billion neurons in the brain
2) 15 billion neurons in the cerebellum
3) 13 million in the spinal cord
4) Two million miles of neuronal axons
5) 15 billion neurons in the peripheral nervous system of the body
Suffice it to say that if you have a healthy brain and body, you have plenty of neurons to help
you learn how to stay healthier and younger for longer.
If the human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we couldn’t.
—Emerson M. Pugh
This online course is designed as a 12-week brain- based approach to health and wellness, although you may choose to go faster or slower. It is designed to share practical and doable strategies that can enable you to take personal responsibility for staying healthier, younger, and more successful for longer. Once these strategies are in place, you simply follow them for the rest of your life!
The human brain produces in 30 seconds as much data as the Hubble Space Telescope has produced in its lifetime.
—Konrad Kording
For those individuals serious about building researched strategies into their daily lives, this course does require thought, time, practical application, practice, and consistency—which is why it works!
I am not what has happened to me. I am what I choose to become. —Carl Jung
1) Cardiovascular diseases – the leading cause of death worldwide.
2) Cancers – over 200 types of cancer kill millions of people annually. The actual estimated incidence differs based on the type of cancer.
3) Diabetes – affects 529 million worldwide (2023); by 2050 1.3 billion will be affected. Every 20 seconds a person in the USA is diagnosed with some form of diabetes.
4) Anxiety Disorders – #1 mental illness worldwide, affecting 301 million persons
5) Depressive Disorders – #1 leading cause of ill health, disability, and divorce worldwide, affecting 300 million people, 50% of them also have an anxiety disorder
6) Dementia – worldwide 50 million people have dementia. Someone develops dementia symptoms every 3 seconds.
7) Alzheimer’s – the largest group of the dementias, affects nearly 7 million people in the USA. Another person develops Alzheimer’s every 65 seconds. Estimates are that by 2050 16 million people in the US will have Alzheimer’s, 200,000 with early-onset Alzheimer’s. One in every three adults will either be experiencing symptoms of dementia or caring for someone who is. Interestingly, recent studies are classing Alzheimer’s as generally a lifestyle disease, the onset of which potentially can be slowed if not totally prevented through lifestyle changes
8) Obesity – deemed a global epidemic that is linked with more than 50 diseases and is
now being seen even in young children.
9) Lifespan – estimates are that this may be the first generation to live shorter lives than
their parents, largely due to lifestyle choices.
Dieting starves the brain of serotonin. Without enough serotonin to signal satisfaction, dieters tend to overeat. —Faith Hickman Brynie
Many attempts to deal with health issues by targeting primarily diet and exercise have been less-than-successful over time. It has become clear that dieting does not work in the long term. Within the space of two or three years, most people regain everything they have lost and more—often as fat. There are also concerns about the impact of dieting on the brain. It is also clear that everything starts in the brain. If you start there and get the brain on board, wise strategies that become part of your daily living can (hopefully) continue for the rest of your life. Pursuing excellence, the wise choice of many alternatives, is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution. Turning learning and information into experiential knowledge and practically applying it consistently can result in improved health.
If you keep on doing what you are doing, you will keep on getting what you are getting. —George E. Guthrie, MD, MPH
Dr. Guthrie has pointed out that science has made quite clear the relationship between lifestyle choices and many of the diseases of the so-called developed cultures. While many of us are aware of these relationships, the actual application of what we know and that could be applied to behaviors and habits often lags. We would prefer a quick and ‘easy’ fix. We expect science to solve our chronic health problems with a procedure or a pill when much of the cause lies within our own lifestyle choices.
There is no ‘magic’ to restore health. There is no safe ‘crash diet’; There are no ‘magical’ quick fixes. You will be the one most responsible for changing your lifestyle. —George E. Guthrie, MD, MPH
For your health to improve, something needs to change. Fortunately, current research recommends surprisingly simple approaches to reducing the risk for illness, disease, and a shortened lifespan.
You’ve got to win in your mind before you win in your life. —John Addison
The best time to create and implement a longevity lifestyle for yourself is around age 18—or earlier. The next best time is right now. For most people, improving their health and longevity will require lifestyle changes. Fortunately, current research recommends surprisingly simple approaches to reduce one’s risk for illness, disease, and a shortened lifespan. As the old saying goes, those who are too busy to take care of their health are like mechanics too busy to take care of their tools. Your brain and body are your tools to take care of your health.
The secret of getting ahead is getting started. And, the secret of getting started is breaking a complex, overwhelming task into small manageable tasks. Then, begin with the first one. —Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Perhaps you have read “The Tortoise and the Hare,” that famous fable by Aesop (620–564 BC). It may be the quintessential poster-book for slow and steady wins. Ours may not be the only culture that has emphasized “go fast to win!” That may be great when competing in the Olympics. It is not great for everyday life. Attempting to go too fast and rush through something may not serve you well. It can fail to give your brain time to transfer what you are learning from short- to long-term memory. It can exhaust you and interfere with your desire for health and wellness.
You don’t have to go fast… you just have to go. —Julie Hage
Fast is not always best. Slow and steady—with great consistency—is what is needed. You start and just keep on going—for as long as you live. Perhaps you choose to spend 15-30 minutes each day during the week allotted to each Module. It is the consistency that truly matters. You are building habits for your brain to follow for the rest of your life.
Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. —Henry Ford
Fortunately, as Leonardo da Vinci put it, “Learning never exhausts the mind.” You may have to give up something, however. Remember the words of Dr. Guthrie, “If you keep on doing what you are doing, you will keep on getting what you are getting.” What could you give up? Something that is not aligned with the 14 components that studies have shown can help you stay healthier and younger for longer! Evaluate what you are doing currently to ensure that it meets criteria for actually assisting you in developing a healthy brain, body, and spirit. If not, give it up and replace it with something that will assist you.
There is no shortcut. Rushing through something does not serve you well. There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all. —Peter Drucker
The short answer is that since everything begins in the brain, the place to start is in your brain, of course—with your mindset and self-talk. Start by thinking you can choose to take steps to create and maintain what the author refers to as a Longevity Lifestyle.
This course is designed to help you not only get started but to keep on keeping on as long as you live. Fourteen key components have been identified for helping you stay healthier and younger for longer. Each component links back to the brain in some way.
The 14 key components are presented in 12 Modules: one each week for a recommended minimum of 12 weeks. Divided into bite-sized bits, the information is easier to remember and apply daily. “Sitting Disease,” a term describing a lack of movement and physical activity, has deadly consequences over time. Simply standing up from a sitting position increases your brain’s level of alertness. If possible, stand or walk around the room as you listen to the audiobook segments. Walk in place as you view the videos. Drink plenty of water to help your brain stay hydrated and energized.
You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. —Zig Ziglar
1) Mindset & Self-talk
2) Emotional Intelligence
3) Exercise (physical, mental, social)
4) Optimum Sleep
5) Water (hydration)
6) Safety
7) Sunlight
8) Nutrition
9) Laughter
10) Support Network
11) Stress Management
12) Life Satisfaction
Listen to “The Fact Is … Nature Plus Nurture Equals You”—from Just the Facts
audiobook and performed by Dr. Taylor.
Research from the University of Zurich has reported that like with fingerprints, no two individuals have identical brains. This uniqueness is likely the result of a combination of genetic factors and individual life experiences. Other studies have shown that every thought you think alters your brain in some way—and no two human brains ever think identical thoughts, not even the brains of so-called identical twins. This suggests that brains become even more unlike as they age.
Since every brain is different, time and energy have been devoted to presenting the information accompanied by what researchers and others have said about the topic—in the hope that this may permit differing brains to get a clearer perspective.
There are those who say that “People never appreciate or value anything that is free.” Unfortunately, there are those who do seem to harbor that belief. Consequently, they often choose whatever is the more expensive of several options. Perhaps partly so they can brag about how much they paid for something or because they really think something must be more valuable simply because the price is high. Brains that are wise seem to think differently. They do not rush to discard something simply because it was “free.”
In light of the reality of health on Planet Earth and the estimates that this may be the first generation to live shorter lives than their parents, largely due to lifestyle choices, the Governing Board for Realizations Inc, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is pleased to offer this course initially free of charge. It is one way to “give back” to Planet Earth. It is available to English-speaking individuals who have access to a computer. Depending on the interest, it may be translated into Spanish and perhaps other languages as well.
Genetics contributes about 30% to health and longevity. At least 70% of how well and how long a person lives is due to Epigenetics—everything that is not genetics—which includes lifestyle choices. Even making a number of small changes and following the strategies consistently can make the difference in whether you will be alive and healthy enough to enjoy your grandchildren.
According to Dr. Guthrie, living a longevity lifestyle requires alterations in lifestyle choices. Whether individuals are willing to make the necessary changes and maintain them is the question.
It is not that I do not know what to do; it is that I do not do what I know. —Confucius
Arlene R. Taylor, PhD, is author of this course. She is also the presenter for the videos and audiobook selections.
For those who read Scripture, there is a small section in each module that includes one or more Scriptures that relate to the topic. Typically, the New International Version (NIV) is used.
For more information you can also search the internet using the names of researchers, authors, or others who are mentioned in the Modules
1) Taylor’s videos are available on her YouTube Channel. Subscribe to be notified when a new video is posted. https://www.youtube.com/user/braingurutaylor
2) Articles, Assessments, Q&As, Practical Applications, and more, are available at arlenetaylor.org
Every effort has been made to provide accurate information at the time of uploading. Neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors or changes that occur after posting to the website or for third-party websites, authors, researchers, or their content.
This course is not a biological, medical, or psychological text. The information and resources offered are for general educational and informational purposes only and do not present an in-depth treatment of specific research findings or topics related to the brain, body, mind, spirit, and health. This book is not intended to take the place of professional counseling, medical or psychological care, or recommendations from healthcare professionals.
The authors, publisher, and editors expressly disclaim all responsibility and any liability (direct or indirect) for adverse effects from the use or misuse of concepts presented herein or for any damage allegedly arising from any information or suggestion in this book.
As George Eliot put it, “The fallibility of human brains is in nothing more obvious than in proof reading.” Therefore, should you find errors or typos in this course, please know that they do serve a purpose. There are “brains” that enjoy and even revel in ferreting for perceived mistakes and errors—so there is something for everyone.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) summaries are not used. Scientific American in the July 19, 2024, newsletter reported concerns about AI and research and whether AI is being used for more than just wordsmithing and includes analysis. According to Matt Hodgkinson, “The concern is not so much with AI-generated language as it is with AI-generated judgments. Chatbots are not good at doing analysis, and that’s where the real danger lies.”
