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Series Code: IIWC
Program Code: IIWC201725A
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01:37 >> Dear friend, thank you so much for joining 01:39 "It Is Written Canada." Today I have with me 01:42 a special guest. That guest is Dr. Neil Nedley. Dr. Nedley, thank you 01:47 so much for joining us. >> Thank you. Thanks for asking. 01:50 >> Now, Dr. Nedley, you've been here a number of times before, but just a reminder to our 01:55 audience -- Dr. Nedley has an MD in internal medicine. 01:59 He specialized in gastroenterology. And in the last -- 02:04 well, has it been about 30, almost 40 years you've been specializing in brain health. 02:09 >> [ Chuckles ] That's right. >> And, so, Dr. Nedley, we've talked about this 02:14 in previous programs, but maybe talk about that. How does brain health relate 02:18 to gastroenterology? How did you get interested in brain health? 02:22 >> Well, there's quite a mind-body connection in a lot of 02:25 areas, but particularly in the gastrointestinal area. For instance, if we weigh all of 02:31 the nerves supplying the GI tract, and we were to actually scrape those off at surgery, 02:36 they would weigh four times as much as the entire spinal cord, which is nothing but a plexus of 02:42 neurons and nerves. And so when things go wrong up here, often it's manifested down 02:48 here, and the person thinks they have a GI problem, but the fix is actually above their eyes. 02:56 >> Well, that is good. That's what we're gonna be talking about today. 03:00 We're gonna be talking a little bit about how to improve your memory and how to improve your 03:05 intelligence. Now, Dr. Nedley, you've authored the book 03:09 "Optimizing Your Brain," and you actually have a program that is offered in communities 03:15 called "Optimizing Your Brain." >> Yes. >> Talk a little bit about that, 03:19 "Optimizing Your Brain," both the book and the program that is offered. 03:23 >> Well, there's two primary ways in which we can optimize the brain. 03:28 One is by increasing our intelligence. That is, our ability to learn 03:35 and retain and apply knowledge. And so there's much that we can do to change our brains 03:42 to be able to absorb a lot more, and to become basically smarter individuals. 03:48 But in addition to that, if we optimize the brain correctly, we'll also be able to 03:54 optimize the brain emotionally, because our brain is our emotional center, as well. 04:01 And so this is the area of our being where we manage distressing emotions, where we 04:08 can actually know and understand our emotions and the emotions of others, and respond to those 04:12 emotions in a healthy way. And, so, those are the two different tracks that we go 04:17 through. Some of them actually have the same type of remedy that will 04:21 help both, and then there are some differences, as well. >> Now, if someone were 04:26 interested in purchasing the book "Optimizing Your Brain," where might they be able to 04:29 find that available? >> They can find it at 04:32 a number of different outlets. But our website, 04:34 DrNedley.com, would be a simple way. 04:36 Just go to the store, and you'd be able to find that 04:39 and its supporting materials. >> Fantastic. 04:41 And there's also community-based programs that are offered around 04:44 Canada, around the United States, and around 04:46 the world... >> That's correct. 04:47 >> ...called "Optimizing Your Brain," as well. 04:49 And can they find out about that program, as well, at 04:52 DrNedley.com? >> They can, yeah. 04:54 Or they can just go to OptimizeYourBrain.com. 04:57 And that's a six-week program, once a week for six weeks, 05:01 and it's amazing what can happen with just a couple hours once a 05:05 week for six weeks in regards to optimizing our brains. >> That is wonderful. 05:10 Well, we're gonna spend just a little bit of time talking about that optimizing 05:15 of our brain. >> Yeah. >> Specifically, how to improve 05:18 memory and intelligence. Now, you talked a little bit about this just a moment ago, 05:23 But what is it to be intelligent? What is intelligence? 05:28 >> Well, what we're measuring on an IQ test is someone's what we call fluid intelligence. 05:35 At least, that's what we're trying to measure. And that is not your 05:40 knowledge base. You know, an IQ test is not how much knowledge you have, 05:45 because if that were the case, your IQ would continue to raise throughout life as you 05:50 accumulate more and more knowledge. But your actual IQ 05:55 is your ability to learn, retain, and apply new knowledge. And so we want to have a brain 06:03 that's flexible, that's able to do that throughout life. In fact, so much of our 06:08 happiness and success throughout life is our ability to learn, retain, and apply 06:14 new knowledge. And so this is an important factor for life satisfaction, 06:19 as well as being able to identify with people from all walks of life. 06:24 >> And so you said, "Learn, retain, and apply." >> That's right. 06:29 >> So how does memory fit in with intelligence? >> Well, it fits in right there 06:36 in the middle. To retain, we have to have a memory. 06:40 And some people kind of de-emphasize memory as something that's not 06:45 important as far as really smart people are concerned, 'cause they can kind of 06:50 figure things out. But it turns out, when you lose your memory, you really lose 06:56 your smartness, as well. And, so, the memory is a crucial factor of being able to do all 07:04 three of those things. And, yes, there's more involved than just memory, but memory 07:10 is a very key ingredient to intelligence. >> Now, how might someone 07:15 be able to tell if their memory is declining? >> Well, that's a good point. 07:20 You know, what we're most concerned about is people whose memory is declining and they're 07:25 not concerned about it. >> Okay. >> You know? 07:28 And, of course, that's typical of Alzheimer's type of patients and those type of things. 07:33 They could be suffering from early Alzheimer's. And, by the way, it's much 07:38 better to find out you have Alzheimer's early, 'cause there are things that we can do to 07:43 arrest its decline that you may be able to find out in this program or in our program. 07:49 But, often, memory loss is not related to Alzheimer's. And if it's not related to 07:56 Alzheimer's, often the person themself recognizes it. In other words, they recognize, 08:02 "You know, I was able to retain before, and now I can't remember people's names, and there's 08:08 certain words that I'm wanting to use, and all of a sudden I can't remember the word." 08:13 That doesn't mean that it's Alzheimer's. It could be, but if they're 08:17 concerned about it, normally it's other factors that are causing their memory 08:23 decline, and those other factors are often very reversible. And so we just have to find out 08:28 what factors are involved, as to why their memory is going down, and we can bring that 08:33 memory back up again pretty significantly. >> Now, we're gonna spend a lot 08:37 of time talking about those other factors, but let's come back to this question on 08:41 Alzheimer's. Because I'm sure somebody has heard you say there's a way to 08:44 arrest it... >> Yes. >> ...and I don't want to leave 08:47 that and have this person hanging and saying, "Oh, what can they do?" 08:50 >> Okay. >> What can an individual do who finds out that, early on, 08:54 they have Alzheimer's? What are some things that can be done to 08:58 arrest the decline of that memory loss in the Alzheimer's patient? 09:02 >> There's basically four areas that we address. One is blood pressure. 09:07 The higher your blood pressure, the faster that Alzheimer's is going to catch up with you. 09:12 >> Okay. >> And so we would like to bring that blood pressure down to 09:15 120/80 through natural means as much as possible. So that might mean a low-salt 09:20 diet. It might mean getting more potassium and calcium and 09:24 magnesium in your diet. It might mean getting on a regular exercise program. 09:29 So, we want to get the blood pressure down. Secondly, we want to get the 09:33 cholesterol down, because high cholesterol also fuels Alzheimer's disease. 09:38 And so we want to get the high-cholesterol foods, like cheese and meat products, 09:44 particularly red meat -- but, also, white meat has quite a bit of cholesterol, as well -- 09:50 and shift over away from a saturated-fat diet to more polyunsaturated fat, which can 09:56 bring the cholesterol down. A lot of people are not aware that coconut oil raises 10:01 cholesterol because it's highly saturated. It increases your liver's 10:05 production of cholesterol. So we might make some significant changes in diet 10:09 to bring that down. Thirdly, we want to improve the antioxidants. 10:15 Antioxidants are a key part of protecting the brain from free-radical damage. 10:21 And, so, the high-antioxidant vitamins, the high-antioxidant plant foods, fruits, vegetables, 10:29 and legumes that are high in antioxidants, we really want to emphasize those. 10:35 Vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, for instance. Brussels sprouts is number four 10:39 on the antioxidant list. And it's actually a very good source of vitamin C, which can 10:46 also help in this endeavor to arrest Alzheimer's. And then, fourth, we want to get 10:53 the Alzheimer's patient learning new things. Now, this is something that a 10:58 lot of people are not aware of, but if we do the first three things, and we put them on an 11:03 exercise program where they can get circulation and things, if they start to learn 11:08 a new skill, it actually helps the brain to prevent the further decline. 11:13 >> Hmm. >> So, we've been able to teach Alzheimer's patience how to play 11:18 the violin, for instance. And a lot of people think, "Hey," you know, 11:22 "I'm 80 years old. There's no way I can learn to play the violin." 11:25 An 80-year-old can learn to play a violin, even with Alzheimer's disease. 11:30 And you can look it up in some of the studies that we reference. 11:34 And when they start learning a new skill, like a musical skill, and even start hearing music, 11:39 there's an association with memory, and than can also help to arrest it. 11:43 So, those are the four main aspects. The diet aspects that we'd also 11:48 emphasize -- omega-3, which can also prevent a decline. There's a type of omega-3 called 11:53 DHA that comes from plants of the waters that's been shown to reverse Alzheimer's 11:58 a little bit, even. >> Wow. >> And, so, those are -- 12:02 The fish DHA does not because of the mercury and other toxins that are there. 12:06 But the plant-based DHA can actually improve your memory to how it was months earlier, 12:12 and it can be pretty measurable. >> And, so, that's exciting. So, if someone is out there, 12:19 has found out early on they have Alzheimer's, has a loved one that's found out recently, 12:24 four things they can do. Lower the blood pressure -- and that typically will come through 12:28 diet and exercise. Lower the cholesterol, which also comes from diet and 12:32 exercise. Increase antioxidants, which comes through diet. 12:37 >> Right. >> And then, lastly, the fourth point was to -- 12:42 Heh. My memory is -- >> Learn a new skill. >> Learn a new skill. 12:45 And, so, these four things can help arrest that development of Alzheimer's, and actually, in 12:52 some cases, seeing a little bit of reversal. >> Correct. 12:55 >> Now, but we talk about memory and intelligence. Is memory a problem 13:01 just with the older generation who are developing Alzheimer's? >> Not at all. 13:07 It's a problem with the younger generation, as well, and it may be why they're 13:11 underachieving in school. And there are some young people that their memory seems to be 13:18 like a sieve, and they can't seem to hang on to relevant, important information. 13:24 And it's a growing problem. >> So, Dr. Nedley, with that, what is the leading cause, then, 13:31 of this poor memory or these memory challenges amongst the younger generation? 13:36 >> The number-one cause of memory problems in the younger generation is 13:41 their inability to focus. And one of the things that is driving virtually every young 13:47 person in the Western world to not focus as much is their smartphone 13:54 and their devices that are very distracting to them. >> Now, I'm hoping that 13:59 nobody has turned off that television, or turned off YouTube and switched away here, 14:05 because -- >> But they can turn off their smartphone now. 14:07 [ Laughs ] >> Now they can turn off their smartphone and watch it in 14:11 another way. But let's talk about this now. Because this is important, and 14:16 so we want to be very clear -- this isn't an anti-technology conversation. 14:21 But what we are gonna talk about is, there is actually studies demonstrating exactly what 14:27 you're saying, and so let's talk a little bit about that. How is a smartphone 14:33 affecting memory, and, specifically, affecting an individual's ability to focus? 14:40 >> Well, first of all, there is no more attracting device around young people than a smartphone. 14:47 If you would just imagine having a TV, a radio, a public library, a photo album, 14:59 any kind of musical concert, and then, on top of it, all of their friends that they've ever 15:06 met at a party, and you put it in a colorful little type of thing, all together, called a 15:13 smartphone, you can see why young people are so riveted in their attention to this 15:19 device. And it's so riveting that we have found that, 15:23 even if it's in their presence and turned off, it will adversely affect their memory 15:29 over if it's not even around at all. If it's in another room and 15:34 turned off, they do far better. But even if it's in their handbag and turned off, 15:39 their ability to learn, retain, and apply knowledge goes down considerably. 15:44 If they have it on the table and it's on, it's even worse, even though it might not ever 15:51 beep or produce a notification. If it does produce a notification, there's a 15:57 measurable, marked decline in IQ as their focus is taken away from that device even 16:05 momentarily -- or from what they're doing towards that device. 16:10 And then the neural tracts in our brain, when we're used to being 16:15 distracted all the time, do not actually grow together to allow this person to actually 16:22 have focused attention for a long period of time. So they can't sit through a 16:27 50-minute college class and be able to focus. Their mind is just continually 16:32 wandering because they have not developed the neural circuitry that focused attention requires. 16:40 >> So, when we talk about the leading cause of memory problems, memory challenges 16:44 in -- I've said young people, that's gonna be a pretty broad category, because smartphone are 16:52 being used by several generations. >> That's right. 16:56 Virtually every generation out there now. >> Virtually every generation 17:01 is using a smartphone. Let's talk about why -- And you've talked a little bit 17:05 about it, but let's probe that a little more deeply. What's this little phone, 17:09 this little device that has made life so convenient because I can access my e-mail, I can access 17:15 my social media, I can search Google, I can take pictures, I can listen to things. 17:21 I can watch things. This little device that has brought so much convenience to 17:25 life, yet seemingly has a detrimental effect. What's happening there to cause 17:31 the detriment to my memory? >> Well, one of the things that's causing it -- 17:36 There's many things about this device, but one of the things that's causing it is actually an 17:42 idea that we are smarter when we have these things around. A lot of times, people feel, 17:48 "Hey, I don't need to remember anything, because I can look it up on Google." 17:54 And so we've actually tested this out, where we tell people 40 factual things that they're 18:01 learning, and we tell them that, "You know what, there's a computer that's gonna be storing 18:07 these 40 things where you could look them up later," or if we tell them that there isn't going 18:13 to be a computer storing it. And we told both groups to write it down. 18:19 After you do all those 40, write down as many as you can remember. 18:23 The ones who think the computer's going to store it can't remember very many at all 18:29 of the 40, where the ones who think that the computer's not going to store it, 18:33 they'll actually remember more. And the art of thinking actually starts with the art of 18:41 remembering. Because in order to remember something, we have to associate 18:46 it with something. Let me give you an example. At Weimar Institute, we have the 18:52 highest rates of acceptance into US medical schools of any pre-med program. 18:59 It's a very fine pre-med program. But it's also a spiritual -- 19:03 you know, we have a religion program, a theology program, as well. 19:08 But our professors in science, for instance in chemistry and biochemistry and 19:14 organic chemistry, they will teach Biblical principles along with the chemical-equation 19:20 concepts. And when they get to the MCAT exam -- and the MCAT is kind of 19:26 an IQ test for those who know the hard sciences, to be able to solve new problems -- 19:32 >> Yes. >> ...they will see the problem and say, "I've never seen this 19:36 chemical equation before. I'm not prepared for this. But then they'll remember -- 19:44 as they see it, they'll remember the Biblical, theological concept, then they'll 19:49 remember the chemical concept, and then they'll be able to solve the problem. 19:53 >> Yes. >> And that's why our students do so well on the MCAT, 19:57 is because of the association. And so you can see how that helps with the thinking part. 20:02 It's not just having a fact and remembering it. The only way we're gonna 20:07 remember that fact is if we associate it with something, at least long-term. 20:11 And with these devices that are so readily available, and we don't think we need to remember 20:17 much, our younger generation is not into thinking. That's one of the reasons why 20:22 thinking has become a lost art. They actually believe that they're the smartest generation, 20:27 but studies show they're the most gullible generation, because if they see it on 20:32 Google, they think it has to be true, and they don't have the ability to really think and go 20:37 to their memory reserves and actually reason this whole thing out. 20:42 >> Yes. >> And so it's creating quite a problem that was 20:47 unanticipated when we developed these devices. >> And, so, you know, 20:52 it's interesting you say that, Dr. Nedley. I've found, over the years, 20:55 myself, with computers in classes, if I was taking notes on my computer versus taking 21:02 notes with a pen and paper and writing it out, my retention was far higher by writing it out 21:09 and taking the notes by hand. And there's also, obviously, a little bit of hurrying, because 21:14 I feel like I have to write the information down before it -- Which, sometimes you can't write 21:19 it as fast as you're typing it. And so there seems to be something there. 21:23 Let's talk a little bit more about that. What are some practical steps 21:28 with an individual that is wanting to improve their memory but addicted to this device? 21:34 What can we do? >> Well, you know, there's a psychiatrist in Los Angeles 21:40 who -- her name is Victoria Dunckley, but she is a well-known researcher. 21:49 But she says six weeks of no devices will dramatically transform the 21:55 brain into a marked improvement. And I've seen it happen even before the six weeks. 22:01 But she even says she won't diagnose bipolar, ADHD -- attention deficit hyperactivity 22:06 disorder -- depression, anxiety in any young person until they go without any device 22:11 for six weeks. Now, that requires quite a bit of effort. 22:15 It requires the help of teachers, and the help of other people in their life. 22:20 The help of parents. But it's amazing how our ability to focus and concentrate goes up 22:26 significantly when we don't utilize these devices. Now, after six weeks, if their 22:31 brain has normalized at that point -- and for some it might take longer, but normally your 22:35 brain's gonna be pretty well normalized by the six-week point -- we have you use your 22:41 device for no more than one hour a day, and it be focused using 22:47 of the device. That means that you're not allowed to get these 22:52 notifications in in regards to who has just posted a Facebook post to you, when your e-mail 22:59 has lit up, when you get a text message. We have people bunch those 23:03 into one area, and they'll kind of segregate them. 23:09 So when they're on their device, they're taking care of all of their e-mails related to one 23:16 thing at once. Then they're answering all their texts at once. 23:21 And then they are actually preparing -- if they need to prepare a copy for school or 23:27 those type of things -- they're not allowing themselves to get distracted by the latest thing 23:32 in the media or what has cropped up. And it's amazing the difference 23:37 that will take place. There are schools now, high schools in the 23:41 United Kingdom and also in the U.S. that are actually phone-free schools and 23:46 device-free schools. We used to think all these kids needed devices 23:51 in order to be educated. Now the latest is, these devices are much more of a problem than 23:57 they are a benefit. And so if we have device-free schools, we're finding out that 24:03 the GPA of those kids goes up, their test scores go dramatically up, and the 24:08 students that improve the most are the students who were failing the most. 24:12 And so it takes the most challenging students and raises them up significantly by the 24:18 smart use of smartphones, which means very limited use. >> And so you have very limited 24:26 use on the smartphone. Nutritionally, what is someone able to do 24:31 to improve their memory through their nutrition? >> Well, the antioxidants -- 24:36 blueberries have been shown to be very beneficial. Just a bowl of blueberries 24:39 a week has been shown to improve memory. Two bowls of strawberries a week 24:44 can improve memory. There is a spice and an herb called turmeric. 24:50 That's been shown, just 764 milligrams a day, to actually improve memory 24:56 and improve emotions in those that are having problems with their memory. 25:00 So there's some additional things. And then working with our hands 25:04 in three dimensions. This is another thing. If we're out in agriculture and 25:08 weeding or planting or picking fruits and vegetables, it actually helps our brain. 25:14 And it helps our brain to be able to retain more. And those pre-med students at 25:19 Weimar, many of them work on the farm, and they don't have to study as much because working 25:24 with their hands in three dimensions helps their brain to be able to absorb much quicker. 25:30 >> Well, you know, we have about two minutes left, Dr. Nedley. It's hard to believe the time 25:35 has gone so fast. But let's bring this now into the spiritual realm, and talk 25:42 about the memorization of scripture, and how that helps in this overall improvement 25:48 of memory and intelligence. >> In order to get good at anything, we need to 25:52 practice it. And what better things to memorize than the grand themes 25:57 of scripture? And studies have actually shown this isn't just theory. 26:02 There are scientific studies showing that, if you purposefully memorize scripture, 26:09 even a scripture once a week, it actually helps to preserve and improve your memory. 26:15 And try to work on getting better and better over time. There are people that can 26:20 memorize a whole book of the Bible. Those brains are amazing 26:23 in regards to their ability to learn, retain, and apply new knowledge. 26:28 And, so, I would encourage all of us -- memory is so crucial for us throughout life, and it 26:36 is going to allow us to be able to associate and integrate with our grandkids and be very 26:44 vibrant with them. And so why not actually go through that exercise -- 26:49 It's not difficult -- and try to memorize scripture on a regular basis? 26:54 >> Well, Dr. Nedley, it's hard to believe we're out of time. 26:57 This has been a phenomenal episode of talking about memory and intelligence to have that 27:04 fulfilled, fruitful life that God desires. Can you pray for us as we close? 27:09 >> Sure. Father in heaven, we thank You for these wonderful 27:12 brains You've created, and we also thank You that You've given us the ability 27:18 to learn, retain, and apply new knowledge. And we now pray that we might be 27:24 able to put into practice the things we have learned that can optimize our brain so that we 27:29 can live life in a more full and abundant way. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 27:36 >> Amen. 27:39 >> Friend, God has made our minds in such an amazing way. He's provided avenues 27:45 in which we can actually improve our memory and improve our intelligence. 27:51 We don't have to be stuck with a brain like it is now, but actually we can see 27:56 an improved brain. This program today, we explored several different avenues to see 28:03 improved memory and intelligence. Today our free offer will be a 28:08 DVD of this very program. Here's the information you need to receive today's offer. 28:28 >> Your prayer requests and your generous financial support. 28:32 >> Dr. Nedley, thank you so much for joining us today. 28:34 >> Thanks for having me, Chris. I've enjoyed it. 28:39 >> Dear friend, are you looking to improve your memory? 28:41 Are you looking to improve your intelligence? 28:44 Are you looking to be all you can be for God? 28:47 I want to encourage you to check out the resources available to 28:50 improve your memory, to improve your intelligence. 28:53 You can go to ItIsWrittenCanada.ca, 28:55 and there you can find resources to develop your 28:58 spiritual life and begin memorizing scripture. 29:02 You can look at some of the practical steps by going to 29:05 OptimizeYourBrain.com. You can look into other 29:09 resources and programs available through Weimar Institute 29:13 by going to NewStart.org. God wants us to have a life 29:19 of abundance in Him. And now is the time for us 29:24 to improve our intelligence, improve our memory, and be 29:28 all we can be for God. Thank you so much 29:32 for watching today. I encourage you to join us 29:34 again next week. Until then, remember, 29:37 "It is written: 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by 29:41 every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 29:46 ♪♪ ♪♪ 29:59 ♪♪ ♪♪ |
Revised 2018-07-18