nuts and seeds) and limits or eliminates animal
products and added fat.
Avoid Addictive Drugs
Alcohol has a short-term effect in promoting
anger, rage, and violence. Control cells in the top
of the brain are numbed. As a result, the circuits
for violence in the lower brain are unrestrained, as
millions of abused family members can testify. The
long-term effects of alcohol are even more serious.
Those control cells are killed by even two ounces of
alcohol daily while the far more resilient lower brain
cells fare far better. The result: a permanent brain
imbalance favoring the lower emotional centers.
Other brain drugs also can impair brain control
mechanisms. Even marijuana has the capacity,
under certain circumstances, to permanently
unbalance the brain.
Exercise
No program for optimizing emotional health
should neglect regular physical exercise. We
recommend making physical activity part of your
daily routine. Research links exercise to decreased
stress levels and enhanced emotional health
(including less depression and anxiety). Studies have
also shown exercise to markedly increase levels of