Review: Brain Reset

Title: Brain Reset

Author: David Gillespie

Publisher: 29th June 2021 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Pages: 320 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: Health, Mind & Body | Nonfiction (Adult)

My Rating: 3 cups

Synopsis:

Anxiety, depression and addiction are the scourge of modern-day living. How are they linked? How do we beat them?

According to bestselling author and researcher David Gillespie, we are more addicted than ever before, which is playing havoc with our dopamine levels. This is fuelling epidemic-like levels of depression, anxiety and stress.

Gillespie reveals a large and robust body of research that shows how addictive activities, such as screen use, sugar consumption, drinking, gambling, shopping and smoking, spike our dopamine levels. This, in turn, affects our brain's ability to regulate our mood.

The good news is that we can break the cycle to make things better. There are myriad root causes of mental illness, many of which are beyond our control; David argues that it makes sense to tackle the thing that is within our control - our see-sawing dopamine levels.

Packed with cutting-edge research and practical advice, David's latest book arms us with the tools we need to break our addictions, conquer uncertainty and reset our brains.

My Thoughts

‘We can’t completely avoid stress. There are things which we cannot control, but we will get through those things much better if our brains are not already in an impaired state. Keeping us in a place of mental fitness is about controlling as much as we can and avoiding all addiction.’

The author, David Gillespie, states from the outset that he is not a doctor but a researcher - a very thorough researcher. He wishes to present all the facts thus allowing readers to become aware of addictions, many of them hidden.

This, therefore, is a book about mental health. David spends the first half of the book analysing the problems - typical addictions and also those people might not necessarily label as addictions, such as shopping or screen time. His desire is for his readers to understand the science behind them and how to then take positive steps to overcome the addictions and the consequences of them ie. anxiety/depression which, in turn, can lead to other diseases.

‘We have created a society swimming in dopamine stimulants and we are paying the price. The good news is that a broken reward pathway is absolutely curable. All we need to do is stop taking the addictive substance or doing the addictive behaviour for long enough for our reward system to reset. The bad news is that if it was easy to stop, it wouldn’t be addictive.’

This book is very scientifically based, not focused loosely on changing attitudes alone but rather specific measurable outcomes. How does a person go about basically rewiring their brain away from a reward/punishment based mindset. David provides positive ways a person can go about reducing this addictive behaviour. 

By first exploring the relationship between addictions and the consequent diseases, David then goes on to provide practical steps on how we can in fact, reset our brains. I recommend this book for people who are looking for the next level of assistance and desire to know the science behind the problem and concrete actions to then take.

‘We can enjoy life and do things that provide us with shots of dopamine without the risk of addiction, anxiety or depression. The catch is we need to do a system reset before we get to that point. This is a book about how to do that.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: So You Think You Know What’s Good For You

Title: So You Think You Know What’s Good For You

Author: Dr Norman Swan

Publisher: 29th June 2021 by Hachette Australia

Pages: 335 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: Health, Mind & Body | Nonfiction (Adult)

My Rating: 4.5 cups

Synopsis:

We all want to be healthier, but do you know what's good for you? 

 

For over thirty years, Dr Norman Swan has been delivering straight, honest, common-sense health information to ordinary Australians as both a physician and much-loved broadcaster. And when Australia needed clear, scientifically backed COVID-19 facts and advice, it was Norman Swan who stepped up every day to provide the answers we required. 

 

After many years of listening, Norman Swan knows what medical issues people are curious and concerned about. Drawing on the questions he hears time and again, from millennials to baby boomers and all the generations between, So You Think You Know What's Good For You? is a one-stop handbook that will settle fruitless anxieties and allow people to focus on what matters to them. Replace medical myths, half-truths and misconceptions with the information you need to make better decisions about how to eat and how to live to put your mind at ease and ensure your and your family's health is the best it can be. 

 

So You Think You Know What's Good For You? is the new authoritative must-have for every health-conscious Aussie household.

My Thoughts

When COVID-19 hit our shores, we tuned in to listen to Dr Norman Swan - a familiar and trusted voice for many. In fact, for decades he has provided honest and upfront facts to Australians. He has become the trusted voice. 

‘It's all about what I spoke of at the beginning of the book:  our goals and the insight into how these change. The ‘life’ bit is, of course, about the four ‘F’s - fun, family, friends and freedom.’

Drawing on his wealth of knowledge and experience, we yet again turn to this trusted physician for answers regarding all things supposedly ‘good’ for us. And does he provide them! Jam packed into this book, the reader will find an astounding range of questions and answers about all things good for you - or so you thought!

‘This control thing isn’t some namby-pamby, squishy, lefty idea. There’s hard science behind it.’

Myths and misconceptions are all put under the spotlight in this far reaching reference book that covers so much on health and wellbeing for the everyday person.  You cannot help but embrace his no-nonsense approach and find the facts and advice both readily accessible and sensible. His natural, easygoing manner is evident through each page and topic covered. He is honest and that cannot help but ‘speak’ to people at their own level about how we can make our lives and those of the ones we love better. 

‘So if you look at it this way, it’s not a crisis at all.  The thing is that the women in these popular culture accounts aren’t necessarily broken. But many women in this group feel lost and stretched to a point that they feel they’re likely to snap.’

This does not have to be a cover to cover read and will serve as a handy ongoing reference for many people. His wit and dry humour will make the steps towards a healthier living doable as he breaks down and puts in plain words many misconceptions and misleading falsehoods that are ever present in our society today. Thank you Dr Swan for both your honest and frank assessment of the perplexing world of wellbeing we find ourselves inundated with. 

‘This book is about knowledge - that’s information plus analysis. It allows you choice and gives strength to some of the key decisions you have to make about how to feel good; sometimes feeling okay about feeling bad; what you put into your body; what you take out of it; what you can add to it; how to ignore ageing as a concept; as well as stuff about sex, drugs, kids and recognising bullshit.’

  

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.