The Brain Science Behind Social Conflict And Depression with Drs. David and Austin Perlmutter

We’re living in a more divisive time than ever before. I’m not just talking about politics—we’re at aggressive odds over everything from diet (vegan versus Paleo) to sports and we’re even seeing an escalation in road rage. There’s actually a reason this is happening. We’re disconnected. Social media is actually isolating us; we ignore the importance of sleep and nature; stress is at epidemic proportions. These lifestyle disconnects cause structural and functional disconnects in the brain that lead to more divisive and angry behavior. Our ability to make good decisions pretty much goes out the window. But it’s not too late to reverse these negative effects. I was so excited to sit down with my good friends Drs. David and Austin Perlmutter on The Doctor’s Farmacy to talk about these modern challenges and how we can detox the brain to restore better decision making and overall health. 

Dr. David Perlmutter is a Board-Certified Neurologist. His books have been published in 34 languages and include the #1 New York Times bestseller Grain Brain, The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs and Sugar, with over 1 million copies in print. Dr. Perlmutter’s new book Brain Wash, co-written with his son Austin Perlmutter, MD, was just released on January 14, 2020. Dr. Austin Perlmutter is a board-certified internal medicine physician. His academic focus is on understanding the decision-making process, how it is influenced by internal and external factors, and how it changes our health and illness outcomes. 

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Here are more of the details from our interview:

-How the prefrontal cortex acts as the adult in your brain (11:56)

-The way in which chronic stress rewires your brain and affects empathy and decision making (14:28)

-Regaining control of the ways in which our brains are being manipulated by media (18:15)

-How making bad food decisions affects the brain, drives inflammation, creates depression, and leads to more unhealthy decision making (27:39)

-How excessive social media use affects the brain (34:44)

-The fundamentally important and underrated role of sleep on the brain (42:57)

-Removing blame from our inability to make healthy decisions (48:27)

-Why healthcare providers need to reframe their perspective and approach to working patients who do not follow through with lifestyle changes (52:27)

-How Inflammatory food perpetuates impulsivity, aggression, and violence (1:01:29)

-Learn more about the book Brain Wash at brainwashbook.com

-Find Dr. David Perlmutter online at https://www.drperlmutter.com/ and follow him on Facebook @DavidPerlmutterMD, on Instagram @davidperlmutter, and on Twitter @DavidPerlmutter

-Follow Dr. Austin Perlmutter on Instagram @austinperlmutter and on Twitter @austinperlmd