Focus for Today in Court and Other High Stakes Settings Improving - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Optimizing Brain Function Focus for Today in Court and Other High Stakes Settings Improving the conditions for decision-making, creative problem solving and health C HILDREN ’ S J USTICE C ONFERENCE ● Understand how choices around food, sleep and May 2, 2016 exercise impact the optimization of our brain ● Understand how trauma and hypoglycemia Sponsored by University of Washington impact clients decision making. Court Improvement Training Academy - UWCITA.org Kelly Warner-King and Rob Wynam ● Use handout to improve your capacity and the Dynamic Brains Consulting (KristenAllott.com) Dr.Kristen Allott capacity of others for decision-making, creativity and heath Parent Allies Jason Bragg, Alise Hegle, and Kimberly Mays 1 2 What do we know? 3 4

Hypoglycemia affects “Self-control relies on glucose as a limited executive functioning energy source: willpower is more than a metaphor” (2007) ● Decreased attention span ● Performing acts of self-control reduced ● Decreased emotional regulation blood glucose levels ● Decreased ability to cope with stress ● Low levels of blood glucose after performing the first act of self-control predicted poor ● Increased criminality performance on the second task ● Increased aggression ● Increased impulsive behaviors ● Consuming a glucose drink improved ● Increased addictive behaviors performance on the third task 5 6 Anger and anxiety: 
 Anxiety/Anger or Hypoglycemia? emotional or hypoglycemic? Hypoglycemia Anxiety or Anger Mild signs: Obsessive thoughts Panic attack/ Nervousness Worrying about the future 10/10 Extreme anger Reliving past events Trembling Hyper-vigilance Increased heart rate Choice and 7/10 Restlessness Palpitations control become Angry outbursts possible Increased sweating Irritability Hunger Muscle tension Moderate signs: Fatigue Irritability Difficulty sleeping Decreased concentration Palpitations Headache Sweating, trembling Fatigue Shortness of breath Mental confusion Feeling light-headed 8 Chills and hot flashes 7

Pre-diabetes and cognitive deficits Processed foods and depression • Increased depression • Increased dementia • Decreased speed of mental processing • Decreased immediate and delayed recall • Decreased attention span People who consume largely processed foods are • Decreased verbal fluency 50% more likely to experience clinical depression • Decreased motor skills 10 Real f ood and mood Prospective Study with Adolescents In a study with 3040, 11- 18 years olds, Lower likelihood of the higher the quality of diet at the depressive beginning of the study predicted higher and anxiety quality of mental health, and the lower the disorders quality of diet predicted higher rates of (p<0.05) mental health problems. Additionally, if diet quality improved mental health improved. 12 Jacka (2011)

Extraneous factors in judicial decisions Economic cost of depression Immediately after a meal Immediately before a meal 27 lost days of work/year 65% Considered 0% Considered 13 14 How do we understand it? What is your power supply? 5 - Tired Get the Essentials Done 7- Good Energy I can handle whatever come 3- Fatigue and need rest at the end of Only the Basics the day 1 - Exhaustion 10- Great Energy Not Getting Out of I can have a challenging Bed day and energy to enjoy the evening 16 15

Refined carbohydrate meal Fueling the brain/hurting the body or alcohol and glucose Snack/ Snack/ Snack/ T ryptophan � Serotonin � “Everything is OK” Drink Drink Drink e s o c High High u l Insulin G Insulin BEAR IN THE ROOM! B B Glucose Glucose Adrenaline kicks in when l l o o o o your glucose decreases d d G Your brain has a good G l l u u supply of fuel c c o o s s for 1.5 - 2 hours e e after breakfast Low Low Breakfast Lunch Breakfast Lunch Meals Meals 17 18 The physiology The brain on adrenaline Declining Diet Responsiveness Brain Fuel Innovation Sensory Input Problem-solving Cortex Adrenaline/ Glucose Protein Memory • Sight Cortisol • Sound Executive • Smell Brain Functioning Pre-Frontal Cortex Muscle • Taste Fertilizer A ttention Mass Fat Brain • Touch Emotions Insulin Planning Metabolic Limbic / Lizard Receptivity Behavior Rate Flight Fight Calories Disappear Prevent Reactive past-based behavior Diabetes 19 20

Carbohydrates vs Protein Lizard brain signs & symptoms Carbohydrates: Your brain has a good supply of fuel ● Being anxious, irritable, or agitated for 1.5 - 2 hours after breakfast High ● Anticipating being anxious, irritable or Protein: Your brain has a good supply of fuel agitated B l o for 3 - 4 hours o ● Not hungry in the morning d after breakfast G Insulin l ● Waking at 3 am and staying awake for u c o s 2 hours - “3 am Committee Meeting” Glucose e Low Breakfast Lunch Meals 21 22 Neurotransmitter synthesis Developing Brains and Trauma Tryptophan Tryptophan Hydroxylase Iron 5-HTP Vits. B12 & B6 Folate Decarboxylase Magnesium Vit. B6 Serotonin Hydroxylase Vit. C N-Acetyl Serotonin Methylation SAMe Vits. B12, B6, Homocysteine Melatonin & Folate 23 24

Information Processed in the Brain The Brain’s response to chronic trauma Responsiveness No Innovation Sensory Trauma Problem-solving Trauma Input Cortex Memory • Sight Self Vulnerable Safe • Sound Executive • Smell Functioning Hippocampus Hippocampus • Taste A ttention Reasonably • Touch World Emotions Threatening benign Planning Behavior Limbic / Lizard Reasonably Uncontrollable and Adrenaline Future hopeful and Flight unpredictable Fight manageable Disappear Reactive past-based behavior 26 25 Benefits of eating enough protein Now what? ● Better sleep, less early morning waking ● Less fatigue, particularly in the afternoons ● More energy ● Better and more stable moods ● Decreased depression ● Decreased anxiety ● Higher metabolism due to increased muscle mass ● Less frequent hunger 28 27

Three days eating ridiculous amounts of protein: 
 How much protein should I eat? protein every 3 hours RDA 0.8 gram/kg/day or 8 grams/20 lbs/day 8 am Breakfast: 1-2 eggs, 1 piece of toast, 1 apple (14 grams) Max protein per day = 120 grams 11 am Snack: 1 handful of nuts, 1 spoonful of nut butter, or 1 spoonful of cottage cheese (6-8 grams) Your Weight (lbs) Protein Target (g) Acceptable Protein Range (g) 12:30 pm Lunch: portion of meat the size of a pack of cards eaten by itself or in a sandwich/wrap, soup, or burrito; 1-2 cups of veggies (21 100 40 36-45 grams) 120 48 43-54 3:30 pm Snack: 1 handful of nuts, 1 spoonful of nut butter, or 1 spoonful of cottage cheese (6-8 grams) 140 56 50-63 6:30 pm Dinner: portion of meat the size of a pack of cards eaten by 160 64 57-72 itself or in a sandwich/wrap, soup, or burrito; 1-2 cups of veggies (21 grams) 180 72 64-81 Pre-bedtime Snack: One slice of turkey meat (6-8 grams) 200 80 71-90 30 29 Benefits of Lizard brain treat • 1/4 cup of fruit food, sleep, and exercise juice or a “tot box” of juice ● Decreases cortisol • 1/4 cup of nuts ● Increased hippocampus (almonds, ● Increased prefrontal cortex cashews, or ● Increased executive function hazelnuts) ● Increased memory • Fight ● Help improve trauma symptoms • Flight ● Increases attention • Disappear ● Improves behavior • Play the old record ● Prevent or improve depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, weight gain, diabetes 31

Sleep Deprivation What else? (< 6.5 hours of sleep per night) ● Increases weight gain ● Increases inflammation and pain ● Increases chronic disease and shortens life ● Decreases attention span and memory ● Decreases associative problem-solving ● When you don’t sleep enough, your cognitive abilities decline and you aren’t aware of it 34 33 Physical activity (PA) Robust life 
 Amount of sleep by age Increased PA Decreased PA Age Hours Of Sleep ● Faster learning ● Sick Days 0 - 2 months 10.5 - 18 ● Better memory ● Fatigue 2 - 12 months 14 - 15 ● Enhanced creativity ● Stress 1 - 3 years 12 - 14 3 - 5 years 11 - 13 ● Increased stamina ● Anxiety 5 - 12 years 10 - 11 ● Improved productivity ● Depression 13- 21 years 9 - 10 ● Energy after work Adults 7 - 9 ● Work conflicts ● More meaningful ● Weight gain relationships ● Prediabetes 36

What do we take home? Resources 37 38 Books Contact for Speakers University of Washington Court Improvement Training Academy - UWCITA.org are • Kelly Warner-King - kwk@uw.edu • Rob Wynam - wyman@uw.edu Dynamic Brains Consulting - KristenAllott.com • Dr.Kristen Allott - allott@dynamicbrainsconsulting.com Parent Allies • Jason Bragg - jasonbraggprp@gmail.com • Alise Hegle - Please contact through UWCITA.org • Kimberly Mays - mayskim4him@gmail.com 39 40