Free Boost Your Brain by Majid Fotuhi

normal.
•    Fasting Blood Glucose: A normal fasting blood glucose level is less than 100 mg/dL. A level of 100 to 125 mg/dL indicates pre-diabetes and 126 mg/dL or greater indicates diabetes.
•    C-Reactive Protein: CRP is a measure of cardiovascular risk factor and it should be less than 1 mg/dL. Between 1 and 3 mg/dL is considered intermediate risk, and greater than 3 mg/dL is considered high risk. Sometimes elevated CRP is seen in conditions other than cardiovascular disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
•    Ferritin: Ferritin level is a measure of iron storage. A normal ferritin level for men is between 12 and 300 ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter); for women, it is between 12 and 150 ng/mL. A level below 12 ng/mL is associated with iron deficiency and anemia, and a high ferritin level is associated with alcoholic liver disease.
•    Testosterone: In men, the normal range for testosterone is between 300 and 1,000 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter). Low testosterone is associated with reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, lack of energy, and difficulty concentrating. And it’s not as uncommon as you might think. I see many patients who have low testosterone and don’t realize it.
    In addition to your blood levels, you should be aware of your weight status. A good measure of healthy weight is the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), which is your waist circumference in inches divided by your height in inches. A healthy WHtR is under 0.5.
    Now it’s time to see where you stand. In the following table, list your health measurements. If they’re not in the normal ranges, talk to your doctor about treatment. If you don’t yet know your measurements, be sure to get them and fill in this chart when you do. You can also come back to this page at the end of your twelve-week program and fill in your measurements at that time (in the three-month column).
    My Health Measurements

    Get a Baseline
    Your next step toward a bigger brain is to use the following calculator to determine your baseline “Fotuhi Brain Fitness Score.” This is a rough estimate of your current brain health status based on modifiable factors in your life, intended merely as a big-picture view of your brain function at this time. You’ll complete this chart again at the end of your twelve-week brain fitness program. By then your score will have risen significantly.
    Brain Fitness Calculator

     
    Use your final Fotuhi Brain Fitness Score to determine your current brain health status.
Green: 50 to 60 Good news! You’re starting your journey with a relatively fit brain. There’s always room for improvement, though, so your twelve-week plan will focus on fine-tuning your lifestyle choices to grow your brain.
Yellow: 35 to 49 You’re starting your journey in relatively good brain health but with some problem areas. You’ll likely need to identify key weaknesses and devote a strong effort to strengthening them, while maintaining brain-healthy habits in other areas.
Red: 20 to 34 Your brain is in need of some TLC. Your goal over the next twelve weeks will be to improve your scores across the board. This may involve some major lifestyle changes. As you read the chapters that follow, think about which lifestyle changes you can realistically make and which will have the biggest impact for the effort. Committing to regular exercise, as you’ll read, may provide greater benefits than memorizing your grocery list. For patients who have many changes to make, or who have physical limitations, I advise tackling one or two meaningful changes at a time and adding in other changes as the weeks progress. Please work closely with your doctor or other health care professional.
    Warning Card
    This assessment is only a reflection of your current lifestyle and health conditions. Just as years of big spending might drain your retirement funds long before you reach old age, years of poor health can shrink your brain.
    If you’ve had brain-shrinking health