The Best Diet For Your Brain with Max Lugavere

Mar 30, 2022

Max Lugavere, a health and science journalist and New York Times bestselling author, dives into the vital connection between diet and brain health. He discusses how certain superfoods and whole foods can boost cognition and combat neurodegenerative diseases. The conversation highlights the dangers of processed foods, sugar, and emphasizes the benefits of a Mediterranean diet. Max also shares personal stories and insights on the importance of home cooking, nutrient density, and how quality food can truly be medicine for the mind.

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ANECDOTE

Max's Mother's Illness

Max Lugavere's mother developed Lewy body dementia at 58.
This inspired him to research the impact of diet on brain health, as medications were ineffective.

INSIGHT

Diet's Undervalued Role in Neurology

Doctors rarely discuss diet with neurology patients.
However, studies like the MIND and FINGER trials show the Mediterranean diet's impact on cognitive decline.

ANECDOTE

Keto's Impact on Neurodegenerative Disease

Dr. Hyman saw improvement in Alzheimer's patients on a ketogenic diet.
One Lewy body dementia patient regained motor and cognitive function after starting keto.

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This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep, Rupa Health, and InsideTracker.

We often think of eating well in terms of managing our weight or heart health, but what about supporting the brain? There are so many foods we can eat to support better cognition, reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, and feel sharper, smarter, and happier every day. Along those same lines, many of the processed foods in our Standard American Diet are sabotaging our brain health with loads of excess sugar and other sneaky ingredients. I’m excited to sit down with Max Lugavere to explore what it looks like to eat a diet that specifically benefits the brain. If you’re thinking you don’t need that focus in your personal diet, think again: these habits and foods are benefiting your entire body, too.

Max Lugavere is a health and science journalist and the author of the New York Times best-seller Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life, now published in 10 languages around the globe. His sophomore book, also a best-seller, is called The Genius Life: Heal Your Mind, Strengthen Your Body, and Become Extraordinary. Max is the host of a #1 iTunes health and wellness podcast, called The Genius Life. His new cookbook, Genius Kitchen, just hit shelves yesterday.

This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep, Rupa Health, and InsideTracker.

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Here are more details from our interview (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):

How Max’s mother’s illness led him to understand the relationship between diet and brain health (5:38 / 2:30)
Scientific evidence of how nutrition influences the brain (9:21 / 6:00)
Superfoods for the brain (15:07 / 11:35)
Why we overeat ultra-processed, but not nutritionally satisfying, foods (19:26 / 16:15)
Health effects of meat consumption (33:12 / 28:15)
Health benefits of eggs and some types of dairy (46:36 / 43:26)
Dark, leafy greens and brain health (53:43 / 48:35)
Cooking at home (59:05 / 53:49)
Natural food sources of collagen (1:02:26 / 57:18)
The best and worst cooking oils (1:04:53 / 59:46)

Learn more about Max at maxlugavere.com and get his new book, Genius Kitchen, at geniuskitchenbook.com.