Don’t leave to chance what you have the power to change.
Resources
Click below or scroll down to find links to health and wellness books and podcasts that I recommend and use myself. Click on the book images to go to Amazon, and click on the podcast images to find them on Apple or Spotify.
Disclosure: This page includes affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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BOOKS
Click on book images for
Amazon links.
Hello World!
end of Alzheimer's
The End of Alzheimer’s Program
After the original, I followed Dr. Bredesen’s work and have borrowed much from it over the years. I have not found everything practical for my family to reverse my mom’s decline, as her disease has been beyond the “sweet spot” of intervention for some time. What I have learned from this book, however, is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
The First Survivors of Alzheimer’s
On this site, and every chance I get, I focus a lot on preventing Alzheimer’s. This is the crux of not leaving to chance what we have the power to change. But what happens if we or our loved ones start slipping? The Bredesen Protocol (see “End of Alzheimer’s Program” book) offers a detailed approach to help at different stages, aiming to stop further decline and even reverse some symptoms. This Survivors book is a peek at what that Protocol looks like in practice. Though results can vary, many people see some level of improvement. We are living in an era when we’ll know survivors of Alzheimer’s for the first time ever and I find that remarkable.
Healing What’s Broken
TW/CW: healing from an abusive past
One of these things is not like the other, right? Yes and no. My reasons for including this here are twofold: one, because minimizing our distress is a fundamental pillar of brain health, and I practice what I preach; and two, I wrote it and I believe in its mission to help other abuse survivors. Doing the hard work to heal is something my “future self” and “future brain” will thank me for. I believe we’re worth the investment and if you’ve been through it, I invite you to keep caring for your present and future brain by doing what you need to do to minimize distress weighing you down.
Can’t Hurt Me
This book, and Goggins’ subsequent “Never Finished” are not for the weak of heart, nor are they for the easily offended. They are not directly related to brain health, but they are everything for motivation to change. And let’s face it, if we’re going to optimize our cognitive health for the long run, we’re likely going to need to make some changes. If you could benefit from some in-your-face straight talk about realizing your true potential, and you can handle copious f-bombs, then buckle up and get ready to change your narrative and change your life.
Never Finished
Here it is, Goggins’ second book that slaps you in the face with brutal honesty and introspection, and helps you to wake the f up. I know this style of writing isn’t for everyone, but for those of us who have goals to chase and find ourselves making excuses that keep us at square one, this book might make all the difference to help us get out of our own way.
keep sharp
Keep Sharp
This is what you came here for. If you’re just starting out on your journey toward optimal long-term brain health, Dr. Gupta is your guy. His writing is not overly technical, making this essential information accessible to a wider audience and an excellent intro to all things brain health.
Why Isn’t My Brain Working?
I have so many pages in this book dog-eared, and even more passages highlighted. Dr. Kharrazian helps you get into the weeds to better understand the health of your brain. This book includes many clinical tests you can bring to your provider, to work in partnership in support of your best brain.
Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms?
If you’re like my momma, and millions of others, you might have symptoms that come and go and seem inexplicable. She has Hashimoto’s Disease, which we think went undiagnosed for decades, just like the majority of folks living with this condition. While cleaning out her files, I found records of her reporting her symptoms long before we got a proper diagnosis. Dr. Kharrazian’s book can help you become an informed patient and ask the right questions to make the most of your limited time with your healthcare providers.
genius
Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life
This was one of the first books that I read and I felt like it was written for me. It was published the same year I started my deep dive, and the author’s introduction to dementia hit close to home. Though the book is basically a starter kit for learning about dementia and Alzheimer’s, one of my favorite parts is the recipes. They showed me different ideas on how to combine brain-healthy foods into delicious and simple meals that both my mom and I really loved.
Metabolical
Dr. Lustig’s writing style is conversational and easy to follow. His book addresses mind-boggling trends in nutrition, consumption, and related diseases, and exposes dirty truths of the ultra-processed “food” industry, yet he breaks down the statistics and the science in a way that’s relatable to those of us outside the practice of medicine or scholarship. This book is a gigantic wake-up call for us all. I challenge you to read this and not change your mentality about sugar and ultra-processed “food.” If you’re someone whose diet includes pre-packaged boxes, bags, and cartons, I’m confident that your pantries, plates, and bowls will look quite different after reading this book.
brain food
Brain Food
I first learned about Dr. Mosconi from this book and later continued my respect for her work with her 2024 book, Menopause Brain. Even now as I flip through the pages, I see countless highlights and starred content from reading it more than once. This book is an excellent guide on what to eat to support your brain before you see signs of decline. Dr. Mosconi combines neuroscience, nuclear medicine, and integrative nutrition in a way that’s easy to understand, even if you don’t have a medical or research background. Think of this book as a “how to” guide for taking care of your brain from the inside out.
The Menopause Brain
I was so excited about this book that I pre-ordered it five months before it was released. I’m really glad I did. For too long, menopause symptoms have been misunderstood and suffered in silence. Dr. Mosconi explains everything clearly in this book to shed light on the why behind the what—whether you’re still menstruating, in perimenopause, or past your menopausal transition. As she says in the first chapter, “you’re not crazy.” Your brain does change, and if you want to learn more, I highly recommend you check out this book!
Note: While anyone entering their menopausal transition years may benefit, cisnormative/binary gendered language is used in the book.
ROAR
I’ve used this book so many times I’ve lost track. It’s easy to understand and Dr. Sims explains the science in a way that’s relatable. If you’re active and have a menstrual cycle, this book helps you understand why and how to adjust your fitness and nutrition throughout your cycle. If you’re curious about this topic, start here.
Note: While anyone with a menstrual cycle may benefit, cisnormative/binary gendered language is used in the book.
Next Level
You: Training with your cycle is great and all, but what about those of us who have been there, done that?
Dr. Sims: I got you.
If you’re active and nearing or going through the menopausal transition, this is your book. It’s thorough and shows you how to manage menopause symptoms to keep your strong, active self at peak performance, right where you belong!
Note: While anyone entering their menopausal transition years may benefit, cisnormative/binary gendered language is used in the book.
Why We Sleep
Most Americans don’t get enough sleep—are you one of them? Regularly getting less than 7 hours of sleep everyday can seriously increase your risk of dementia. This book will give you many more reasons to go all in on prioritizing restful and sufficient sleep, for the sake of your health now and in the future.
etchings
Preserving the Etchings of the Mind: Aging, Dementia, and Hearing Loss
A client told me about this book and I bought it right away because Dr. Wilson, a Deaf board-certified neuropsychologist, shares a perspective that has been missing in dementia-prevention education. His writing is relatable and he takes his time introducing the topics with metaphors and stories, to make them even more clear. His chapter on how deafness and hearing loss can increase the risk of dementia is the first time I’ve seen this topic covered so thoroughly in the literature on cognitive decline. This book is useful for anyone wanting to learn about dementia, but I believe it’s especially valuable for those in the Deaf community or people who’ve started losing their hearing in middle age.
PODCASTS
Click on podcast show images for Apple or Spotify links.
Hello World!
Chasing Life
Dr. Gupta’s Keep Sharp is another book that further reinforced all I was learning about how to care for the one brain we have. I can’t get enough of his insight and thought-provoking questions, so I was excited to find out he also has a podcast. His investigative work helps me dig deeper into my choices to live well, optimize my brain health, and support you doing the same.
Huberman Lab
If you search for “brain health” on Apple Podcasts, you’ll find that, at the time of publishing this website, many of the results come from Huberman Lab. His interviews are detailed, helpful, and to the point. As a neuroscientist, he knows his stuff and he brings a down-to-earth approach to his interviews and education. He and his guests make complicated topics easy to understand.
Hit Play Not Pause
For anyone who’s active and nearing, in the middle of, or on the other side of the menopause transition, this is your podcast. Selene Yeager is no-nonsense and tells it like it is. She’s so real! She also has a rich background in the competitive world, and brings it all to the table when she interviews experts in nutrition, physiology, performance, hormonal changes, and many other niches that, when taken together, will help listeners keep crushing their performance-related goals.
The Dhru Purohit Show
I first heard Dhru when he was working with Dr. Mark Hyman on the Broken Brain series and liked his interview style. He now has his own podcast where he talks with top experts in health, medicine, and mindset to give you detailed advice on improving your health. He really delivers on this promise. While his podcast covers more than just brain health, you can find episodes specifically focused on taking our brain health to the next level.
The Consistency Project
The host of this podcast, EC Synkowski, used to compete in CrossFit and in her nutrition consulting, she created a program called the 800g Challenge. It’s a philosophy that she and I share: when we focus on adding healthy foods to our diet rather than removing things, it helps us naturally eat more of the good stuff and less of the bad. Her podcast covers all kinds of well-being topics, so I think there’s something useful for everyone.
The Genius Life
Lugavere’s Genius Foods was one of the books I found early in my brain health research, and it ushered me into a paradigm of controlling the controllable, from the inside out. His story is familiar; his introduction to the world of dementia was his own mother’s diagnosis. He’s since created this podcast and he regularly has guests that are worth the listen. His focus is no longer just on neurodegeneration, but on optimizing our whole health and wellness.
The Empowering Neurologist
I was interested in Dr. David Perlmutter’s research on how processed grains affect our bodies a few years ago. Since then, he’s expanded his interviews and areas of research to cover a wide range of topics that help and harm our brains. His podcast always comes back to our true north: how to take control of our health to improve our lifespans and overall well-being, instead of leaving it to chance.
The Ultimate Health Podcast
I started listening to this podcast when Jesse’s wife Marni Wasserman was co-hosting and I still follow it, because they provided trustworthy and valuable information. I’ll search their episodes for specific topics to learn about because they host guests with a range of expertise and perspectives. The podcast is full of ideas on how we can achieve our ultimate health.
Sleep Meditation for Women
Getting enough good-quality sleep is critical for our brain health, both now and later. If you’re a woman who has trouble falling asleep, you might want to check out this podcast on Spotify. I find the host, Katie Krimitsos has a soothing and gentle voice. When I used to start work at 2am, I would listen to her podcast the day before to help me fall asleep while it was still daylight. Her content is uplifting and may emanate positivity right into your sleepy subconscious. :)
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