What do you do when your mom’s health suddenly takes a nosedive and you don’t recognize the person you’ve known your whole life? If you are Max Lugavere, you drop everything and go on a mission, pouring through all the medical literature to put the pieces together about brain health in support of his mom, who has a rare form of dementia.
Our good friend, brain health researcher, and Broken Brain expert Max Lugavere joins host Dhru Purohit today on The Broken Brain Podcast. Dhru and Max really dig into what foods help your brain thrive like extra virgin olive oil, dark leafy greens, and eggs. They also share stories about the importance of sleep, community, and love.
It’s incredible how loved ones change our lives and inspire us to help others. Max is a testament to this and wants to share all he’s learned with you.
In this episode, we dive into:
- Max’s thoughts on a vegan diet (2:15)
- What makes a scientific study trustworthy? (7:29)
- Foods that help your brain thrive (13:00)
- Max’s recipe for a brain-healthy salad (17:13)
- Benefits of bitter plant compounds (20:53)
- Genius foods for your brain (22:23)
- Which plays a bigger role—genes or diet? (26:48)
- Which oils should we avoid and why (29:31)
- Max’s inspiration: his mom (33:27)
- Your brain on sugar (43:38)
- What sources of research does Max recommend? (56:33)
- Thoughts on food policy (1:00:16)
- How important is community for health? (1:02:34)
- Contemplating coconut oil as a healthy fat (1:04:45)
- Optimizing brain health with sleep and love (1:08:24)
I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.
Wishing you health and happiness,
Mark Hyman, MD
PS – If you’d like to learn more about Max’s work, check out his website, Instagram, or read his new book.