Better Brain Fitness (a Brainjo Production)

In this episode, we dig into a recent McGill University study on computerized cognitive training and its effects on brain chemistry in older adults.
What you'll learn:
Why certain brain training games reversed a decade of age-related cognitive decline in just 10 weeks—and how researchers finally measured actual biological changes in the brain

The critical difference between activities that genuinely enhance your brain versus mental junk food like Candy Crush or Solitaire

The single organizing principle you can use to evaluate whether any cognitive activity is actually helping your brain or wasting your time

 
To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.

To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.
To learn more about how you can boost brain fitness with neuroscience-based musical instruction, head to brainjo.academy. 
Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.

In this episode, we dive into guidelines to figure out what all the fuss is about, whether that fuss is warranted, and whether we should even be issuing dietary guidelines to begin with!
Topics and Questions Covered
The updates: A breakdown of the specific shifts regarding protein prioritization, full-fat dairy, and whole grain recommendations.

The visual shift in nutrition: The transition from the "MyPlate" model to the inverted pyramid visual and the symbolism and subtext behind the change.

Individualization vs. Population health: Why a "one-size-fits-all" approach to nutrition often fails to account for individual metabolic variation.

The problem with food classification: Why our archaic food categories generate needless confusion and controversy.

Internal contradictions: Identifying inconsistencies within the guidelines

Subsidies and accessibility: The economic misalignment between government dietary advice and agricultural subsidies for ultra-processed food ingredients.

Communication challenges: The difficulty of maintaining scientific nuance in a public health messaging environment.

 
To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.

To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.
Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind."
Click here to grab Dr. Turknett's bestselling book, "Anyone Can Play Music"
Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.

Much of what we talk about on Better Brain Fitness resolves around the demand-driven decline model we published.
Well...a new study just published in Nature Communications gave that model the best test to date, and the results are pretty darn exciting. So of course we had to do an episode about it!
The study looks at the relationship between brain aging and creative activities like music, dance, art, and video gaming. Tommy walks through the study and explains why this matters for anyone thinking about their long-term cognitive health.
What You'll Learn:
A more sensitive way to measure brain aging than structural scans

The connection between music, dance, art, and video gaming on brain aging

The effect of 30 hours of video gaming on brain aging, the kinds of video games that have the greatest impact (and why traditional "brain games" haven't been as successful)

What this research tells us about whether cognitive decline is reversible

The dose-response relationship between complex activities and brain health

 
To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.

To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.
Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind."
Click here to grab Dr. Turknett's bestselling book, "Anyone Can Play Music"
Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.

In this episode, we tackle a question from listener Carolyn in Michigan about the potential cognitive impacts of long-term hearing loss.
What You'll Learn:
The research linking hearing loss to increased dementia risk and what the evidence actually shows

How hearing aids impact the risk of cognitive decline

The mechanisms behind why hearing loss might affect brain health

Practical strategies for maintaining cognitive health when dealing with hearing loss

Innovative technologies for hearing loss that could provide new forms of cognitive stimulation



To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.

To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.
Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind."
Click here to grab Dr. Turknett's bestselling book, "Anyone Can Play Music"
 
Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.

You may have heard the alarming headline about a recent study that showed the typical brain had about a teaspoon of microplastics inside of it. And that amount appears to be increasing each year.
In equally alarming fashion, that same study also revealed that those with dementia had over 5 times the amount of plastic in their brains as those without.
Needless to say, it's an issue worth paying attention to. So, in this episode, we break down what is known about microplastics and their impact on brain health, and we discuss the specific measures we're both taking to reduce our own exposure to microplastics and enhance their clearance.
Because brain plasticity is a great thing, but a plastic brain is not!

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To submit a question for us to answer on the podcast, go to brainjo.academy/question.

To subscribe to the free Better Brain Fitness newsletter, join us when we record live, and get our Guide and Checklist to essential blood tests and nutrients, go to: betterbrain.fitness.
Click here to pre-order Dr. Wood's book, "The Stimulated Mind."
Click here to grab Dr. Turknett's bestselling book, "Anyone Can Play Music"
Intro and Outro music composed and produced by Julienne Ellen.