Episodios

  • Can What You Eat Today Decide Whether You Remember Tomorrow?

    Can What You Eat Today Decide Whether You Remember Tomorrow?
    Feb 24 2026
    This article is based on my conversation with Annie Fenn, MD, author of the Brain Health Kitchen Substack and cookbook, this is day 2 of the first-ever Brain Health Substack Summit hosted by The Habit Healers.Click here to join tomorrow for Brain Health Substack Summit Day 3 with Jud Brewer MD PhD.If you missed Day 1 of our Brain Health Summit with Julie Fratantoni, PhD you can watch it here. We discussed how to exercise your brain day to day. Annie Fenn, MD is an OB/GYN turned culinary school graduate who lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She spent twenty years practicing medicine, the last ten focused on menopause, before leaving to pursue a lifelong dream of cooking. She came back to Jackson Hole and started teaching people how to make healthy food that actually tasted good.Then, around 2015, her mother was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. It progressed to Alzheimer’s.Annie did what any doctor does when disease hits close to home. She went to the research. Not the surface-level stuff. The deep literature. She was looking for anything that could slow her mother’s progression, and what she found changed the direction of her entire career. There was a dietary pattern, backed by real studies, that appeared to protect the brain from developing Alzheimer’s in the first place. And for people with early dementia, there was evidence it could slow things down.That discovery became Brain Health Kitchen, first as a cooking school, then as a bestselling Brain Health Kitchen cookbook, and now as a Substack and worldwide community where Annie takes people on retreats to longevity hotspots around the globe. When she showed me her original copy of the book during our live conversation for Day 2 of the Brain Health Summit, it was held together by love and tape. She carries it everywhere. Her guests sign it.What she built from that research is something I think every person reading this needs to know about: a food pyramid designed specifically for the brain.Ten Rungs on a Different Kind of PyramidWhen Annie wrote her cookbook around 2021, she wanted to create brain-healthy eating guidelines that anyone could follow, regardless of whether they were vegan, Mediterranean, or somewhere in between. She drew from two dietary patterns with the strongest evidence for protecting the brain against dementia: the Mediterranean diet and the MIND diet (which stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay). Then she layered in newer research that neither of those original frameworks had included.The result is a food pyramid with ten brain-healthy food groups, and when Annie walked me through it during our conversation, a few things genuinely surprised me.Vegetables sit at the base. No surprise there. But what is surprising is the second rung: leafy greens, broken out as their own category. In most dietary guidelines, leafy greens get lumped in with other vegetables. The MIND diet pulled them out separately because the data warranted it. Studies showed that people who ate at least a cup of leafy greens per day had brains that looked 11 years younger on MRI scans.Eleven years. That is not a marginal benefit. That is a decade of aging you might be able to offset with a daily salad.Whole grains come next, though Annie is careful to point out that most people have the wrong picture in their head when they hear this term. She is not talking about hamburger buns, flour tortillas, or English muffins. None of those are whole grains. She means red rice, black rice, quinoa, millet, steel-cut oats, and breads where actual wheat is the first ingredient on the label. The distinction matters enormously, especially for people who carry the APOE4 gene variant (a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s), who may need to emphasize lower-glycemic options and lean harder on vegetables, legumes, and leafy greens instead.Berries hold their own rung because they are the only fruit singled out as an official brain-healthy food group. The data links berry consumption specifically to better performance on memory tests.Beans and legumes are next, and Annie pointed to something that I think is underappreciated: beans are one of the few food groups found on the table in virtually every blue zone on the planet, from Costa Rica to Okinawa to Sardinia. They contain a type of fiber that reaches the lower intestine, where many of the gut bacteria that influence brain health are waiting for nourishment. Most processed food never makes it that far. For people who believe they cannot tolerate beans, I suggested during our conversation that they start with lentils in small amounts, cooked well, and gradually increase from there before moving on to heartier beans. Annie built on that and got even more specific: start with red lentils in particular, the kind that fall apart when cooked. They are lower in fiber than other varieties, need no soaking, and tend to be the gentlest entry point for people rebuilding their tolerance.Nuts and ...
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    41 m
  • What If the Best Brain Exercise Has Nothing to Do With Your Brain?

    What If the Best Brain Exercise Has Nothing to Do With Your Brain?
    Feb 23 2026
    This article is based on my conversation with neuroscientist Julie Fratantoni, PhD, author of the Better Brain by Dr. Julie Substack, as part of the first-ever Brain Health Substack Summit hosted by The Habit Healers.Click here to join tomorrow for Brain Health Substack Summit Day 2 with Annie Fenn, MD.In the late 1990s, I was sitting in a pharmacology lecture during my first weeks of medical school, staring at a stack of handouts thick enough to be mistaken for a semester’s worth of reading. It was two weeks of material. I had three children at home. My youngest was ten months old.So I started drawing cartoons.I drew a Pepsi bottle to represent peptidoglycans, a class of molecules in bacterial cell walls. Then I drew a little van driving across the Pepsi bottle for vancomycin, the antibiotic that targets those molecules. I colored the van red, because vancomycin can cause a flushing reaction known as “Red Man Syndrome.” When test day came, I didn’t need to scramble for facts. I could see the picture in my head. The van. The Pepsi bottle. The red.My classmates noticed. They started borrowing my cartoons, which forced me to explain the drawings out loud, which meant I had to think even harder about what the relationships between the drug classes actually were. Nearly thirty years later, I still remember pharmacology details I probably have no business remembering. My daughter later went to medical school and adopted the same method. We published books about it called Visual Mnemonics.I did not know it at the time, but I had stumbled into something neuroscience now has a very clear explanation for. And it is not what most people think of when they hear the words “brain exercise.”That is exactly what I wanted to explore when I sat down with Julie Fratantoni, PhD, for the opening conversation of our Brain Health Substack Summit. Julie is a neuroscientist, the author of the Better Brain Substack, and someone who works directly with clients on cognitive performance. I expected her to talk about brain-training apps and puzzles. Instead, she dismantled almost everything I thought I knew about what it means to exercise your brain.The Basketball ProblemJulie likes to use basketball to explain two very different approaches to brain training.Imagine you are coaching a youth basketball team. You run drills: dribbling, passing, shooting. Each skill gets practiced on its own. This is what researchers call bottom-up training. You are building individual abilities one at a time, rep by rep. My husband coached our youngest’s basketball team, so I know this routine well. You drill the fundamentals first, because no strategy in the world matters if you cannot get the basics right.Now imagine game day. Suddenly your players need to decide when to pass, when to shoot, how to coordinate with teammates, how to adjust when the other team changes formation. That is top-down training. It requires the prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain right behind your forehead, which handles planning, problem-solving, decision-making, and the ability to pull separate pieces of information together into something useful.The same split exists in cognitive training. Bottom-up brain exercises target single skills like working memory (the ability to hold information in mind temporarily), attention, or processing speed (how fast your brain takes in and responds to information). Top-down exercises challenge your prefrontal cortex to do the harder work of organizing, judging, and thinking critically.Here is where things get interesting. Most commercial brain-training apps focus on bottom-up skills. And the majority of research shows that getting better at those games does not translate into real-life improvement. You get better at the game. That is about it.Julie was blunt about this during our live conversation. The majority of research shows that these games do not generalize to real life, she said, and she wanted to say it loud and clear because it is the question she gets asked more than almost any other.The 23-Hour ExperimentThere is, however, one notable exception, and it comes from one of the largest cognitive training studies ever conducted.The ACTIVE study enrolled about 3,000 adults aged 65 and older and assigned them to one of three types of cognitive training: speed training, memory training, or reasoning training. A fourth group served as a control and received no training at all. The participants trained over a period of three years and were then followed for two decades.The result that caught everyone’s attention was this: the speed training group showed a 25 percent reduction in the risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. The memory and reasoning groups did not show that same protective effect.But Julie pointed out something most people overlook when they read about this study. The speed training was adaptive, meaning it automatically adjusted its difficulty based on how each person performed...
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    36 m
  • Increasing omega-3s in your food with Chef Martin Oswald

    Increasing omega-3s in your food with Chef Martin Oswald
    Feb 21 2026
    Thank you Marg KJ, Afsi, Lydia R, Tony, and many others for tuning into my live video with Chef Martin Oswald! This week on Habit Healers Live, Chef Martin and I turned brain science into brain food, literally. Inspired by Dr. Dominic Ng’s recommendations for the Brain Health Substack Summit happening next week, Chef Martin prepared two stunning salmon dishes designed to preserve omega-3 fatty acids and pack as many brain-boosting ingredients as possible into every bite.The result? Seven of Dr. Ng’s recommended brain health ingredients in a single recipe. Here’s what we learned.The Science Behind Today’s CookDr. Ng’s brain health food list breaks down into several key categories, and Chef Martin built today’s dishes around them:Gut-Brain Axis: Kimchi, kefir, sauerkraut, and leeks — Chef Martin chose leeks as the foundation for his vegetable sides.Cerebrovascular Blood Flow (or as I put it, “blood to the brain”): Roasted beets, spinach, and kale — beets and spinach both made it into today’s dishes.Neuroinflammation: Extra virgin olive oil, berries, and turmeric — olive oil was used in cooking, and turmeric appeared in the French spice blend.Neuroplasticity: Sardines and anchovies — a Moroccan sardine dish is coming later this week (stay tuned!).Neurotransmitters: Eggs, pumpkin seeds, and turkey — eggs showed up in the gribiche sauce, and crushed pumpkin seeds became the crust on the salmon.Dish #1: Pumpkin Seed-Crusted Salmon with Sauce GribicheChef Martin’s first dish was a thick-cut Atlantic salmon fillet with a crushed pumpkin seed crust, served over water-sautéed leeks, French lentils, beets, and spinach, topped with a classic French sauce gribiche.Key Cooking Tips for Preserving Omega-3sWhy it matters: Omega-3 fatty acids begin to oxidize at around 160°F. The whole goal is to cook salmon slowly at lower heat to preserve these essential brain nutrients.Cook skin-side down first. The skin acts as a protective barrier, shielding the omega-3-rich oils from direct heat. Sear skin-side down for 5–7 minutes on medium heat.Don’t flip too early. If the skin sticks, it’s not ready. When properly cooked, the salmon will release from the pan on its own. Use a stainless steel pan. Chef Martin recommends stainless steel to avoid particles from coated pans breaking off with use.Bring fish to room temperature first. Let salmon sit out for about 30 minutes before cooking. Cold fish won’t cook evenly, it’ll stay raw in the center.Sear the sides. A restaurant trick: briefly press the sides of the salmon against the pan to seal all around. This prevents those white protein spots from forming on top.Use the paper towel trick. After cooking, rest the salmon on a paper towel to absorb the oxidized cooking oil before plating. This is what the best restaurant chefs do.Check temperature: For home cooks, use a thermometer — 125°F is the target for medium-rare salmon that preserves the most omega-3s.Oven method alternative: You can also slow-bake salmon at 250°F for about 45 minutes (for a one-inch fillet). It comes out buttery, creamy, and incredibly nutrient-rich.About Sauce GribicheThe word of the day! Gribiche (G-R-I-B-I-C-H-E) is a classic French sauce made with hard-boiled eggs (for choline and neurotransmitter support), capers, parsley, shallots, mustard, and apple cider vinegar. The acidity of the sauce balances the richness of the salmon, a key flavor profiling principle.The Vegetable SideChef Martin kept this intentionally low-calorie to balance the richness of the fish: leeks cut into strips and water-sautéed (no butter, no oil), French lentils (recommended by Dr. Chris Miller for fiber), pre-cooked beets (for nitrates and cerebrovascular blood flow), and fresh spinach wilted in at the end.Get the full recipe for the Pumpkin Seed–Crusted Salmon with Sauce Gribiche, Roasted Beets & Leeks here. Dish #2: Matcha Salmon Noodle BowlThe second dish was inspired by Dr. Julie Brantantoni’s recommendations. Chef Martin used the belly portions of the salmon, the fattiest part with the highest concentration of omega-3s, cut into small, fingernail-sized pieces and cooked very quickly to avoid oxidizing those delicate fats.What’s in the BowlThe base is konjac noodles (also called sweet potato starch noodles), a great option for anyone managing blood sugar, as they have essentially no carbohydrates. Just rinse with hot water and they’re ready.The star is a matcha dressing made with matcha, tahini, garlic, ginger, and date syrup. Chef Martin’s advice from legendary German chef Witzigmann: when you name a sauce after an ingredient, that ingredient should be the star. Let the matcha shine.Finished with shiitake mushrooms sautéed in a touch of sesame oil (only about 30 calories to flavor an entire dish, compared to 120 calories of olive oil for the same impact), leeks, spinach, hemp seeds (plant-based omega-3s and protein, added at the very end to preserve nutrients), black ...
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    50 m
  • Why Is Pickleball Sending So Many People to the Emergency Room?

    Why Is Pickleball Sending So Many People to the Emergency Room?
    Feb 18 2026

    In this episode, I’m digging into a question that sounds almost absurd until you look at the data: why is pickleball—arguably the “sweetest, safest-looking” sport in the park—sending so many people to the emergency room?

    Pickleball looks harmless. The court is small. The serve is underhand. The ball is basically a wiffle ball. And yet, ER records tell a different story: fractures (especially wrists), sprains, strains, and a pattern that’s hard to ignore—older adults showing up for pickleball injuries at rates that started to rival tennis. I walk through what’s really happening, and why the sport’s design quietly creates the perfect setup for falls, tendon overload, and sudden-stop injuries.

    I explain how two rules—the double bounce and the kitchen—shape the way your body has to move: quick lunges, short sprints, abrupt decelerations, and reactive steps at the net. It doesn’t look like sprinting, but it often acts like sprinting in bursts. And that mismatch—between what the game demands and what many bodies are prepared for—is where trouble starts.

    But I’m not here to villainize pickleball. In fact, I make the case for why it’s one of the most powerful “stealth health” activities out there: it’s fun enough that people actually show up, it can hit moderate intensity, and studies suggest benefits for lower-body power, cognition, and even chronic pain when it’s introduced with a smart ramp-up. The problem isn’t pickleball—it’s the gap between enthusiasm and preparation.

    We also get specific about the injuries that worry clinicians: the Achilles rupture story (tendons adapt slowly, even when you feel “fit”), the rare-but-serious eye injuries that can threaten vision, and the overuse problems the ER doesn’t capture—things like tennis elbow and shoulder tendinopathy that creep in when you play back-to-back without recovery.

    And then I give you the practical fix: how to make pickleball safer without ruining the fun. I walk through a simple warm-up framework (RAMP), the strength and balance basics that reduce fall risk, and the small decisions that matter more than people realize—court shoes, gradual play-time build, rest days, and yes, eye protection if you’re living at the net.

    This isn’t about playing harder. It’s about playing longer.Dr. Marbas Substack: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/

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    16 m
  • Anti-inflammatory foods for your brain with Chef Martin Oswald

    Anti-inflammatory foods for your brain with Chef Martin Oswald
    Feb 12 2026
    Thank you Marg KJ, Afsi, Sherrie McGraw, Eve Franco, Tony, and many others for tuning into my live video with Chef Martin Oswald! Brain Food That Actually Tastes Good: A Feast for Your Neurons (and Tastebuds)We went live today from Las Vegas to Vienna, and if you missed it, you missed a masterclass on how to turn “medical advice” into a culinary masterpiece.We are gearing up for the Brain Summit (Feb 23rd–28th), where we’ll be interviewing experts like Annie Fenn, MD , Jud Brewer MD PhD , Chris Miller MD, Julie Fratantoni, PhD, and Dr. Dominic Ng. But today wasn’t just about talking science; it was about putting Dr. Chris Miller’s anti-inflammatory protocols directly onto a plate.The goal? Decreasing stroke risk, fighting atherosclerosis, and keeping those blood vessels wide open to feed your brain.Here is the breakdown of the “strategic dishes” Chef Martin whipped up.The Strategy: Avoiding “Flavor Fatigue”Chef Martin Oswald introduced a fascinating concept today: Flavor Fatigue.When you eat a dish that tastes exactly the same from the first bite to the last, your palate gets bored. To keep healthy eating exciting, you need layers. You need a mix of hot and cold, cooked and raw, spicy and tart.Here is how he built the ultimate Anti-Inflammatory Bowl.1. The Roasted BaseMartin didn’t just throw veggies on a pan; he layered the antioxidants:* The Power Move: He started with cauliflower (cruciferous) and dusted it with turmeric.* The Fiber: Chickpeas went in for their soluble fiber to help grab cholesterol and feed gut bacteria.* The Spice: He used Garam Masala. It’s Martin’s favorite spice blend because it is loaded with high-polyphenol spices like clove.Chef’s Tip: Watch your oil. Instead of free-pouring olive oil, Martin suggests using a teaspoon or even a splash of water to keep the calorie density low, which is crucial for stroke prevention.2. The “Raw” element (Vital for Vitamin C)Here is something we often forget: Vitamin C is heat-sensitive. If you cook your peppers or fruits, you lose a significant amount of that nutrient.To solve this, Martin created a raw Purple Coleslaw right in the middle of the bowl:* The Crunch: Red cabbage (the cheapest, most effective antioxidant bang for your buck).* The Surprise: He added blueberries directly into the slaw instead of raisins.* The Dressing: A mix of tahini, lemon juice, and a touch of date syrup to break down the cabbage fibers.3. The Endothelial BoostersTo finish the bowl, he added cooked beets and raw arugula. Why? Nitrates. These are essential for the endothelial lining of your blood vessels, ensuring good blood flow to the brain.Get the Full Anti-Inflammatory Bowl Recipe Here.Dessert: “Carolyn’s Clafoutis” (The Healthy Remake)We can’t talk brain health without talking about berries. Dr. Jud Brewer loves them, and so do we.Martin’s wife, Carolyn, makes a healthy version of the classic French Clafoutis, that usually loaded with heavy cream, butter, and sugar. Martin is sharing her recipe and how she turned it into a brain-healthy powerhouse without sacrificing that custard-like texture.The 5-Ingredient Fix:* Frozen Blueberries: He used frozen because they are picked at peak ripeness and retain their nutrients.* The Liquid: Almond milk (or oat milk) mixed with a little yogurt for acidity.* The Binder: Tapioca flour (or arrowroot) mixed with almond flour.* The Omega-3s: Soaked ground flaxseeds.* The Sweetener: A touch of date sugar or maple syrup.The result? A purple, custard-like treat that melts in your mouth, minus the saturated fat.Eat the RainbowBy the time Martin finished plating, we counted nearly 15 different plants in just one meal. From the shiitake mushrooms to the fresh parsley garnish, this is what gut diversity looks like.Read my article on “The Rainbow Plate: A System So Simple It Will Change the Way You Eat Forever”Coming Up NextWe are back next Wednesday for another live cooking session. We’ve covered veggies and berries; next week, we are diving into healthy fats. Martin will be demonstrating the smart way to cook Salmon (for those who eat fish) so you don’t destroy the delicate Omega-3s with high heat.See you then! Get full access to The Habit Healers at drlauriemarbas.substack.com/subscribe
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    52 m
  • What Happens When You Try to Walk Like This?

    What Happens When You Try to Walk Like This?
    Feb 11 2026

    In this episode, I’m sharing a movement that looks a little ridiculous… but tells you a lot about your body in seconds: the duck walk—walking forward while staying in a deep squat.

    I take you back to where it actually came from: not fitness, but medicine. In the 1950s, orthopedic surgeons used the duck walk as a quick stress test for knee problems—especially the meniscus—because deep bending under body weight can reveal issues fast. And that’s exactly why it’s so interesting: it’s not just an exercise, it’s a snapshot of your mobility, strength, balance, and joint tolerance all at once.

    I break down what the duck walk really is (deep squat + tiny controlled steps), why it feels brutally hard almost immediately, and what’s happening under the hood—your quads and glutes staying “on” the whole time, the higher energy cost, and the balance/proprioception challenge that makes most people wobble at first.

    Then I share my own story: after breaking my left ankle and spending weeks in a boot, I struggled to fully get my mobility back—even when I stretched. The duck walk surprised me. It helped restore ankle dorsiflexion, made my deep squat steadier, and the improvement was noticeable enough that I kept it as a long-term practice.

    But I’m also very clear about the fine print. This movement asks a lot from your knees. I walk through the key structures it stresses (patellofemoral joint, tibiofemoral joint, meniscus), the warning signs that mean you should stop (sharp pain, swelling later, catching/locking, giving way), and who should skip it or only do it with guidance.

    Finally, I give you the practical “how”: treat it like a skill, start supported, keep steps small, modify the depth, and progress through simple phases over a few weeks instead of turning it into a knee lottery. If you want a fast way to assess where your weak link is—ankles, knees, balance, or strength—this episode will help you figure it out and build it safely.Dr. Marbas Substack: https://drlauriemarbas.substack.com/

    A Big Thank You To Our Sponsors:

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    6 m
  • I bet your doctor never mentioned this with Dr. Chris Miller

    I bet your doctor never mentioned this with Dr. Chris Miller
    Feb 7 2026

    Thank you Rod Miller, Afsi, Diane J Jacobs, Ann Therriault, and many others for tuning into my live video with Chris Miller MD!

    You Are Only as Old as Your Endothelium

    We often ask, “How is your blood pressure?” or “How is your cholesterol?” But when was the last time anyone asked you, “How are your blood vessels?”

    In this chat, Chris Miller MD and I stop looking at the heart as just a pump and start looking at the pipes. We specifically look at the endothelium. This is a layer one cell thick that lines your entire vascular system. It is your lifeline to every organ in your body. If it ages faster than you do, you are in trouble.

    The Damage Dealers: Oxidative Stress

    Your endothelium is sensitive. It is actually an endocrine system, not just a wall. What makes it stiff and rigid?

    * The Usual Suspects: Spiking blood sugar, high salt intake, and ultra-processed foods damage the lining.

    * The Silent Killer: Oxidative stress. Think of this as biological rust from pollution, smoke, or just the metabolic waste of living.

    * The Lifestyle Hit: Lack of exercise makes vessels stiff while chronic stress clamps them down and makes them rigid.

    The Healing Habits Protocol

    You do not need a complete life overhaul overnight. Dr. Chris suggests small habits that compound.

    1. The Exercise Prescription

    * Just Walk: It is arguably the best thing for vascular relaxation.

    * Add Resistance: Even two days a week makes a difference.

    * The Secret Weapon: Yoga and stretching improve vagal tone. This helps relax stiff vessels even further.

    2. The Menu

    * Nitric Oxide Boosters: Beets, arugula, and leafy greens help the endothelium produce nitric oxide to dilate naturally.

    * The Protector: Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that protects the endothelial lining.

    3. The Sleep Non-Negotiable

    * If you only do one thing, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Even if your sleep quality isn’t perfect yet, the rhythm helps reset your biology.

    The Audit, Acceptance, Action Mindset

    We got a little philosophical at the end. We realized that health is not about shaming yourself for the genetics you were dealt.

    * Audit: Know your numbers. Get a baseline. Look at your lipids, your CRP (inflammation), and your fasting insulin.

    * Acceptance: Stop fighting your history. Dr. Chris had to accept her Lupus journey. I had to accept my difficult menopause. Radical acceptance stops the “shame train”.

    * Action: Once you know where you are and accept it, take one small step. I shared a story about a patient of mine who reversed Type 2 diabetes. She started by simply walking to the end of her driveway.

    Coming Up

    We also teased our upcoming Brain Health Mini Substack Summit at the end of the month. We will dive into neuroinflammation and how to clear the fog.

    Watch the full replay above to hear Dr. Chris’s take on “Flow” states and why leaving the ER was the best thing for her health



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    39 m
  • The Secret to Brain Health: Elevating Flavor to Replace Sodium

    The Secret to Brain Health: Elevating Flavor to Replace Sodium
    Feb 4 2026
    Thank you Cindy Chance, Marg KJ, Afsi, Cathy Moffitt Boyd, Denise Tarasuk, and many others for tuning into my live video with Chef Martin Oswald! We have a massive announcement!We are thrilled to officially announce the upcoming Brain Health Mini Substack Summit, a mini Substack summit taking place the last week of February (Feb 23rd - 28th). I think this will be the first of its kind! (Please share this with your friends and family who would enjoy this amazing event!)I will be interviewing five incredible experts, including Annie Fenn, MD , Dr. Dominic Ng , Julie Fratantoni, PhD , Chris Miller MD , and Jud Brewer MD PhD, live for 30 minutes each day. But here is the best part: Chef Martin Oswald is creating a specific brain-health recipe for each interview based on the ingredients provided by those experts. Then on the last day of the summit, February 28th, Martin and I will go live to talk about the recipes and answer any and all of your questions.Don’t miss out on this unique event where medicine meets culinary art. Subscribe now so you don’t miss a single interview or recipe. Want to go deeper with us? Join Martin and me in our Culinary Healing Group for exclusive community support and deeper dives into food as medicine and weekly private group meetings with me. Join the Culinary Healing Group here. The Silent Enemy: Why Sodium Matters for Your BrainToday, we are diving deep into sodium and brain health. You hear about “low sodium” all the time, but why is it actually important?High blood pressure is a leading cause of death worldwide, and often, it’s undetectable unless you are actively measuring it. Excess sodium is a major driver of high blood pressure, especially for those with metabolic disease or insulin resistance.Think of it this way: “Where the sodium goes, the water flows”.When you consume excess sodium, fluid retention increases blood pressure within your vessels. But beyond that, sodium actually stiffens the blood vessels. This forces your heart to work harder and can starve the brain of nutrients, leading to fatigue, forgetfulness, and even cognitive decline.But here is the challenge: Everything tastes better with salt. It’s the default setting for flavor. So, how do we protect our brains without resigning ourselves to bland food? Martin has the answers.The Chef’s Toolkit: How to Engineer Flavor Without SaltChef Martin Oswald walked us through a fascinating “Flavor Wheel” designed to replace the sensation of salt with other potent characteristics. It’s not just about removing sodium; it’s about building layers of flavor that outshine the need for it.1. The Herb LayerDon’t just look for “salt substitutes.” Look to herbs that mimic the profile of sodium.* Celery Leaves: This is Martin’s top recommendation. The leaves have a flavor profile very close to sodium.* Lovage: Known in Europe as the “Maggi herb,” it has a complex, herbaceous flavor that crosses parsley, celery, and basil.* Rosemary & Thyme: Use the whole sprig in soups and stews to let the leaves cook off and impart deep flavor.2. The “Sting” (Acid & Spice)Salt gives a little “prickle” on the tongue. To replace that, we need ingredients that offer a similar sensation.* Sichuan Peppercorns: These provide a unique numbing or prickly sensation that distracts the palate from the lack of salt.* Sumac: A spice with a sour, prickly characteristic. It’s fantastic in hummus or sprinkled over risotto.* Citric Acid: The secret ingredient in many salt-free blends. It provides that sharp sourness and “sting” found in candy and processed foods, but can be used as a cooking tool.3. Umami: The Fullness FactorUmami provides the roundness and satisfaction we usually get from salt.* Mushrooms: While Porcini is the gold standard, dried Shiitake mushrooms are a budget-friendly way to get massive umami flavor. You can even grind them into a powder to use as a spice.* Nutritional Yeast & Tahini: Great for adding savory depth.* Seaweeds (Kelp/Nori): These provide that “ocean” flavor and are a critical source of Iodine. Note: If you cut iodized salt, ensure you are getting iodine from other sources for thyroid health.4. The Fermentation Game-ChangerFermented foods are perhaps the most powerful tool for replacing sodium because their “funkiness” and tanginess mimic the sensation of salt.* Fermented Cashew Butter: Martin revealed a new “Flavor Bomb”, cashew butter fermented with miso and lemon zest. It eats like sour cream and adds incredible richness.* Miso: While it contains sodium, the high potassium content can help negate blood pressure effects, and you can dilute it with other ingredients.* Almond Milk Kefir: A great way to add thickness and tang to dressings.5. Sweet & Sour ReductionsWe also discussed using glazes to fool the palate.* Blueberry Balsamic Coulis: Instead of sugary store-bought glazes, reduce vinegar by 75%, then cook it down with fresh blueberries (skin on for pectin) to...
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    58 m