319 — How to Beat Brain Fog and Prevent Dementia With Harvard-Trained Dr. Majid Fotuhi
Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy MorinShow Notes
Most of us don't think about brain health until something goes wrong. We think it's normal to experience brain fog or we just accept cognitive decline is inevitable as we age.
Science shows you can physically change your brain at any age. You can grow new neurons, build stronger connections, and even shrink your risk of Alzheimer's — and it doesn't require anything mysterious or extreme.
My guest is Dr. Majid Fotuhi, a renowned neurologist and one of the world's leading experts in brain health. He received his MD from Harvard Medical School and his PhD in Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he now serves as an adjunct professor at the Mind/Brain Institute. He's also the author of the new book The Invincible Brain.
Some of the things we discuss are:
Why your brain is an organ you can care for like your teeth or your heart — not a mysterious black box you're stuck with
The 12-week brain fitness study that showed older adults physically grew their brains by 1–3%, making them up to three years younger on an MRI
Why genetics play a surprisingly small role in late-life Alzheimer's — and how exercise can cancel out the effects of the highest-risk gene
The exact amount of exercise that strengthens your brain (and why doing more than this won't help)
Why sleep is an active brain-cleaning process — and what 20+ years of insomnia does to the memory center of your brain
The one rule about food Dr. Fotuhi cares about more than keto vs. Mediterranean vs. vegetarian
How chronic stress physically shrinks your brain, plus the perspective shift his daughter learned that keeps her calm under pressure
Simple daily ways to challenge your brain — from memorizing names to license plates in traffic
The Therapist's Take: My top three strategies for building a physically stronger, younger brain starting today
Related Episodes
91 — The Biggest Threats to Your Brain Health and the Lifestyle Changes You Should Make Today to Stay Sharp with Dr. Austin Perlmutter
212 — What Are You Feeding Your Brain? Here’s What You Need to Know About Your Mental Diet
Links & Resources
The Invincible Brain
Connect with the Show
Buy a copy of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do
Connect with Amy on Instagram — @AmyMorinAuthor
Visit my website — AmyMorinLCSW.com
Sponsors
MUDWTR — Get up to 43% off your entire order, plus free shipping and a free rechargeable frother when you use code STRONGER at Mudwtr.com.
AirDoctor — Head to AirDoctorPro.com and use promo code STRONGER to get UP TO $300 off today!
One Skin — Go to oneskin.co/STRONGER and use code stronger to get up to 30% off your first 3 subscription orders
First Day — Get up to 57% off and a free gift with code stronger at FirstDay.com
Quince — Go to Quince.com/stronger for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns!
Flamingo — Get a $7 starter set at ShopFlamingo.com/STRONGER
Cozy Earth — Head to cozyearth.com and use code STRONGER20 to get 20% off your order.
Subscribe to Mentally Stronger Premium for exclusive content like weekly bonus episodes, mental strength challenges, and office hours with me. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Mentally Stronger with Therapist Amy Morin
Have you ever gotten good news from a friend and felt bad instead of happy for them? Or someone in the group chat announced they’re pregnant — and instead of feeling excited, you felt a little sick to your stomach. And then you felt guilty for feeling that way, so you typed “congratulations” and moved on.
Are you always the one who reaches out first? You send the text, plan the dinner, and remember everyone’s birthday. At some point you start to wonder, if I just stopped trying, would anyone even notice?
Do you notice things other people miss , like a shift in someone’s tone or tension in the room before anyone says a word? Do you need more time to recover than the people around you, so even a fun party or a good work trip can leave you completely wiped out for days?
Are you the person everyone comes to? Someone asks you to cover a shift, join the committee, host the gathering, or help with the move, and the yes comes out before you’ve even thought about it. Then you’re driving home wondering, why did I just agree to that?
Have you ever downloaded a meditation app you swore you were going to use? Or bought a journal that's still sitting on your nightstand? Or promised yourself that starting Monday, you'd finally do that 20-minute morning routine that was going to change everything — only to abandon it a week later?