Super nutrition du cerveau

by Paul Grewal, Paul Grewal, Nelly Aubaud davies (Translator)

Devenez + intelligent + heureux + productif tout en protégeant votre cerveau du vieillissement


Découvrez le lien étonnant entre les performances de votre cerveau et ce que vous mangez, et adoptez le régime alimentaire qui optimise la mémoire, la créativité, la concentration et prévient le vieillissement cérébral.

Lorsque sa mère a reçu un diagnostic de démence, Max Lugavere a mis sa carrière entre parenthèses pour partir à la découverte du cerveau – ce qui le rend performant et ce qui le rend malade. Pendant cinq ans, il a recueilli et décrypté l'ensemble des données scientifiques récentes, s'est entretenu avec des dizaines de chercheurs et de cliniciens de premier plan dans le monde entier.

Son livre est le fruit de ce travail de recherche hors normes, un guide complet et très clair sur la manière de préserver la santé du cerveau et améliorer son fonctionnement. Il révèle comment les aliments que nous mangeons affectent directement notre capacité à se concentrer, apprendre, se souvenir, créer, et maintenir l'équilibre émotionnel.

En s'appuyant sur les recherches de pointe sur la prévention de la démence, l'optimisation cognitive et la science nutritionnelle, Max Lugavere livre avec humour et enthousiasme
des conseils pratiques très simples, souvent révolutionnaires, pour améliorer la puissance de votre cerveau.




Vous découvrirez :


• Qu'une seule huile est vraiment indispensable en cuisine

• Pourquoi vous devriez fuir les aliments industriels et les céréales

• Quels bénéfices surprenants vous pouvez tirer du jeûne et d'une alimentation pauvre en glucides

• Comment prendre soin de votre microbiote pour être plus optimiste

• Quels médicaments abandonner d'urgence

• Quels exercices physiques sont vraiment bénéfiques pour le cerveau
ET AUSSI LES 10 SUPERALIMENTS DU CERVEAU
+ UN PROGRAMME DE 15 JOURS POUR OPTIMISER VOTRE ALIMENTATION

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Nutrition, Food, Science, Self Help, Audiobook

477 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was released this year - in March of 2018- just 4 months ago. 196 reviews are posted on Amazon at the moment - with a solid 5 star rating across the board.
As far as nutrition books go - especially relevant to brain health - ( preventing cognitive decline and dementia- all according to the latest science), and overall sound nutrition- advice......
I’ve not read a more readable book- easy to grasp useful health guide book in
a long time - enjoyable too. The facts are easily presented- included is a little humor too. A few things moved and surprised me in our evolving medical world. Such as this excerpt:
“When patients and I get to know each other, I often conduct my visit while walking with the patient in New York City Central Park. The movement and constantly exchanging scenery helps the patient remember my advice and helps me remember the encounter”!
Interesting - my new young bright doctor from India - A rheumatologist, who lives in Santa Cruz, who enjoy surfing, invited me to her house. I invited her to mine as well.
Maybe we will walk the beach?

Max Lugavere, describes evidence-based antidote to the brain-shrinking from the standard American diet and lifestyle. We learn the dangers of inflammation, overfeeding, nutrient deficiency, toxic exposure, chronic stress, physical stagnation, and sleep loss. We’ve read these things before but that’s just skimming the surface of what you’ll find in this book. I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s a great resource book worth owning - a smart health guide to refer to. I’d recommend the Hardcopy over the Kindle.

[Darius Murretti · Rating 1 out of 5]

EXTREME WARNING : MAX LUGAVERE HOLDS NO HEATH DEGREE OF ANY KIND . HE HAS NOT APPEARED IN PUBLIC DEBATE WITH ANY HEALTH AUTHORITIES . HIS ASSERTIONS ABOUT CHOLESTEROL AND FAT CONSUMPTION ARE EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL AND EVEN ROGUE. . (if he where ever to appear in debate with Dr Joel Fuhrman or one of his peers he would be utterly destroyed )

While Lugavere’s book is glibly written and contains some helpful data . Lugavere does NOT have a degree in nutrition and is extremely uncircumspect in his dietary recommendations and the glaring dangers of his dietary recommendations are easily exposed if examined in the light of mainstream nutritional facts. IF you decide to read this book you may be able to construct a healthier way to get the nutrients he advises from much wiser sources if you read what Dr Joel Fuhrman says on brain health and this review ... .

(NOTE :He's a sweet and good son but that does not give him the right to advise people to eat cancer heart attack causing foods while posing as an expert . I think its mainly the love he gives her that is healing her NOT the diet But watch the whole video she totally zones out
https://www.facebook.com/MaxLugavere/... so he has no case studies --not even his mother...)

Here's alittle PRO and CON on this book :

The biggest PRO is that Lugavere spells out how rancid PUSFs in processed foods are damaging to our health and how fresh omega 3s cross they blood brain barrier to help cure Alzheimer's as per https://www.health24.com/Medical/Deme...
The biggest CON is Lugavere foolishly suggests you obtain omega 3 fatty acids by eating highly carcinogenic -high SF/Cholesterol foods like butter , eggs , red meat and fish .( STOKES ARE DEFINITLY BAD FOR YOUR BRAIN ) Mercury in fish has been found to cause : heart attack , cancer , MS and many other neurological diseases !!! Lugavere completely ignores the MAJOR studies showing the correlation between animal foods and heart attack , cancer , MS and many other diseases ! ( see Dr Joel Fuhrman’s book “EAT TO LIVE “ or google: “correlation between animal foods and cancer/heat disease ” ). Lugavere’s advise to eat animal source fats is strongly refuted by ALL major studies . Algae , on the other hand, is the source from which fish obtain omega 3 and there are PLENTY of algae derived VEGAN omega 3 oils on the market ( google : “Algae Based Omega 3 Supplements “ ) Lugavere admits that Algae based DHA and EPA are just as good as that found in animal fat yet he persists in recommending animal fats with all their health risks and environmental hazards . This shows that he loves eating animal foods and being a layman does not see how it ha skewed his scientific approach.

LETS LOOK AT STATISTICAL PROBABILITIES:

If we accept Lugavere’s statement that 1 in 100 of the population is now getting Alzheimer’s. Then our odds of getting Alzheimer’is 1% . BUT what are the odds we will get cancer and cardiovascular disease ? Dr Joel Fuhrman says that 2 out of 3 of us will get some form of cancer during our life time and https://millionhearts.hhs.gov/learn-p... says :
“Approximately 1.5 million heart attacks and strokes occur every year in the United States. More than 800,000 people in the United States die from cardiovascular disease each year—that's 1 in every 3 deaths, and about 160,000 of them occur in people under age 65.”
SO HOW SMART IS IT TO EAT CARCINOGENIC ARTERY CLOGGING ANIMAL FAT TO AVOID A 1% CHANCE OF GETTING ALZHEIMER”S ON THE WORD OF A LAYMAN(WHO PUTS SALT ON HIS FOOD) WHEN ALGAE BASED DHA/EPA OILS ARE AVAILABLE ??? –Not too . If Lagavere is such a genius why can't he figure this out ?

Lugavere says: “Monounsaturated fats are “our brains best friend” and glibby points out foods rich in monounsaturated fats completely overlooking the fact that MONOUNSATURATED FATS ARE NOT ESSENTIAL FATS-- OUR BODIES CAN MAKE THEM !!! –WE DON”T NEED THEM INOUR DIET AT ALL !!! (In his book “eat To live “ Dr Fuhrman covers this topic well. Dr. Fuhrman further states that our body is extremely efficient at converting dietary fat to body fat –the best way to get fat is to eat fat . At least if you eat whole grains ,beans fruits and vegetables you get a rush of energy that helps you to burn off the calories but when you eat fat your body does not get energy from the calories it just converts them to body fat. Fats are high in calories and low in nutrients it is therefore stupid to choose a high fat diet over the a nutrient dense diet advocated AND PROVEN TO REVERSE ALL CHRONIC DISEASE in many thousands of case studies by Dr Fuhrman and Dr Gerson among others.

See https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/suc...

Lugavere seems so obsessed with avoiding/reversing Alzheimer’s that he si oblivious of the risk of cancer , heart attack and high blood pressure eating animal fats entails . (I urge people to read “EAT to LIVE” by Dr Joel Fuhrman )

Continuing the pro and con :

Pro: Lugavere lists the worst oils to avoid and the foods that contain them oils ( canola , corn , peanut oil , safflower oil , soy oils etc ) which are present in all fried fast foods and commercial bakery foods .

Con : Lugavere fails to warn that even eating TOO MUCH fat of any kind , even from freshly harvested vegan sources such as fresh seeds and nuts greatly increases heart attack and stroke and cancer compared to a whole food vegan diet low in fat and high in fruit , vegetables and moderate in grains . Rather he says we should completely disregard all experts and eat lots and lots of grease !!! . Dr Fuhrman cites a study of a country who eat huge amounts omega 3 fish yet had double when we double rates of heart disease of teh international average . He speculates that perhaps EPA is like beta carotene which is anti cancer at low doses but carcinogenic at high doses .

.Hence Lugavere's foolishness in his overboard advise add more and more grease to your diet ( to get more omega 3s . more olive oil , more animal fat) " a table spoon of olive oil(which has no omega 3s ) daily" in addition to the animal fats –this excess lipid intake accumulates in our tissues saturating them and overtime hardens and stiffens our bodies and suffocates the cells obstructing the flow of oxygen and nutrients to our cells in our body causing cancer and HARDENS our arteries .

A whole food plant based diet high in fruits , veggies and legumes and moderate in grains which includes small amounts of flax oil for omega 3s maintains a clean cellular environment so cellular respiration and nutrition can flow unobstructed. Lugavere’s (a layman’s claim that DHA containing animal fats are anti inflammatory is refuted by scores of studies done about the anti-inflammatory benefits of a vegan diet

If Lugavere (a layman) refutes the many studies by degree holding researchers that confirm that eating animal foods correlates with greatly increased cardiovascular disease and cancer then that is complete rubbish .

Lugavere says he loves eating steak with olive oil poured on it –calling olive oil “the ultimate steak sauce” BTW he’s currently 37 so this will catch up with him soon) If you LOOK AT HIS VIDEO:

he is flabby jawed and greasy looking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XySa5...

btw what he is saying in this video about authorities now saying that cholesterol is harmless complete rubbish !! He even corrects himself !!!! I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAX LUGAVERE HAVE A DEBATE WITH DR JOEL FUHRMAN OR EVEN ANY CARDIOLOGIST !!!! They would quickly expose him as a quack .



PRO: Lugavere states that “nature intended” humans to eat a 1:1 ratio ( omega 3 :omega 6 ) but that today most people average a ratio of 1 : 25 . Like all other nutritional advisors Lugavere points out that omega 3s are anti-inflammatory while omega 6s are pro-inflammatory so if we don’t get more omega 3s and fewer omega 6s we will be suffering chronic inflammatory degenerative diseases.

Con : Lugavere fails to point out that SEMEN and vaginal fluid have a large quantity of DHA and that a tremendous amount of our body's DHA is drained from the blood stream in the act of sex. This special blood serum DHA --made by our body- cannot be replaced by taking oral DHA supplements. (YOUR BODY MAKES DHA and EPA from ALA you eat but it is not efficient and to waste it in sex is very harmful to your brain –and the type of DHA and EPA YOUR BODY MAKES and which is wasted in sex CAN NOT BE RECOUPED BY ORAL SUPPLEMENTS . THE # 1 CAUSE OF BRAIN DEGENERATION FROM DHA DEFICIENCY IS EXCESSIVE SEX INDULGENCE . But Lugavere (probably fond of sex as he is of steak and eggs ) Rather than telling you to conserve your semen and vaginal fluids -- Lugavere advises you to recoup DHA by eat unhealthy amounts of FRESH fats ( and not from algae but from animal sources –and even advises taking even NON ESSENTIAL fats like olive oil !!! LUGAVERE does not point out that OUR BODY MAKES THE VERY BEST FORM OF DHA FOR THE HUMAN BRAIN from the ALA we eat and that unless we are highly continent the most vital from of the omega 3 (DHA) is drained out of the body so the extra dietary omega 3 does no good. Even EPA and DHA from supplements is damaged and altered inprocessing. So there si no substitute for conserving ones vital fluids . Eating excessive omega 3 EPA and DHA oil in an attempt to recoup this DHA has been shown by Dr Joel Fuhrman in his book to increase cancer and heart attack in populations that eat lots of fish (see: https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/eat... fro Dr Fuhrmans advose onomega 3s and brain health )

ALA omega 3 fatty acids are very unstable in the presence of oxygen and our body is full of oxygen so it much better conserve the more stable DHA which already in our body than to try to replace it with huge an mounts of dietary fats SOME OF WHICH that our body has top convert to HUMAN DHA . Therefore conserving one's seman/vaginal fluid ,hence one's human grade DHA , is much more heath promoting than any eating animal or even algae derived DHA.

Pro: he points out that grape seed oil has a mega 3 to omega 6 ratio of 700:1 and points out the need to supplement with omega 3 rich foods and oils

Con: he suggests instead of grape seed oil ( high omega 6 oils ) you switch to highly carcinogenic foods like eggs , red meat and fish ( which has mercury which causes hear attack and cancer and MS etc that cause cancer as well to get your DHA ) He also tells you MUST eat fish oil to get your omega 3 fatty acids but fails to tell you that the reason fish have omega 3 is that they eat algae and that you change the same omega 3s( ALA ,DHA and EPA ) without destroying the environments by using algae oil in lieu if fish oil . Nor does he mention that flax seed oil has ALA which out body can make into DHA and EPA so we need not even take algae oil . He would kill you with heart attack ,cancer and MS to get your omega 3s while a perfectly health vegan alternative exists. While He is correct about the need for omega 3 (ALA and perhaps DHA and EPA) in our diet he is totally wrong about how to maintain blood serum healthy levels of these . (HE ALSO FAILS TO MENTION THAT MUSCADINE SEED OIL IS RICH IN UNSATURATED VITAMIN E(tocotrienol) as per

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/Artic...

- a scholarly article on how Muscadine seed oil reduces adipose inflammation and fights obesity “significantly more than olive oil .” I grow Muscadine and grind them is a Norwalk –seeds and all – and drink the juice. As I said I also take cold pressed flax seed oil which I keep in the freezer ( It stays liquid in the freezer ) to prevent it becoming rancid . I would NEVER take cancer and heart attack causing foods that Lugavere recommends

PRO : Lugavere points out that regular exercise helps our bodies make hormones that help protect our brains from inflammation and help them regenerate healthy tissue

Con: Lugavere completely over looks how meditation is been shown to protect our Brian from the ATTACKS of stress and the resulting inflammatory responses that cause dementia and senility . In fact meditation under a competent teacher has been shown to be the single most IMPORTANT factor in reducing stress associated with mental break downs and promoting healthy hormonal chemistry and positive state of mind to combat all neurological disease.(google “ meditation and stress studies”) https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...

Lugavere completely overlooks the detrimental effects of meat eating on ones ability to control one’s mind in meditation. Blissful Meditation –free from all thinking – is vastly more restful and restorative to the brain than sleep because in sleep brain activity continues in dreams. More than anything else proper meditation will transform us into geniuses by directing our attention to the source of all love and light. Lugavere is completely ignorant of this most important of all therapies .


Pro: lists strawberries as containing the nutrient "FISETIN " which he says “reduces brain inflammation and protects against cognitive decline”

CON: he does not warn that strawberries have the highest pesticide residues of any food on earth

http://www.ktvu.com/news/strawberries...

says : Strawberries showed 20 pesticides on them in one sample, Dr Fuhrman does warn against the pesticides in strawberries on his book . So this is another example of how Lagavere advises a food or supplement with a tunnel vision on one nutrient it has without considering the down side of eating that food . For example Lugavere recommends high fat animal foods that HE SAYS protect against brain inflammation because that contain DHA but which 100s of studies confirm increase risk of a devastating stroke because they have cholesterol .

CON : His “cheesy eggs” recipe IS A HEALTH NIGHTMARE :
*high in cholesterol/ he says “use omega 3 eggs"
* it is well known tha omega 3’s are unstable and rapidly break down to free radicals in the presence of heat and oxygen
so Lugevere’s FRYING OMEGA 3 eggs destroys the omega 3s in the eggs into tissue destroying free radicals!!! ,
*he even says to add “2 pinches of SALT” (not potassium chloride but sodium chloride !!!!!) which will shoot your blood pressure up further increasing risk of stroke or heart attack !!!!

IS THAT the kind of guy you want to entrust with YOUR health ?????


Tons of research also shows that eggs increase risk of cancer, that heat destroys omega 3s (that'd why you keep them in the freezer !!) and that salt raises blood pressure

YET Lugavere says (QUOTE) “here’s how to make KILLER eggs –I could eat these every day"

It is also well known among those who practice celibacy that eggs stimulate sexual urge and should be avoided so this ignorant fool's diet will set you up for failure in every way . Dispute all his scientific talk his practical wisdom is nil . I would not advise any of my friends to follow his diet (though some of the scientific data in the book is good to know the way he attempts to construct a regime in very foolish )

CON :Lugavere recommends a low carb diet that you can not stick to because you will have low energy and be glum all the time . He completely misses that it is not carbs that re bad but REFINED carbs . Carbs from whole fruits , vegetables grains and beans are not bad and you can eat as much a you want and be healthy and lean.

CON: a high fat diet sows your digestion and metabolism down . Food stays in your stomach longer making you feel sleepy and disinclined to vigorous exercise . Food can actually spoil in you stomach losing its vitamins and turning toxic. The sooner your food is digested and absorbed into your blood the better.

CON : fats can oxidize in your body and stiffen this creates a coating that si much harder to get rid of that glycogen stores are to burn up


In conclusion : -CONSIDER THE SOURCE –
Max Lugavere (born 1982 in New York City) is an American television personality, health and science journalist, author, filmmaker, and musician. He resides in Los Angeles, California and New York City.

He is a laymen NOT AN EXPERT ! UNLIKE Drs MAX GERSON and JOEL FUHRMAN he does not HAVE 1000S ANDS 1000S OF CASE STUDIES showing that his diet actually reverses alzheimer's.

Lugavere’s degree is in psychology and journalism so he is an expert at PERSUADING people .
THIS IS JUST THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO CAN GET ON THE BEST SELLER LIST PROMOTING
MISINFORMATION .

Ketogenic is a term for a low-carb diet (like the Atkins diet). The idea is for you to get more calories from protein and fat and less from carbohydrates. ALL MAINSTREAM DEGREE HOLDING NUTRITIONAL EXPERTS AGREE 100% that a “Ketogenic” is NOT a healthy diet !

As a registered dietician and certified nutritional councilor , son of a registered dietician and certified nutritional councilor my parents and I have seen plenty of raw food vegans who ate mostly RAW ORGANIC nuts and salads who had heart attacks from this regime (Almonds have plenty of artery clogging saturated fat 17% by weight and greens have excessively high amounts of vitamin K( a blood clotting agent )-even olive oil is 9% saturated fat by weight )AS per 1000s of case studies these patients heart condition was nonsurgically reversed when the patients gave up ALL fat except flax seeds or flax seed oil and ate a balanced whole food diet of MOSTLY whole fruits and vegetables .

A LOW FAT DIET ( getting all fat from flax seed and grain hearts and a FEW WHOLE RAW nuts , avocados, olives( NOT OLIVE OIL) , Moderate protein , High fruit and veggie , moderate grain WHOLE FOOD DIET reverses both heart disease and cancer and any chronic disease .So my recommendation is : Please DON’T follow this ketogenic diet ESPECIALLY NOT LUGAVERE"S ) but follow the thoroughly studied , widely acclaimed and time tested diet of Dr Max Gerson , Dr Joel Fuhrman, Dr Ann Wigmore , Dr Norman Walker and the text book that most college nutrition courses worldwide use “ UNDERSTANDING NUTRITION “by Eleanor Noss Whitney Sharon Rady Rolfes ET AL.
With Loving Concern ,
Dari

[BobbieLynn Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my new go-to resource to which I may refer to people when they ask, "What do you do?" So
many people struggle with their weight, and because I am relatively fit and lean, they ask me what I do. I
have a Word document I put together with a list of people and reference materials with internet links
(including "breadheadthemovie.com"), but now, I plan to recommend reading Genius Foods. This book
has it all! What I have been learning about and incorporating in my life is everything I have found that is
protective of my brain. I am interested in maintaining or even improving my cognitive abilities as well as
my good health and fitness. I am also seeking to optimize longevity – or more importantly – health span.
Of course, what is good for the brain is good for the body, and this book has everything one needs – like
the instruction manual for maintenance of the modern human. Everything I have learned by reading
over a dozen books and countless blogs and research articles and by listening to hundreds of hours of
podcasts has been distilled into this easy-to-read, incredibly informative, and surprisingly entertaining
book. (The pop culture references abound! Use your brain, and see if you can catch them all. After all, "Winter is coming…͟"). Yes, I think you will enjoy reading it even if you are not a health nerd who regularly
indulges on this type of information (like me). I am very impressed with the breadth of the book’s
content. Max and Dr. Grewal are busting many long-held but health-harming myths and giving you the
powerful information and practical tips and tools you need to save your brain – and the rest of your
body - from the ravages of this modern toxic environment. #GeniusFoods

[Paloma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a few essential doubts and questions about this book and the foods he advocates for.

Firstly, in his book, Lugavere advocates for a low carb, high (good) fat diet, that is low in carbohydrates, including those those from starchy plants such as sweet potato, on the basis that they spike insulin even acutely or over a long period of time. I have also been reading about the world's 'blue zones' too, and the research done on the longest living (and healthiest) people on earth, and these studies have shown that they all consume an averagely high amount of carbohydrates such as sweet potato or sourdough bread (although no refined grains). This is very contradictory of his research and makes me wonder whether he has just cherry picked his research to prove a point - why didn't he mention this? I am aware that correlation doesn't mean causation, but still, he does refer a lot to studies done on mice, and not enough to real studies of people who consume a whole foods diet with whole grains. Furthermore, some evidence has suggested that whole grains actually increase insulin sensitivity (which is good!), and this was not discussed in the book either.

Secondly, he does strongly advocate for the use of animal products - on the contrary, numerous research has demonstrated that a 95% plant-based diet is the most optimal for long lived health, and animal products should be consumed an average of 4 times a month and in special occasions. In his book, Lugavere does give the impression that eating grass-fed beef, eggs and wild caught salmon even several times a week is okay. Does he mention how over-consuming protein is also very toxic for the body and mind? (as mentioned in another book 'the Diet of Longevity' by Prof. Longo). Im not defending any one point of view, just would have liked to seen this discussed.

Thirdly, and this is in relation to my own journey, I have found that there is no one-size-fits-all, and if there is, one should look at the studies of the longest and healthiest living people on earth (the blue zones studies). Otherwise, we are just taking someone's opinion as nutritional advice, which many dietary and nutrition books do nowadays and can end up hurting ourselves and our bodies. I believe that our bodies know best when it comes to fat, carbohydrate and protein, and we just need to get better at listening to our real bodily (not mind) needs. Different bodies also differ in rates of conversion (e.g. some women would do just fine with an omega 3 intake of only ALA if paired with low intake of omega 6's), some people can't tolerate animal protein, some people need high carbs because they are athletes or many other different lifestyles.

What is sure is that if you try to force your body to have a diet that it's not adapted for then you're gonna end up having nutritional deficiencies, digestive issues or (as I think he probably has) an obsessive, overly restrictive and toxic relationship with food. Of course, try out his ideas, but don't take what he says as dogma or ultimate advice, especially when numerous other books and high-quality research directly contradict his opinions.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Of all the available old and recent studies on food and nutrition, Genius Foods references a very small and narrow portion of them to reach some very questionable conclusions. Although the author only says it once in the whole book, you should definitely question all information, including that which comes from this book.

[Hannah]

I already am very careful and mindful of what I eat because I'm diabetic and want to avoid dementia too (don't we all?). However, I also recognize I am unable to incorporate every single recommendation made by every doctor, dietician, nutritionist, neuroscientist, etc. The changes need to be manageable, understandable, and sustainable. I DNFd after the first chapter. It was way more technical than I had any interest in reading, even though that usually isn't enough of a deterrent for me in the name of learning. I think I just felt like I was already doing a lot, and to add to it, right now, was the wrong time to do it in my life. I've got too many other competing priorities, and I'm doing a pretty good job with my health as it is, at least according to my blood tests (to the point that my doctor said he'd never seen anyone's VLDL cholesterol as low as mine - a 9).

[Dan Connors · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I'm significantly overweight, I try to read at least one diet book per year. I didn't want to read this book, because I knew it would challenge me on many of my food preferences like pizza, ice cream, breads and starches. It did not disappoint.

One thing that is unique about Genius Foods is its focus on brain health. As I reach age 60 this year, I can notice a small decrease in my ability to retrieve information, and the need to keep brains healthy and functioning is timely and important. The author points out that some health practitioners consider Alzheimer's and Dementia to be "Type 3 Diabetes", pointing the finger at the increased inflammation and high glucose levels that our standard Western diet provides. The current American diet is way too full of added sugars, carbs, and processed chemicals to add flavor and aid in storage and appearance. A lot of this book provides good advice I've heard before, tailored this time to improving your brain function.

Standard advice such as getting good quality sleep, getting plenty of exercise, and avoiding chronic stress I already knew about. One thing I didn't know is that while chronic stress is a brain killer, periodic intense stress is good for your brain as it challenges your neurons and rebuilds connections- things like vigorous exercise, mental challenges, or exposure to new situations helps keep us young.

The author also recommends intermittent fasting- for 12 to 24 hours at a time, something I've heard recommended before. One of the problems in many diets is if people eat constantly, around the clock, it doesn't give their biochemistry a chance to reset and get blood glucose levels back down. The hormone insulin remains constantly elevated with continuous eating, and it becomes harder and harder for the body to get blood levels back to normal again. Food for thought.

The chapters that deal with food are what I feared the most and this author, like many before him, breezily jumps past all the nasty foods you should avoid, telling you to just clean out your kitchen and start over. This is easier said than done for most of us. My eating patterns have lasted a lifetime and going cold turkey is just not possible for many of us.

That said, he does extol the virtues of ten super foods that he recommends, thankfully spread out in ten small bites throughout the book. I plan on trying out each of the ten foods and trying to incorporate them into my diet. He explains why they are so good and gives concrete examples of how to get and prepare them. They are:

1- Extra Virgin Olive Oil- which he says is highly superior to the many other commercial oils that are used today. I had thought Canola oil, which I use was okay, but am hearing more warnings about corn oil, vegetable oil, and many others.

2- Blueberries. These are the fruit of choice as they pack anti-oxidants and many other nutrients.

3- Broccoli. Loaded with fiber and vitamins, the author recommends broccoli sprouts that contain even higher levels of nutrients.

4- Leafy greens- the darker the better- stay away from Iceberg lettuce.

5- Avocado- Full of potassium and fiber, these fruit can lower cholesterol

6- Fresh salmon- (and many healthy fish varieties) A great source of Omega 3's, vitamins and protein.

7- Grass fed beef- this type of beef has protein, vitamins and anti-oxidants, but cows from feedlots that don't eat natural foods like grass lack nutrients and have more unhealthy fats.

8- Eggs- One of the few on this list I've been eating regularly. Good for you, especially the yolk which the author advises you eat.

9- Almonds- most nuts have helpful nutrients, but the author recommends almonds, and not roasted ones.

10- Dark chocolate- bitter in taste but full of beneficial flavanoids. East regularly but sparingly.

I know that the standard American diet is mostly garbage, and that over half of the nation is obese. Even the folks who are not obese could be suffering from inflammation and at risk for dementia later on. It's just very, very hard to change old habits. Books like this need to keep coming until our consciousness gets better about the difference between what's tasty and what's good for us.

[Debbie Wentworth Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Max Lugavere discovered that his mother had Alzheimer's, he determined to fight for her by finding out why she had the disease and what to do about it. Although his discoveries came too late to save her, they may save some of us. He found that a lot of Alzheimer's is diet- and lifestyle-related. The change in eating habits in the past fifty years and in agricultural practices have created a plague of Alzheimer's, also now known as Type 3 diabetes.

Lugavere explains what happens to the brain, why, and what to do about it. Between chapters, he details 10 genius foods and how to serve them. He also includes several recipes of some of his favorite recipes. Highly recommended.

[Autumn · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is some junk science in this book, and many claims are not given proper citations (though some are). Unfortunately some of the dogma in this text (e.g. proposing that nearly all of modern medicine is bad; the authors’ trendy preoccupation with fasting) gets in the way of some sensible and interesting dietary information also found in the book. The lines between what are “healthy” vs “unhealthy” lifestyle decisions are in reality more nuanced than this book elects to explore.

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written summary of all the information on diet and health floating around in the last few years. The author’s conversational style made this an especially enjoyable book.

His 10 Genius foods hook was a great way to simplify all the science.

I also like how he acknowledged that there is good stress as well as bad stress. Stress is how we grow, in many cases.

Living with a family member with dementia can make broccoli very palatable.

[Joy D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max Lugavere decided to study the impact of food and diet on brain function after his mother was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. His goal is to inform people how to achieve optimal brain health. He identifies ten foods that help prevent neurological decline. He backs up his recommendations with references to scientific research. The book also covers such topics as inflammation, blood sugar regulation, gut health, and the impact of processed foods. He debunks a few commonly believed myths. He then provides shopping lists, meal plans, and cooking suggestions.

It is written for a general audience, which means some neuroscientific concepts are simplified. The upside is that it provides advice about specific foods to add to your diet, as well as those to avoid (and why). As always, there are caveats to discuss your diet with a medical professional and that nutritional research remains incomplete. It provides a good introduction to the brain-food connection. It mentions the benefits of exercise and sleep but is mostly focused on food. I have read other books that contain similar suggestions, and the author is not trying to sell me anything else, so I enjoyed it.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Nonfiction/Health. The author narrates his own audio and he is very personable. Brain health has been getting a lot of buzz in recent years. Recent books pretty much say the same things: eat your veggies, stay away from sugar and grains, get enough sleep and see what nutrients you're deficient in...and oh yeah, and don't forget to exercise. There were some suggestions in here that caused me to arch my eyebrows. The one I remember the most was the actual slurping up your olive oil with a spoon.

As with similar books, the studies are cherry picked to reflect the message of the author. I read a lot of books in these genres and everyone seems to have their lists of what to do and not do. The thing is, everyone is different. What works for one, may not work for all. Do your own research.

Overall, this one wasn't chock-full of new ideas. But a reminder is always nice and also hearing the supporting research for his ideas are always the kind of thing I like to sift through....so 3.5 stars.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, well written book on how to keep your brain healthy through diet, exercise and meditating. This author is a believer in eating all the good fats (basically olive oil) and veggie veggie veggie with little or no carbs. Fiber thru veggies is his mantra not thru grains. Has the medical info to back it up on the "why" it's good for your brain and how your gut plays such an important part to keeping that brain healthy. Did you know that the weight of all the bacteria in your gut equals the weight of your brain?

[RbbieFrah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The American heart association has in no uncertain terms stated that eating red meat , saturated fats and cholesterol increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.

The American Cancer Association lists red meat as a class 2 carcinogen along with lead and styrene.

Climatologists also say that a high meat diet is very bad for the environment from the point of view of Global warming and dropping oxygen levels since 30 % or earth's habitable land mass is cattle grazing pasture and another 30% is used for growing cattle feed .

Go vegan and save the planet so you can live on it and save yourself a heart attack , cancer and arthritis

I am not a tree lover or an animal lover .I am a people lover . If we keep bulldozing our trees to make room for more cows and their feed that many people will suffer.

If people have heart attacks they and their families will suffer

This love for people is what moves my heart to speak --it is not love for the trees or cows .

I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT WHAT FOLLOWS IS FROM THE COMMENT SECTION OF DARIUS MURRETTI"S REVIEW OF THIS BOOK AND IS REPRINTED HERE WITH HIS FULL PERMISSION :

"THE # 1 CAUSE OF BRAIN DEGENERATION FROM DHA DEFICIENCY IS EXCESSIVE SEX INDULGENCE"
source, please.

A) Epub 2018 Feb 16.
The Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, EPA, and or DHA on Male Infertility: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
“This meta-analysis indicates that supplementing infertile men with omega-3 fatty acids resulted in a significant improvement in sperm motility and concentration of DHA in seminal plasma.”
Published online 2020 Feb 5. doi 10.1155 2020 7038124
Relevance of Fatty Acids to Sperm Maturation and Quality
“Moreover, sperm DHA content has been positively correlated with sperm motility . Many studies reported a high concentration of DHA in spermatozoa of normozoospermic subjects”,

The following is from page 235 of Volume 3 of Philosophy of the Masters :
“ Semen has a vital energy which supports our life….It is the vital part of our blood. Scientists consider that 40 drops of blood form one drop of vital fluid. Dr Louis says it is formed from the vital elements of the blood …this vital fluid is the king of vitality. We are ignorant of it health benefits and debase ourselves by wasting it …Our society is unconscious of it. We are in a very wretched state.
Vital Fluid is a dynamic force and contains the power and energy of the soul . It is the essence of our life , intellect and spiritual consciousness .Once lost it can not be recouped by tonics , supplements etc .If you preserve it will help you in perceiving your soul, imbibing higher bliss and ultimately in realizing the Lord.
Premature old age, loss of memory , impotence , disease of the eyes , lungs , heart , and delicate organs are the result of EXCESSIVE loss.
The vital fluid is working in all the energy giving organs of the body. It is the very essence of life . By wasting it we retard our physical , metal and spiritual progress"(end quote)

The Following is from POM Vol 3 page 241
Dr Nicholson writes, “It is a medical and physiological fact that the best blood in the body goes to from elements of reproduction in both sexes . In a pure and orderly life ,this matter is re-absorbed and it goes back into the circulation ready to from the finest BRAIN, NERVE and muscular tissue. This matter carried and diffused through out his system makes a person strong , steady of mind and character, brave and heroic”

In other words , John , this is what people used to call being "a person of good character "

Leo Tolstoy - a vegetarian - said “ One should preserve ones vital fluid . One should not only abstain from evil action but should keep his mind pure and clean of all evil thoughts and should not besmear the soul with the dirt of evil ideas .He should in other word be a true and perfect celibate “

Tolstoy did not have the internet with all its porn in his home but still we should try our best to keep our mind buzy in pure , clean , healthy , higher pursuits and there is none higher and nobler that to unite ones soul with God .

So from the above you will have to concede that sperm does have DHA in it and that the less sperm we lose the more DHA will be conserved and reabsorbed , as Dr Nicolson says " to build the finest NERVE and BRAIN tissue."


Also --- its tough enough to keep one's mind free of sexual thoughts without eating aphrodisiacs like eggs . It points to our extreme ignorance that viagara is the best selling pharmaceutical and porn is the highest dollar industry in the world (dwarfing all other blue cap companies in the DOW combined )

Go to YOU TUBE type in
“Dairy Fat Lowers Heart Disease Risk Debunked Mic the Vegan"
Spending 14:23 to watch this video
it may save your life if it can convince you that Lugavere's diet is
not safe

(DO pause the video to read the scientific report screen shots he puts up )

Go to YOU TUBE type in:

Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman Eats Pats of Butter Straight?!
Mic the Vegan

watch the video for 14:36

this will save your life by showing you that eating butter causes Alzheimer's by clogging blood vessels in the brain

Go to YOU TUBE type in:

Eric Berg's Tip for Increasing Mortality by 80%
Mic the Vegan

17:46 in lenght
after watching the above 3 videos you should be convinced that Lugavere's diet is unscientific ,dangerous and unnecessary

In May 2018, McGill University's Office for Science and Society analyzed Lugavere's health-related claims in his book, Genius Foods, and podcast, and concluded that Lugavere lacked the credentials to accurately interpret the scientific literature used to substantiate his health claims, and ACKNOWLEGED LUGAVERE'S BUSSINESS AMBITIONS

I quote "Brain Health: Max Lugavere and the Bait-and-Switch Maneuver
In trying to find a treatment for his mom’s neurodegenerative condition, a journalist turned “brain food expert” believes his one-year deep dive into research articles exceeds the expertise of top neurologists.

But knowledge is not the same as wisdom. Many studies are poorly designed and executed, yet they end up getting published just the same. How can the average person tell the difference between a good and a bad study when a committee of actual scientists seems unable to turn the bad ones away from being published?
he simply seems ill-equipped (as a college major in film and psychology) to interpret the scientific literature as opposed to reading it.
In his book, Genius Foods, Lugavere writes: “Connecting the dots requires a certain level of creative thinking.” No. It requires rigor, scientific training, and experience."

The article is worth reading
GOOGLE "Brain Health: Max Lugavere and the Bait-and-Switch Maneuver" look for the mcgill.ca website

Q)Do you think abstaining from sex makes you a better person? You seem to me to be in dire need of a b--w job. I'm convinced either you're trying to deceive others or you yourself have been deceived about the importance of bodily fluids out of a misguided attempt to control people's behavior.

A The neurologists definitely tell us that porn is very bad for your mental health .It causes the more primitive parts of your brain to grow and the higher hemispheres of the brain shrink.( see books on "BRAIN PLASTICITY: by any neurologist) So we should definitely avoid porn .If we avoid porn we are likely to view the opposite sex as human beings rather than sex objects and develop true and lasting friendship rather than as toys to be discarded .As far as celibacy goes psychologists and biologists tell us that sex drive and the mating drive is a natural instinct that becomes very strong at times and that if we forcible suppress this natural instinct with our giving the mind a vastly superior bliss such as “samadhi” we will become much more obsessed with sex than if we get a willing life partner and settle down . This suppressed natural instinct can turn us into rapists and pedophiles etc . Masturbation is no remedy . Nature has given us the safety valve of wet dreams but there are only two real solutions 1) get married and have your little indulgence while at the same time trying to help each other focus on higher more fulfilling achievements in life like service to humanity or Surat Shabd Yoga meditation(increasing ones concious contact with God resulting in a life long partnership of positive personality transformation .Mediation should be done under the guidance of a certifed accredited meditation teacher who can lead you to a higher bliss who has been appointed by his own teacher and who charges no fee at all . (for how to find such true teacher see "The Path of the Masters" by Dr Julian Johnson ( the PDF is available free form a Bahia website of all places )

2) skip the marriage part and keep you mind off sex topics by staying busy in higher things while Surat Shabd Yoga meditation under the guidance of a mediation teacher who can lead you to a higher bliss

If you can not keep yur mind free of constant sex urges by focusing on nobler higher pursuits then it is better to get married but to try to avoid over indulgence and try to base the relationship on platonic activities your enjoy doing together . Life long monogamy is important so that STDs are kept out of the relationship. Surat Shabd tell us to gradually detach from sex pleasure at the genital plexus by attaching to the inner sound of “Shabd “which yields o much bliss that one does not miss sex –then there is no negative reaction from forced celibacy"

This ends Darius Muretti's comments

I would like to close by saying that Darius Murretti and I are practicing the science of Surat Shabd Yoga which is one of those spiritual schools which is classified as a science because it gives positive proof during life to the practitioner of things that religions promise after death .
If a practitioner follows all instructions faithfully he/she will gain proof positive that there is a power in their head that can be heard , felt and seen . It can charge them with positive energy , purify their minds of Lust , anger , greed , worldly loves and ego and bestow humility , forgiveness , charity , detachment , compassion , clear thinking and knowledge .It can take them up out of their body to "the kingdom of heaven : and them return them to it.

Therefore it is regarded a science not a religion . No fee is ever charged , The Teacher is God in human form and he has no need of your money . Darius and I go and stay with him for a month each year and he gives us free room and board .He also runs 3 free hospitals . Gives our free food to millions , etc etc

The "catch " is that a student must be lacto vegetarian or vegan , give up sex out of wed lock , earn an honest livlihood, abstain from alcohol , drugs and tobacco and e cigarette . eat less . speak less and sleep less and mediate a MINUMUM of 2.5 hours EVERY MORNING at 3am and repeat a mantra all day

Also It hurts like hell the first time you are pulled out of your body .Many people, find it unbearable.It has been compared to having a thorny bush pass though your body

The amount of pain is associated with your past karma . In this science "karma" literally means "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" Every thing that happens-good and bad - to us is caused by something we did-good and bad- previously and death is no escape.

In this science we get proof positive that our life did not start when we were born nor will it end when this body does .We get absolute proof that we have been transmigrating for ages from body to body in a vast cycle of 8,400,000 species of plants, microbes ,reptiles , insect , birds, nonhuman mammals , and humans .In human life we have a chance to get off the wheel via surat shabd yoga as taught by a living teacher( the Power in our heads which takes a human form to teach us how to find it within our selves ) ending the cycle of transmigration.

The main reason this science requires students to become lacto-vegetarian or vegan is because we can not go with the power and thus be released from the cycle of reincarnation until we have paid back all the pain(bad karmas) we have caused other beings to go through . So demanding animals be killed for our enjoyment would be add to our store of bad karma and the only way to pay off pain we caused with pain caused to us. Human life is the only life we create karma .If we create alot of bad karma while human we must be born a animals to face similar pain. If we do alot of good and avoid bad then we get a human birth in good circumstances .So it just logical to be vegetarian and do a lot of good deeds. Further more if we get a favorable enough balance of good to bad karma we get meeting a TRUE TEACHER written into our destiny .

Christains interrupt Jesus' words "I have not come to destroy the law but to fullfill it" as meaning that He died on the cross to pay off our bad karma.

Christains will cite that in the council of Nicea (325AD) , reincarnation, abstinence wine and vegetarianism were voted out of the church Also that Christ (God made human) will NOT come again until the end of the world.

This science says that Christ is always on this earth to take back those souls whose balance of good karmas is outweighing there bad karmas .Only those souls will have enough faith in the LIVING CHRIST to follow his instructions

The main point is that Darius and I believe ( and about 3.3 million fellow students world wide ) believe that we are being instructed by God in human form and that He can cut through all the confusion and debates so when he says that a well balanced vegetarian diet that includes enough fresh green leafy vegetables, fruits , vegetables m whole grains , legumes , nuts , seeds is the heathiest diet for physical , mental and spiritual health we are also certain of it so when we try to explain it to you all we to do is find worldly reseachers who confirm what our instructor has told us

But still the main argument is that if we eat food that had to feel alot of pain to die then we must under go a similar amount of pain before we can be released

when you first stop eating meat you will go through a detox and posiens store in your body (in you liver and bones) renter your blood stream on the way out you may get headaches, irritibilty and feel lack of energy like staying in bed for a week or two but IF YOU ARE EATING A BALANCED DIET OF GREEN LEAFY VEGEATBLES (collards , moringa , bok choy , turnip greens , kale) FRESH VEGETAGLES , WHOLE GRAINS , LUGUMES, FRUITS and DAIRY PRODUCTS according to FDA guidelines for vegetrians your will soon feel better than you have in years.

Our teacher is saying that we have pushed nature out of balance by burning fossil fuels and clearing forrest so that 30% of earth's habitable surface is cattle grazing land and an additional 30% is used in growing cow feed . Every minute something like 40 football fields of forest are cleared and 77% of that is for cattle farming .
Our teacher says That we have pushed nature so far our of balance that nature is pushing back with COVID
He tells us that is we do not voluntarily restore the balance that nature will do it for us by more pandemics to thin our numbers and slow our economy
He tells us that its going to be alot better for the human race if we bring our life style into balance with nature than if nature has to push us back into balance.

In 2021 our teacher -free or charge feed over a million climate refugees every day and opened free a vaccination clinics through out India if GR allow links I would paste them here so you can see the articles and news reels of the feeding and vaccination clinics. He warns that their is a limit to what can be done if we go on clearing and for meat.He warns that he's not going to step in and do everything for us>He tells us we have created thsi mess and it si for us to fix it .That is why he has given us free will and why he loves us enough to allow us to under go the consequences of what we e have done .

There is a reason in the low of karma we created .It was not to punish but to teach. So we have been forced into a situation -by our own negative actions and it is only by positive actions that we can improve our situation and avoid making it worse .We have been sent here to learn a lesson and if he steps in too much we wont learn it.

If we are creating a demand for meat and milk we are creating pain for climate refugees and that is added to the pain of these animals

and if you are a Christian who thinks you are exempt from the law of good and bad actions . PLEASE REMEMBER THE WORDS OF JESUS

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter."

Jesus has clearly stated that Gods will is to provide shelter, food , clothing and water to the refuges so what kind of reception can we expect when we go before him after having deprived the refugees of thier homes, food , water and all belongings due to deforestion due to our lust for meat.

What if the Council of Nicea got it wrong when they concluded that Jesus did not teach reincarnation , vegetarianism and abstinence from wine? and now you have to take your next birth in the year 2040 to face what you caused ?

What if we Knew that its NOT the "next generation but US to be born in a hot dry world ?

Justice would be better served if the GUILTY could come back to face the punishment of their crime in lieu of an INNOCENT babe should face it! The guilty learns to show mercy to others by being born in their circumstances.

Its not only logical but any student who follows the instructions can go up prove it in this life time.
Those who don't want to be students and prove it within them selves can use the gauge given in
Matthew 7:15 where Jesus tells us how to distinguish a false prophet from a true one: he says : "15Beware of false prophets. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.…"

Jesus is saying don't look at the words but at the deeds a Teacher to see if he's true or false .are They the deeds that a loving selfless God would do if he came among us ? Or of a needy self intersted impostor?

If you can gain just a little faith in that our TEACHER is TRUE by looking at his deeds -even of you dont want to become a student yourself maybe you can see that he is right about becoming vegan or vegetarian and make the life style change for all the above reasons .

[Cav · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a mixed bag for me. I'll start with the good and then move onto the bad.
The Good:
*The writing. Author Max Lugavere writes with a natural, easy style. The book is presented as though he were speaking to you in a normal conversation. Any time a book can convey complex ideas in an easy-digestible, engaging manner, it scores big time IMHO. This book deals with many complex biochemical processes, mechanisms, and pathways. Yet he manages to present these concepts in a very down-to-earth manner. Excellent!
*The content. This is a very informationally-dense book, that covers a lot of territory.
He is taking a deep dive into biochemistry here. He does an excellent job of presenting this information. Many of the studies and concepts he talks about are at the vanguard of modern science. Much of what he presented here was new to me, and I learned quite a lot from reading this book.
*The formatting. The book doesn't go off on the long-winded tangents that are often a hallmark of many science books I have read. His writing is concise, informative, and often humorous. The book has an excellent "flow".

The Bad:
*The book has a lot of great information, but much of what he prescribes will not be attainable for the average person. A diet of extra virgin olive oil, grass-fed beef, and organic veggies is not within the means of many/most middle-class working families. Some of the ways he presents this "Genuis Diet" come across as a very rigid prescription. Many foods are not to be consumed; including any wheat, bread, or most other starches and carbs. In one of the later chapters, he advises people to toss all these things in the garbage.
A more realistic approach would recognize that carbohydrates are not evil incarnate. They can be consumed as part of a healthy, balanced diet. He does walk this back a bit in chapter 6, where he says that some carbs are ok, if you are eating them post-workout.
Even if someone can afford to adopt the dietary advice he presents here, I would hazard a guess that they won't be able to maintain such a strict diet for the long-term.
The most effective diet is one that you will be able to maintain for the long-term. Make small, progressive changes that are sustainable would seem to be better guidance.
*The biggest criticism I have of the book is that he often mentions that people should choose organic food over conventional. He seems to think that organic food does not use pesticides, and/or, that organic pesticides are less harmful than synthetic ones. Neither is true.
Whether something is "good" or "bad" for you, has absolutely nothing to do with whether it's natural, or synthetic.
All pesticides need to be equally independently evaluated for potential harm. Whether they are "natural", or not should have zero bearing on the matter.
Plenty of things that are "natural" are very bad for you. All disease is "natural"; cancers, viruses, pathogens, etc.
Venom, poison, smoke, radiation, sunlight, box jellyfish, grizzly bears, blackflies, mosquitos, etc are all "natural", and can kill you if you are not careful.
*His anti-GMO rhetoric. This made me question his credibility more than anything else. GM tech is the most studied biotech ever. We have been altering genes in labs with precision for almost ~30-40 years. There is zero evidence of any harm to end consumers of this food. Ever.
We have been genetically modifying all our food for ~10,000 years.
His "Genuis Food", broccoli, is a relatively modern invention. There is no wild broccoli. Ditto, his beloved kale. The mustard plant is the progenitor of both of these plants.
GM crops also use less pesticides, yield more, reduce co2 emissions from reduced mechanical working of the soil, and provide better, more consistent products that consumers love and demand.
It was pretty disappointing to read his GMO bashing in this book. He is smart enough to know better...

Anyhow, I took the good with the bad, and this was still an exceptionally well-written book.
To the author's credit, he does mention, right at the end, that science is never settled, and to question all claims that are put forward, including ones in this book.
Overall, this was an informative book that was put together really well. I would have rated it 5 stars easily, but I'll subtract 1 for his non-organic and GMO bashing.
4 stars.

[Bill Yeadon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been the year of reading books on eating healthy. How can so many doctors totally disagree with each other?

While Max Lugavere falls into the low carb camp at least he is not a hard line zealot. Also, he is not a doctor (didn't even stay in a Holiday Inn Express while writing) maybe he realized he is not infallible.

I enjoyed his journey of how and why he got to his decisions. Sometimes staying in the middle of the road allows you the flexibility to change when science has updated its beliefs.

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book, period.

[KC · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the exception of grass-fed beef, I am well on my way to keeping Alzheimer's at bay. Will check out his documentary Bread Head.

[Diego Arredondo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best and overall greatest book about cerebral nutrition. A compelling way to deliver, I really suggest that everyone should read this book.

[Susanchitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author writes a very informative and motivational narrative on the foods we need to eat to keep a healthy mind and body. Although I knew extra virgin olive oil, avocados, blueberries, wild salmon, dark leafy greens, eggs, grass-fed beef, dark chocolate and almonds were good for you his explanations made total sense. I have a huge sweet tooth but he has convinced me to change my ways. I truly hope this will be a life style change for me.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is this what living a summer in Denver does to a person? Make them bandwagon on the microbiome?

This is definitely a science heavy book and wasn’t the most conducive to audio. However, I already find myself eating healthier based on the info I’ve gathered. I’m excited to see how these brain foods influence my culinary journey and creativity!!

And no matter what I learn, cheezits will always remain a main food group in my diet.

[Thomas Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive while Protecting Your Brain for Life, Max Lugavere, 2018, 388 pages, ISBN 9780062562852, Dewey 612.82 L967g

You age at the rate you produce insulin. p. 98. See /Cracking the Aging Code/, Josh Mitteldorf.

Extra-virgin olive oil. p. 25
Avocado p. 59
Eggs p. 143
Coconut oil p. 167
Grass-fed beef p. 173
Dark leafy greens p. 209
Broccoli p. 243
Wild salmon p. 267
Almonds p. 297

FOR CHOLINE: p. 220
Eggs
Beef, chicken, fish
Brussels sprouts, broccoli, spinach

AVOID DRUGS THAT DESTROY ACETYLCHOLINE: p. 219
Oxybutynin

FOR POLYPHENOL: p. 292-293
Green tea
Green vegetables
Turmeric
Extra-virgin olive oil
Cucumber

DIRTY--ALWAYS GET ORGANIC: p. 309
Kale, Collard greens, Spinach
Strawberries
Cucumbers
Bell peppers
Cherry tomatoes

CLEAN--NEEDN'T BE ORGANIC: p. 309
Asparagus
Avocado
Cabbage
Cauliflower

[Mari Annus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kuulasin audioraamatuna. Minu jaoks oleks lihtsam olnud paberkandjal lugeda, sest tegu on väga infomahuka teosega, sisuliselt õpikuga. Mitmeid asju olen varem teadnud, kuid oli ka rohkelt uut infot, kuidas tervislikumalt elada, baseerudes uuringutel. Puudutab toitumist ja miks on ketogeenne/süsivesikutevähene toitumine tervislik nii kehale kui ajule. Võtab biokeemia ja füsioloogia pulkadeks lahti. Peamised mõtted: Tuleb tähtsustada valku, toidukvaliteeti, elukeskkonna puhtust. Käsitleb suhteliselt terviklikult tervislikke eluviise. Saan kasutada antud teadmisi ka oma erialases töös.

[Kari Yergin]

Not exactly fascinating cover to cover (it’s pretty dry and “scientific” but he’s trying to explain and prove his thinking) but does make you think.

Doctors after do “Diagnose and adios”
My genes don’t show a predisposition it seems like they’re not solely responsible. External trigger. So there must be something else. Connection between brain health and metabolism. Increased energy levels and clearer thinking. Better mood and more focused. Lose fat.

Neurogenisis = creating new brain cells. Neuroplasticity throughout life.

JAMA said that it takes 17 years to put into practice scientific knowledge. So the whole narrative persists. First of all, scientific consensus takes forever. It took decades to go from doctors literally endorsing cigarettes to them starting to question the health effects. Industry does not care about our health. Take it upon yourself!

Medication has Limited efficacy, like a Band-Aid.

In a perfect world inflammation is to spot clean cuts, wounds, and bruises. Now it is activated in response to our diet and lifestyles.

Overfeeding. We’re constantly in a fed state. Food is engineered to make you want more.

Toxic exposure (food like products included)drives inflammation. They contribute to an activated immune system driving anxiety, Depression, sub optimal performance, And long-term risk for disease.

Chronic stress.

Physical stagnation. Check out Thermal exercise

Sleep deprivation

Every passing minute is a chance to turn it all around.

“Costco sized gains for dollar store effort” ha!

A good evoo should taste grassy never greasy. It actually acts a little like Tylenol. If it makes you cough, it’s really good. It should be used liberally as the main oil in your diet.

Sugar and some of carbohydrates are more highly correlated with heart disease and brain disfunction than fat.

Shop the perimeter not the Franken foods. The quality of the fat you consume dictate disease including cancer as well as aging.

It’s not the amount of fat you consume, it’s the type. PUF: omega-3 and omega six are the most ubiquitous. The most important ones are EPA and THA. ALA Needs to be converted to the other two. There are too many omega 6 in our diets. PUFs are reactive to oxidation. Stick with dry roasted nuts!!! avoid all battered and fried foods.

Don’t skimp on fish oil. Anxiety reduction and inflammation reduction. Also LOTS of veggies.

grass fed meat is so much better— have more omega 3s and fewer omega 6s.

Cell membranes sooo important. Must be fluid not rigid. Diet directly affects. Omega 6s elbow out omega 3s making them more rigid. Omega 3s especially DHAs is ... good. I don’t really know. I think all this has to do with seratonin receptors too. Neurotransmitters. Executive functioning improves.

You can get plant-based ALAs too. Flaxseed, Chia seeds, and walnuts. The ability to convert ALA to THA decreases at menopause

What’s good for your body is likely equally good for your brain

Man-made trans fats in prepackaged foods margarine, packaged cheese cause insulin resistance and heart disease and also brain functioning because of self fluidity. This is definitely the membranes and it becomes stiff was rigor mortis wrecking your memory. Avoid like the plague of canola , Corn, and soy oil. And all oils that have been saturated or poly unsaturated. Avoid grain and seed oil and make sure sister typically ask for olive oil at restaurants because they might claim that it is but actually use vegetable oil.

Improving diet is not simply to i’ve been or acquire a deficiency disease but rather to optimize function throughout life.

Good fats are necessary to help absorb so many vitamins like carotenoids, so a healthy splash of olive oil or some eggs added to the salad will make it so much
more nutritious.

Aim for three servings of helping Sherri pass a week and make sure to supplement with fish oil.

The ultimate harbinger of brain destruction is … Trans fats?

Avocados. The perfect mixture of potassium and sodium are needed to maintain vascular health. Most people are lacking potassium. Avocado has more than a banana. He eats 1/2 to one whole avocado per day. Add cheese salt and olive oil or add them to smoothies, eggs, salads. Pop them in the fridge once they are ripe and they will last a little longer.

Think like a forager. Mostly proteins and vegetables Plus a few nuts and seeds and tubers. Wild fruit and ancestral times was more limited and less sweet. You likely wouldn’t even recognize them. They were small, but tasted a fraction of sweet, and only be available seasonally. Becoming settlers turned us into slaves to a limited number of crops and the domesticated animals that we raised. Hunter gatherers needed to be self-sufficient, but the post agricultural world favored specialization. This actually shrink the human brain and we now have tons of ATV and other things to show for it.
Our diet time now dominated by three crops: wheat, rice, and corn. That 60% of the worlds calorie intake. She better do love nutrition.
Often are recommended daily requirements are based on things like avoiding rickets. Many people think that we should have 10 times the recommendation for vitamin D. Basic survival processes have taken the front seat to optimal performance. All while inflammation runs amok. It’s called the triage theory.


Let’s just say that sugar wrecks everything. You know how it makes your finger sticky? It sticks to your insides to and it’s called glycation. It’s like stickiness that can’t be washed off because it literally damages cells. Mixing sugar with fat might make it even worse than plain sugar by prolonging the levels of insulin. Glycation equals glucose exposure times time. Insulin is also mediated by sleep, Stress, time of day, so much! Glycation leads to the formation of advanced glycation end products known as AGEs with good reason. They lead to a lot of aging. Higher A1 C levels even for those who are not prediabetic or diabetic are associated with inability to recall words. Cataract happen more quickly when blood sugar is high. Seriously… Limit The fruit too! And processed meat! And limit the barbecued items. Moist heat like Santeing is the best for cooking. Organic, grass fed, cooked as little as possible is best. Dark leafy greens might mitigate some of the problem so have them as a side when you’re eating something with a lot of AGE‘s

The more we consume the higher the threshold to get pleasure because of the release of dopamine. Fructose promotes its own consumption. Bagels, milk, chocolate, crackers, jellies, granola, energy bars, everything is engineered To be hyper palatable. Sugar takes many names but they are all the devil. Fructose bypasses the bloodstream and goes directly to the liver. Fructose is the most efficient at generating fat. Because once your liver is that it overflows into the bloodstream as triglycerides. Maybe evolutionarily to store more fat when fruit was in season. Sugar causes non-fatty liver disease. Scarcity and seasonality of fruit has entirely disappeared so we get way too much fructose. If insulin is an issue, limit your fruit to a half of a serving until you restore some balance. Abs are made in the kitchen.

Blueberries are the best! For both mood and memory function. Keep organic frozen ones on hand.

It’s easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled.

Grains: the Mediterranean diet is healthy in spite of grains. The guy who created it went to Crete right after World War II when it was poor and during Lent so the meats were scarce.

Glucose is used as fuel. But they need to be escorted into our cells by insulin. The pancreas releases insulin into our bloodstream when it senses that our blood sugar has become elevated. It activates receptors on the surface of cell membranes to basically roll out the red carpet well coming sugar molecules inside . When we’re healthy, our cells requires little insulin. But repeated and prolonged stimulation of insulin receptors Will over time force the cells to desensitize themselves by reducing the number of receptors on the surface. So the pancreas has to release more insulin for the same net affect. Meanwhile, blood sugar tends to creep up and say hi or between meals. The pancreas eventually tires out, unable to keep up with the demands. And blood sugar stays high despite maximum insulin release. Even among people with normal blood sugar levels insulin resistance is startlingly common. Abnormal blood sugar is actually a late marker of chronically elevated insulin. It evades routine clinical markers like class fasting blood tests, A1c test for years! Standard insulin usage is about 25 units for a healthy adult but on the unhealthy side, diabetes patients are sometimes injecting 150 units a day , Meaning that their pancreas is working so much overtime for years in order to keep up and before the numbers will show that it can’t keep up. Insulin is the chief metabolic hormone which means it makes your body favorable to Growth and storage. Insulin resistance is also common in people who are thin, which nobody ever really believes. Skinny fat. Insulin resistance and obesity are independent conditions. Many body parts prefer fat for fuel like your eyes and your heart for instance.l
You age at the rate you produce insulin.
Ketosis is the bodies own bio chemical liposuction. Very low carb diet or a quick and relatively easy way to do this. It’s key to slowing down the aging process as well as getting rid of love handles and beer bellies.

Ask Dr. Dowd about stem cell replacement!

Reduce grains and starches to occasional indulgences.

Insulin acts like a blunt tool making us able to store that for lean times. It’s not super fine tune which is why we have blood sugar issues. Hyper insulinemia is thought of as a unifying cause of chronic disease by many doctors these days.

Rather than taking drugs like to get rid of whatever, I like the idea of first thinking what can we do to prevent our bodies from becoming a landfill?

Excess of caloric intake and high carb diets handicap our ability to effectively use insulin and to break down Emma Lloyd’s. . IDE (insulin degrading enzyme) degrades insulin as its first choice and then Amyloid. Stop eating three hours before bed to reduce circulating insulin and that way the IDs can circulate and become a dishwasher for the very thing that causes Alzheimer’s
Sugar binds to everything and becomes stinky and less soluble, there for less able to be cleaned out of your system, kind of like food dried up on dishes that you didn’t rinse before putting in the dishwasher. Even slight sugar elevation in leads to Emma Lloyd deposition. We need to maintain a critical balance between fed and fasting states. Another consequence of being overfed is not enough key tones get to the brain.

Dementia can begin 30 years before diagnosis!

When bio chemical signals become too loud, cells protect themselves by reducing the ability of receptors to hear them. In the brain, reduced ability to hear insulin may negatively affect executive function and your ability to store memories, focus, feel a sense of reward, and enjoy a positive mood. Everyone knows that diabetes reduces cognitive function but what most people don’t know is that insulin resistance is associated with worse executive function and memory too.
*****Home IR You need a fasting blood sugar and a fasting insulin. Fasting glucose in milligram per deciliter form Times you’re fasting insulin, divided by 405. Many people think that under two is fine but optimal is under one. Anything over 2.75 is insulin resistant. Higher numbers are associated with worst cognitive functioning now and definitely in the future.
**** look up hyper insulinemia as well as connective tissue disease
IRS1 is a highly sensitive marker of reduced insulin sensitivity in the brain. It predicts Alzheimer’s with 100% accuracy even 10 years prior to the emergence of symptoms.


He would never recommend statins unless you had a cardiac event. Exercise and his recommended diet. Reduced carbohydrates and poly unsaturated fat. Statins double your risk of getting diabetes and diabetes increases your risk of getting Alzheimer’s by 2 to 4 times along with lots of other chronic diseases like heart disease.

When it comes to eggs, pasture raised is better than omega-3 enriched which is better than free range which is better than conventional.

Carbs are best eaten after a workout. For the same given amount of carbs, less insulin is needed to dispose of sugar post workout. That’s when carbs are less likely to promote fat storage and you will more quickly bounce back into a fat burning state. So the safest time to consume any type of carbs is after a workout.

Lowering insulin can deplete a body of sodium which affects mood and memory. So in the beginning of low-carb diet so you might require more salt to feel OK. Insulin and sugar can affect high blood pressure even more than salt!

Chronic climate comfort can be in the same realm as sugar when it comes to metabolic mayhem. Allow yourself to be cold. End shower with cold water. Use saunas. Hot yoga.

[Sea Lard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although the book written by Max Lugavere provides its readers with a number of useful recommendations such as resigning from eating sugary and processed foods, including healthy plant oils into one’s diet or paying special attention to the quality of one’s sleeping experience and sport activity, I won’t advise his diet to anyone. As some of the readers have already noticed, the book has some controversial ideas and I’m not going to repeat them. I just want to add some other strange ideas of Max Lugavere.
The author frequently refers to the evolution of our diets and emphasises the fact there were no refined sugars, specially bred sweet fruits or, going back to the oldest of our ancestors, the consumption of grains. Then, what’s about all that extracted oils he is so vigorously recommending? Surely, olive oil as well as many others are extremely helpful for our health, yet, how much of these products should one really consume in a day in order to minimise the carbohydrate consumption and feel satiety?
The amount of meet recommended in this book for daily consumption is simply gigantic even for many compulsive meateaters. By the way, my university professors who were also sure about the importance of regular meat consumption, albeit I’m not necessarily into it myself, recommended eating no more than 100 gr three times a week.
The pieces of advice on coffee first thing in the morning or drinking alcohol without previous eating are even dangerous. I myself adore coffee but if you have even the slightest problems with acidity in your stomach and, especially if you have gastritis or ulcers, such a practice won’t definitely do you any good. Alcohol denatures proteins, and, even if the practising of drinking and not eating reduces the overall negative influence of spirits on an organism, it still does harm to the mucous of your stomach.
Dear readers who happened to check my short review of the book, pay special attention to the healthy products mentioned by the author which must not be consumed on a daily basis because of their tendency to create oxalates in the body and, thus, provide to calcium oxalate stones. For example, such vegetables as spinach and beetroot are undeniably full of important nutritional elements, yet, they shouldn’t be consumed on a daily basis. The same is true in the case of cacao.
Certainly, I understand that nutrition science just like any other science has different theories but I’m afraid the author has become somewhat obsessed with healthy brain losing the balance like some other dietary advisers. Some of the recommendations of the author are so extreme they seem to me to be a guideline to an experiment on one’s health rather than a route to longevity.

[Pap Lőrinc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally a thorough synthesis of all the confusing health advice we're constantly bombarded with.

In the same way that I don't believe people are good or bad (we're not children, we should be able to formulate more fine grained opinions), I don't believe in foods being healthy or unhealthy.
Don't patronize me with 'unhealthy', what I always want to know is what effect any food has on my body - short and long term -, and allow me the choice of favoring one over the other at any point.
This book does exactly that.

I've been doing low-carb Keto for the past few months and had already benefited from many of the promised health effects (better digestion, lower pulse, less inflammation, lack of hunger).

The book extends these dietary patterns with low-sugar fruits, post-workout low-fat carbs, fiber-rich low-carb vegetables, and provides a solid foundation for all of his recommendations, explaining the context (i.e. how the body reacts to them and to the alternatives) and the basis for his conclusions, while promoting an open mind about this shaky field of "nutrition-science".

It dispells common misunderstandings about 'good' and 'bad' cholesterol (dietary cholesterol doesn't actually affect blood levels, cholesterol is the fire truck that's blamed for the fire), about burning carbs (regular consumption of processed grains prohibits fat burning and is aiding its deposit), the driving forces of the food industry (they want you to eat breakfast), about the effectiveness of cardio exercise (high-intensity long-duration exercises are detremental to our heart, joints and mind) about different fats (instead of cheap seed oils, look for coconut or extra virgin olive oil; fats are essential for our health, but shouldn't be consumed *with* carbs), that health is about separate components ("x is healthy since it doesn't have saturated fat" doesn't make sense, the body reacts better to the whole package, i.e. the way people have been eating for millenia, it's what the body learned to handle, it's not about whether it has vitamin E, but how the body reacts to the whole bundle), the effects of small stressors to the body (uniformity doesn't prepare us for handling change), etc.

The book is written in a very motivating, easily digestable (pun intended) way, instead of shaming consumers ("don't eat any sugar, bread or pasta"), it excites about the healthier alternatives. ("you can consume these meats, these vegetables, these fruits, preferably this often and it will have this affect on your mind and body").
I won't shut up about this book for a while.

[Janelle Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

After listening to Max Lugavere on The Jordan Peterson Podcast, I had to read his book.

First the writing style:

I loved that Lugavere maintains the passion and vigor that he had in his interview in his writing. It’s clear that he cares about the topic and has dedicated his life to researching it. I, also, really liked the layout of the book with big chapters about key topics that contained poignant interjections from Dr. Paul Grewal, and smaller highlights about specific Genius Foods that were in-between the lengthy chapters. The only negative point I have to make is that I could have done without the weird quotes before each chapter and the many references to Darwin. I just don’t think he’s all that great🤷🏻‍♀️

The science and recommendations:

I’m certainly not a scientist myself, but the research and bodily functions were presented in a way that I could understand and appreciate. I’m excited to try the recommendations because they just seem to make sense and people in my life have experienced great benefit from similar dietary/sleep/exercise habits.

Do I think these recommendations will make me some immortal who never gets sick, ages, or suffers? Definitely not. Would it be nice to treat my body better so I can flourish in body, soul, and mind? Absolutely!

*Disclaimer: I have not tried the proposed dietary changes, yet. If I find them to be a big flop or huge success, I’ll change my rating of the book.

[Michelle L · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ewe. I really wanted to like this book but, no.
Part of the problem is that neuroscience moves very quickly so some of the science is just outdated. And that’s as much grace as I’m giving this author.
He cherry-picks his sources - more than is considered scientifically sound or reasonable.
More importantly, the author repeatedly draws causation from correlations, which most people know by now is just a tell tale sign of science illiteracy and lack of critical thinking skills.
Lastly, this book is basically just a keto diet book sold under the guise of a neuroscience and food guide. Now, I wouldn’t have minded so much if the dust jacket had just said “keto” somewhere/anywhere. But it doesn’t. Which means the book is misleading, ableist, and ageist because it assumes and presents the info as something that applies to the majority of people, which is not the case.
Just don’t bother.

[Victor Schmid · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not finish this book. I read the first part and decided not to progress. Anytime I read a health or science book that’s starts with “I am not a doctor but I discovered this one thing that all the professionals in the world missed” screams red flags to me.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was full of a lot of research and explanations and I'm excited to add some of the ideas to my life.