Are environmental toxins silently eroding our brain health? In this episode, I sit down with Max Lugavere, author and filmmaker of "Little Empty Boxes," to explore the hidden dangers lurking in our modern environment and how they are silently affecting our brain health.

We discuss Max’s journey of losing his mother to dementia and the startling discoveries he made along the way. We also discuss neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's and their links to long-term exposure to environmental toxins found in everyday items.

Max Lugavere is a health and science journalist, filmmaker, and bestselling author. He is the author of the Genius trilogy of books, including the New York Times bestseller Genius Foods and the Wall Street Journal bestseller Genius Kitchen. He hosts The Genius Life podcast, one of the top health and wellness podcasts in the U.S. His appearances on The Joe Rogan Experience, The Rachael Ray Show, The Today Show, and PBS’s Brief but Spectacular, along with features in VICE, Fast Company, The New York Times, and People Magazine have made him a respected and well-known voice in the field. An engaging speaker on relevant health and wellness topics, Lugavere regularly leads keynote talks for events around the world.

What we discuss:

04:02 - Definition of a "super life"

07:43 - Max's mother and her health issues

15:20 - APOE4 gene and Alzheimer's risk

17:01 - The documentary "Little Empty Boxes"

24:41 - Ultra-processed foods and their health impacts

28:55 - Factors potentially contributing to neurodegenerative diseases

33:50 - Environmental toxins and Parkinson's disease

42:47 - Top things to avoid for brain health

54:10 - Obesity, insulin resistance, and brain health

59:45 - Exercise and its benefits for Parkinson's disease

1:01:52 - Future hopes for Alzheimer's and dementia research

1:10:47 - The importance of individual action and knowledge

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Find more from Darin:

Website: https://darinolien.com/

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Book: https://darinolien.com/fatal-conveniences-book/

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Find more from Max Lugavere:

Website: https://www.maxlugavere.com/

Documentary: Little Empty Boxes

Instagram: @maxlugavere