Nutrition Hacks for Clarity, Mood, and Brain Health | Max Lugavere
November 7, 2025
🧠Your diet isn’t just about weight or energy, it literally builds your brain. From the membranes and neurotransmitters that shape focus and mood to the habits that slow cognitive ageing, what you eat today determines how you think tomorrow.
“Science always reserves the right to change its mind.” - Max Lugavere
➡︎ Max Lugavere is a health and science journalist, filmmaker, and bestselling author whose work bridges evidence and everyday action. After his mother’s early-onset dementia, he spent over a decade investigating how food, environment, and lifestyle shape the brain. Through his books Genius Foods, The Genius Life, and Genius Kitchen, his podcast The Genius Life, and the documentary Little Empty Boxes, Max translates complex research into practical strategies for sharper thinking, stronger memory, and long-term brain health.
In this conversation, Tim and Max explore:
➡︎ The Prevention Mindset: What’s changed between generations and why environmental toxins, air pollution (PM2.5), and solvents (e.g., TCE) matter.
➡︎ Food for Cognitive Health: How ultra-processed foods harm the brain, why sugary drinks hit hardest, and how eggs, greens, and quality meat supply choline for acetylcholine, lutein and zeaxanthin for cognitive ageing, and protein to steady mood, focus, and appetite.
➡︎ Creatine Beyond the Gym: Doses, sleep deprivation support, and a small pilot in Alzheimer’s showing cognitive and strength benefits.
➡︎ Fermented Foods for Gut-Brain: Stanford findings on inflammation and diversity; simple foods that work.
➡︎ Stress and Light Exposure: The overlooked daily habits that anchor circadian rhythm and reduce cognitive drag.
đź’ˇ Highlights
0:00 Intro
3:09 Why Max started with brain health
7:15 Prevention went from fringe to evidence
9:39 Science, ego, and funding slow change
11:58 Parkinson’s research and environmental drivers
15:11 What changed between generations
18:19 Ultra-processed foods defined and flagged
20:14 Skip sugar-sweetened drinks first
22:08 Why publish and communicate responsibly
32:53 Food builds neurotransmitters and mood
34:45 Eggs and choline for memory
35:56 Greens, carotenoids, and cognitive ageing
37:28 Red meat, creatine, and micronutrients
41:47 Gut, inflammation, and mood links
52:10 Creatine for sleep debt and cognition
58:02 Women, creatine, and weight concerns
1:00:00 Fermented foods reduce inflammation
1:03:25 Start with protein to stabilise energy
1:05:03 Myth: brain health cannot change
1:07:10 Habit missed most: manage stress
1:08:09 Morning light anchors circadian rhythm
🔎 Visit: http://maxlugavere.com & Podcast - The Genius Life https://open.spotify.com/show/5WkdjiVLo1kp3alPfFZItS?si=4d6961e2cc7744b1&nd=1&dlsi=936233fef30d4310
A massive thank you to LVLUP Health for sponsoring this episode!
Your gut health is the key to brain health, and LVLUP is leading the way with peptides that regenerate brain tissue and repair your gut. Their Ultimate GI Repair uses clinically proven peptides like BPC 157 and KPV Tripeptide to heal and strengthen your gut lining, reducing inflammation and improving nutrient absorption so your body actually gets the fuel it needs. Their Neuro Regenerate formula helps create new neural connections, supporting sharper focus, long-term brain health, and cognitive performance by targeting the gut–brain axis at the root.
I’ve been taking them both for months now, and I’m loving the results.
Resources Mentioned in the Episode
SMILES Trial (nutritional psychiatry; Mediterranean-style diet and depression)
Stanford Sonnenburg Lab on fermented foods and inflammation/diversity
Little Empty Boxes documentary