I Study Cognitive Health & Longevity: What I Eat In A Day For A Youthful Brain

When it comes to supporting a youthful brain, what you eat plays a significant role. At the risk of sounding like a broken record: Your brain is an organ, and fueling it with the nutrients it loves can help enhance its function over time. So why not load up on foods specifically known for better brain function? 

"I love to start my day out with a protein source," Lugavere says. Usually, that means some sort of egg scramble: He likes to whip up four or five whole eggs—sometimes adding extra egg whites to increase the protein density. "I actually think it's really useful to have whole eggs as well as pure egg whites," he notes. "Egg yolks are a cognitive multivitamin, so I'm a huge advocate of whole egg consumption." Specifically, eggs are rich in choline, the precursor chemical for acetylcholine, one of the most fundamental neurotransmitters1.

Lugavere will also toss some veggies into the mix—usually frozen, if he's in a hurry. "I love to buy a bag of frozen spinach, and I'll just throw it in there frozen because it easily loosens from the bag into the pan." 

The exact recipe varies—here are his general guidelines, if you're curious—but he always incorporates at least a cup of dark leafy greens. These greens (whether you use arugula, spinach, kale, etc.), have a high content of antioxidants, like lutein, beta-carotene, and alpha-tocopherol (aka, vitamin E), that are super brain-healthy. In fact, a study found that out of 960 participants, those who ate at least one serving of leafy green vegetables per day had brains that were operating 11 years younger than they actually were, compared to those who rarely ate those greens.

According to Lugavere (and plenty of other experts), a protein-filled snack is one of the best ways to overcome those dreaded midday hunger pangs. In terms of high-quality sources of protein, Lugavere is partial to a cup of Greek yogurt. "Greek yogurt is one of the most economical ways of getting a high-quality protein source in the modern supermarket," he shares. One 4-ounce serving of Greek yogurt contains 12 grams of protein, so you get a lot of bang for your buck." 

In case you couldn't tell, Lugavere prefers a healthy balance of both plant and animal sources. "Plants to me are the ultimate biohackers," he explains. "They provide nutrients that are not always endogenous to our own biology because they come from a different operating system." That's why we call them phytonutrients. However, "I like to always balance my recommendations with a good nutrient-dense animal product," he says. 

Specifically, he is a fan of grass-fed beef (which we alluded to above): "It is a cognitive superfood," he says. "It's a rich and highly bioavailable source of many nutrients we know are important for brain and mental health…zinc, vitamin B12, choline, creatine." That said, his dinners likely consist of some form of grass-fed meat with a hearty serving of vegetables on the side. 

And according to Lugavere, we shouldn't forget about all of the brain-healthy herbs and spices: "Parsley and rosemary tend to be very concentrated sources of polyphenols," he notes. "That's why herbs tend to have very strong bitter flavors, due to these organic compounds that are beneficial to health." Take apigenin, for example, which has been shown to strengthen synaptic connections in the brain4, or the way neurons communicate with one another.