The Best Nutrition for the Brain: How Food Shapes Focus, Mood, and Memory | Dr. Hana Kahleova

Season #1

In this episode of Fuel Your Joy, Michelle Joy Kramer sits down with Dr. Hana Kahleova, MD, PhD, Director of Clinical Research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, to discuss how nutrition can help your brain function at its best.

They unpack how food affects mood, memory, and focus through the gut-brain connection, blood sugar balance, and inflammation control. You’ll learn how the right nutrients can prevent cognitive decline, improve energy, and support long-term brain health.

Dr. Kahleova shares the latest research on how whole, plant-based foods—especially leafy greens, berries, and whole grains—can protect against Alzheimer’s and boost brain function. Together, they offer simple, actionable ways to eat for sharper thinking and a brighter mood.

 

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • How nutrition directly impacts memory and cognitive function

  • The gut-brain connection and why it matters

  • The most powerful anti-inflammatory and brain-protective foods

  • How lifestyle and diet can reduce Alzheimer’s risk by up to 40%

  • Easy meal ideas to support focus and energy

 

About Dr. Hana Kahleova

Dr. Kahleova is a board-certified endocrinologist with a PhD in human physiology and pathophysiology and board certification in lifestyle medicine. She serves as Director of Clinical Research at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, where her work focuses on nutrition-based treatment for obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease.

She has published nearly 100 scientific papers in peer-reviewed medical journals and serves as a member of the American Diabetes Association and a board member of the Diabetes and Nutrition Study Group of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. Her research directly contributes to updated nutritional recommendations for individuals living with diabetes.

 

Fuel Your Joy

Listen now and subscribe for more episodes in this interview series exploring how nutrition influences weight, metabolism, menopause, and brain health.

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