The Stimulated Mind is out today!
It’s finally here!
Almost exactly three years ago I started the journey to writing my first book, The Stimulated Mind, which comes out in the US today (Thursday in the UK).
I wrote The Stimulated Mind to give people a toolkit to improve their cognitive function on a day-to-day basis, while decreasing their long-term risk of dementia. In particular, I wanted it to be practical and actionable as well as truly evidence-based. It has immediate and simple take-aways but also a reference list of more than 2,000 papers, which you can find on my website.
The book starts with a brief history of neuroscience and some thoughts on why we’ve struggled to find an answer to the increasing burden of cognitive decline and dementia. I then go through all the major modifiable factors that we can leverage or change to improve how our brains function today and decrease our risk of cognitive decline in the long-term. I also provide tips for how to practically understand where to start, as well as how to navigate the modern work environment to make sure we feel productive while also supporting our wellbeing. As you might imagine, the work of my fabulous Better Brain Fitness co-host Josh also features heavily.
If you’d like to hear more about the book and the topics it covers, consider listening to one of my recent podcast interviews with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee and Rich Roll. These were some of the most enjoyable and impactful conversations I’ve ever had about brain health, and they’re packed with concrete and digestible takeaways. During our conversation, Rangan kindly called The Stimulated Mind “one of the best health books I’ve ever read.”
If you do read the book and find it useful, please consider posting about it on social media and tagging me (@drtommywood on Instagram) using the hashtag #thestimulatedmind. I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Wishing you a healthy, happy, and stimulated brain,
Tommy
Such a great read, it was such a gift to be able to talk to you about it. In a world of quick fixes and failed promises, it is wonderful to have real data backing up the idea that whole health is key to a healthy mind. Still eating those sardines :)
I have a question. But first, please stick with me while I present needed background information. Unknowingly, I lived in a mold infested house for six years. During the time we were there, my daughter and I became progressively sicker. My symptoms were neurological. I had been a computer teacher for many years and difficult concepts and speaking words came easily to me. It kind of crept up on me and I found myself having difficulty getting my tongue to work properly for speaking words so I substituted an equitable word. But I was really scared! My short term memory was affected. My husband was working long hours out of state and I didn’t want to worry him. It was year five and six was the hardest. Then one day I woke up and happened to look at the air intake vent in the ceiling and the area was peppered in black. I knew instantly it was black mold. After researching, I found my symptoms mirrored what can happen neurologically if exposed long enough (stage 3 and 4). We moved out of our lovely, mold infected house. Gradually, my speech improved. I practiced memorizing strings of numbers again and again. That has returned. My short term memory has improved, but only somewhat.
This all happened in my 60’s. I am now 68 and want to do whatever I can to help strengthen my short term memory and further protect my brain.
Do you have recommended reading and exercises to help with this? I gave you a really condensed version of what happened over the past eight years. Have I written this in a way that makes sense to you? Thank you so much for your comments.