Healthy Brain, Happy Life – June Walking Book Club

I’m obsessed with podcasts and listen to numerous episodes a week – whenever I’m exercising, walking the dog, driving, cooking dinner, folding clothes, watching my boys’ swimming lessons…. you get the picture. Top of my list each week Jonathan Fields’ ‘The Good Life Project’.

Last week Jonathan interviewed a neuro-rockstar — Dr. Wendy A. Suzuki about her her personal journey to launching her new book: Healthy Brain, Happy Life.

Wendy Suzuki runs an interactive research lab at New York University, where her research is focused on understanding the patterns of brain activity underlying long-term memory and, more recently, how aerobic exercise might improve our learning, memory, and cognitive abilities.

She’s a two-time TEDx speaker (my kind of gal!!), is regularly interviewed on television and in print about her work. She lectures nationally and internationally on her research and serves as a reviewer for many of the top neuroscience journals. She lives in New York City.

Dr. Suzuki also moonlights as a neuro-mythbuster (my favourite kind of scientist). In keeping with the theme of the Walking Book Club, the Suzuki lab questions such as

“What is the most effective exercise “prescription” that can enhance learning, memory and attention in school/university settings?”

“Can this same prescription also be used to help improve cognitive functions in the wide range of different neurological disease states where cognition and memory are affected, such as Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease as well as normal human aging?”

Dr Suzuki’s new book is called ‘Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better’

The Amazon review reads,

A neuroscientist transforms the way we think about our brain, our health, and our personal happiness in this clear, informative, and inspiring guide—a blend of personal memoir, science narrative, and immediately useful takeaways that bring the human brain into focus as never before, revealing the powerful connection between exercise, learning, memory, and cognitive abilities.

Nearing forty (she …she’s like my twin!), Dr. Wendy Suzuki was at the pinnacle of her career. An award-winning university professor and world-renowned neuroscientist, she had tenure, her own successful research lab, prestigious awards, and international renown.

That’s when to celebrate her birthday, she booked an adventure trip that forced her to wake up to a startling reality: despite her professional success, she was overweight, lonely, and tired and knew that her life had to change.  Wendy started simply—by going to an exercise class. Eventually, she noticed an improvement in her memory, her energy levels, and her ability to work quickly and move from task to task easily. Not only did Wendy begin to get fit, but she also became sharper, had more energy, and her memory improved.  Being a neuroscientist, she wanted to know why.

What she learned transformed her body and her life. Now, it can transform yours.

Wendy discovered that there is a biological connection between exercise, mindfulness, and action. With exercise, your body feels more alive and your brain actually performs better.  Yes—you can make yourself smarter. In this fascinating book, Suzuki makes neuroscience easy to understand, interweaving her personal story with groundbreaking research, and offering practical, short exercises—4 minute Brain Hacks—to engage your mind and improve your memory, your ability to learn new skills, and function more efficiently.

Walking Book Club Philosophy

This June, Suzuki will be taking us on an amazing journey inside the brain as never before, she’ll helps us unlock the keys to neuroplasticity that can change our brains, or bodies, and, ultimately, our lives.

If you need a reminder of the philosophy behind the Walking Book Club and how it all works – click over to this page to learn a little more.