logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2023
1h 1m

How To Prevent Dementia | Lisa Genova

10% Happier
About this episode

New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers.

---

Understanding the difference between ‘normal’ forgetfulness and actual memory loss, practical ways to stave off Alzheimer’s disease, and meditation’s role in brain health.   

Lisa Genova has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard University. She is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels including Still Alice—which was adapted into a film starring Julianne Moore who won the 2015 Best Actress Oscar for her role as Alice Howland, Love Anthony, and Every Note Played. Her first work of nonfiction is Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting. Genova’s first TED talk, What You Can Do To Prevent Alzheimer's has been viewed over eight million times and her most recent TED talk, How Memory Works--and Why Forgetting is Totally OK was the sixth most watched TED talk of 2021.

In this episode we talk about:

  • The difference between ‘normal’ forgetting and actual memory loss
  • The difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease 
  • Meditation’s role in brain health
  • What the Memory Paradox is 
  • The best foods and types of exercise for staving off Alzheimer's
  • The three things happening in your brain while you sleep that are helpful for memory 
  • Why brain games (like crossword puzzles and sudoku) don’t actually improve memory
  • The first necessary ingredient for creating a memory 
  • How memories are formed
  • And the relationship between memories and music

Related Episodes:

Ten Percent Happier Podcast Sleep Series

Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/tph/podcast-episode/lisa-genova

Up next
Yesterday
The Science Of Manifestation: Can This Stanford Neuroscientist Convince A Skeptical Dan To Give It A Shot? | Dr. James R. Doty
Six practical steps to harness the full power of your mind. Our guest today is James R. Doty, a neurosurgeon who has just written a whole book about the science of manifestation – although, as you’ll hear him admit, there’s very little ‘magic’ involved in his process. James R. Do ... Show More
1h 16m
Jul 7
Ezra Klein On: Sane News Consumption; The Power of Meditation; The Future of the Species; And the Message of His Tattoo
On maintaining sanity in insane times. Ezra Klein is an opinion columnist and host of the award-winning Ezra Klein Show podcast at The New York Times. His latest book is Abundance, co-authored with Derek Thompson. He is also the author of Why We’re Polarized, an instant New York ... Show More
1h 15m
Jul 6
How Meditation Can Help You Handle Injured Feelings and Injured Muscles | Dawn Mauricio
Plus: How to build a meditation practice you keep coming back to. We’re in the midst of an exciting evolution of the overall 10% Happier project. In our quest to make this podcast more actionable – to help you operationalize all the game-changing ideas you encounter on this pod – ... Show More
24m 38s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2021
How your memory works -- and why forgetting is totally OK | Lisa Genova
Have you ever misplaced something you were just holding? Completely blanked on a famous actor's name? Walked into a room and immediately forgot why? Neuroscientist Lisa Genova digs into two types of memory failures we regularly experience -- and reassures us that forgetting is to ... Show More
22m 2s
Apr 2024
The New Science Of Memory, How to Remember What Matters & Why We're Designed To Forget with Dr Charan Ranganath #444
We often think about our memories as a record of the past – but what if they’re only a selective and evolving version of it? Today’s guest is a world-leading memory expert who has a surprising message: we’re not supposed to remember everything. In fact, our brains are designed to ... Show More
2h 18m
Feb 2022
What you can do to prevent Alzheimer's | Lisa Genova
Alzheimer's doesn't have to be your brain's destiny, says neuroscientist and author of "Still Alice," Lisa Genova. She shares the latest science investigating the disease -- and some promising research on what each of us can do to build an Alzheimer's-resistant brain. TED Talks D ... Show More
21m 41s
Sep 2019
The Neuroscientist Novelist | Lisa Genova
Lisa Genova (https://www.lisagenova.com/) graduated valedictorian, summa cum laude from Bates College with a degree in Biopsychology, before pursuing her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Harvard with a focus on the brain and addiction. Genova's TED talk—What You Can Do To Prevent Alzhe ... Show More
1h 6m
Jan 2022
The 5 Main Ways To Prevent Alzheimer's & Dementia
This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health and Paleovalley. Protecting your brain and cognitive function is not just for the elderly. It’s never too early to start protecting your brain, which is something we should all think more about as Alzheimer’s and dementia rates contin ... Show More
1h 12m
Sep 2021
335: How does your brain store trauma? | Neurologist Scott Small, M.D.
Scott Small, M.D.: “One of the main purposes of sleep is to trim down our memories.”Small, a neurologist & Alzheimer's researcher, joins mbg co-CEO, Jason Wachob, to discuss how trauma affects your memory, plus:- How sleep keeps you from having "too much memory"- Why having a “ba ... Show More
36m 31s
Feb 2022
What Memories Are Made Of
Our memories are imperfect treasures – dear to our hearts but not necessarily accurate snapshots of reality. CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to neurobiologist Michael Yassa about how memories are stored in the brain, why we forget, and what we’ve gotten w ... Show More
27m 14s
Jan 2023
How To Heal The Brain And Prevent Alzheimer's Disease
This episode is brought to you by InsideTracker, Athletic Greens, and Paleovalley. Until recently, the most popular approach to treating Alzheimer’s has been to focus on managing the symptoms in the brain. Now brain experts and neurologists know that a better, more effective appr ... Show More
1h 13m
Feb 2021
What you can do to prevent Alzheimer's | Lisa Genova
Alzheimer's doesn't have to be your brain's destiny, says neuroscientist and author of "Still Alice," Lisa Genova. She shares the latest science investigating the disease -- and some promising research on what each of us can do to build an Alzheimer's-resistant brain. Hosted on A ... Show More
14m 6s
Dec 2022
Repressed Memories: Can You Forget About Trauma?
The idea of repressed memories goes all the way back to Freud, through the 90’s when therapists accidentally implanted people with false memories, through the courtrooms, and into today where the idea of repressed memories is still popular among lay people and controversial among ... Show More
14m 51s