The Art of Being Well
The Art of Being Well

The Best Brain Foods, Protein Truth, Alzheimer's Myth & AI Overlords | Max Lugavere

September 28, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Max Lugavere’s mother began showing symptoms of Lewy body dementia at age 58. The diagnosis took years, and when it finally came, it was captured on film for his documentary Little Empty Boxes—a title his mother herself supplied, comparing her mental state to “a bunch of empty boxes.” That personal crisis redirected Lugavere from a career in media journalism into health science, eventually producing three books, a podcast, and a new paper in Missouri Medicine aimed directly at physicians. In this conversation with Dr. Will Cole, Lugavere walks through what he now believes about brain health, protein, seed oils, and the limits of the amyloid plaque model of Alzheimer’s—and he does it without the tribal certainty that often marks these debates.

The amyloid plaque model is nearing obsolescence

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:02) **Podcast Intro & Host Welcome** - Dr. Will Cole introduces the episode and his guest, Max Lugavere.
  • 2 (02:29) **Max's Origin Story: His Mom's Diagnosis** - Max shares the personal story that launched his career in brain health.
  • 3 (06:31) **The Documentary "Little Empty Boxes"** - Max explains the title and the emotional weight of his documentary.
  • 4 (10:13) **The Flawed Amyloid Plaque Model** - Max critiques the dominant theory of Alzheimer's disease.
  • 5 (17:09) **A Food-First Prescription for Brain Health** - Max discusses his new paper in the *Missouri Medicine* journal.
  • 6 (20:20) **Optimal Protein Intake for Brain & Body** - Max provides specific, actionable protein targets.
  • 7 (22:18) **Filling Out the Plate: Protein as the Backbone** - Max explains how to build a brain-healthy meal around protein.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Dr. Will Cole

Show Notes

Max Lugavere - New York Times bestselling author of Genius Foods and host of The Genius Life - joins Dr. Will Cole to talk about the diagnosis that changed his life, his mother's battle with Lewy body dementia, and why he made the documentary Little Empty Boxes. They dig into why the amyloid plaque model of Alzheimer's is being challenged, what the science actually says about protein, seed oils, and saturated fat, and what Max saw firsthand inside a White House meeting on the MAHA movement. For all links mentioned in this episode, visit http://www.drwillcole.com/podcast


Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

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