David PerlmutterPresident,, Perlmutter Health Center · Board-Certified Neurologist | Functional Medicine Pioneer | #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author | International Speaker | Host of The Empowering Neurologist Podcast

What I’d Do Differently in My 30s to Protect My Brain

9 Feb 2026 · 1 min

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1:28

In this concise advisory monologue, neurologist and author David Perlmutter reflects on the lifestyle choices he would change if he could revisit his 30s, aiming to preserve brain health. He outlines five concrete actions: (1) adopt a diet low in ultra‑processed foods to better regulate blood sugar; (2) increase both resistance and aerobic exercise on a daily basis; (3) prioritize consistent, high‑quality sleep, especially given his earlier on‑call work schedule; (4) enhance dental hygiene by using a water flosser and flossing daily; and (5) dramatically reduce alcohol consumption, noting that no level of alcohol is truly safe for the brain. The talk is framed as a personal hindsight lesson, intended to guide viewers toward habits that support cognitive longevity.

Chapters

If I were in my 30s, what would I do differently as it relates to preserving my brain function? You know, I thought about this quite a bit, and I think top of the list would be I would have had a different diet. I would have been eating a lot less ultra-processed foods, things like pizza and pasta and chips and all the things that we really love to eat back in the day would have been a diet that really helped control blood sugar. The next thing I would have done is, I think, exercise even more regularly. I've always exercised, but I think I would have been dedicated to making sure I did enough resistance exercise as well as aerobic exercise on a daily basis. Next, I would have paid much stricter attention to my sleep. You know, back in my 30s, I have to say, and even in my 20s, sleep was not prioritized, especially as it related to my early profession, being on call up late at night. I would have done everything I could to improve that situation. Next, I think I would have paid, oddly enough, more attention to dental care. I take very good care of my teeth. Even back then, I took good care of my teeth, but I would have been using a water flosser and using a regular floss at least every single day. And the last thing I would do, here's the big surprise, I would have had less alcohol. You bet. I mean, in our 20s and 30s, seems like alcohol was more of a part of who we were and what we did. We now know that there really is no safe level of alcohol So give that a thought.