066 Brain Health Programs to Keep Your Mind Sharp with Henry Mahncke Ph.D
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Release Date: 04/24/2026
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
FlashBack Friday THIS EPISODE OF GROWING OLDER LIVING YOUNGER focuses on super aging - how to help transform longer lifespan into longer healthspan via 7 A Pillars of longevity. Today’s Featured Experts are David Cravit and Larry Wolf, co-authors of “ SuperAging: Getting Older Without Getting Old - A Boomers Guide to living well after 65.We discuss the 7 A’s of the Pillars of Superaging, how default aging has been the - well- default, for past generations and continues to be for many today. And how social, cultural, political, and economic forces oppose living younger...
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What if essential carotenoid antioxidants you consume today, could protect your vision and cognitive functions now and in the future? In this episode, Professor John Nolan explains how specific carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin play a critical role in protecting the retina and brain from oxidative stress, a key driver of damage and age-related decline. As a leading researcher in ocular and brain nutrition, he shares ground- breaking insights from clinical trials showing how targeted supplementation can improve visual function and support cognitive performance. Listeners will...
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Flashback Friday: Episode 52 from Season 1 May 2022 Audrey Hepburn, a Screen Legend and a truly iconic beauty, said “The beauty of a woman grows with the passing years.” I was reflecting on previous discussions I have had on ageism as I read yet another comment on beauty and aging youthfully. The debate centered around the question of whether we should accept and indeed celebrate the aging of our appearance as a reflection of the wisdom gained as we grow older, or whether, as I believe, we should do all we can to delay the...
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What if the fatigue, brain fog, and loss of strength many women experience after 50 are not simply hormonal, but reflect deeper shifts in metabolism, muscle, and mitochondrial function? In this insightful episode, Dr. Elizabeth Goldspink reframes midlife as a metabolic and neurological transition rather than a purely hormonal one. She explains how muscle acts as a longevity organ, how mitochondrial efficiency impacts both energy and cognition, and how targeted lifestyle and nutrition strategies can restore resilience. This empowering conversation offers practical, science-informed steps to...
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Flashback Friday Episode 50 - May 2022“Walk into any pharmacy and ask to examine a bottle of prescription medicine chosen at random. There is a one in four chance that the prescription medication you hold in your hand has an active ingredient derived from a plant. Most of these plant-derived drugs were originally discovered through the study of traditional remedies and folk knowledge of indigenous people.” (M. Balick, P. Cox.) As I read this opening paragraph in the chapter on PlantsThat Heal, from the book, Plants, People and Culture: The Science of Ethnobotany by Drs. Michael...
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What if one of the most powerful tools for protecting your brain health has been right under your nose all along? In this fascinating episode, Jonathan Askholm explores the science of olfaction and its direct connection to memory, emotion, and cognitive function. Drawing on emerging research and personal experience, he explains how intentional smell training may improve memory, mood, and even support healthy aging. This conversation opens a new and highly accessible pathway to brain health, reinforcing that a simple daily practice can have profound effects on how we age. Jonathan Askholm is a...
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THIS EPISODE OF GROWING OLDER LIVING YOUNGER focuses on sleep and the ways we can achieve sufficient natural sleep. Today’s Featured Expert is retired medical doctor and longtime mindfulness teacher, Dr. Lucinda Sykes, on her approach to promoting deep natural sleep We discuss the importance of natural deep sleep, what happens to our brains during the stages of sleep, the adverse effects of sleep medications, and the importance of consistent sleep habits in a sleep conducive environment. Episode Timeline:0:11 Introduction to today’s episode.7:18 Why is the quality of sleep so...
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What if the greatest threat to your independence, your brain health, and even your lifespan isn’t aging itself—but the hours you spend sitting each day? In this powerful episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch explores a transformative approach to health with Dr. James Walter: the concept of “Move More Moments.” Drawing from his expertise in cardiovascular exercise physiology, Dr. Walter challenges the traditional focus on structured exercise programs. Instead, he introduces a more accessible strategy—re-engineering your day to reduce sedentary time and integrate movement into everyday life....
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Flashback Friday Episode 66 from 2022 "Brains at any age are capable of rewiring and changing. No one should be aging, thinking that it's all downhill from here' (Dr. Henry Mahncke). This comment on brain plasticity, made by research neuroscientist, Dr. Henry Mahncke, in Episode 10: , echoes in my head, whenever I reflect on the goal of Growing Older Living Younger, namely to extend our health span by preserving a healthy mind in a healthy body. My brain is a year older since that episode but I’m sure that by following my...
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What if one of the most powerful influences on your health, your hormones, and even your longevity was something you rarely think about—your posture? In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch explores the profound connection between structural alignment and the biological systems that govern how we age. Joined by scoliosis specialist and spinal health expert Dr. Mark Morningstar, this conversation uncovers the science behind how chronic postural distortions—like forward head posture and slouching—can reduce lung capacity, alter nervous system balance, and disrupt stress hormone...
info_outlineFlashback Friday Episode 66 from 2022
"Brains at any age are capable of rewiring and changing. No one should be aging, thinking that it's all downhill from here' (Dr. Henry Mahncke).
This comment on brain plasticity, made by research neuroscientist, Dr. Henry Mahncke, in Episode 10: Rewiring Your Brain, echoes in my head, whenever I reflect on the goal of Growing Older Living Younger, namely to extend our health span by preserving a healthy mind in a healthy body. My brain is a year older since that episode but I’m sure that by following my personal roadmap for aging well, my cognitive functions have not aged in parallel with my chronological age. Preserving brain health, cognitive functions and warding off dementia, is a desire that is frequently expressed when I talk to men and women during the complimentary Growing Older Living Younger Discovery call I offer. Many people are living into their 80s or 90s and have relatives or friends diagnosed with dementia. They may be aware that the prevalence of dementia is increasing dramatically. Prevalence refers to the proportion of people within a population at a given time who have a specific characteristic. Since dementia occurs more in elderly people, the more elderly people there are, the greater the number of people there will be who have dementia.
But as individuals we are more concerned about individual risk. I was intrigued to read that a recent study showed that the incidence of dementia in people of European ancestry living in Europe and the USA (that is the number of new cases in a population) has actually declined an average of 13% every decade over the last 30 years. Reflecting on what could be causing this decrease in the incidence of dementia, I suspect that it reflects an increasing understanding of the effects of lifestyle management, nutrition, targeted wellness products, exercise, socialization, sleep, and. keeping mentally active.
In that vein, I invited Dr. Mahncke back to Growing Older Living Younger to describe a new community based Brain Health Program that is being developed in conjunction with the YMCA of San Francisco and also to share updates on some of the studies we discussed in the earlier episode.
Dr. Mahncke is the CEO of Posit Science, the leading provider of plasticity-based brain training and assessments. BrainHQ is an online and app program of plasticity-based brain training exercises to improve cognitive measures like attention, memory, processing speed and executive functions. that impact real world activities like driving, balance, gait, mood, confidence and everyday cognitive functions.
To Learn More:
Connect with Dr. Henry Mahncke at: www.brainhq.com - you can also download the BrainHQ App LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-mahncke-3b89072/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Brainhq/
Connect with Dr. Gillian Lockitch: askdrgill@gmail.com
Order your copy of Growing Older Living Younger: The Science of Aging Gracefully and The Art of Retiring Comfortably at www.gillianlockitch.com
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