Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better

A neuroscientist transforms the way we think about our brain, our health, and our personal happiness in this clear, informative, and inspiring guide to improving your brain health—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, 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 her personal transformation journey 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, a leader in the field of neuroscience makes the science 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.

Taking us on an amazing journey inside the brain as never before, Suzuki helps us unlock the keys to neuroplasticity and cognitive enhancement that can change our brains, or bodies, and, ultimately, our lives.

In Healthy Brain, Happy Life, Dr. Suzuki translates complex neuroscience into a practical plan for personal transformation, showing you how to:

• Harness the Power of Neuroplasticity: Learn how simple physical exercise can fundamentally change your brain’s structure and function, enhancing your cognitive abilities at any age.
• Boost Your Memory and Mood: Understand the biological connection Dr. Suzuki discovered between working out, improved memory, and elevated energy levels—and how to apply it to your own life.
• Implement 4-Minute Brain Hacks: Integrate short, practical, and science-backed exercises into your daily routine to improve memory, learn new skills, and function more efficiently.
• Forge a Stronger Mind-Body Connection: Follow Dr. Suzuki’s inspirational journey from an unfulfilled academic to a happy, healthy individual to unlock the keys to a better body, a better brain, and a better life.

Wendy Suzuki, PhD, runs an interactive research lab at New York University, where her work has been recognized with numerous awards including the prestigious Troland Research Award from the National Academy of Sciences. She is a two-time TEDx speaker and is regularly interviewed in the media. 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.

Billie Fitzpatrick has coauthored numerous books, including several New York Times bestsellers. She specializes in mind-body health, neuroscience, nutrition, and diet and fitness.