Hello!
I’m Annie Fenn, a physician, author, culinary instructor, mom, and daughter of a person living with Alzheimer’s. My mission is to help you take care of your brain while still eating delicious food.
After practicing obstetrics and gynecology for more than 20 years, I traded my stethoscope for a whisk and went back to school to study culinary arts in Mexico and Italy, and took classes at the Culinary Institute of America.
I founded the Brain Health Kitchen in 2015 as a way to bring people together to fight Alzheimer’s. It all started in my home kitchen with a handful of students motivated to learn how to nourish and protect their brains. My family had just joined this fight after my mother was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, which turned out to be an early stage of the disease.
In case you haven’t heard, what you eat is a crucial factor for aging with a vibrant, dementia-free brain. But which foods can truly protect the brain? I’m here to help. I scour the scientific literature to bring you the latest science in Alzheimer’s prevention, both in and out of the kitchen. I create streamlined recipes packed with neuroprotective ingredients using brain-friendly cooking techniques. (Think: good-for-you, but with a touch of decadence.) And, I help you steer clear of the foods that are known to accelerate brain aging.
I’ve taught more thousands of students in hands-on and online classes to cook using the Brain Health Kitchen method. I also wrote the book on brain-healthy cooking—quite literally. My first book—The Brain Health Kitchen: Preventing Alzheimer’s Through Food (Artisan Books, January 2023)—is available here and wherever books are sold. I packed all 400 pages with as much science and practical wisdom as possible, along with 100 easy, delicious recipes. And, I’ve been writing directly to the BHK community through this newsletter since 2017.
Why Subscribe?
Consistency matters. If you are serious about taking care of your brain, the habits I recommend are more likely to stick if cultivated in small doses—consistently—over time. Free subscribers have full access to the first newsletter of the month plus previews of everything I’m sharing. Paying subscribers ($7 monthly or $70 annually—about $5 a month) receive a steady dose of easily digestible science tidbits, proven brain health strategies, and delicious recipes. Paying subscribers can leave comments and I answer each and every question personally. In addition to the regularly scheduled monthly email, I’ll check in with you each week with:
Quick tips about brain-healthy living (like: did you know that regular flossing is linked to better brain health?)
Kitchen Dispatches: an ingredient, tool, cooking technique, or non-recipe recipe
Brain Health Book Club recommendations
Topics for discussion (paid subscribers can comment on posts and threads)
Q and A with a thought leader in the brain health world
Exclusive discount codes to help you save money on some of my favorite products—online organic groceries, matcha, zero-proof drinks, and my favorite brain health supplements.
New and original BHK recipes
5 Brain Healthy Things I’m Into series: fun tips on my latest brain health discoveries, often with discount coes just for paying subscribers
Fun quizzes to test your brain health IQ
Downloadable BHK Guides: comprehensive reviews for you to print and save on topics like brain health supplements, cooking oils, and tips on cultivating a healthy metabolism
BHK Journal Club: Real-life take-aways from the latest study on Alzheimer’s prevention
First dibs on Brain Health Retreats (Italy and Costa Rica sell out quickly!)
Founding Members: Join me for 4 live cooking classes each year
Join the BHK community as a Founding Member for additional perks. We’ll get together 4 times each year for a live Cooking Class and Kitchen Chat. These are informal get-togethers on zoom in which we cook a few recipes and discuss a topic of your choosing. There is plenty of time during these Chats to ask questions and get personalized answers. The Founding Member tier is $210 annually.
Please note that this newsletter donates to charity, takes occasional breaks, and cannot honor refunds after 7 days (see full refund policy, below.)
Everyone is welcome here at BHK. Whether you sign up for free or purchase a paying or Founding Member subscription, I am grateful you are here to take the best care of your brain. Paid subscribers: thank you for supporting my work.
Much love,
Annie Fenn, M.D.
brainhealthkitchen@gmail.com
PS: Do you know someone who would like to receive this newsletter? Please share. Or, even better, give it to them as a gift.
Refunds
Did you purchase a paid subscription in error? If so, contact me at brainhealthkitchen@gmail.com within 7 days for a refund. No refunds are available after this time period.
In the event that a reader has trouble contacting me, please contact the Substack Support team through this form; and Substack will honor the refund request according to (1), (2), (3) of our Refund Policy below as well as other discretionary cases.
If a refund request is made within 7 days of payment.
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A dormant publication is a publication which has had at least 6 months of inactivity for the annual subscription tier or at least 1 month of inactivity for the monthly subscription tier (from the date of your payment). Inactivity means that the publication has not published any articles.
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