Bardutz Brain Health

03/16/2026

Wearable health devices are everywhere, from smart watches to sleep trackers. But how much of the data they give us is actually meaningful?

On March 25, I’ll be joined by Dr. Jyotpal (Joe) Singh for a practical session on how wearable health technology really works.

We’ll explore what these devices can (and cannot) accurately measure, from heart health and sleep to SpO₂ levels and stress, and how to decide which wearable actually fits your health goals.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your smartwatch data is reliable, this conversation will help you make sense of it.

Not All Wearables Are Created Equal: How to Decide What Fits Your Needs
- Wednesday, March 25
- 10:30–11:30 a.m. (Regina time)
- Live on Zoom
- Recording available if you can’t attend live
- $30

https://www.bardutzbrainhealth.com/events/not-all-wearables-are-created-equal-how-to-decide-what-fits-your-needs

Join us for this informative discussion and learn how to use your health data more effectively.

Back to All Events Not All Wearables Are Created Equal: How to Decide What Fits Your Needs with Dr Jyotpal Singh Wednesday, March 25, 2026 10:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Google Calendar ICS Register Now ($30/Ticket) Wearable devices and smart watches have become everyday tools for tracking health and wel...

03/13/2026

The biggest benefit of exercise doesn't go to marathon runners. It goes to people who don't exercise at all.

This might sound counterintuitive, but the research is clear. When non-exercisers start moving, even just a little bit, they get the biggest return on their effort. It's almost like mother nature doubles your investment when you need it most.

Here's what the brain science tells us about building an exercise habit:

- Start with just one minute. That's it. One minute of movement is enough to begin.
- Showing up is the biggest first step. Once you're out there, you often find yourself doing more than you planned.
- The habit of walking halfway around the block today becomes walking the whole block next week.

The key insight here is that so many healthy behaviors are easy to do, but just as easy not to do. That's why setting yourself up for success matters. Put your gym clothes out the night before. Fill your water bottle and set it with your keys.

When you reduce the friction, you reduce your reliance on willpower. And willpower, as we know, runs out.

What's the smallest movement you could add to your day without your brain putting up a fight?

03/10/2026

Stop scrolling and start connecting! 🗣️✨

Did you know that a good conversation is like a high-intensity workout for your neurons? Join me on March 12 to discover the science of how social connection protects your brain.

Social by Design: How Connection Protects the Brain
- Thursday, March 12
- 10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (Regina Time)
- Online via Zoom
- $30 (Includes access to the recording!)

In this session, we’re covering:
✅ Brain regions used during a conversation
✅ How having a social life maintains and build brain reserve
✅ The link between relationships and cognitive health

Learn why being social isn't just fun, it's essential.

Register here: https://www.bardutzbrainhealth.com/events/social-by-design-how-connection-protects-the-brain

03/06/2026

The Neurobiology of Conversation with Dr. Holly Bardutz

Did you know that the quality of your social interactions can physically reshape your brain?

In our upcoming session, Social by Design, Dr. Holly Bardutz explores the "next-level" research behind socialization and brain plasticity. We often think of brain health in terms of puzzles or diet, but science shows that the act of interpreting meaning and responding in real-time is one of the most powerful tools we have for long-term cognitive vitality.

What you’ll learn:
- How social interaction supports emotional regulation.
- The key networks involved in language and listening.
- Practical ways to design a social life that builds "brain reserve."

Can’t make the live session? Register anyway to receive the full recording to watch at your convenience.

Secure your spot here:

Back to All Events Social by Design: How Connection Protects the Brain with Holly Bardutz Thursday, March 12, 2026 10:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Google Calendar ICS Register Now ($30/Ticket) Speaking and listening activate some of the brain’s most complex and interconnected networks. In this science-b...

03/05/2026

I had a eureka moment at a Texas conference in 2019 that changed how I think about brain disease.

I learned that people with Parkinson's don't sleep well in REM. People with Alzheimer's don't sleep well in deep sleep, which is exactly when the brain does its cleaning. Both diseases show up decades into life, not in your thirties like MS can.

My brain connected dots that researchers in separate groups may not have been seeing. What if decades of disrupted sleep in specific cycles allows these disease processes to develop?

Here's what I suspected:

- Poor REM sleep over years might set the stage for Parkinson's
- Inadequate deep sleep means plaque doesn't get cleared, potentially leading to Alzheimer's
- The mechanism that should be working during sleep isn't doing its job

I wrote a paper proposing that exercise helps Parkinson's symptoms partly because exercise improves sleep and the improved sleep reduced Parkinsons symptoms. It became one of my most cited publications.

Just last week, new research confirmed that sleep disorders can predict Parkinson's or dementia years before diagnosis. I'm disappointed I wasn't first to publish this broader finding, but I'm excited we're on the right track.

This isn't about giving people sleeping pills and expecting diseases to vanish. It's about understanding what should be happening in the sleeping brain that isn't. If we can target that mechanism, we might find new approaches to conditions we've struggled to treat.

Your sleep quality today might be writing the story of your own personal brain health decades from now.

03/02/2026

Is your social life your best workout? 🧠💪

Speaking and listening aren’t just ways to pass the time; they are "CrossFit for your brain." On March 12, join me for Social by Design, a deep dive into how real human connection protects your cognitive health.

We’ll move beyond the basics to explore:
- The "Brain Workout": Why conversation is a complex cognitive challenge that builds mental resilience.
- The Science of Connection: How multiple brain regions, from memory to emotional understanding, fire together during a chat.
- Building Your Reserve: How meaningful relationships can help protect against cognitive decline.

The Details:
- When: Thursday, March 12 | 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. (Regina Time)
- Where: Live on Zoom (Recording available for all registrants!)
- Cost: $30

Don't just be social, be social by design.

Back to All Events Social by Design: How Connection Protects the Brain with Holly Bardutz Thursday, March 12, 2026 10:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Google Calendar ICS Register Now ($30/Ticket) Speaking and listening activate some of the brain’s most complex and interconnected networks. In this science-b...

02/25/2026

There is a conflict happening inside your brain every time you make a resolution. Understanding this conflict is the first step to actually keeping your goals this year.

Here is how it works:

- Your prefrontal cortex handles planning and dreaming. This is where you sit in January and decide to cut out sugar, exercise daily, or commit to dry January.
- Your limbic system handles your everyday routines and automatic patterns. This is where you actually live most of your life.
- These two systems operate on completely different reward horizons.

When you are in planning mode, you feel excited about the future. You can clearly see yourself healthier, stronger, more disciplined. That vision gives you a dopamine hit right there in the moment. But then real life takes over. You are tired. You are busy. The gym is far away and your couch is right here. Now you are in limbic system territory, and it is asking: where is my reward?

The limbic system does not care about:

- How good you will look in six months
- Your cholesterol numbers at next year's checkup
- The abstract concept of being healthier

It cares about right now. It needs small, frequent dopamine hits to stay motivated. Without them, your motivation naturally fades. This is not a character flaw. This is brain science.

The generals at headquarters make beautiful plans. But the soldiers on the ground need supplies to keep fighting. Your prefrontal cortex made the resolution. Your limbic system has to execute it every single day.

So what do I tell my clients? Stop relying on that initial burst of excitement to carry you through. Start building small rewards into your daily routine. Your habit brain needs them, and there is nothing wrong with giving it what it needs to keep going.

What small reward could make your daily habits more sustainable?

02/24/2026

Your brain learns to look forward to rewards. This is one of the most practical things I teach my clients about building habits that actually last.

Let me give you an example. Say you decide to go for a walk every day. When you finish that walk, do not just check it off and move on. Reward yourself with something small and enjoyable. Come home, make a cup of coffee, and sit in the sun for five minutes. Just sit there and do something you genuinely enjoy.

This is not about being lazy or indulgent. This is about training your brain. When you pair a habit with an immediate reward, your brain starts to associate the two. Over time, it actually looks forward to the whole sequence. The habit becomes easier because your brain knows something good is coming.

I also tell my clients to set themselves up for success using cues. Cues trigger automatic behavior.

Here is a simple example:

- You want to drink more water throughout the day
- The night before, fill up a water bottle
- Make it a pretty one, maybe with something motivational on it
- Add some berries if that makes it more appealing to you
- Put that bottle right by your keys

Now when you leave in the morning, you grab your keys, you grab your water bottle, and you go. It becomes automatic. You do not have to think about it or remember it when you are already running late.

Compare that to the alternative. You rush out the door like you always have, grab your keys, and forget the water completely. Or you do not have time to fill a bottle because you are behind schedule.

The small setup the night before removes the friction. It makes the healthy choice the easy choice. And that is exactly what your brain needs to build lasting habits.

02/23/2026

🔍 Ready to connect the dots between your gut and your brain?

If you attended Holly’s session on the Mind Diet and the Microbiome, this talk takes the conversation one step deeper.

If you didn’t—this is an excellent place to start.

In The Gut–Brain Connection, Dr. Seema Goyal breaks down how the microbiome influences brain health, emotional regulation, and cognitive clarity—without the overwhelm.

You’ll walk away with:
• A clearer understanding of gut–brain communication
• Insight into how lifestyle choices affect your microbiome
• Practical tools to support long-term brain health

🗓 Wednesday, February 25, 2026
⏰ 10:30–11:30 a.m. (Regina time)
💻 Zoom | Recording included
💲 $30

👉 Spots are limited—secure yours today.

Back to All Events The Gut- Brain connection - How to look after your microbiome with Dr Seema Goyal Wednesday, February 25, 2026 10:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Google Calendar ICS Register Now ($30/Ticket) Join Dr. Seema for an engaging and science-informed exploration of the gut–brain connection and ...

02/20/2026

Here is something that might change how you think about learning: you do not actually learn while you are awake.

During the day, you are collecting information. You are taking in facts, conversations, experiences, and ideas. But the actual process of learning, the storing and organizing of that information, happens while you sleep.

This is because your brain stores new information learned while awake. And this typically happens during REM and slow wave deep sleep.

So when you are asleep, especially during those specific phases, your brain is taking all the information from your day and categorizing it. It is filing things away and deciding what to keep.

This is why I am such a strong believer in regular review.

When you take in something new during the day, your brain will store it. But when you review that same information, you bring it back up to consciousness. Your brain notices this and thinks, "This is the second time. Maybe it is more important."

Then you review it a third time. A fourth time. Each time you revisit the material, you are signaling to your brain that this information matters.

This repetition is how short term memories become long term memories. It is not magic. It is a process.

Here is the formula I use in all my classes:

- Learn the information during the day
- Sleep on it so your brain can process and categorize it
- Review it the next day to reinforce its importance
- Continue reviewing at intervals to move it into permanent storage

Memory is closely related to learning. And learning is closely related to sleep. When you understand this connection, you can work with your brain instead of against it.

Want to remember something important? Give your brain the sleep it needs to do the work.

02/18/2026

✨ Curious about the gut–brain connection? This is for you.

The health of your microbiome influences far more than digestion—it plays a key role in mood, stress response, inflammation, and brain function.

Join Dr. Seema Goyal, family physician, for an approachable and informative session exploring how everyday choices impact your gut—and in turn, your brain.

- Easy-to-understand science
- Practical strategies you can use right away
- Perfect as a follow-up to Holly’s Mind Diet & Microbiome session, or as a first introduction

• Live online via Zoom
• February 25 | 10:30–11:30 a.m. (Regina time)
• Can’t attend live? Register to receive the recording.
• Cost: $30

👉 Save your seat and invest in your brain health.

Back to All Events The Gut- Brain connection - How to look after your microbiome with Dr Seema Goyal Wednesday, February 25, 2026 10:30 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Google Calendar ICS Register Now ($30/Ticket) Join Dr. Seema for an engaging and science-informed exploration of the gut–brain connection and ...

02/16/2026

Have you ever noticed how everything feels harder after a bad night of sleep? That presentation feels impossible. The small comment from your coworker stings more than it should. The traffic on your commute suddenly becomes unbearable.

This is not a coincidence. Your brain actively regulates your emotions while you sleep.

During different phases of sleep, your brain performs specific processes that help you maintain emotional balance. When you get adequate sleep, your brain has the time it needs to optimize your emotional and hormonal responses. This means you wake up better equipped to handle whatever the day throws at you.

When you cut your sleep short, you are essentially asking your brain to do its job without the necessary time and resources. The result is predictable: higher stress levels, increased anxiety, and that irritability we all recognize.

Here is what happens hormonally while you sleep:

- Cortisol, your stress hormone, naturally drops at night and rises in the morning to prepare you for wakefulness.
- Melatonin regulates your sleep wake cycle, helping your body know when to rest.
- Growth hormone releases primarily during deep slow wave sleep, supporting tissue and muscle repair.

These systems do not operate in isolation. They work together as one interconnected system, each affecting the other. When one is disrupted, the others feel the impact.

Think about the last time you had several nights of poor sleep in a row. Your stress response was likely heightened. Your mood was probably off. Small problems felt like big ones.

This is your brain telling you it needs the time to do its regulatory work. The next time you are tempted to sacrifice sleep for productivity, remember that your emotional stability depends on those hours of rest.

What changes when you prioritize your sleep?