The Healthy Mind Cookbook: Big-Flavor Recipes to Enhance Brain Function, Mood, Memory, and Mental Clarity

A collection of more than 120 recipes formulated to optimize brain health, boost memory, improve mood, sharpen the central nervous system, and more.

Depression, ADHD, memory loss, agitation: These may seem like inevitable byproducts of modern lives spent multitasking, not getting enough sleep, and operating on digital overload. But while much of the brain’s work still remains a mystery, a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that the food you eat directly affects how well your brain functions. Brain health also plays a significant role in staving off diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.

In The Healthy Mind Cookbook, Rebecca Katz has harnessed the latest research on the brain to identify the foods that can improve the brain’s ability to control cognition, emotion, and physical function—all of which dictate memory and mood. She then translates the very best of brain science into the kitchen, using delicious nutrient-dense foods as a tool for promoting a healthy mind from childhood through the golden years. 

With a culinary pharmacy listing the benefits of key ingredients, complete nutritional details for each dish, and flavor-packed recipes for every meal of the day, including Avocado and Citrus Salad, Sweet Potato Hash, Turkish Lamb Sliders, and Chocolate Cherry Walnut Truffles, The Healthy Mind Cookbook will help lift the fog of everyday life so you can reach your full physical and mental potential.

“Rebecca Katz . . . has now focused her science-based culinary skills on optimizing brain function and mental wellness. Her recipes in The Healthy Mind Cookbook are easy, yummy, and consistent with cutting-edge research on the influence of dietary choices on the brain and mind.” 
 —Andrew Weil, MD, founder and program director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and author of Spontaneous Happiness

“Buy this book to make your brain healthier and happier—gorgeous, informative, and smart, Rebecca Katz delivers another gem!”
—Drew Ramsey, MD, assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and author of The Happiness Diet and 50 Shades of Kale

“This is a beautiful and informed book that shows us how food not only brings utter delight to the table, but also keeps our minds and bodies truly nourished.” 
—Jennifer McGruther, author of The Nourished Kitchen

"Rebecca Katz brings joy and good humor to healthy eating with recipes that are gorgeous, creative, and accessible. The Healthy Mind Cookbook provides a delightful link between the foods that we know are good for us and the wisdom behind it."
 —Kimberley Hasselbrink, photographer and author of Vibrant Food

REBECCA KATZ, MS, is an accomplished chef and national speaker who has worked with the country’s top wellness professionals and taught patients and doctors at leading cancer centers about the powerful role of food in cancer care. She is the former senior chef and nutrition educator at Commonweal’s Cancer Help Program, executive chef emeritus for the renowned Food as Medicine professional training in medical nutrition therapy, and co-founder of Healing Kitchens, a company that helps people translate nutrition and culinary science to the everyday plate through online and live courses, including The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen Course. She also consults for Dr. Andrew Weil’s Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine premiere nutrition conference for health professionals, and is the author of Clean Soups, The Healthy Mind Cookbook, The Longevity Kitchen, and One Bite at a Time. She has been featured in the Washington Post, The Atlantic, on Oprah.com, and on National Public Radio, among other national media. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two loyal kitchen dogs, Lola and Blossom. Visit rebeccakatz.com for more information.

MAT EDELSON is an award-winning science, health, and sports writer. He is the former anchor/director of the Johns Hopkins Health Newsfeed, a nationally syndicated daily radio program. He lives in Washington, DC.

Gingered Butternut Squash Soup with Walnut Cream 
Makes 6 servings  •  Prep Time: 15 minutes  •  Cook Time: 20 minutes

There’s something invigorating about the fall. The crispness in the air, the world settling down for a long siesta . . . these changes around me, trigger changes in the kitchen. My bellwether of the season to come is butternut squash soup. The squash is high in potassium and vitamin B6, which benefits nerve health, and paired with apple and ginger it is as soothing as it gets. The walnut cream gives the soup that satiating taste that befits the feeling of coming home after a brisk fall walk.

Walnut Cream
1 cup walnuts, toasted 
3/4 cup water 
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon Grade B
maple syrup
Fresh grating of nutmeg 

Soup
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 small shallot, chopped
Sea salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
11/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped 
5 cups Classic Magic Mineral Broth (page 44) or store-bought organic vegetable broth, plus more if needed
Grade B maple syrup
Freshly squeezed lemon juice


To make the walnut cream, combine the walnuts, water, lemon juice, maple syrup, sea salt, and nutmeg in a blender or food processor. Process until creamy smooth, about two minutes, and set aside. 

To make the soup, heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion, shallot, and a pinch of salt. Sauté until golden and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes and sauté 1 minute longer. Add the butternut squash, apple, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, stirring and cooking for another 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in 1/2 cup of the broth to deglaze the pan, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the pot, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the remaining 41/2 cups of broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes. 

In a blender, puree the soup in batches until very smooth, adding more broth or water if you’d like a thinner soup. Return the soup to the pot and gently reheat. Taste; you may want to add a pinch of salt, a drop of maple syrup, or a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve garnished with 1 teaspoon of walnut cream in each bowl.  Store the walnut cream in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to five days or the freezer for later use. 
Cook’s Note: If you don’t want to take out your chainsaw, many grocers have done the heavy lifting for you. Look for precut butternut squash cubes in the produce section. For this recipe,
you’ll need about 5 cups.

Per Serving: Calories: 139; Total Fat: 5 g (1 g saturated, 4 g mono-
unsaturated); Carbohydrates: 25 g; Protein: 2 g; Fiber: 5 g; Sodium:
160 mg 

Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to
5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.