What if the smallest, most familiar parts of your day are quietly shaping your brain?

In this Science You Can Use episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian explores three fascinating studies that follow people over decades, scan the brain in real time, and track everyday habits most of us barely think about.

From coffee and tea to fast, reactive movement like ping pong… to simply listening to music, this episode reveals how ordinary patterns—repeated over time—may influence memory, cognitive resilience, and how the brain adapts as we age.

What makes this research so compelling is not what it asks you to add—but what it helps you see more clearly.

Because these aren’t extreme interventions or dramatic overhauls.

They’re already part of your day.

This episode connects the science to real life—offering practical, thoughtful ways to engage with your routines differently, and perhaps more intentionally.

A few sips. A few minutes of play. A song in the background.

Over time, those moments may be doing more than passing time - they may be shaping how you think, feel, and remember.

WE DISCUSS:

(00:00) Intro: The unnoticed moments shaping your brain

(8:03) Eat Well: Coffee, tea, and a 40-year look at memory and dementia risk

(13:49) Why consistency - not intensity - matters in daily nutrition habits

(14:37) Move Daily: What ping pong reveals about brain wiring, speed, and adaptability

(21:02) Open-skill movement and why reaction-based activity engages the brain differently

(25:44) Be Healthy: Music, memory, and a 39% lower risk of cognitive decline

(36:02) Designing your day: how environment, rhythm, and “pastimes” shape your brain over time

(37:13) The power of small, repeated choices across your 1,000 waking minutes

CONNECT WITH WENDY:

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Email me topics you want covered on the podcast: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com

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Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey–together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

HEALTH DISCLAIMER:

The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

RESEARCH & REFERENCES

(Insert your APA references here — happy to format once you confirm which studies you want listed exactly from transcript)

Coffee & Tea Study (JAMA)

Zhang, Y., Liu, Y., Li, Y., et al. (2026). Coffee and tea intake, dementia risk, and cognitive function. JAMA, 335(11), 961–974. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2025.27259

Optional refinement if you want full author listing (APA allows up to 20 authors before “et al.”): I can expand this if needed.

Table Tennis / Brain Connectivity Study

Zheng, C., Cao, Y., Li, Y., Ye, Z., Jia, X., Li, M., Yu, Y., & Liu, W. (2024). Long-term table tennis training alters dynamic functional connectivity and white matter microstructure in large-scale brain regions. Brain Research, 1838, 148889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148889

Music & Dementia Study

Jaffa, E., Wu, Z., Owen, A., Phyo, A. A. Z., Woods, R. L., Orchard, S. G., Chong, T. T.-J., Shah, R. C., Murray, A., & Ryan, J. (2025). What is the association between music-related leisure activities and dementia risk? A cohort study. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 40(10), e70163. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.70163