The Waggle Room The Waggle Room - Ep 14 - Delia McCabe - Brain Health: The Missing Leadership Link
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Apr 26, 2026 Dr Delia McCabe, neuroscientist and founder of Lighter Brighter You, explains how nutrition, technology, and stress shape brain capacity. She tackles pseudoscience in organisations. Short takes cover nutrient gaps, screen-driven learning loss, neural friction, information overload as modern burnout, and why leaders must factor cognitive energy into work and AI adoption.
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Nutrition Explains Hidden Cognitive Differences
- Neuroscience reveals root causes that psychology questionnaires miss when explaining behaviour differences in children.
- Dr Delia McCabe pivoted from psychology to neuronal-level study after school data showed smart kids choosing very different foods linked to performance.
Essential Fats Are Critical And Missing
- Essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) are critical for brain development and make up ~20–22% of brain dry weight fat.
- Modern food systems reduce these fats in diets via processing and shelf-stable manufacturing, impairing genetic intellectual potential.
Toxins Accumulate In The Fatty Brain
- Environmental toxins and pesticides concentrate in fatty brain tissue and correlate with neurodegenerative risk.
- Comparisons of conventional and organic farmers link pesticide exposure to higher Parkinson's rates.