Back in the day, En Vogue said in a song, “Free our mind and the rest will follow.” Today, according to Cowan, it’s more like, “feed your body and the brain just may follow. They go hand-in-hand. Obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, things like that. They all have connections to problems with health.”
Although Cowan’s gift and love of cooking are steeped in southern Alabama roots from his stepmother’s training as a child, when it comes to “brain food,” one diet in particular that Cowan references is the popular Mediterranean Diet. Incorporating more things like fresh herbs and spices, olive oil and lean oily fish into your daily diet is imperative for brain health, said Cowan.
But, it doesn’t just stop with food for a healthy mind. Every morning Cowan rises at 5 a.m. to practice yoga, followed by cardio outdoors jumping one thousand turns with a weighted jump rope. His weekends are typically set aside for family time, with Saturday night being Game Night. Playing the memory game with cards with his daughter is another way he keeps his brain sharp, as well as teaches her early about healthy habits.