Clarity of the mind is central to cultivating attention, which plays huge role in our productivity, performance, and ability to make sound decisions. One of the most direct and accessible ways to increase your attention span is through physical movement or meditation—or any practice that fosters the mind body connection. But sometimes it’s not enough. So we enlisted mbg’s network of functional health experts and medical doctors to share the supplements they recommend for banishing brain fog and increasing focus....

The excerpt below provides a sneak peek into the novel, where we learn more about the quiet forces that hold us together—even after we’ve grown apart. To add Oh William! to your winter reading queue, purchase your copy here. Because I am a novelist, I have to write this almost like a novel, but it is true—as true as I can make it. And I want to say—oh, it is difficult to know what to say!...

Brain fog is characterized by cognitive impairments to memory, attention, executive function, and the speed of cognitive processing. It is not a medical condition itself but rather symptomatic of an underlying condition that can range from poor nutrition or illness to undiagnosed food sensitivities or sleep deprivation. When aspartame is ingested, it breaks down into three different compounds: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. When consumed in isolated and large amounts, as in aspartame, they then are able to cross the blood-brain barrier, excite the brain cells, and trigger their death....

I generally follow my Wahls Protocol—a nutrient-rich paleo diet that includes greens, sulfur-rich and deeply colored vegetables, berries, grass-fed meat, wild fish, organ meat, and seaweed. However, as the seasons change, I make some tweaks that work well for my body: During the winter, I’ll eat the Wahls Paleo Plus version of my diet (the ketogenic version of Wahls Protocol), and in the summer, I’ll follow a low-glycemic-index version of my diet plan....

As a personal trainer, I am consistently asked what exercises to do and what foods to consume to achieve this look. I am confident that I know the so-called secret to a six-pack, but I will never, ever recommend it to my clients. Let me explain. This is because women generally need a body fat percentage of at least 20 percent in order to remain fertile and have regular menstrual cycles....

Notably, outercourse has a broad definition and can mean different things depending on who you ask. For some people, outercourse is any sexual activity that isn’t penis-in-vagina sex, while others define it more strictly as only sexual acts that don’t involve any penetration whatsoever. Often, someone’s definition of what counts as outercourse is influenced by their reasons for wanting to practice it. A person who believes in waiting for marriage to have sex, for example, might see getting fingered vaginally as belonging to the realm of outercourse, whereas another person might not necessarily agree....

But what do carb cravings mean? And is there a healthy way to handle them? Step one, then, to alleviate carb cravings, is making sure you’re eating a balanced diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, healthy fats, and protein—and that you’re eating enough of all of that food. It’s also a good idea to have a yearly physical with a health care provider to make sure there aren’t any underlying health issues affecting your nutritional needs....