Newsletter Archive

We used to think that most dementias belonged to a single cause. However, scientists have figured out that dementias have multiple causes. For instance, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia and vascular dementia is a close second. These two forms of dementia are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, they often present together. Which comes first is based on clinical presentation, signs and…

In Chinese Medicine, ‘the heart’ refers to the emotional link between mind and body. It is the sovereign organ that allows harmony. Our world seems far from harmonious, but that doesn’t mean you can’t develop practices to focus and shift yourself into a good emotional state. We call this a RESET. That’s what we need when we are deregulated, stressed, overexcited, agitated, restless, or flat and depressed.

Most people know about liver disease risk but not about the increased risk of cancer with alcohol consumption. For certain cancers, like breast, mouth, and throat cancers, evidence shows that the risk of developing cancer may start to increase around one or fewer drinks per day. For breast cancer specifically, 16.4% of total breast cancer cases are attributable to alcohol consumption.

We began this year by introducing “precision medicine”, a medical model that uses your unique genes, proteins, environment, and lifestyle to tailor medical treatments and interventions. Precision medicine aims to provide the right treatment to the right person at the right time.

It’s officially autumn, and the trees here in our small town in northern California are showing off their beautiful colors.  With Thanksgiving almost upon us, thoughts of gratitude naturally come to mind. For me, I am grateful for another year that I have not developed Alzheimer’s Disease. According to research, pausing for even a moment and reflecting on what you are thankful for helps down-regulate stress neurons from your 'to-do list' to a place of calmness. Consider it a gift to your body and brain.

You may have heard about the recent study that went viral, where a young Harvard medical student consumed 720 eggs in one month and saw a reduction in his cholesterol. This sensationalized news has large numbers of people rushing into grocery stores and divesting in their bitcoin to invest in eggs- haha- fake news! Our small brains think, oh great I can eat as many eggs as I want now (an example of false consensus effect).

I'm writing to you from France, where I attended Medical school in the 1980's. Jim and I have been studying French diligently for the last six months, renewing our love for this beautiful land and culture, not to mention its delicious food.

Just in the last few weeks since giving the keynote introduction to the Dementia Dilemma Conference there have been exciting breakthroughs in the field of AD research. I am over the top excited about these discoveries that are opening more doors to our understanding and growth in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. 

Recently I was asked to talk about the “Dementia Dilemma” by Friends of Health. Some of you have asked for a copy of the talk so here it is. A video will be available on BBH website sometime in the future. 

Cynthia Wall LCSW, opened with the following statement: "There is no shame, no blame about dementia! We are bringing dementia out of the shadows so we can see it, talk about it, figure out what we can do about it, and what we need to do about it!" The panel was composed of local experts in the field of dementia including a doctor, lawyer, fiduciary, senior care specialists, hospice providers, care alliances, and more. I was moved, honored, and inspired to be a part of it. 

The last two BBH newsletters have been devoted to blood glucose and its effect on the brain. Being Citizen Scientists, we understand the importance of blood glucose and insulin resistance as a measurement of metabolic health and why it is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). With our Continous Glucose Monitor (CGM) experiment last month, we discovered that blood glucose is dependent on many factors including the glycemic index and glycemic load of food and how we cook it, how ripe it is, what we pair it with, when we eat, how fast we ingest and digest food, how much we eat, and if we exercise after the meal.

Last month we did a deep dive into insulin resistance its relationship to our metabolic health and how it contributes to dementia, heart disease, and cancer. What did you think? Are you altering any habits or patterns around your sugar/carbohydrate intake? Maybe like me, you are becoming a label reader extraordinaire and discovering all kinds of things you didn’t know existed in the food you eat. 

I am worried about OUR BLOOD SUGAR! 

Maintaining healthy blood sugar levels is key to vitality, energy, and well-being. It has far-reaching effects on our health, emotions, mental stability, and ability to heal. Blood sugar is greatly affected by the foods you eat and the carbohydrates they contain. But keeping a proper blood sugar balance is a constant challenge in this culture of carb-laden convenience foods, fast food, and addictive foods. We all need carbohydrates, but most of us eat far more than the body can cope with efficiently. This can put us on the path to weight gain, diabetes, and dementia. We don’t have control over our genes, and have limited control over our environment. But we do have control over our daily food choices. 

Women's History Month theme for 2024 is established by The National Women’s History Alliance and entitled: "Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion." The theme recognizes women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions.

I am worried about your sexual health!

When was the last time your doctor asked you about your sexual health? Most likely never because in medical school we never learned how to talk about sex, so we didn’t. Sexual health has been taboo in our culture, and in our homes, but thankfully it is returning to be a ‘hot’🔥topic in health. 

10 years ago an important study out of UCLA showed not only the improvement but the reversal of cognitive decline. Yes, I said reversal of cognitive decline. In 2016 there was a follow up report on 9 of those patients who continued their improvement. Many who were struggling at work could return, and their performance on cognitive testing such as the MoCa (Montreal Cognitive Test) reflected this. By 2018, another study followed with 100 people using the same multimodal approach.

What a year it has been! We have learned many ways to prevent AD and begin better steps toward health. There are 6 million people with AD in the US and the numbers are expected to triple by 2050. It’s up to all of us as citizen scientists to focus on our health and spread the word about actions we are taking to reduce AD. 

I’m celebrating this year along with our steep learning curve of subjects and the takeaways for improving brain health.

I sit to write this November BBH (BrainBodyHealth) Newsletter as the events unfolding in Palestine and Israel weigh heavily on my heart. How can I write about brain health at a time when so many are suffering? 

When I think about the current wars in Israel and Palestine, Ukraine, and the many other armed conflicts around the world (there are 110), my mind turns to the effects wars are having on not only our lives but our brains. War destroys health care systems, social order, displaces families and populations, placing tremendous stress on our brains.

Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) likely affects more than 6 million people in the U.S. and more than 55 million people worldwide.

AD starts 20 to 30 years before symptoms begin, yet we are hardly bringing this to the attention of our 30-40-year-old population. Refocusing our efforts on emphasizing PREVENTION and PRECISION MEDICINE is the paradigm shift we need.

Many of us recall childhood summers filled with lots of free time to play, explore, or just hang with friends. With school out and 3 months off it felt like true freedom. That’s what I have been exploring lately… this feeling of ease and freedom. 

Despite feeling my Alzheimer’s Disease susceptibility clock ticking away as I enter my 70th year of life, I am touched, moved, and inspired by the conversations I am witnessing with people around the world, who want to do everything they can to prevent AD. We are the ones who are shifting the curve from fear to knowledge toward power and action.

In the May issue of BBH, I discussed genetic testing (GT) and how it led me to the APOE 4 gene connecting the dots of our family’s AD susceptibility. The BBH Program and this letter stemmed from the outgrowth of that testing. There is a backstory to GT related to this month’s topic on psychedelic medicine. It began with my waning enthusiasm for psychiatry and a one size fits all medication approach.

Somewhere around my 62nd birthday, I had a health emergent crisis aka a nervous breakdown. Until that time, I hadn’t thought much about Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). It was 2015 and my mother had just been diagnosed. One day I looked in the mirror and there was my great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother staring back at me. I thought…they all had AD. Did that mean I was going to get it too?

Since we know aging is the #1 risk of AD, I was excited to dig into Peter Attia’s new book, “Outlive, The Science and Art of Longevity”. In it, he sends a trumpet call to start taking health seriously, the sooner the better, challenging our binary thinking about health, illness, and aging. Utilizing batteries of tests to determine neurological, genetic, and physiological health, this is precision medicine at its best doing what it is supposed to do; zero in on what diseases we are the greatest risk for and develop an effective strategy to reduce them.

Spring has sprung in Mendocino County! Magnolias, plums daffodils, and calendulas are showing off their true colors. Like seasons, life’s challenges change similarly leading us to trust in the joy of it all unfolding in a remarkable way. The recent equinox where light and dark are held in perfect alignment may act as a reminder to bring greater balance into our lives with infusions of Vitamins J, F, and L (Joy, Fun, and Laughter).

With many loved ones coming into perimenopausal (PM) age and so much information coming out about why 2/3rds of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) population are women, it’s a good time to talk about the chemical messengers that influence every part of the brain and body. I’m talking about testosterone in men and estrogen with progesterone in women.

Energy is defined as the ability and strength to do active physical things and the feeling that you are full of physical power and life. Maybe you’ve noticed as I have, that your energy level is not what it used to be. Our body's energy is created by specialized organelles called mitochondria in the form of ATP (Adenosine triphosphate), which are in every single cell of our body.

As I look over the 2022 newsletters and review your feedback, I am filled with gratitude. When I started BBH Newsletter, I wasn’t sure if anyone was interested in reading about preventing dementia but you dear readers have proved me wrong. As I talk with you on the streets or during our coaching sessions, your thoughtful questions keep me writing and researching.

What do AD (Alzheimer’s Disease) and Cancer have in common - it turns out a lot. Since we had our prostate cancer awakening this year (see BBH July newsletter) hubby Jim and I have been learning many interesting facts about how AD and Cancer are hitched together. For instance, in the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death with cancer and Alzheimer’s disease following closely in the top ten.

With Shakespeare’s plays and all good books, there is an introduction, plot, and conclusion, artfully woven with characters, conflict, and resolution. In the story of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), we often find the focus on the introduction and plot, how to prevent this terrible disease from happening and what to do when it starts. There has been less information on how to face the later years of dementia, maybe because we’d rather hide and avoid the pain altogether.