What can we do to prevent Alzheimer’s or age-related cognitive decline? While there is no definitive answer to that question, there is growing evidence that a healthy lifestyle can delay, slow, or even prevent Alzheimer’s and other dementias. The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement’s goal is to empower people and organizations by educating them about accessible lifestyle choices that help delay or prevent brain disease and promote healthy minds. We do this by engaging and convening leading scientists and experts in all areas of brain and mind health, including nutrition, fitness, sleep, meditation and caregiving. Read below to learn more about the positive effects that a healthy diet, physical activity, stress reduction and a variety of lifestyle choices can have on your brain health and overall well-being.
Cristina Ferrare’s Turkey Meatballs
BY CRISTINA FERRARE I prefer using only turkey sausage for meatballs because I find that they come out lighter and tastier then beef meatballs. You don’t have to add a lot of seasonings to the mix because the meatballs get their flavor from the seasoned sausage meat! ...
read more
Olive Oil Pizza with Lox and Arugula
BY ELANA HORWICH Going out for pizza in Rome is as integral to the culture as whipping up a plate of pasta is at home. It’s a social occasion shared with boisterous friends (i.e. most Italians). La pizza is ideal when you don’t want to spend a lot time (or money) on...
read more
Feed Your Gut to Help Your Brain
BY DR. MARC MILSTEIN Head to toe you are about 37 trillion human cells, give or take a trillion. You are also about 37 trillion bacteria cells. I hate to break it to you, but you are half human, half bacteria. What is all that bacteria doing living on and inside...
read more
Unlocking Cognitive Potential through Dance and Movement
By Erica Hornthal, LCPC, BC-DMT As a dance/movement therapist specializing in cognitive and movement disorders, I see movement as a key that unlocks cognitive potential. Movement isn’t just fun, expressive, and joyful. It is necessary in order to reach these...
read more
Is There a Connection Between ADHD and Alzheimer’s?
As part of our new "Ask the Expert" series, we submitted these commonly-asked questions to The Women's Alzheimer's Movement's Scientific Advisory Council. Below are the responses we received from members of WAM's Scientific Advisory Council. Is there a connection...
read more
Cristina Ferrare Shares Brain-Healthy Lentil Soup Recipe That’s Perfect for Fall
Every two weeks until the release of her new book Food for Thought (which comes out December 4), Cristina Ferrare will share be sharing one of her delicious brain-healthy recipes with us here at The Women's Alzheimer's Movement. A portion of the proceeds from this...
read more
Alcohol Abuse and Alzheimer’s: Are the Two Related?
As part of our new "Ask the Expert" series, we submitted these commonly-asked questions to The Women's Alzheimer's Movement's Scientific Advisory Council. Below, Dr. Bruce Miller, MD, Director UCSF Dementia Center, responds. What is the role of alcohol in Alzheimer’s?...
read more
Fitness Trainer Finds the Silver Lining in Her Mom’s Fight Against Alzheimer’s
BY KIM HOCHMAN I am a 47-year-old mother to three young girls, ages 14, 12 and 8. For years, I focused on their well-being over my own. In fact, every day as I drove my youngest to pre-school, I would pass a gym and say to myself, “I really need to get back to a...
read more
More Evidence Exercise Benefits Brain, Especially For Women
This article first appeared on the website of our content partner Being Patient, an editorially independent news site covering the latest research on Alzheimer's disease and brain health. If you'd like to sign up to their weekly newsletter, click here. BY EMILY...
read more
5 Key Takeaways From Move for Minds 2018
At our Move for Minds events in June 2018, we featured nearly 50 superstar experts in the fields of brain health and Alzheimer's who shared their latest research and insights into what we should know about this disease today. Here are the biggest lessons learned from...
read more
5 Lifestyle Changes That Keep Your Brain Sharp at Any Age
Trying to keep your mind in tip-top shape? An expert tells us how you can fight brain decline by living an active and engaged life. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than five million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s. By 2050, that number...
read more
Shining a Light on Vitamin D
Many chronic conditions can be associated with low levels of vitamin D. Vitamin D affects the immune system and may act as a neuroprotective agent. In MS (multiple sclerosis), low levels of vitamin D can possibly increase the risk of developing and/or worsening MS....
read more
The DASH Diet: Good for Heart Health and Brain Health
U.S. News & World Report rates The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute’s DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) as the “best overall” and “healthy eating” plan to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. New research shows that the DASH diet may...
read more
‘Brain Food’: Lisa Mosconi Explains Why Your Brain Enjoys Exercise
Reprinted from Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power by arrangement with Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2018, Lisa Mosconi. BY LISA MOSCONI, PH.D. The rumba and the cha-cha...
read more
‘FOOD’: Mark Hyman Explains Why Cooking Is Essential to Health and Happiness
"Excerpted from FOOD Copyright © 2017 by Mark Hyman, MD. Used with permission of Little, Brown and Company, New York. All rights reserved." BY MARK HYMAN, M.D. Time and money are the biggest perceived obstacles to eating well. In most cases, neither is a true...
read more
‘Strength in Stillness’: Bob Roth Explains the Benefits of Transcendental Meditation
Excerpted from STRENGTH IN STILLNESS Copyright © 2018 by David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace. Used with permission of Simon & Schuster, New York. I have been fortunate to learn Focused Attention and Open Monitoring from some of...
read more
African Americans and Alzheimer’s: What You Need to Know
Did you know that African Americans are twice as likely to get diagnosed with Alzheimer's as their non-Hispanic Caucasian counterparts? This startling statistic is what drives the research work of Dr. Goldie Byrd, the Nathan F. Simms Endowed Professor of Biology at...
read more
Dancing through Dementia: The Benefits of Dance Therapy for People Living with Alzheimer’s
BY ERICA HORNTHAL, LCPC, BC-DMT Ever wonder how we can effectively communicate with individuals who are living with Alzheimer’s disease? It is possible through the use of alternative approaches and therapies. One such therapy called dance/movement therapy can engage,...
read more
‘The Healing Self’: Deepak Chopra & Rudy Tanzi Explain Why Lifestyle Changes Are Critical to the Future of Our Health
“Reprinted from The Healing Self. Copyright © 2018 by Deepak Chopra and Rudolph E. Tanzi. Published by Harmony Books, an imprintof the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.” BY DEEPAK CHOPRA, M.D., AND DR. RUDOLPH E. TANZI, Ph.D. At the end...
read more
Yoga & Meditation: Two Profound Tools For a Healthy Mind and Life
BY DR. SHUVENDU SEN Meditation and yoga have come a long way since their primordial moments in the deep recesses of a forest, where ancient sages practiced this art as a way of life. From the teachings of Buddha to the research-laden laboratories of Ivy League...
read more
WOMEN’S BRAIN HEALTH SUMMIT: Dr. Dale Bredesen and Dr. Lisa Mosconi on the Latest Research into Women’s Brains
At The Women's Alzheimer's Movement and Lifetime Television's "A Women's Health Summit: It Starts with the Brain" on November 1, 2017, Dr. Lisa Mosconi and Dr. Dale Bredesen shared their insights into how Alzheimer's affects women and why women's brains must be...
read more
WOMEN’S BRAIN HEALTH SUMMIT: Equinox’s Niki Leondakis on Exercise’s Effect on the Brain
At The Women's Alzheimer's Movement and Lifetime Television's "A Women's Health Summit: It Starts with the Brain" on November 1, 2017, Niki Leondakis, CEO of Equinox, spoke about how exercise and movement stimulate the brain. "What the research shows is that...
read more
WOMEN’S BRAIN HEALTH SUMMIT: Dr. Martha Clare Morris on What You Should Be Eating For Your Brain
At The Women's Alzheimer's Movement and Lifetime Television's "A Women's Health Summit: It Starts with the Brain" on November 1, 2017, Dr. Martha Clare Morris, Director of the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging and the MIND Center for Brain Health, spoke about how the...
read more
WOMEN’S BRAIN HEALTH SUMMIT: Dr. Marc Milstein on Your Gut’s Connection to Your Brain
At The Women's Alzheimer's Movement and Lifetime Television's "A Women's Health Summit: It Starts with the Brain" on November 1, 2017, Marc Milstein, Ph.D. and founder of Dr. Milstein Education, spoke about the gut's connection to the brain. "Individuals with...
read more
WOMEN’S BRAIN HEALTH SUMMIT: Bob Roth on Why You Must Make Time to Meditate
Bob Roth is a meditation expert and the Executive Director of the David Lynch Foundation, an organization that makes meditation accessible to millions for whom it would otherwise be without reach. At The Women's Alzheimer's Movement and Lifetime Television's "A...
read more
Assessing Your Alzheimer’s Risk
BY DR. KENNETH KOSIK Your risk for Alzheimer’s disease depends, in part, on the decisions you make every day—about what to eat for lunch, whether to hit the gym on the way home and how you choose to relax. But there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and that’s because...
read more
How Food Affects Memory & Learning + 3 Recipes to Supercharge Your Brain
BY DR. REBECCA KATZ If there’s ever been an elephant lurking under the living room rug, it’s the topic of memory, especially faulty memory. It wasn’t long ago that experiencing a fading memory as one aged was considered inevitable. But that notion is undergoing a...
read more
How to Stay Asleep and Sleep More Deeply
BY DR. MARK HYMAN “If one awakes in between 1 and 4 am every night for years, what can they do differently to stay asleep and sleep more deeply?” If doctors and dietitians had a penny for every time they heard this complaint, they could comfortably retire on some...
read more
How Dance and Movement Can Help Foster Identity
BY ERICA HORNTHAL, LCPC, BC-DMT Movement is a vital component of life. Although it is often associated with exercise, it’s important for us to remember that movement is an overarching umbrella involving body language, non-verbal communication, gesturing, posture, and...
read more
Why You Should Aim to Avoid Inflammatory Foods
BY DR. DALE BREDESEN Cognitive decline is largely a matter of three fundamental threats to our brain: inflammation; a shortage of brain-boosting nutrients, hormones, and other cognition-supporting molecules; and toxic exposure. What we call Alzheimer’s disease is a...
read more
Get Creative: Pair Your Physical Movement With Music
BY DEBORAH SHOUSE "I move, therefore I am." — Haruki Murakami During my mother’s journey through dementia, my dad was determined to keep her moving—walking, swimming, and gardening. He was determined to move her through her confusion. My father intuitively understood...
read more
Brain-Healthy Tips From Our Move For Minds Experts
Below are valuable insights from our community of experts - scientists, researchers, nutritionists, advocates, caregivers, and more — who participated in our 2017 Move For Minds events across the country. To learn more about the event and help us wipe out Alzheimer's,...
read more
Three Tips For a Strong, Rested Mind
BY CHRIS SHELTON As a practitioner of the ancient healing art of Qigong and Traditional Chinese Medicine, I treat people with conditions ranging from chronic pain to dementia. When a person comes to see me with a sadly common and heart-breaking affliction like...
read more
Dr. Frank Longo on What Young People May Teach Us About Aging
Maria Shriver recently spoke with preeminent neurologist Dr. Frank Longo about the promising Alzheimer’s research taking place today.
read more
Crucial Brain Health Tips From 15 Leading Experts
Healthy lifestyle choices, starting from a young age, can make a big difference. Even adjusting lifestyle at older ages can still have a positive impact on fighting the disease.
read more
12 Books to Get Smart on Brain Health
Through our work, we’ve come across a plethora of resources on how to take care of and optimize your mind. Now, for easy ready, we’ve put together a roundup of the books and authors that we’ve featured all in one place.
read more
Early Alzheimer’s Prevention: 4 Things You Should Do Now
While most people get diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in their late 60s and early 70s, the disease and cognitive decline can actually begin developing 20 years prior.
read more
Maria Shriver Reports on Game-Changing Brain Fitness Program
A relatively new body of research has found that changes in dietary patterns can have a positive effect on memory. This is true for healthy people as well as for those with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
read more
Maria Shriver Reports on Program That Reverses Cognitive Decline
A new experimental program from California neurologist Dr. Dale Bredesen is showing positive results in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
read more
Essential Vitamins & Supplements for Good Brain Health
Alzheimer’s expert Dr. Richard Isaacson sat down with Maria Shriver on Friday, August 5th once again to continue their conversation about Alzheimer’s prevention, memory, and diet on Facebook Live. In this session, they discussed the essential vitamins our brains need.
read more
8 Steps To Reverse Memory Loss
Even if you aren’t suffering from cognitive decline, you should take these steps because they can help you prevent the aging of your brain and help you achieve lifelong health.
read more
The 6 Key Things to Do to Outsmart Alzheimer’s
Here are examples of the six key Brain SMARTS that have the most scientific evidence for protecting the health of your brain.
read more
The Alzheimer’s Diet
A relatively new body of research has found that changes in dietary patterns can have a positive effect on memory. This is true for healthy people as well as for those with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
read more