TIPS & TOOLS
FOR BRAIN HEALTH
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.
How Food Affects Your Brain
What we eat affects more than our bodies. It also affects our brain. This Is Your Brain On Food by Dr. Uma Naidoo explains the latest research and uses it to provide nutritional recommendations and delicious brain-healthy recipes to optimize your mental health with...
Adam Gazzaley on the Brain Health Benefits of Playing Games and Being Social
Playing games and being social have more benefits than you may think, including many benefits for our brain. In the WAM Weekly, we asked Founder and Executive Director of UC San Francisco's Neuroscape, Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD, how games can change the brain and which...
The Benefits of Meditation for Healthcare Workers, Veterans and Everyone Else
Anxiety and stress are at an all time high for many people these days. So we asked CEO of the David Lynch Foundation and WAM Advisor, Bob Roth, about how meditation can help. The benefits can be amazing, not just in our everyday lives, but also for healthcare works...
COVID-19’s Impact on the Brain From a Neurologist Working the Frontlines
COVID-19 can affect more than just the respiratory system. We asked Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, MGH McCance Center for Brain Health Neurologist and WAM Advisor, Dr. Marie Pasinski, about what she's learned from treating patients with COVID-19 and...
Your Future Self: An Excerpt From High-Octane Brain
While researchers work on a cure and treatments for Alzheimer's, we do know there are lifestyle choices we can make today to reduce our risk for Alzheimer's. With over 80% of Americans wanting to reduce their risk, Dr. Michelle Braun's new book, High-Octane...
How to Keep Your Memory Sharp From a 4x USA Memory Champion
Nelson Dellis is a 4x USA Memory Champion, leading memory expert and an Alzheimer's disease activist. Dellis explains to the WAM Weekly how everyone can improve overall brain health through mental exercises. In his new book written for children, Memory Superpowers!,...
The New Women’s Health Revolution
Excerpt from Sex Matters: How Male-Centric Medicine Endangers Women's Health and What We Can Do About It by Alyson J. McGregor, MD. We are in the midst of a second women’s revolution. The first was the movement that gained women the right to operate in the world...
How to Boost Your Brain to Live Better Longer
Gary Small, MD, is the Director of the UCLA Longevity Center and author of The Memory Bible. In an interview he did with The WAM Weekly, Dr. Small explains what we all can do for our brains today to live better for longer. WAM: Your mission at the UCLA Longevity...
Dr. Nicole C. Woitowich Reveals the Influence of Sex and Gender on Health and Disease
Dr. Nicole Woitowich is the Associate Director for the Women’s Health Research Institute at Northwestern University, with a specific focus on the influences of sex and gender on women’s health. She just published a study looking at the impact of relatively new and...
The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Prevention Center Launches at Cleveland Clinic
The Women's Alzheimer's Movement, in association with the Cleveland Clinic, is proud to announce the launch of The Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic (The Women’s Alzheimer’s Prevention Center)–the first Alzheimer’s prevention clinic...
Dr. Kristine Yaffe on Keeping Our Brain Strong and Healthy
Kristine Yaffe, MD, a Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology and Epidemiology at the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences. She is also a member of the California Governor's Task Force on Alzheimer's Prevention and Preparedness. Dr. Yaffe answered our questions about the...
Moving in Nature: Exercise Squared
By Dr. William Sears and Dr. Vincent M. Fortanasce Remember Dr. Mom’s prescription for boredom and bad behavior? “Go outside and play!” No neuroscientist has ever topped this advice from Dr. Mom. Modern brain scans, those windows into your brain, reveal she was right....
Dr. Nadine Burke Harris on California’s State of Health
Pediatrician Dr. Nadine Burke Harris was appointed California's first Surgeon General in 2019, and today is at the forefront of the state's COVID-19 health response. In a WAM Weekly exclusive, she tells us how she and the nation's largest state are handling the...
Maintaining Connection and Community While Social Distancing
By: Leeza's Care Connection Are you sheltering in place with nothing to do? Wondering how long you can cope without tearing your hair out? Here are some things you can do to pass the time with purpose. Remember that just because you are social distancing, doesn't...
WAM Research Grant Recipient Lisa Mosconi Reveals Her Groundbreaking Research on Women’s Brains
In her groundbreaking new book The XX Brain (with a Forward by our founder Maria Shriver), WAM Scientific Advisory Council member Lisa Mosconi, Ph.D. addresses cognitive enhancement and Alzheimer's prevention specifically in women, framing brain health as an essential...
3 Books That Will Change the Way You Care For Your Body & Brain
Looking to reset your brain and body for more resilient and long term brain health? WAM highly recommends the following three books written by longtime WAM partners. The XX Brain: The Groundbreaking Science Empowering Women to Maximize Cognitive Health and Prevent...
Love is a State of Mind
Though we may feel pangs of love in our hearts, the actual signs of this strong emotion resonate in our brains. And thanks to modern science and technology, we can physically observe love's neurobiological effects. Dr. Robert Weiss is a clinical sexologist and...
How to Live & Age Successfully: Neuroscientist Dan Levitin Weighs In
It’s the beginning of a new year, offering all of us the opportunity to refresh our goals and intentions about our health and lifestyle. In his latest book, "Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives," best-selling author Daniel...
Resolve to Read a Great Life-Changing Wellness Book This Year
Is one of your New Year's resolutions to find that one wellness book that could possibly change your life? Well, WAM has you covered! The following books make it to the top of our must-read list. Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of...
WAM Guide: Tips for a Brain-Healthy Life
10 Questions Every Woman Should Ask Her Doctor About Brain Health
Every 65 seconds a new brain develops Alzheimer’s. Two out of three of them belong to women and we don’t know why. We do know that most women don’t talk to their doctors about their brain health, unaware that their future may depend on it. Here are 10 questions WAM...
Move For Minds Experts on Why We Need to Move
Members of our Move For Minds panel tell us about the benefits of movement and exercise. Dr. Lisa Mosconi: When it comes to being physically active, there’s no shortage of good reasons to get a move-on. If avoiding heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes aren’t...
The Beachcomber: An Alzheimer’s Poem
BY SR. JANET RECTENWALD, SFCC I wait ... to receive from you words that identify who you are, your history, where you came from, what you long for. Words come ... broken words, unintelligible words, ...
Entrepreneur Cristina Carlino Reflects On How WAM Has Changed Her Life
We are proud to recognize our good friend, Cristina Carlino, who has been with the Women's Alzheimer's Movement since the very beginning and has donated generously to women-based research.We recently asked Cristina–founder and creator of the cosmetic...
Mnemonic Champion Nelson Dellis Reveals What Memory Means to Him
The concept of memory is very important to Nelson Charles Dellis, a 4x USA Memory Champion, a best-selling author, public speaker, and consultant. In his book "Remember It!: The Names of People You Meet, All of Your Passwords, Where You Left Your Keys, and...
How to Keep Your Brain Healthy While Having Fun
BY SUSAN PASCAL Summer is the time we like to get away, to give ourselves and even our brains a rest. But is that a good idea for optimal brain health? Michael M. Merzenich, a professor emeritus neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco, member of...
Author Emily Kaiser Thelin Reflects on the Culinary Legacy of Paula Wolfert
Food editor Emily Kaiser Thelin's book "UNFORGETTABLE: The Bold Flavors of Paula Wolfert's Renegade Life" tells the story of Paula Wolfert, culinary legend and author of nine award-winning cookbooks who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2013. This...
Why Moving Your Body Is Good For Your Brain
BY WENDY SUZUKI What if I told you that there was something that you could do right now that would make you say, “Gee, I think my brain is working better today!” And what if I told you that this same process might not only strengthen the parts of your brain that’s...
Best-Selling Author Patti Callahan Henry Reflects on the Poignancy of Memory
Life is made up of thousands of memories, if not millions. The smell of a favorite childhood landscape. The touch of a loved one’s hand. The sound of a lover’s whisper. The sight of a baby’s smile. The ache of loss and heartbreak.Do such memories define...
Why Self-Care Must Be a Prerequisite When a Family Member Is Diagnosed With Alzheimer’s
BY E. AYN WELLEFORD, MSG, PHD A loved one receiving a diagnosis of dementia prompts a multitude of responses. One surprising but consistent message I hear from families I’ve encountered over the years has been, “above all the challenges, I wouldn’t trade this...
Looking Forward to a World Without Alzheimer’s
Is there hope?” they ask me. For themselves. For their moms, dads, husbands, and wives.My answer: absolutely yes.And I don’t mean that in the you-should-never-give-up-hope sense. I’m saying that there’s now legitimate reason to be optimistic. Not about...
Excerpt: Dementia Reimagined: Building a Life of Joy and Dignity from Beginning to End
BY TIA POWELLOur view of dementia is changing, but it needs to change more.How we treat others, particularly vulnerable others, is part of what defines us as a society. When we hide demented elders because they look or act strange, when we fail to provide...
Lifestyle Choices You Make Throughout Your Life May Determine Your Risk of Developing Dementia
BY DR. MARIE PASINSKI Carol could not understand why her identical twin sister had suffered from Alzheimer’s for 10 years while she herself showed no signs of the disease. “After all,” she reasoned, “we have identical genes.” Like many of my patients, Carol thought...
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...
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...
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...
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?...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
‘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...
‘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...
‘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...
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...
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,...
‘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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.