I still remember sitting with my sister at one of my first Alzheimer's disease conferences, held in San Diego in 2012. The first presentation, by Dr. Robert Stern of Boston University, opened with a video of young boys playing football. It wasn't the images that held our attention, but the sound of crashing helmets. It was terrifying.

Next came the autopsy results from…

I grew up flipping through TV channels as a kid, and one day I hit upon this smallish man in a black jumpsuit with protruding biceps and ballet-like shoes, teaching exercises. Remember Jack LaLanne? He was the first person to introduce us women to exercise, and specifically to strength training, or what was called back then “muscle building.” I was captivated by his vitality and his feats, like the time at age 60 he re-created his famous Alcatraz swim, this time handcuffed and shackled, towing a 1,000-pound boat behind him across the frigid waters from Alcatraz Island to…

“Motion is the new lotion”
-Mary Ann Landis

The best medicine for your brain is… EXERCISE!!! Exercise is truly your very own super-duper super power. Let's break down the WHY, WHAT KIND, WHEN, and  HOW this incredible resource can make us happier and…

Jim and I are in Copenhagen, where 17.5 hours of daylight makes it hard to rest. There is so much light we have to use black out curtains and eye masks to sleep.

We’re nearing the end of two months in Europe where we have been doing lots of walking (10,000-20,000 steps/day) and have biked over 150 miles.

Today I am emphasizing the power REST!

Rest is good for the brain. Remember our brains take up much of our energy, so they need rest to reset and replenish. Sleep is important for consolidating memory, reducing stress, insulin resistance, and hypertension. Rest includes…

We are in Paris, my husband and I. Our son Ross arrives today.

We are staying in the 20th arrondissement known for its lack of tourists, diversity of vibrant cultures and delicious foods. Nearby is the vast, extraordinary cemetery, Père Lachaise, where art seems to follow you even among the dead. The narrow passageways wind between monuments and mausoleums draped in ivy. Resting here are luminaries whose work still echoes through our interconnected world: Édith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, Chopin, Jim Morrison. Walking the paths between crypts, I found myself thinking of…

This month I’m focused on a superpower that has profound effects on our brain and body — one that most people have never heard of, even though it’s been working quietly on their behalf every single moment of their lives. It’s called the vagus nerve. An old but new player in brain-body communication. Think of this nerve as the…

This just happened to me! While talking to a friend on my cellphone, she asked me for some information that sent me looking for my phone! Maybe you've had this happen to you?

Or, you get a quick message and somehow resurface 20+ minutes later, having learned something fascinating about Megan and Harry, or the crazy new gelatin diet. I hear versions of this from clients all the time, usually followed by: “Is something wrong with my brain?” Short answer: no. More accurate answer:…

Last month, we talked about your superpower of awareness. Many of your comments moved me to write more about how we can use that superpower to reduce cognitive impairment.

This month, I want to zero in on the Apolipoprotein E (APOE 4) gene, the reasons to consider…

Do you ever look in the mirror and think, “Who is that person?” More grey hair. Less hair. New lines in places that didn’t used to fold. Or you walk into a room and ask: "Why did I come in here again? Where did I put the… thing?"

Forget IMHO. The new acronym is WDIP—Where Did I Put…

It’s an easy slide from everyday forgetfulness into the number one fear of older adults…