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.