Everything You Need To Know About Brain Health, Collected In One Place

You will want to bookmark this one

Hi everyone. I loved hearing your feedback on the post about the possibility of reversing Alzheimer’s. I’m writing to you again from my backyard “summer office” which is also great for wildlife spotting. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have met the young male moose sporting velvety new antlers who mowed through my chokecherry bush. Today I am enjoying a pair of ermine that live in the woodpile—mink-like weasels with shiny brown pelts that turn white in the winter. I caught them looking back from behind a flowerpot with big eyes and twitching whiskers.

A few backyard summer highlights: a handsome young moose, eavesdropping on my meeting with Dr. Julie Frantantoni @BetterBrain

In the spirit of summertime here in the Northern Hemisphere, I wanted to send out a short note with a roundup of guides to various important topics related to brain health. Perhaps you’ve recently upgraded to a paid subscription after my 60th birthday sale (if so, thank you!!) and want to delve into posts that are behind the paywall. Or, maybe you’d saved an email or two but never got around to reading it.

Plus, I regularly get questions about where to find a certain post from the past, so hopefully it is helpful to have all the non-recipe ones categorized here, all in one place. Good to know: BHK is not just a newsletter; it is also a searchable website. You can use the search bar at the top right of the Home Page or Archives to look for topics and recipes.

Orzo and me at my 6oth birthday party; finding momma and baby bear prints on a walk

Today’s focus: brain health guides you may have missed on important topics. Whether or not you should get tested for the Alzheimer’s “risk gene”, for example, or taking a quiz to assess how Mediterranean your diet is. The good news is, implementing even one small thing from these articles counts as a step towards your brain-healthy journey. And, if the research that came out of the study I wrote about last time is anything to be believed, that can mean a lot for those of us who want to stave off cognitive decline as long as possible.

I’ll update this guide regularly, so keep it bookmarked in case you have a few minutes and want to delve into other BHK guides in the future.

Menopause and hormone therapy

• Can HRT Help Protect Women From Alzheimer’s and Dementia?

• Understanding The Menopause Brain Better

• ​​Menopause and the Healthy Brain

• The Surprising Link Between Hot Flashes and Alzheimer’s

• Talking to your doctor about hormone therapy

• How Perimenopause Affects Metabolic Health

ApoE4, an Alzheimer’s risk gene

• What ApoE4 Carriers Need To Know About A New Study

• What You Need to Know About ApoE4, An Alzheimer’s Risk Gene

• 21 Things You Can Do To Reduce the Risk of ApoE4

• Should You Get Tested for the Alzheimer’s Risk Gene?

Heart health

• Your Brain on Cholesterol

• My Top 10 Favorite Cholesterol-Lowering Foods

• The Surprising Link Between Hot Flashes and Alzheimer’s

• Do statin drugs cause dementia or prevent it?

• Study Shows That What’s Good For the Heart is Good For The Brain

• Brain Health Homework: Check your blood pressure

Metabolic health and blood sugar

• These Foods That Stabilize Blood Sugar Are Good For The Brain, Too

• ​​High-Protein, Vegetarian Eating For Metabolic And Brain Health

• How’s Your Metabolic Health?

• Open Thread #6: Blood Sugar and Brain Health

• The Brain Health Kitchen Guide to a Healthy Metabolism

• How Perimenopause Affects Metabolic Health

The MIND Diet

• The MIND Diet Perks You May Have Missed

• Takeaways From The MIND Diet Trial

Mediterranean Diet

• How Mediterranean is Your Diet? Take this 2-minute quiz and find out.

• The Mediterranean Diet Gets A Boost

Protein

• The Brain-Healthy Guide To Eating Enough Protein

• ​​High-Protein, Vegetarian Eating For Metabolic And Brain Health

• How to Get Enough Protein in a Brain-Healthy Diet

Exercise

• Why Exercise Is Just As Important As Brain-Healthy Eating

• Creating a Brain-Healthy Exercise Program that Sticks

• 6 Mind and Body Exercises We Are Doing at the Panama Brain Health Retreat

Bone health

• Is Osteoporosis A Reliable Predictor of Alzheimer’s?

• Getting Enough Calcium in a Brain-Healthy Diet

Supplements

• Is Creatine Good For Brain Health?

• Creatine Do’s and Don’ts

• Should You Be Taking a Brain Health Supplement?

• Are Supplements That Promise Better Memory For Real?

• The Updated Guide To Brain Health Supplememts

Plant-based eating

• Do you have to go vegan to be “healthy”?

• Should You Be Concerned About Oxalates in Leafy Greens?

• ​​High-Protein, Vegetarian Eating For Metabolic And Brain Health

Building brain-healthy habits and lifestyle

• What’s Your Brain Care Score?

• How To Talk To Your Doctor About Brain Health

• How Lifestyle Shapes Genetic Risk For Alzheimer’s

• Why Creativity Is Good For Your Brain

• Tap Into Your Brain Health Mindset For Better New Year’s Resolutions

• There’s No Such Thing As Perfection When It Comes To Brain Health

• 3 Easy Tips To Make Your Kitchen Brain Healthier

• These 4 Things Make Brain Healthy Eating So Much Simpler

• Here’s Why You Should Toss Out Junk Food

• How To Talk To Young Adults About Brain Health

• What You Need To Know About AGEs In Food

Test your brain healthy living

• What’s Your Brain Care Score?

• How Mediterranean is Your Diet? Take this 2-minute quiz and find out.

Tea

• The Best Way To Brew Tea For Brain Health and Maximum Polyphenols

• Why Drinking Tea Is A Brain-Healthy Habit

• Does Drinking Herbal Tea Support Brain Health?

• All About Why Matcha Is Good For The Brain

Deep dives into Alzheimer’s and other dementias 

• Is Alzheimer's Actually Reversible?

• Preventing Parkinson’s Through Food

• What it’s like to be living with Alzheimer’s, according to my young friend in his 60s

• 6 Real-Life Takeaways From Recent Brain-Health Studies

• What’s Next in Alzheimer’s According to a Neurologist and Memory Expert

• Volunteering, Hearing Aids, And A Diagnostic Blood Test: Updates From the Latest Alzheimer’s Conference

Hearing

• Why Hearing Is Key To Your Brain Health, And What To Do About It

Sleep

• The Best Brain Health Boost in 2024: Fix Your Sleep

• Why Getting Enough Sleep Is Crucial For Brain Health

Gut health

• Pay Attention To Your Gut To Boost Brain Health

• Fiber Is More Important For Brain Health Than You Think

Alcohol

• Your brain loves it when you cut back on booze

I’ll be back next time with some new information about the Ozempic (and all its sister drugs) and brain health. Until then, enjoy reading! I’ll be over here spying on the ermines!

Love,

Annie

PS: I’ve just opened up more summer office hours for Brain Health Consultations in July and August. If you’d like to have a one-on-one consultation with me, head to my Calendly and snag a spot.

The Brain Health Retreats in Sicily this fall are nearly full. Want to go to Italy with me this October? Now’s your chance! Registration is closing soon. Click on the brochures below for the full itinerary and prices. Email minchillitours@gmail.com to book a spot.

The Brain Health Retreat in Eastern Sicily

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A week-long culinary and educational vacation in Eastern Sicily.

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The Brain Health Retreat in Western Sicily

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A week-long culinary and education vacation in Western Sicily.

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