What Happens When You Spend a Week in Italy Immersed in Brain Health
The Sardinia Brain Health Retreat alum share their Aha! moments and takeaways
Hello, Brain Health Ambassadors! I am writing to you from seat 50D of the long-haul flight home from Italy. It’s been an unforgettable month. First, I hosted Brain Health, Food, and Fun in Puglia with 12 extremely engaged, food-loving people who quickly became friends. Ciao ciao to all the Puglia alumni!
Then I headed to the island on the west side of Italy for Sardinia’s Secrets, a brain health retreat focused on the longevity in the blue zones. I just said arrivederci to this group so their laughter and friendship are still fresh in my mind. Ciao ciao to all the Blue Zonians!
When a retreat wraps up, I send guests home with more than fun memories and new friends.
Retreat alum bring home a practical toolbox for tweaking daily habits to optimize their brain health. Plus, they are primed to share the most recent brain health information with others. They are true Brain Health Ambassadors!
What, exactly, is a brain health retreat?
Brain health retreats are educational vacations from locations known for successful aging. I created the world’s first brain health retreat in partnership with movement specialist Stacy Fisher in Panama in 2022. Now Stacy and I offer a Costa Rica retreat each winter, and I have added retreats in Sicily, Puglia, Sardinia, and at Rancho La Puerta in Mexico.
We have a lot of fun on brain health retreats but there is also much learning. We learn from the local people by immersing in their way of life. We learn from each other. And guests learn from me about the latest science of lifelong brain health.
Find all the details about the next brain health retreat in Sardinia by clicking on the pdf below. To learn more and grab a spot, call 877.298.9677.
For today’s newsletter, I asked the last brain health retreat alumni to share:
An Aha! moment—something they learned on the trip
Real-life takeaways—action items to cultivate brain health back home
Without further ado, here are a few of the things learned, straight from the Sardinia alum.
Aha! moments
For full access to all the recipes, articles, and guides I share, and to learn first about new retreats, consider signing up as a paying subscriber. To join me for 4 live-on-zoom cooking classes a year, sign up as a Founding Member.
Coffee with caffeine is good!
Modifiable risk factors are both more numerous and easier to manage than I thought. It takes discipline but it’s not that hard.
One thing I didn’t know is how powerful is it to be surrounded by a fantastic people. You all made my days!
I can influence others to learn brain health.
The world is so big but filled with so many beautiful souls to help us on this journey.
Coffee without a filter can increase one’s LDL.
Loss of vision and hearing can lead to cognitive decline.
Good food, company, and nature are the real luxury.
Sardinia has historically been a matriarchal society. Locals still look to the female elders for guidance in everyday life.
My perception of the Blue Zone designation being based primarily on diet was quickly dispelled by learning of the impact of environment, stress, and genetics.
1 in 5 women will develop Alzheiemer’s.
A brain health check-up should be a part of my wellness care.
Italians drink their coffee in espresso “microdoses” throughout the morning rather than a huge portion all at once.
HRT is more applicable and with the right population can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s in women.
Certain cheeses in Sardinia have health benefits.
Epigenetics can change expression of ApoE4. ApoE2 carriers may have protection from Alzheimer’s.
Affogatto!
Community, low stress, and steep daily walking are key factors in blue zone longevity.
I was unaware that you could check an omega-3 blood level.
Takeaways
Do more home cooking, better meal planning, and prep.
Throw away all the oils in my pantries and start over.
Explore the local markets, use more and different fresh fruits and vegetables.
Start an herb garden.
Ask my doctor for an updated lipid panel and metabolic health screen.
No more Keurig coffee for me. Filtered pourovers from now on!
Eat more olives.
I am going to make at least one significant change in each of the Power 9.
Increase EVOO quality and consume daily.
Add creatine to my supplement routine.
Shop hard for the right food in the U.S. supermarkets.
Fight to stay away from ultraprocessed foods.
So much! Plan to drink less alcohol, no more diet coke, more natural cooking.
Learn to forage…even if in the grocery store.
Work on sleep!
Row 1: An "aperitivo talk" at the beach. 2: More murals, a cooking class to make culurgiones. 3: Mother/daughter retreaters, eating tomatoes like candy, mingling with centenarias at the bar. Don’t hestitate to get checked out if something is off! There is no glory in roughing it out.
Try to include as many fresh, seasonal ingredients as possible.
Shop for fresh, local, seasonal ingredients and build my meals around them.
Hit my local farmers market as much as possible.
Sub in olive oil for saturated fats (like butter and mayo).
Continue to increase modifiable risk factor interventions.
I am committed to keep learning how to cook brain healthy meals, forever more!
Get better sleep habits by not looking at my phone before going to bed and first thing when I wake up.
I am going to try to serve my patients better with this amazing brain health research.
Baby steps to make changes.
Ask about the source of food always.
No more rushing.
I want to learn more!
Needless to say, I am proud. Are there any topics listed you’d like to learn more about? Please share.
That’s all for today. Our next mini-series starts next week: all about the impact of environmental toxins on brain health.
I’ll share my practical guide to minimizing microplastics, my approach to nontoxic cookware, and new information about how Parkinson’s risk has now been linked to proximity to a golf course. Until then, grazie mille for reading, sharing, and taking an interest in brain health. You are all brain health ambassadors and I appreciate each and every one of you.
Love,
Annie
Brain Health Retreats Update
Want to join me on a Brain Health Retreat this year? Your brain will thank you! For detailed information about each trip, click on the links below or tap on RETREATS on the homepage.
BHK Retreat at Rancho La Puerta, Mexico June 7 to 14, 2025. Join me at the Ranch during Brain Health Week for a special retreat within a retreat. To register or submit questions, contact Donna Sher at 858.449.3672 or email her at dsher52@hotmail.com. 2 spots left!
Sardinia’s Secrets For a Long and Healthy Life, October 12 to 19, 2025. This fall I am headed bacy to Italy to explore Sardinia’s blue zones. Find all the details here; call 877-298-9677 for more information and to reserve your spot. This Brain Health Retreat was featured in National Geographic Traveller UK.
Costa Rica in February 5 to 10, 2026: Fitness + brain health in the jungle by the beach! This retreat is 100% plant-based and alcohol-free. Learn more and reserve your spot here. 5 cabañas left!
❤️ Italy!
I saw the comment about adding creatine supplement. I’ve been reading creatine can show higher levels of creatinine in certain individuals. What I have read indicates a relationship between the two but not necessarily cause and effect. Can you tell me a little about this?