Photo credit: I took this photo on my first evening in New Orleans in May this year. The reason I’m using it to represent today’s message is because it encapsulates many unexpected Brain Boosters that can help us dodge dementia. For example:
- Appreciating beauty, art and music
- Feeling awe and wonder — I didn’t expect to come across a stunning church in a tranquil park, complete with horse and carriage, in America’s home of jazz, Voodoo and Mardi Gras!
- Taking an after-dinner stroll
- Exploring a foreign country and making sure I can find my way back to my hotel without getting lost
- Learning about a new culture
- Stimulating all my senses with new sights, sounds, scents, tastes and experiences
- Being grateful for the opportunity to have these experiences
- And speaking to strangers!
Can you think of any other brain boosters that might be linked to this photo?
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For today’s episode, I’m sharing an interview I had with the dynamic and inspiring Sarah Rusbatch on her podcast Stronger Bolder Wiser.
Sarah is an accredited Grey Area Drinking Coach and the author of the best-selling book Beyond Booze — How to create a life you love, alcohol-free.
Sarah and I immediately clicked because her approach to alcohol is the same as my approach to healthy eating in my book NeuroSlimming – Let your brain change your body. Sarah’s philosophy is that ‘the goal isn’t to be sober; the goal is to love yourself so much, you don’t need a drink.’
I feel exactly the same way about food: the goal isn’t to quit ultraprocessed food; the goal is to love yourself so much, you don’t need to numb your emotions with food.
Sarah is also a multi award-winning Health and Wellbeing Coach, a Menopause Accredited Coach, and a passionate ambassador for helping women live their best lives. Most importantly, Sarah lives everything she speaks, and she glows from the inside out.
So although the interview doesn’t technically follow my usual format of Brain Booster — Health Headline — What’s Missing from Modern Medicine? — and Whether Report, we definitely cover a lot of brain boosters, health headlines, and things that are missing from modern medicine, especially in relation to women being twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as men — and how to change this.
Here are some of the topics we cover:
- What’s the difference between dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?
- How common is Alzheimer’s disease?
- Why is Alzheimer’s twice as common in women as in men?
- Does hormone replacement at menopause support brain health and reduce dementia risk?
- How much do our genes influence our risk of developing Alzheimer’s?
- If you have a family member with Alzheimer’s does it mean you’re more likely to get the disease?
- Are sugar and alcohol risk factors for dementia? Which is worse?
- How can we start to improve our brain health and reverse dementia?
- Why is physical exercise — and especially strength training — so important for brain health?
- Are there any foods that are especially important when it comes to brain health?
- When should we start being seriously proactive about looking after our brain?
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Click here to watch the episode on my YouTube channel, or listen to Healing with Dr Helena on your preferred podcast platform. I’ll publish a new episode every Monday, and you’ll receive an email notification that morning. Please subscribe to my podcast or YouTube channel so that you don’t miss an episode, and send your whether questions to: podcast@drhelenapopovic.com
If you’re happy for me to play your voice on my podcast, you can provide an audio file. Otherwise, you can type your question for me to read out.
I very much look forward to answering your questions, and exploring how we can all build a smarter brain, stronger body and deeply fulfilling life.
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