June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month.

My Mom developed post-stroke dementia, and it’s one of the hardest things I've gone through as I watched her age.

She thought her parents were still living and cried that they didn’t come to visit her.

She often thought my Dad was still alive and struggled to make sense of the news that he had passed away.

It felt like I’d lost her, but she was still living.

She was no longer the woman I knew.

I would go to visit her and often spent the drive home in tears.

I’m now watching friends go through the same process of watching a parent slowly slip away, consumed by dementia.

I was speaking with a new client, and she shared that her 63-year-old husband has early-onset dementia.

In hindsight, she sees the symptoms began in his mid-50s.

He was an ER doctor who retired early.

It is the second marriage for both of them.

They had plans for how they would spend their retirement years traveling and playing golf.

Now his dementia is so advanced that she can’t leave him alone.

She says he’s like a toddler.

According to Blue Cross/Blue Shield, we have seen a consistent and steep uptick in Alzheimer’s and dementia diagnoses since the early 2010s.

Around 7 million people are currently living with Alzheimer's or dementia.

Health and long-term care costs for dementia are projected to reach $409 billion.

What’s changed that’s caused this uptick?

Is this just old age?

Poor genetics?

Bad luck?

Some are calling this diabetes 3.

When blood sugar stays high, excess sugar binds to blood proteins, forming harmful compounds called AGEs. 

These compounds trigger constant inflammation and cellular stress, which steadily damage healthy brain tissue.

Most doctors don’t test fasting insulin.

I highly recommend doing so because it can alert you to blood sugar problems long before A1C and fasting glucose become high.

There’s been talk of a connection between poor oral health and Alzheimers and dementia.

You have bacteria in your mouth, but if you have an overgrowth of bad bacteria, it can travel through the bloodstream to the brain.

There’s also a direct connection between oral health and heart health.

You can test your oral microbiome, and if you have root canals, it’s worth checking whether they’re infected.

The gut microbiome is also connected to brain health.

You also have bacteria in your gut, but if there’s an overgrowth of bad bacteria, it can get out into the bloodstream, causing neuro-inflammation.

Brain health, whether it’s your mental and emotional wellbeing or your cognitive health, is directly influenced by your food and lifestyle choices.

I can help you support your brain health. Hit reply and let me know if you're currently supporting a loved one with Alzheimers or dementia.