Power Dynamics. Acrylic on canvas. Meydenbauer Bay, 2022. It’s pretty exciting to learn that up to 45% of dementia cases might be preventable just through lifestyle choices. It’s the choices we make every day: how we exercise, what we eat, and even when we sleep! It all plays a role in our cognitive function.  And beyond physical health habits, our daily habits of social connection, intellectual challenge, and doing meaningful work, also boost our brain health. On the other hand, chronic...

Vibrant blooms. Mixed media. Discovery Bay, 2023. Dementia is often called a disease of middle age that doesn’t show up until elderhood. That’s because changes in the brain begin 2-3 decades ahead of the first symptoms. Heart disease is similarly a disease that begins in young adulthood with atherosclerotic plaque quietly building up in arteries, only to manifest with heart attack or stroke in middle age or beyond.  The good news is that prevention studies have repeatedly found that disease...

Renewal. Pen and ink on paper. Discovery Bay, Nov 2024. When you notice that a loved one is sometimes forgetful, it’s hard to know what’s normal and whether or not to be worried. What’s best in such moments is to remind ourselves that we get to be human, and that human brains are normally flawed and imperfect —at any age. It’s tempting to get drawn into a story that your brain creates to make meaning of what’s happening, but the reality is that it takes time and patience to figure out what’s...