Caregiving for a loved one with dementia comes with many challenges, but also tremendous gifts. Failures are a part of dementia and care, but there are also many lessons that can be gathered along the way. In this episode, Ron Beleno shares his caregiving story and the many gifts - and struggles – that accompanied his journey. Ron is an active advocate for dementia, caregiving, aging, and research. Tune in to learn how Ron utilized technology, community, and creative strategies to care for his father.

Social isolation is defined as wanting more connection than you currently have. There are many adverse health effects of loneliness and social isolation – such as the increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and dementia. While loneliness is a normal human experience, it can contribute to unhealthy behaviours (such as physical inactivity + poor sleep), increased stress and higher blood pressure. Get proactive by identifying your level of loneliness and take steps to connect with others.

If you have ever experienced a traumatic event and were not able to process it for any reason, the trauma can get frozen in your senses and emotions. You can get triggered months, years or even decades later. Acknowledging your feelings and paying attention to what is happening in your body is an important first step. The second step is to ask for help. There are many different types of therapists available, and there are a variety of different approaches they can use to help you cope. Tune in to learn more!

Hearing loss affects many adults as they age. While the impact of hearing loss on health is varied, the relationship between hearing and cognition is notable. When it gets harder to hear information, you have to recruit additional brain areas to help you understand what you're hearing. A 10-decibel difference in hearing is equivalent to being two years older in terms of mental performance (e.g., memory). Identifying and treating hearing loss should be a priority because of its impact on cognitive decline.

You’ve heard about mindfulness before. Mindfulness is the act of paying attention to the present moment non-judgmentally. It is about being attuned to what arises and passes in your mind, so that you can develop familiarity with your inner world. Being mindful of what is going on inside of you is tremendously powerful. By having sensory awareness, you can allow your thoughts & emotions to rise and pass without succumbing to the impulse to act. Tune in to learn all about the health benefits of mindfulness.

The human brain undergoes normal age-related changes. After age 60, your brain's memory centre starts to shrink (~1% per year). Keeping an active lifestyle and moving your body regularly can help protect your brain. Also, stay mentally stimulated by challenging your mind, getting out of your comfort zone, and learning new things that are of interest to you. Research points to the added benefits of combining brain and body exercises to improve your brain's function. Tune in to learn more!

Being resilient in the face of challenge and transition is tough. Regardless of what change you are currently going through – your emotional well-being and mindset play a critical role in your ability to navigate difficult circumstances. One important element of a healthy mindset is staying focused on what you can control instead of wasting your valuable physical and mental energy on things that are outside of your control. Tune in to learn more actionable tools to help you manage life transitions!

The journey of inner transformation and growth is not easy. Any challenge can be transformed into an opportunity to grow if you let it, but this takes conscious choice and effort. Practices of self-reflection can help you connect with yourself on a deeper level. One way to help guide your internal transformation and growth is to ask yourself quality questions. Questions help promote more in-depth thought and awareness of your innermost needs, enabling you to connect with yourself in the most authentic way.

If you are in a relationship with a narcissist, & struggling, then this episode is for you. A narcissist is controlling & manipulative; they can’t handle criticism; they lack empathy & emotional awareness; & they have grandiose views of themselves. Being in relationship with a narcissist can be extremely difficult for a multitude of reasons – e.g., they are never wrong which makes it very hard to be in honest dialogue with them. Tune in to learn more about surviving a relationship with a narcissist.

Changing old habits can be hard. Maybe you want to stop spending so much time on your devices; maybe you want to exercise more or sleep better. Whatever your specific goals are, modifying your lifestyle and changing everyday habits is not easy. Often, we look for the solution to our challenges and difficulties in the external world – like an app or a piece of workout equipment, but I invite you to consider the role of your mindset and thinking patterns in either helping or hindering you as you pursue your goals.

Memory changes with age. Although there is a difference between “normal” age-related changes in memory and those associated with dementia-like pathology (such as Alzheimer’s disease), some changes in memory are expected as you get older. There are, however, specific behaviours and habits that you can incorporate into your daily life that can help support your memory and protect your brain as you age. Tune in to learn all about memory, the aging brain and how you can improve your mental functions as you age.

Music moves the mind. Your experiences with music involve many psychological and mental processes - from perceiving or hearing the music to the mental images that accompany a specific tune. Strong emotions can be tied to a particular song, and certain tunes can evoke powerful nostalgic experiences. A person’s relationship to a given song may be expressed as how familiar they are with the tune or the degree to which the song is associated with a personal memory. Tune in to learn about music, memory and emotion.

You have an inner light - a set of gifts & talents that exist within you; but, many obstacles can get in the way of you living to your fullest potential. For example, old stories that you have been told by others or society that continue to drive your behaviour or your inner critic that talks poorly about anything you try to accomplish. Regardless of what is holding you back from showing up as the best version of you or your "you-est you," there is a way through the noise. Tune in to learn more!

Research demonstrates the existence of racial disparities in health. Specifically, older black adults show an earlier onset of chronic conditions and more rapid declines in health than their white counterparts. One explanation for these health disparities is socioeconomic inequalities. For example, poorer quality schooling and not owning a home can affect access to healthcare and, therefore, health. Tune in to learn more about social-ecological explanations for racial disparities in health.

We’ve all had powerful experiences with music. Music can help us feel light + happy, and it can also help us deal with heavy emotions that we’ve been carrying around for far too long. Musical interventions can also be used in a therapeutic context to improve a client’s quality of life. Music therapy involves using music as a form of relaxation, emotional processing, and psychotherapeutic support to relieve physical, emotional, or psychological distress. Tune in to learn more about the power of music as a therapeutic tool.

Dr. Peter Whitehouse (author of "The Myth of Alzheimer's" and the forthcoming "American Dementia") reminds us that Alzheimer's disease is not a single biological condition – but a collection of many conditions that affect cognition (e.g., memory). Also, features of Alzheimer's disease (e.g., plaques and tangles) are present in the brains of many (if not most) adults as they age, suggesting the lines between pathological and non-pathological aging may not be as clear cut as originally anticipated.

Dorothy Butler Gilliam is a pioneer and the first black female journalist at the Washington Post. In this episode, Dorothy shares her incredible life story – from growing up in a racially segregated city, to working at the Washington Post, as well as helping to train young journalists and bring more racial diversity into the media. Dorothy shares her over 50-year career as a journalist in her memoir called “Trailblazer: A Pioneering Journalist’s Fight to Make the Media Look more like America."

Stress affects both your brain and your body. In this episode, I share a sneak peak of Brain Vitality Workshop #2: Stress, Sleep and Mental Challenges. To access the entire workshop, visit https://www.BrainShape.ca/brain-vitality-workshop-2 (available for a limited time only). In this episode, you’ll learn about evolution & your stress response, the dangers of chronic (or consistent) stress, the relationship between stress & inflammation and I'll end by sharing some stress management techniques.

The food you eat impacts your brain & body and it's a fundamental component of brain health & aging well. In this episode, I share a sneak peak of Brain Vitality Workshop #1: Food, Nutrition & Fitness. To access the entire workshop, visit https://www.BrainShape.ca/brain-vitality-workshop-1 (available for a limited time only). In this episode, you’ll learn about the gut-brain connection, hunger hormones, how food affects cognition, and the links between blood sugar, insulin levels, diabetes & brain health.

In this episode, we are featuring our first-ever repeat guest! Dr. Catherine Kurosu is here again, but this time she’s talking about the integration of Western and Eastern medicine for optimal heart health. Specifically, she co-wrote the book True Wellness for your Heart to educate people about how the heart and blood vessels work, and how your daily choices can positively impact your cardiovascular health.