June (left) and Sharon, August 22, 2025
Is a person still a person when their memories are gone? When the intricate tapestry of a life, woven from countless moments of joy, sorrow, love, and learning, begins to unravel thread by thread, what remains of the self we once knew? This is not merely a philosophical exercise; it is the heartbreaking reality for millions living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. It is a question that forces us to confront the very essence of identity and consciousness.
Recently, I was confronted with this question in the most personal and poignant way imaginable. My friend of nearly 35 years, June, came to visit. I hadn’t seen her since 2022, and in that time, Alzheimer’s has continued its relentless advance. This visit was a stark, painful testament to its progress, a living portrait of a mind slowly fading from view.
2022 Trip to Tuscon with June. Akiko, Sharon, and I made a diversion from a Route 66 tour to be with her for two days.
Over the seven hours we spent together, the disease’s toll was undeniable. My wife Sharon, her friend of nearly 50 years, and who had introduced me to June, was a familiar face to her, but Sharon’s name remained unspoken by June the whole visit. June never uttered my name, despite her boyfriend of 17 years Mike mentioning it. She needed to be reminded of the identities of her own son, Jason, his wife, Kim, and Sharon’s son, Brad, whom June had known their entire lives. June needed to be told of her first husband, Victor, who had died in 1998 and who was the father of her son Jason.
June wanted to engage, to share stories, but the narratives would crumble mid to late sentence, lost in a fog where names and details could not be held. Her affection was still there—a warm, loving presence towards my wife and a clear joy in the memories we shared with her. Yet, it was a love detached from the specific anchors of a shared history. She has lost, by my estimation, at least 95% of her memory.
Witnessing the erosion of such a brilliant, vibrant mind is a profoundly sorrowful experience. The gaps in her memory, the missing words, the flickering recognition—it was all there. We filled those voids with our love for her, but it felt like trying to hold water in our hands. She is edging ever closer to total disability, a journey into the quiet, isolating world of a life without memory.
June’s story, while deeply personal to me, is not unique. It is a narrative being lived out in countless homes across the globe, a quiet epidemic that represents one of the greatest healthcare challenges of our time. It forces us to confront a difficult and uncomfortable truth: our current medical arsenal against dementia is tragically limited. While we must continue to hope for scientific breakthroughs, hope alone is not a strategy. The most powerful tool we currently possess is not a cure, but prevention. The time to fight for our minds is not when they begin to fail, but decades before the first symptom ever appears.
The devastation of Alzheimer’s extends far beyond the individual. It is a crucible for families, a relentless emotional, financial, and practical marathon for caregivers. They become anchors in a storm, tasked with navigating the turbulent waters of a loved one’s cognitive decline while simultaneously managing their own profound grief for the person they are losing day by day.
This challenge is amplified by a healthcare system that is far more adept at treating acute illnesses than managing chronic, degenerative conditions. We are reactive when we must be proactive. We wait for the fire to rage before we think to install the smoke detectors. For diseases like Alzheimer’s, this approach is a catastrophic failure. By the time symptoms become undeniable, the underlying pathology in the brain is often deeply and irreversibly entrenched.
To understand the tragedy of June’s decline, one must first understand the vitality of her life. She was, by any measure, the most active person you could ever have known. Her life was a testament to motion and vigor. She was an avid hiker and backpacker, finding solace and strength on mountain trails. She was also an accomplished tennis player, with a competitive spirit that kept her sharp and agile. Fitness was not a hobby; it was an integral part of her identity.
Her health habits were, for the most part, exemplary. She never smoked and was never a heavy drinker. Socially, she was a whirlwind of energy, capable of talking your ear off for hours, always engaged and connected with a wide circle of friends.
However, a few details in her history now stand out with haunting clarity. She lived with high blood pressure for much of her young life, finally getting it under control with pharmaceutical help in the mid-1990s. And while she was disciplined in many areas, she certainly had a sweet tooth and enjoyed her chocolates and sweets. These factors, seemingly minor at the time, may have been contributing to a silent storm brewing within her brain.
Around 2018, the first subtle signs of memory trouble began to appear. They were minor issues, easily dismissed as normal signs of aging, but they were concerning enough to catch my attention. Drawing from my own research into neurological health, inspired by the work of Dr. David Perlmutter, I made an offer. I invited June to stay with my wife and me for two weeks. The goal was to immerse her in a diet and supplement regimen specifically designed to support brain health and combat the processes known to contribute to memory loss.
It was an offer made from a place of deep concern and friendship, a desire to provide her with the tools she might need to fight back against whatever was beginning to take hold. It was an offer to build a defense.
She refused to participate.
It’s a decision that echoes in my mind today. I cannot know for sure what difference it might have made. Perhaps the course was already set, the damage too advanced. But the question lingers: could a proactive, dedicated effort to change her diet and lifestyle have altered her trajectory? Could it have bought her more years of clarity, more time with her memories intact? It’s impossible to say, but the intervening years have shown a devastating decline that makes one wonder what might have been.
It is too late for my dear friend June to turn back the clock. Her journey is set. But for millions of us, the future is not yet written. We stand at a crossroads, with the power to choose a different path. We cannot afford to be passive observers of our own health, hoping for the best while ignoring the overwhelming evidence before us. We must become active participants in the preservation of our most precious asset: our minds.
This is not about chasing a miracle cure or a single magic bullet. It’s about building a comprehensive defense system for your brain, brick by brick, day by day. The strategies are neither secret nor prohibitively complex. They are woven into the fabric of a conscious, well-lived life.
1. Move Your Body, Fortify Your Mind
The link between physical exercise and brain health is irrefutable. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, reduces inflammation, stimulates the growth of new neural connections, and promotes the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which acts like a fertilizer for brain cells. It is perhaps the single most effective preventative measure we can take. Whether it’s a brisk walk, a swim, or weight training, consistent physical activity is non-negotiable for anyone serious about cognitive longevity.
2. Prioritize the Restorative Power of Sleep
Sleep is not a luxury; it is a fundamental biological necessity for brain health. During deep sleep, the brain engages in a critical cleansing process via the glymphatic system, clearing out metabolic waste and toxins, including the beta-amyloid plaques heavily associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Consistently poor sleep disrupts this process, creating a toxic environment that can accelerate cognitive decline. Prioritizing 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night is an essential investment in your future mind.
3. Fuel Your Brain with the Right Foods
The food you eat directly impacts your brain’s structure and function. A diet rich in green leafy vegetables, healthy fats (like those found in olive oil, avocados, and nuts), and antioxidants is foundational for cognitive health. Conversely, diets high in sugar and processed foods promote chronic inflammation and insulin resistance, which are key drivers of neurodegenerative disease. Think of sugar as a potent oxidative force—it fuels inflammation throughout the body, including the brain. It should be regarded as a substance to be used sparingly, much like alcohol.
4. Nurture the Human Connection
We are fundamentally social creatures. Meaningful engagement with a community, deep friendships, and a sense of purpose are not just pleasantries; they are potent buffers against cognitive decline. Social interaction challenges the brain, helps build cognitive reserve, and fights the corrosive effects of isolation and depression, which are known risk factors for dementia.
5. Monitor Your Cardiovascular Health
Your brain’s health is intrinsically linked to the health of your heart and blood vessels. High blood pressure can damage the delicate arteries that supply blood to the brain, increasing the risk of mini strokes, also known as transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). These events can lead to vascular dementia. I have personally experienced two TIAs, and as a result, I pay close attention to my blood pressure and follow my doctor’s advice, which includes taking a daily aspirin. Diligently monitoring and managing your blood pressure is a critical step in protecting your brain.
6, Take Specific Vitamins, Supplements, and Antioxidants.
A brain-healthy, Alzheimer’s-fighting diet has properties that extend far beyond just decreasing your daily carb load. To truly provide your body with brain-boosting nutrients and vitamins that help stave off brain disease and other illnesses, you should consider a regular regimen of supplements. These eight supplements will go a long way towards helping you with prevention:
- DHA: An omega-3 fatty acid that represents more than 50% of the omega-3 fatty acids in the brain. Numerous studies link high levels of DHA with a decreased risk for dementia, Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases. Look to take in about 1,000mg/day.
- Resveratrol: Red wine is permissible in the good brain lifestyle. Red wine contains resveratol, which slows down the aging process, boosts blood flow to the brain, and promotes heart health. In addition to the role it plays in stimulating brain function, resveratrol is also a key ally of our body’s immune system. Target 100mg twice daily.
- Turmeric: Turmeric is well known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. We can thankTucsonric for protecting our mitochondria (thanks to its role in stimulating antioxidant properties), and it also improves glucose metabolism — both of which are essential for reducing one’s risk for brain disease. Try to get 350 mg twice daily.
- Probiotics: Research conducted in just the last few years has started to conclude that eating food rich in probiotics can influence brain behavior, and may modulate the effects of stress, anxiety, and depression. Today’s researchers are further exploring the role gut bacteria may play in maladies ranging from chronic pain to autism. Ideally, get your probiotics through a supplement that contains at least 10 billion active cultures from at least ten different strains, including lactobaccilus acidophilus and bifidobacterium. I use Saccharomyces boulardii probiotics daily. It has some properties that make it very useful as a probiotic. It can survive the harsh conditions of the stomach. Acidic environments, high temperatures, bile, and digestive enzymes do not deactivate it, which means it can reach the intestines alive.
- Coconut Oil: I am a big fan of coconut oil because of the medium chain triglyceride content, which is perfect brain fuel. it’s an important part of our diet. It’s even a part of Dr. David Perlmutter’s and Dr. Alberto Villoldo’s anti-Alzheimer’s regimen.
- Alpha-lipoic Acid: Alpha-lipoic acid is a powerful antioxidant that works to protect brain and nerve tissue. Look to get 600 mg/day.
- Vitamin D: Vitamin D has the greatest importance and must be included in your diet. It’s ideal to start with 5,000 units of Vitamin D3 daily, get tested after three months, and adjust accordingly.
- S-Acetyl Glutathione: This is a powerful antioxidant which appears naturally in our brains until we are about 30 years old, then it decreases substantially after that. S-Acetyl Glutathione can cross the blood/brain barrier and deliver antioxidants to the brain, while also having regenerative impact on damaged neurons.
As with any dietary/health changes, these are suggested guidelines only, and you should consult with your physician before making any changes to, or beginning, a supplement plan.
We cannot afford to wait. The fight against Alzheimer’s and dementia begins not in a doctor’s office in our senior years, but in our kitchens, our gyms, our bedrooms, and our communities, today. It begins with the choices we make every single day.
Start now.
Embrace these proactive strategies not as a chore, but as an act of profound self-respect and a gift to your future self and the people who love you. There are no guarantees in life, but building a healthier, more resilient brain is the most rational and hopeful action you can take.
Don’t wait until the gaps in your memory have to be filled by the love of others; build a mind healthy and strong enough to hold its own story until the end..
