(December 2023)
Our mom was out in Park City for a short visit (on her way home from Alaska) several years ago and I subsequently encouraged her to reach out and maybe try to reconnect out there again. In our family, Alzheimer’s resurfaced again very recently and this began an extended family discussion on the topic, which ended with the discovery of Dr. Dean Ornish’s current clinical study (he’s famous for working out the issue of heart disease, e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIWLdmb3SLs). It’s fascinating that he is starting to conclude that so many of these diseases are really the same disease, simply taking different forms; that prevention (e.g., through nutrient-dense, plant-based nutrition) is key; and, consequently how interconnected this all appears to be with the environment. Things seem to be going pretty well with the study so far—e.g., he noted in this interview, earlier this year, that he’s “cautiously optimistic” … “cautiously optimistic” and also https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OZyqGVD1yI&t=873s (8:50 minutes [and forward]) that “I think it’s going to work”
Since I was studying nutrition science during the pandemic, I undertook some personal research in association with the family diagnosis and was amazed by the power of easy-to-grow microgreens (baby vegetables), which are reportedly four to 40 times more nutritious than the grown vegetables and deep mineral water that is regularly tested by local water or government authorities (e.g., God’s Acre Healing Springs in Blackville, S.C.—such resources [also geothermal, etc. for soaking] appear abundant within this country as well as worldwide); however, while optimal nutrition, hydration (including juicing), fasting, exercise, stress management, biotracking (e.g., https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spTG7QHr5-s) and rest all seem to be so healing, I found that content on water (e.g., mineral water) tended to be missing from my nutrition courses at present. Cronometer.com (which I learned about in one of my courses) really makes you question the nutrient values of so many “healthy” supermarket foods these days—i.e., the nutrient values of the whole foods produced in nature look so very different, in many cases, from that boxed and sold by big business. I am now certified to work as a nutrition consultant and am always more than happy to offer any kind of feedback in this area; however, my professional focus is on carrying this over to real estate and, consequently, I am following the work of the Global Wellness Institute, the Global Wellness Summit and their Global Wellness Real Estate Symposiums (two so far); the latter, just this year, launched with the launch of an all-out wellness-focused development in Park City, https://parkcityinvestor.com/coming-soon-velvaere-at-mayflower/ In Atlanta, Serenbe, a wellness-focused community outside Atlanta, just announced this year comprehensive plans for senior living and a destination spa—even arranging it so they come to you if you live in the community/there is any kind of health issue (to enable otherwise healthy residents to just focus on their lives and keep it moving, travel, work, etc). Listening to their podcast, Serenbe Stories, during the pandemic, Steve Nygren sometimes spoke of his journey (which involved overseas travel) to innovate the senior living model—which reminded me of how he created Serenbe in the first place. I found these links very helpful and will include more below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IeIT0_z5x4
Should also probably note that the aforementioned research seems to be the result of prior research on Alzheimer’s. Dr. Sanjay Gupta with CNN recently published a book “Keep Sharp,” in which he brings clarity to Dr. Dean Ornish’s study, some of the related studies (e.g., the work of Dr. Richard Isaacson, with the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine [in “late 2018, his work made the cover of Alzheimer’s & Dementia, one of his field’s most prestigious journals and the flagship journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. The following year, his seminal study was presented at the annual conference for the Alzheimer’s Association and published in the same journal”[1]]; the current U.S. Pointer Study with the Alzheimer’s Association, which also appeared to very recently be seeking participants; the FINGER Study; and the MIND Study and notes that clinical “trials are cropping up around the world now to study lifestyle interventions that have protective effects in people who are at an increased risk for cognitive decline and dementia.”[2] In “Keep Smart,” Dr. Gupta notes that Dr. Ornish “believes we are at a stage of scientific evidence very similar to where we were forty years ago regarding coronary heart disease. In other words, epidemiological data, anecdotal clinical evidence, and animal studies show that Alzheimer’s disease may be prevented or slowed by making comprehensive lifestyle changes.”[3] Also helpful are Dr. Dale Bredesen’s three books and this short dialogue with Maria Shriver
So much change over the past decade (e.g., this is the first holiday greeting I’ve written with footnotes) but I have always been so deeply appreciative of you, your family and the fact that you have remained in touch –
Love,
Jill
[1] Gupta, Sanjay. Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age (p. 164). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.
[2] Gupta, Sanjay. Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age (p. 164). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.
[3] Gupta, Sanjay. Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age (p. 167). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.
https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2023/07/24/serenbe-expansion-tax-break.html
https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/08/22/serenbe-senior-living-retiring-atlanta