I recently listened to a podcast with Jim Kwik and a brain scientist, Dr. Lisa Mosconi, who wrote the book called “The XX Brain”. She spoke about women’s brain health and that there is a difference between the female brain and the male brain along with how vitally important it is for women to get on board with taking care of their brains.
Females experience more headaches, MS, depression, brain fog, anxiety, and dementia than males. We are more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s – statistics show that for every man diagnosed, there are 2 women diagnosed.
Dr. Mosconi researches how brain health plays out differently in women and in men. They have different responders although medicine has been historically gender biased towards men even though symptoms are vastly different in women and men. Historically, treatment has also been done based just on men’s health. Women’s health has been confined to the reproductive organs and not the whole body- especially brain health.
Cardiology reactions are vastly different and the symptoms of a heart attack present differently in men vs women, but women are often overlooked and sent home because their symptoms aren’t what they “should” be because they aren’t how men present.
She has a system of 8 pillars (actionable items) for preventing Alzheimer’s disease. She uses the first letter from a Latin expression- MENSSANA (Healthy Mind) CORPORASSANA (Healthy Body). There are 8 things from which to choose, but she cautions to not get overwhelmed with all of them- choose 1 and make a solid change then move on.
Here are the 8 pillars:
- M- Mental Stimulation– must stimulate your brain through learning NEW things
- E- Exercise– move your body- heart just needs to get stimulated
- N- Nutrition– start here if you have to choose one- you have 3 chances to do something good for your brain every day
- S- Sleep– brain doesn’t have chance to repair itself without sleep
- S- Stress– major issue and cause of all diseases, consequences are more severe for women than men- chronic stress seems to correlate with brain shrinkage MEDITATION works!! Consistent meditation lowers cortisol and normalizing brain waves that is like a natural antidepressant!!
- A- Avoiding toxins– toxins have been underestimated for a long time- limit pesticides on food and avoid plastic.
- N- Networking– humans need socialization, and to feel supported.
- A- Assessments– go to your doctor! There are so many conditions known to effect the brain aging.
Want to learn more? I go more in depth on what I learned in Episode 8 of The Living Joyful and Well Podcast here. How many of the above do you already do and which one(s) could you do better or begin? Let me know! Leave me a comment below or DM me on IG @livingjoyfulandwell