Your Concierge Physician Invites You to a Lecture on “Debunking the Myths of Aging” Feb 11, 2104

January 30, 2014

FREE LECTURE and Quinoa Tasting   Please RSVP

“Debunking the Myths of Aging”   February 11th Tuesday    6:30 -8pm. Suite 230.  Attendees will learn about brain healthy lifestyles and how to develop strategies to age successfully in the golden years.  Chef Casey will have quinoa for all to enjoy. Save a little room to have some. Please RSVP my phone 310 373-556 or email ng@drngriffith.com.

The workshop will be facilitated by David Hart, MS – a trained marriage and family therapist with 10 years of clinical and community health experience.  David is a faculty member in the Department of Counseling at Cal State Fullerton and the Director of Memory Care and Clinical Services at Always Best Care South Bay.


You Are What You Eat – And That Includes Your Brain

By David Hart, MS

When it comes to overall physical health, the old saying you are what you eat has never been more relevant.  As researchers look for ways to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, a number of studies have found that diet plays a pivotal role in reducing one’s risk for the yet incurable disease.  This scientific development offers the world hope as we grapple with increasing numbers of people who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease – over 5 million individuals in the United States alone.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association, this number is expected to jump to over 16 million by 2050.  Although these numbers appear to be staggering, science is invested in identifying prevention strategies for people at-risk for developing the disease.  Who’s at risk?  All of us are.

Certain dietary practices have been found to greatly reduce risk for Alzheimer’s disease.  For example, researchers at the Rush Institute for Healthy Aging found that seniors 65-94 who ate fish at least once weekly were at 60% less risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease than those who ate fish rarely or never.  In another study, conducted by the Departments of Medicine and Neurology at UCLA, curcumin, the active ingredient in the curry spice turmeric, was shown to prevent formation of amyloid plaques, one of the hallmark neuropathological changes in Alzheimer’s disease.  Interestingly, India, where curry spice is a dietary staple, has the lowest prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in the world.  Finally, as published in the Annals of Neurology, when dietary habits of 2,258 elderly men in New York were followed across four years, researchers found that the rate of Alzheimer’s disease among those seniors who adhered most strictly to the Mediterranean diet was 40% lower than among those didn’t follow diet.
The Mediterranean diet involves eating more fruit, vegetables, olive oil and cereals and less meat and dairy than the Northern European or North American diet.

Diet is not the only risk reduction strategy on the market.  Science has delivered a number of key ways to reduce your risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.  Studies are now repeatedly demonstrating that physical exercise, cognitive fitness, and managing health conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease are all effective ways to reduce risk for Alzheimer’s disease.


As your concierge doctor I welcome your questions, comments and suggestions by phone, text, fax and email.