Completion is an ambiguous arena to navigate. Creative projects rarely feel done. Eat to Beat Alzheimer’s, a fairly small book, tapped into a place inside of me that had so much to say! It was while working on Eat to Beat that I realized this book was a beginning for me, not the whole. I couldn’t burden one book with all that I had to share. It was important to stay clear on what this cookbook was meant to be: an educational text for learning about nutrition and brain health with recipes to put that learning into action!

Baby boomers are the generation born between 1946 and 1964.  This puts them in an age range of 52 – 70 years old in 2016.  While standards of aging are changing for the better and in general, people are able to live longer, healthier lives, baby boomers do have a unique set of health challenges.

We are in the midst of a great paradigm shift. Our understanding of health and the root cause of disease is expanding. While health concerns, issues and illnesses are extremely difficult for the individual and the community, they also offer us a particular leverage point for looking more closely at the human body.

Our diets have a significant effect on the health of our brains, which will potentially affect all areas of functioning. Alzheimer’s and dementia are only two examples of how compromised brain health can manifest. Depression and anxiety are other manifestations that are even more common and can be just as debilitating.

Connection is an intention of mine, from a few different angles. From my perspective, connection with readers is a very dynamic experience.  It looks like, as an author, that I am writing my book on my own, as if it is a solo task.  And sure, often I am alone.  However, the readers are constantly on my mind.  While writing, I am always considering who the readers are, what is relevant and interesting to them and how can I meet them where they are?  Furthermore, where can we meet each other?  Obviously, we meet when my words resound within their minds as they read and what then?  A blending of us, into something bigger, that integrates the two.  Maybe my words sit on someone’s shelf.  Maybe the book is opened often and greased by use during cooking.  I hope so.

"There is a myth that eating healthy is too hard.  Unfortunately the result of this myth is that many people who want to try, don’t even begin.  Myths that perpetuate overwhelm, or lack (“I just can’t do it”) are not serving us.

Consider a simple formula for your meals.  That each time you eat you are providing your body with energy to sustain you until the next meal.  Each meal, even snacks, should contain high quality protein, fat, and fiber.