The Roon 5 highlights some of the inspirational creators on Roon. This week, hear from Annie Fenn MD, who specializes in Diet & Nutrition for Dementia. You can watch all of her Roon answers here.
When were you first impacted by Alzheimers?
As an OB/GYN physician, I cared for women of all ages. I started noticing that many of my perimenopausal patients were bothered by cognitive symptoms like memory lapses and problems with finding the right word. This sparked my interest in brain health. Now we know that for some women, menopause is when the brain may become vulnerable to Alzheimer's, a disease that takes decades to develop.
What inspired you to work on Alzheimer's prevention?
My mom was my inspiration. She was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment in 2015, which for her was an early stage of Alzheimer's. When I dove into the research about how to slow progression of the disease, I discovered a large amount of science about the link between what we eat and how the brain ages. Back then, not many people were aware that what we eat really matters for lifelong brain health. I founded a cooking school, the Brain Health Kitchen, to teach people how to access this science and create easy, delicious meals that may also keep them from getting Alzheimer's.
Can you tell us about an inspirational moment on your journey working on Alzheimer's prevention?
I give a lot of cooking classes and workshops on how to eat and live to prevent Alzheimer's. One of my students came up to me after a class to tell me that she had been noticing more cognitive slips, a condition we now call "subjective cognitive impairment," or SCI. This is possibly the earliest sign of declining cognitive health with age. This woman said that since taking my class the year before she had implemented all the changes I recommended—she gave up drinking alcohol, goes for a brisk walk everyday, and cooks from the 10 brain-healthy food groups. She was so happy to report that the cognitive slips went away. She was feeling sharp and on top of it, just like her old self. This was a moment I'll never forget and a testament to the power of brain-healthy living.
What’s your best piece of advice for someone on the Alzheimer's journey?
Alzheimer's is a team sport. Think about building a team of healthcare professionals, family, and friends to support your journey. This could include your neurologist and primary care provider, but also a registered dietician, an exercise professional, and (for women) a gynecologist well-versed in hormone therapy. Your family and friends want to support you — think about how to make them part of the team.
What do you love about Roon?
Roon's experts cover everything you need to know when touched by Alzheimer's or another neurodegenerative disease. There are also answers to the questions you didn't know to ask! I always recommend checking Roon first before surfing the internet.
