Happy & Healthy with Amy

If your mom or dad was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, you may already feel the weight of caregiving starting to land on your shoulders.

But here’s the good news: being the primary caregiver does not mean doing it alone.

In this episode of Happy & Healthy with Amy, Amy walks you through how to build an Alzheimer’s care team early, before caregiving by default becomes an unwanted reality. You’ll learn who belongs on the team, what each person holds, and how to ask for help without feeling like you’re begging people to care. 

What to Listen For

• 01:20 — What caregiving in the Alzheimer's space actually means
• 03:00 — How caregiving by default happens 
• 04:45 — Why building a care team is also prevention
• 06:30 — The three professional anchors
• 10:00 — How the neurologist helps you understand the brain-specific picture and future options. 
• 12:15 — Why asking for a social worker may be the one question that changes everything. 
• 15:30 — The one-page care team note that keeps everyone from relying on your memory alone. 
• 18:00 — How to ask family and friends for help so you don't feel like you're begging

Building an Alzheimer’s care team early is one of the most loving and practical things you can do for your parent, your family, and yourself. 

Listen to this episode now, then subscribe to Happy & Healthy with Amy and download the free guide, Mom Was Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Now What?

Resources from the Episode

• Alzheimer’s Association: https://www.alz.org
• Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline: 800-272-3900 
• ALZConnected: https://www.alzconnected.org
• Caregiver Action Network: https://www.caregiveraction.org
• Aging Life Care Association: https://www.aginglifecare.org
• Amy's Free Guide: https://www.amylangcoaching.com/firststeps

Recommended Complimentary Episodes

1. My Mom Was Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Am I Next? — This is the natural starting point for listeners who are scared that a parent’s diagnosis means their own future is already written. It covers family history, modifiable risk factors, menopause, and the first five brain-health moves Amy recommends. 
2. After an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: A Family Checklist — A strong companion episode because it walks families through the first practical questions to ask after diagnosis, including how to move from panic into grounded action. 
3. Alzheimer’s Prevention: What the Cochrane Review Means — Helpful for listeners trying to make sense of scary headlines, anti-amyloid drugs, and what “clinically meaningful” really means for Alzheimer’s prevention. 
4. GLP-1s and Alzheimer’s Prevention: Hope or Hype? — A good fit for midlife women hearing about GLP-1s, APOE4, and dementia risk and wanting a more grounded way to evaluate the hype. 
5. The Menopause–Alzheimer’s Link: How to Protect Your Brain Health Now — Recommended for women in perimenopause or menopause who want to understand why this transition matters for cognitive health. 

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

If your mom or dad was just diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, your brain may be trying to solve everything at once. What does this mean? How fast will it progress? Are they safe? What questions should you ask? And what are you supposed to do first?

In this episode of Happy & Healthy with Amy, Amy walks you through a a practical checklist to help you move from panic and overwhelm into clarity, grounded action, and better advocacy. Think of it like a pre-flight checklist for one of the hardest journeys your family may ever take. 

What to Listen For

• [00:00] The 47-tabs-at-3-a.m. feeling after a parent’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis 
• [01:35] Why you don't need to feel guilty for thinking about your brain health
• [04:45] The three roles you may suddenly be carrying
• [06:20] Two grounding questions to calm your nervous system
• [08:30] How to make sense of the diagnosis 
• [11:00]  The questions to bring to the next neurologist appointment
• [14:00] Why the prescription is not the whole plan
• [20:00] Why Alzheimer’s is not just memory loss
• [24:30]  The grief underneath the diagnosis
• [29:00] The hard conversations to start early

An Alzheimer’s diagnosis can feel overwhelming, but you do not have to figure everything out today. Start with what you know for sure, choose one next step, and use this episode as your checklist for asking better questions and supporting your parent with love in practical form. 

Resources Mentioned

• My Mom Was Diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Am I Next? (Season 2, Episode 39)
• Early Is Everything: How Blood Tests Offer New Hope (Season 1, Episode 278)
• The Latest Alzheimer's Treatments: What Works, What Doesn't, and What's Next - 2025 Update (Season 1, Episode 274)
• Protect Your Brain with the MIND Diet: Essential Tips for Brain Health (Season 1, Episode 256)
• The Critical Role of Sleep in Alzheimer's Prevention (Season 1, Episode 249)
• The 5 As of Alzheimer's Progression: Beyond Memory Loss (Season 2, Episode 17)

Listen now, subscribe to Happy & Healthy with Amy, and come back for the next episode on how to build a care team.

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

If your mom or dad was just diagnosed with Alzheimer's, you're probably wondering: am I next?

Watching a parent receive this diagnosis can make every forgotten word, every misplaced key, every moment of brain fog feel suddenly loaded with meaning.

In this episode, Amy answers the question directly — with science, with compassion, and with her own deeply personal experience of watching two generations of her family navigate Alzheimer's.

What You'll Learn

• What family history actually means for your Alzheimer's risk (and why genes are not destiny)
• Why most cases of Alzheimer's involve far more than genetics — and what that means for you
• What the Lancet Commission's July 2024 report found about modifiable risk factors (the number will surprise you)
• Why the menopause transition is one of the most important windows for protecting your brain
• Why menopause brain fog is not the same as dementia — and what it is telling you
• The first 5 brain-health moves Amy would make if she were starting from scratch today

What to Listen For

• 00:00 — Why a parent’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis can make normal forgetfulness feel terrifying. 
• 01:00 — The message Amy wants you to hear first: family history is not destiny. 
• 02:30 — Amy’s personal story of her mother’s diagnosis and the moment that changed everything. 
• 06:30 — What family history actually means for Alzheimer’s risk. 
• 08:00 — Why late-onset Alzheimer’s is influenced by more than genetics. 
• 09:30 — The Lancet Commission’s 14 modifiable dementia risk factors and why that number matters. 
• 11:00 — APOE4, women, and why genes are information — not a foregone conclusion. 
• 13:00 — Why menopause is a brain-body transition, not just a reproductive transition. 
• 17:00 — Why panic research usually creates more anxiety, not more safety. 
• 19:00 — The first five brain health moves: sleep, blood sugar, movement, stress recovery, and connection. 
• 30:44 — The Larry Wall quote Amy uses to remind us that the future is shaped one present-moment choice at a time.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Free RESTORED Protocol Guide → amylangcoaching.com

Your parent’s diagnosis may feel like a glimpse into your future, but it is not a foregone conclusion. Your story does not have to be a repeat of your parent’s story.

Listen to this episode to learn the first five moves Amy recommends for Alzheimer’s prevention, then choose one habit to focus on first. Subscribe to Happy & Healthy with Amy so you don’t miss next week’s episode.

Next episode: How to Advocate for a Parent Newly Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

Have you seen the headlines about anti-amyloid Alzheimer’s drugs showing “no clinically meaningful effect”? If some you love has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, that kind of headline can feel like a gut punch.

But before you fall into the pit of despair — or pin your hopes on the next promising treatment — you need to about this essential tool called the hierarchy of evidence so you know how to interpret the evidence for yourself.

In this episode, Amy breaks down the hierarchy of evidence, explains what the latest Cochrane review actually found, and shows you how to separate meaningful science from scary headlines and health influencer hype.

What to Listen For

• 00:00 — Why the latest anti-amyloid Alzheimer’s drug headlines are so easy to misread 
• 02:35 — The hierarchy of evidence: what it is, why it matters, and how it helps you spot hype 
• 04:50 — Why animal studies can be useful—but should not be treated like proof of what happens in women 
• 07:20 — The difference between correlation and causation, using Chanticleer the rooster as a very memorable example 
• 09:05 — What the “moderate drinking is good for your heart” story teaches us about confounding variables 
• 12:15 — Why GLP-1s and dementia risk are more complicated than the headlines suggest 
• 14:30 — Mechanistic versus clinical evidence, and why something can make sense biologically but still fail in real life 
• 16:10 — The difference between “statistically significant” and “clinically meaningful”—and why that distinction matters for Alzheimer’s prevention 
• 20:30 — What the Cochrane review actually found about anti-amyloid Alzheimer’s drugs 
• 27:45 — Why removing amyloid is not the same as preserving memory, independence, or quality of life 
• 31:30 — The lifestyle habits that still offer the clearest, most empowering path for Alzheimer’s prevention

The big takeaway? Don’t let a headline—or an influencer—tell you what the evidence means. The better you understand the hierarchy of evidence, the easier it becomes to stay curious, grounded, and empowered.

📥 Download the free RESTORED Protocol for the essential 8 evidence-based lifestyle factors for brain health at moxie-club.com/restored

Listen to the full episode to learn how to interpret Alzheimer’s prevention research with “new eyes,” then subscribe to Happy & Healthy with Amy and download the free RESTORED Protocol guide to take one clear next step for your brain health.

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

When Penn Holderness described APOE4 as a “ticking time bomb,” it struck a nerve for a lot of people, especially women in midlife who already feel vulnerable about their brain health.

Could a GLP-1 medication protect your brain if you carry the APOE4 gene? Amy unpacks the science in plain English and explains why genes are not destiny, why menopause changes the conversation for women, and what research-backed actions you can start taking right now.

What to Listen For

[00:00] Why Penn Holderness’s APOE4 reveal sparked such a big reaction 

[02:30] What it actually means to carry one or two copies of the APOE4 gene 

[05:30] Why APOE4 is a genetic predisposition, not a verdict 

[08:30] The critical difference between APOE4 and the rare genes that directly cause early-onset Alzheimer’s 

[10:30] Why midlife and postmenopausal women may face a different level of APOE4-related risk 

[14:00] How fear drives people toward quick-fix solutions and why that matters in Alzheimer’s prevention 

[18:00] What the observational GLP-1 research shows and the big caveat most people miss 

[22:00] What the EVOKE and EVOKE Plus semaglutide trials found in people with early Alzheimer’s symptoms 

[25:30] What hormone therapy can do for sleep and symptom relief — and what it has not been proven to do for dementia prevention 

[28:30] Why the FINGER study, U.S. POINTER, and modifiable risk-factor research offer the most hopeful path forward 

[32:30] The free RESTORED guide, the 8 evidence-based lifestyle factors, and Amy’s call to take action without panic

If you’ve been feeling afraid of your genetic risk, this episode is your reminder that APOE4 is not destiny. Amy explains why the most powerful path forward is still grounded in the basics: sleep, movement, metabolic health, stress management, and consistent daily choices. Listen now, subscribe to the show, and grab Amy’s free guide so you can start protecting your brain one step at a time.

From The Episode

• Download the free RESTORED Protocol
• Book your Breakthrough Roadmap session

Research cited in this episode:

1. NIA Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Fact Sheet — APOE4 prevalence and risk breakdown https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers-causes-and-risk-factors/alzheimers-disease-genetics-fact-sheet

2. Altmann A et al. (2014). Sex modifies the APOE-related risk of developing Alzheimer disease. Annals of Neurology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4117990/

3. Stanford Medicine (April 2026). Women get Alzheimer's more often than men: Five things the science tells us. https://med.stanford.edu/news/insights/2026/04/women-alzheimers.html

4. Alzheimer's Association (2025). Statement on oral semaglutide phase 3 topline data (EVOKE/EVOKE+ trials). https://www.alz.org/news/2025/alzheimers-association-statement-oral-semaglutide-phase-3-topline-data-release

5. Ngandu T et al. (2015). FINGER Study. The Lancet, 385(9984), 2255–2263. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60461-5

6. US POINTER Trial (2024). JAMA. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2837046

7. Alzheimer's Association. US POINTER Study Results. https://www.alz.org/us-pointer/study-results

8. Livingston G et al. (2024). Dementia prevention, intervention, and care: 2024 Lancet Commission update. The Lancet. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01235-4

9. Ornish D et al. Effects of intensive lifestyle changes on the progression of mild cognitive impairment or early dementia due to Alzheimer's disease: a randomized, controlled clinical trial. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2024 Jun 7;

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

Did you know researchers found a specific bacteria — the one found in gum disease — in up to 95% of Alzheimer's patients' brains? And that menopause makes your mouth significantly more vulnerable to exactly this bacteria?

In this episode, Amy digs into one of the most overlooked connections in brain health: the link between your oral health, the menopause transition, and Alzheimer's disease. We're talking about brain protection — and it's more actionable than almost anything else you can do.

• What menopause actually does to your mouth — and why estrogen loss puts your gums, saliva, and bone at risk 
• The bacteria called P. gingivalis — how it travels from your gums to your brain, and why it was found in 90–95% of Alzheimer's patients' brain tissue
• The accelerated rate of cognitive decline when active gum disease is present
• Six practical, evidence-based steps you can start tonight to protect your oral health — and your brain
• About the SPRING Trial — a promising clinical trial for people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's, now actively recruiting

• Free RESTORED Protocol Guide: moxie-club.com (link in description)
• SPRING Trial (Clinical Trial for Mild-Moderate Alzheimer's): springclinicaltrial.com
• Alcohol-Free Mouth Rinse (TheraBreath): [link in show notes]
• Electric Toothbrush (Philips Sonicare): [link in show notes]

• Oral Health and Menopause: A Comprehensive Review on Current Knowledge and Associated Dental Management. PMC3793432.
• Welberry et al. (2025). Reflections on The Lancet's Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care. The Lancet. PIIS0140-6736(25)00149-7.
• BrightFocus Foundation Zoom In on Dementia & Alzheimer's, Episode 41. Dr. Michael Detke, Lighthouse Pharmaceuticals.

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

Have you ever been halfway through a bag of chips — or a carton of ice cream — before you even realized what happened?

You weren't hungry. You weren't even enjoying it. You were triggered. And by the time your brain caught up, the moment had already passed.

In Part 2 of this conversation, behavior change expert Dr. Howie Jacobson gets into the deeper work — what shame does to your body, why your strongest reactions are actually huge opportunities for growth, and how to build the kind of self-awareness that gets you out of react mode and into respond mode before the damage is done.

We also talk about something that doesn't get nearly enough airtime in the health and wellness space: coherence. Dr. Howie makes the case that understanding why your behavior makes sense — even the behavior you're most ashamed of — is one of the most powerful things you can do for lasting change. And for those of us who carry fear about Alzheimer's, that reframe matters more than you might realize.

If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, start there — this conversation builds directly on it.

In this episode, Amy and Dr. Howie discuss:

• Why shame is biologically inhibitory — and what to do instead
• How coherence can erase shame and restore your sense of agency
• What a disproportionate reaction is actually telling you
• The RISE Method: a four-step framework for moving from reaction to response
• How to recognize you've been triggered before it's too late
• Why brittle beliefs are easy to shatter — and what builds real self-trust
• The one idea Dr. Howie wants you to carry forward from this entire conversation

Listen if:

• You feel like your reactions are running the show — and you want that to change
• You carry shame around habits you haven't been able to break
• You're in perimenopause or menopause and working to protect your brain
• You have a family history of Alzheimer's and want to understand why behavior change feels so hard
• You're ready to move beyond insight and into actual transformation

This is Part 2 of 2.

Resources:

• 🧠 Take the "Is It Just Brain Fog?" Quiz: moxie-club.com
• 📖 The Buoyant Leader by Dr. Howie Jacobson — available mid-April 2026
• 🌐 Learn more about Dr. Howie Jacobson: howiejacobson.com
• 📻 Dr. Howie's podcast: Plant Yourself — plantyourself.com

About Amy Lang Amy Lang is a Master Health Coach and Brain Health Specialist helping women protect their brains through the menopause transition — with Alzheimer's prevention at the heart of everything she does. She's the author of Thoughts Are Habits Too, founder of the Second Spring Society, and creator of the RESTORED Protocol.

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

Have you ever thought, I know what to do… so why am I still not doing it?

In this episode, Amy sits down with behavior change expert and high performance coach Dr. Howie Jacobson to unpack the deeper reasons habits feel so hard to change. They explore why willpower and insight are often not enough, how your environment shapes behavior, and how hidden "implicit memories" can quietly drive your choices without you even realizing it.

If you've ever felt guilty that even the fear of Alzheimer's hasn't been enough to make change stick, this conversation will be a relief. Dr. Howie explains exactly why fear is the wrong fuel for lasting behavior change — and what works instead.

This conversation is especially powerful if you've ever felt frustrated by the gap between knowing and doing. You'll hear why some habits are less about food, discipline, or motivation — and more about old survival strategies your brain never updated. And why that's actually good news.

Dr. Howie Jacobson has spent decades studying human behavior and motivation. He co-authored Whole with Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Proteinaholic with Dr. Garth Davis, and has worked with leaders, health coaches, and everyday people trying to close the gap between who they are and who they want to be. Amy met him at the Neural World Retreat hosted by Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai — and has been trying to get him on the podcast ever since.

In this episode, Amy and Dr. Howie discuss:

• Why insight alone doesn't create behavior change
• How old survival patterns can show up in present-day habits
• What may actually be underneath "I know what to do, I'm just not doing it"
• Better questions to ask instead of "What's wrong with me?"
• How curiosity produces as much dopamine as food, sex, or cocaine

What To Listen For

• [00:00] Why insight alone is not enough
• [03:01] The power of environment over willpower
• [10:03] Explicit vs. implicit memory
• [12:45] The knowing-doing gap explained
• [15:10] Why some behaviors are really old survival strategies in disguise
• [25:58] Why fear of Alzheimer’s isn't enough to create lasting lifestyle change
• [27:15] The “fire alarm” and threat-detection in your brain 
•  [33:20] Why fear is not a long-term motivator
•  [33:41] Defend mode vs. discover mode

Listen if:

• You feel stuck in habits you thought you'd have changed by now
• You're worried about brain health or have a family history of Alzheimer's
• You're tired of relying on willpower — or guilt — to motivate change
• You want to understand the deeper emotional drivers behind your behavior
• You're ready for a more compassionate and effective path to lasting change

Resources:

• Take the "Is It Just Brain Fog?" Quiz: moxie-club.com
• Learn more about Dr. Howie Jacobson: howiejacobson.com
• Dr. Howie's podcast: Plant Yourself — plantyourself.com

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

Are you stuck in a cycle of starting an exercise program and stopping — or never starting at all? You're not alone, and it's probably not your fault.

In this episode of Happy & Healthy with Amy, author, functional aging specialist, and founder of Evolution Fitness & Wellness Jackie Bachmeier joins me to break down the 7 real reasons people stop exercising and exactly what to do about each one.

Jackie has spent the past decade helping older clients get moving at her Houston-based studio, Evolution Fitness & Wellness — and she's seen every excuse, obstacle, and breakthrough in the book.

We also get into why movement isn't just about your body. It's one of the most powerful tools you have for protecting your brain health and reducing your risk of cognitive decline as you age.

If you've ever watched a parent decline and quietly thought "I don't want that for me" — this episode is your starting point.

If this episode resonated with you, the best thing you can do is subscribe to Happy & Healthy with Amy so you never miss an episode — and take two minutes to leave a review. It helps more people who need this conversation find the show.

What To Listen For:

• [01:41] Jackie's 10-year journey building Evolution Fitness & Wellness
• [10:04] Who Jackie's clients really are — from age 32 to 91
• [11:35] What happens to your body if you skip movement during menopause
• [20:05] Why leg strength is directly linked to memory and brain health
• [21:22] The 7 reasons you're not exercising
• [37:25] The cruise chair story — why Jackie does what she does
• [43:45] The 88 and 89-year-olds who flew to Australia alone
• [40:27] Jackie's personal connection to Alzheimer's and why movement matters now

Guest Resources:

• 📚 Stronger Longer — available on Amazon
• 📚 Optimal Longevity — contact Jackie directly
• 🌐 efw.fit
• 📱 Instagram: @efw77095

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy

An increase of just 40 watts of leg power is linked to cognitive aging benefits equivalent to a brain functioning three years younger. There's also a direct relationship between leg strength and the size of your hippocampus — the memory center of your brain, and one of the first regions affected by Alzheimer's.

In the final episode of Move for Your Brain, Amy and Marian Barnick bring it all together: the research on leg strength and brain health, Marian's Foundations First framework applied specifically to lower body strength, and Marian's own long recovery road — multiple surgeries, two total knee replacements, and what she learned going through it all as both the expert and the patient.

This is the episode to share with every woman in your life who thinks she's too broken, too busy, or too late to build strong legs. She's not. Do not settle.

What You'll Learn

• The King's College London twin study: what 10 years of data says about leg strength and brain health
• Why your hippocampus — your memory center — is directly linked to how strong your legs are
• What happens to proprioception after a knee replacement, and what retraining really looks like
• How to apply Foundations First to lower body strength: ankles → hips → balance → strength
• Why pain is the number one thing that stops women from building the strength their brains need
• The difference between "used to be athletes" and "forever athletes"
• Marian's mantra — do not settle — and Amy's reframe: it's your future self, not your old self

What to Listen For

[1:11]  Amy's opening — leg strength and the brain
[2:29]  Marian's recovery road: the car accident, surgeries, what she didn't expect
[5:22]  Leg strength and hippocampal volume: the research
[6:19]  Foundations First applied to lower body strength
[8:35]  "Your ankle mobility shows up as knee pain" — finding the root cause
[11:55]  Pain is the #1 barrier — BDNF and why movement helps
[12:39]  Marian's free lower body mobility guide
[17:01]  Marian's pet peeve: why "just get stronger" is incomplete advice
[20:16]  Forever athletes vs. used to be athletes
[20:49]  Tennis as a brain health activity
[23:26]  Leg strength as locomotion and independence
[24:10]  "Do not settle" — Marian's mantra
[27:41]  Amy's reframe: future self, not old self
[31:24]  The stair moment: small wins, big wins

Resources Mentioned

• King's College London twin study on leg power and cognitive aging: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4789972/
• RESTORED Protocol (free guide): moxie-club.com/restored
• Is It Just Brain Fog? Quiz: moxie-club.com/bfquiz
• Marian Barnick's free lower body mobility guide: MarianBarnick.com/Guide

RESOURCES:

• Take the Quiz: Is It Just Brain Fog? 
• Download After Mom’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: The First 8 Things to Know and learn how to support her with more calm, clarity, and confidence.
• Download the RESTORED Protocol: Eight Essential Protective Factors to Build an Alzheimer's-Resistant Brain
• Download the FREE Excerpt of Thoughts Are Habits Too
• Schedule your Breakthrough Roadmap session with Amy
• Follow Amy on Instagram @amylangcoaching  and on Facebook @amylangcoaching
• Subscribe to Amy's YouTube channel @happyandhealthywithamy