Breaking eggs and breaking records
Everytime I visit Marama, my heart is full. I dropped by for lunch with the residents earlier this month and it was nice to spend time with newer residents while seeing the continued improvement with those that have been living in the Marama for a little longer.
The improvement shines through in more than just a lunchtime visit – the data is there to back it up. MOCA (Montreal Cognitive Test) scores at Marama show improvement levels from stable to 7 points. When I had my consultation with the Clear Mind Center, they let me know that they are also seeing MOCA test scores improve in their residents. Since they’ve only been open since last April, their residents haven’t been immersed in the lifestyle as long. Yet, they still have improvement scores ranging from 2 to 4.5!
Excellence, compassion and innovation are part of the core values at Marama. We are always trying to find new activities that will improve the quality of life for our residents as they are on their journey to reversing Alzheimer’s and dementia.
This year has started off better than ever.
Chef Gil continues to deliver 5-star gourmet meals and the residents are getting more involved in what they eat. It starts with hands-on gardening days where the residents tend to our organic garden. In January the harvest they brought to the kitchen included kale, tomatoes, bell peppers and swiss chard.
The residents are having conversations with our chefs we like to call “Choppin’ It Up with the Chefs.” Our chefs demonstrate cooking techniques and the residents learn more about what they eat and things like the importance of protein. We also started some “armchair travels” diving into different cultures to learn about their diets. One series led the group to Newfoundland and Labrador and the delicacy of cod tongues. Let’s say that everyone was grateful that cod tongues are not actually on the menu at Marama. Instead we are serving up dishes like a modern twist on Toad in Hole – housemade keto bread, citrus dressed arugula, avocado, poached egg, balsamic and silvered radish.
Another activity the residents have been participating in is FitBrain through the Pacific Brain Health Center. The caregivers assist and participate alongside the residents as they join via video conference, utilizing the dual-tasking methods I always encourage and exer-gaming, “a methodology that involves utilizing bodily movements to participate in games designed to target a range of cognitive abilities, including attention, memory, and processing speed.”
To top it off, we went on safari! On Friday, Marama took a field trip to the San Diego Wildlife Park. I had to be in the clinic at Solcere, but I’m looking forward to Monday’s updates on the trip. We try to post updates of all our events on Marama’s Facebook and Instagram, follow us there to see photos and videos of some of our daily activities.
Life at Marama is focused on creating the best environment for residents to be immersed in the Bredesen Protocol and the four pillars of Marama’s approach to reversing Alzheimer’s:
- Non toxic environment
- Organic keto flex diet
- Brain healing and optimizing activities
- Exceptional caregiving
Learn more about the four pillars in blog posts and webinar recording posted at maramaexperience.com.
If you are curious to learn more about the Marama lifestyle for yourself or a loved one, I encourage you to fill out an application. After you do, you will be able to talk personally with a staff member to see if Marama (San Diego, CA) or the Clear Mind Center (Wichita, KS) is right for your situation and if not, what options are available.
There’s hope for creating more environments like Marama where compassion, delicious meals and fun are key elements in reversing cognitive decline.
Warmly,
Dr. Heather Sandison
P.S. – Did you catch the latest exciting news? The cover for my book Reversing Alzheimer’s has been revealed (inspired by the Marama elephant) and it is available for pre-sale. Pre-sale orders come with special bonuses and help build momentum so this book can reach everyone who needs the message that reversing Alzheimer’s and dementia are possible. I’m stunned to see that it’s already reached #1 Best Seller in Alzheimer’s on Amazon! Reserve your copy today to ensure you have one when it’s published this June.
