🙌 Happy Friday! 

Do you know the (high-protein) muffin man? Today is National Muffin Day, a holiday worth acknowledging, considering high-protein muffin recipes were in Google’s top 10 food searches in 2025. A testament that no food is immune to the protein hype. 

Today’s top story has us looking at a brain exercise that can reduce dementia risk by about 25%... 

This week: Five brain-boosting exercises, the sea green that lowers blood pressure, a gut test for brain health, and trading concertos for checkups.

To fast-track your health journey, join us at The Livelong Women’s Health Summit ^TM. The incredible two-day event features 75 experts talking about what matters to you: post-menopausal sleep, longevity protocols, and building relationships at midlife are just a few topics we’ll be covering.

Use promo code ERIN to get your ticket.

And five exercises you can do today to start training your brain at home.

Most brain training advice sounds familiar…play chess ♟ or learn a language, maybe memorize your grocery list. But what if the key to long-term brain health isn’t memory at all? 

New research shows that training processing speed (how quickly you take in and react to information) can reduce dementia risk by about 25% in older adults. And unlike traditional memorization training, the benefits of speed training can last for two decades.

⏩ The study: In the ACTIVE study, adults 65+ were asked to spend five to six weeks doing computer-based training in processing speed, memory, or reasoning. About half later did the training again.

Compared with memory or reasoning, speed training was the only approach linked to significantly lower dementia risk, especially when followed up with extra training.

Researchers think it might be powerful because it trains faster, more automatic thinking, which can be neuroprotective over time. 

Looking ahead: A quicker brain may be one of the best long-term defenses against cognitive decline. With dementia diagnoses expected to reach one million by 2060 in the US, brain training that makes you ‘think fast!’ could really start to matter.

Initially a staple in Traditional Chinese Medicine, a new review of 10 studies on spirulina now shows that spirulina can meaningfully improve hypertension (high blood pressure) and kidney function in animals, which are key barometers of healthy aging.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure can damage the kidneys, our body’s filtration system…. and faster kidney aging tracks with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

💫 Spirulina RDA: Typically effective dose 3-8 grams/day

Your gut is the second brain that shapes how you feel, think, and age cognitively. A new at-home microbiome test from gut–brain company Cervco aims to measure—and optimize—this connection.

The test uses advanced technology to track four brain-benefiting gut bacteria markers. You get a personalized gut score and recommendations to improve gut health.

🦠 Big picture: This is a wellness tool and not a diagnostic test. Similar to popular microbiome tests like Viome, it is banking on gut bacteria to reduce inflammation, personalize health, and age better.

If you’re looking for a community of supportive women, JOIN the Livelong Women’s Circle. Hundreds of women are already involved.

How a town in New York is helping artists get free health care.

In Kingston, New York, artists 👩‍🎨 can swap tunes for therapy, concertos for check-ups, and prints for dental work at the O+ Exchange Clinic—a community initiative where artists can access free preventative care services if they create free public art, performances 🎭, and music for the community.

It’s “an exchange of the art of medicine for the medicine of art,” said O+ director Joe Concra.

With 47% of its alumni artists under- or uninsured, this trade closes a real health gap for artists while benefiting the public. 

Kingston treats art as currency. 💵 Do you think this model travels?

🛍️ Vendors have the opportunity to connect with your audience at the Livelong Women’s Health Summit, April 17–18 in San Francisco. See the media kit for more information.

💫 If you’re passionate about women’s health and longevity and want to help spread the word about the event, you can join us as an Ambassador! Check out the details and reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

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