4thQuarter2015
The Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation (ARPF) is dedicated to the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease by funding research studies and providing educational outreach and memory screenings.
INSIDE
On the Cover:
• President’s Message
Page 2:
• New Board Member
Page 3:
• UNM Research Partner
• What Others Are Saying
Page 4:
• ARPF Annual Meeting
• Community Outreach
Page 5:
• ARPF Research Update
Page 6-7:
• Donor List – Thank You!
• New Program Director
Page 8:
• Make a Difference!
PRESIDENT/MEDICAL DIRECTOR
Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
VICE PRESIDENT
Randal Brooks, MA, LPC
TREASURER (interim)
Kirti K. Khalsa
SECRETARY
Kirti K. Khalsa
MEMBER
Carolyn Lucz
CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
Simran S. Stuelpnagel
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Dana Evans
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Tryn Rose Seley
SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COUNCIL
Chief Scientific Advisor
Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Brigham and Women’s Hospital – Boston, MA
Ma Gloria Borras-Boneu, M.D.
GRD Health Institute – Barcelona, Spain
Karen E. Innes, MSPH, Ph.D.
Western Virginia University School of Public Health – Morgantown, WV
Miia Kivipelto, M.D., Ph.D.
Aging Research Center and Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Karolinska Institute – Stockholm, Sweden
Karen Koffler, M.D.
Medical Director, Canyon Ranch Miami Beach Miami Beach, FL
Helen Lavretsky, M.D., M.S.
Professor, Department of Psychiatry UCLA Semel Institute and Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital – Los Angeles, CA
George Perry, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor, College of Sciences University of Texas at San Antonio – San Antonio, TX
Arti Prasad, M.D., FACP
Professor of Medicine
Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine
Executive Director, UNM Center for Life Albuquerque, NM
Michelle Sierpina, Ph.D.
Founding Director
UTMB Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning University of Texas Medical Branch – Galveston, TX
“Forget-Me-Not” is published
quarterly by the Alzheimer’s
Research & Prevention Foundation
N E W S L E T T E R
Alzheimer’s Crisis and ARPF’s Bold Vision for the Future
As you probably know, we are in a health care crisis. That’s right! The number of people with Alzheimer’s disease is continuing to rise as we age and has reached crisis proportions.When I first started this work over two decades ago, there were about 4 million people with this dreaded, mind-robbing illness, which is now our aging population’s number one fear. The latest statistics reveal that 5.4 million people have Alzheimer’s. And the predictions are dire.
If people do not undertake a preventive program – and I mean right now – then these numbers are expected to more than quadruple.
A goal has been set to prevent and cure Alzheimer’s by 2020 or no later than 2025, but almost all the money is going into drug research, which thus far has been elusive.
On the other hand, the research into integrative medicine, or what is also referred to as “non-pharma,” has been so robust that it has gotten the attention of even the main Alzheimer’s organizations.
In fact, the Alzheimer’s Association’s most recent journal, called Alzheimer’s and Dementia, led with three articles on diet and Alzheimer’s risk reduction. Can you guess what type of diet it is? If you said the Mediterranean-type of plant-based diet I’ve been discussing since our inception in 1993, you’re correct. That particular issue also has an article about how poor sleep increases Alzheimer’s risk, and one about exercise and risk reduction as well.
Your ARPF has been at the forefront of Alzheimer’s prevention, and we’re not about to stop now. In fact, we’re about to experience a renaissance. We have a bold new vision to solve the Alzheimer’s crisis: to make sure everyone on the planet knows about our scientifically-proven Four Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention. See our new developments on Page 5 of this issue.
Beyond that, we are in the early stages of creating a large new study I call Meditation for Alzheimer’s Prevention (M4AP). This work will continue our ground-breaking work on Kirtan Kriya, a brain-enhancing meditation exercise that is safe, affordable, fast, and effective. I’ll have more to share about that in the near future.
So please relax and enjoy the holiday season with your family. And rest easy knowing that together, we are doing everything possible to ensure that none of us become an Alzheimer’s statistic.
Thanks to your support, we will solve the Alzheimer’s crisis. Please consider making a generous year-end donation to further the research efforts of the ARPF at www.alzheimersprevention.org.
I wish you a safe and peaceful holiday season and a healthy and happy New Year.
Yours in Brain Health,
Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
Founding President/Medical Director
Meet Our New Board Member
Edward Steinfeldt, MA
Mr. Steinfeldt is based in Santa Barbara, California, and has worked in the senior living industry for over three decades. Trained as a healthcare administrator at The George Washington University, he consults throughout the United States. His experience as a consultant, manager, and owner has afforded him the insight that comes with years of experience, operations, and successful new projects and turnarounds.
His company, Steinfeldt & Associates, has been working with not-for-profit and for-profit developers of senior living housing and health care communities, including continuing care, assisted living, memory support, hospice, and skilled nursing. His goal is to assist developers in creating a vision which serves the local community, and the individuals living within it.
In His Own Words
“At this age, I love every season. Now that I am approaching another birthday in my 60’s, it is ever so true. Each day I start with a meditation and write in a journal. I have kept a journal for over 40 years, and actually am writing the ‘book’ that highlights the existence, growth, loves, disappointments, and gratitude for this life.
I am a person who has worked hard and continue to do so. After all, the work that I do is very rewarding, purposeful, and useful as it serves other people and my family. I’ve had many exciting adventures and everyday experiences to share and learn from. I do not believe my experience is all that different from others, but it is one that I am proud of. It has been challenging and rewarding. You don’t get to be my age without upsets and difficulties also. However, life comes with the ability to set good intentions and exceed them. Sometimes we just need to get out of the way. It is not always about doing one’s best. Sometimes it is just being one’s best, and letting the universe help you.
I look forward to contributing to the mission of the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation, and wish everyone a happy holiday season.”
Namaste,
Edward Steinfeldt
“Life comes with the ability to set good intentions and exceed them.”
UNM New Research Partner for ARPF
Dr. Khalsa, ARPF President and Medical Director, has been named Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine and Integrative Medicine, also known as the Center for Life, at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here, he will engage in further research supporting the prevention of Alzheimer’s utilizing holistic approaches. The ARPF expects to collaborate closely with the center’s Executive Director and founder, Dr. Arti Prasad, division chief of general internal medicine, geriatrics, and integrative medicine at UNM’s School of Medicine, as well as the center’s experienced and gifted researchers.
“I am honored to work within the University of New Mexico and its talented staff to continue to prove that we can help ourselves, right now, by utilizing an integrative medical approach to build a healthier, stronger brain and to prevent cognitive decline,” said Dr. Khalsa.
UNM’s Center for Life is a state of the art integrative and intercultural center for prevention and wellness, treating people with a wide range of health issues using a vast array of ancient and modern techniques.
This group enjoyed the Brain Carnival, as you can see!
I’m so grateful to work with such generous, like-minded people, and for how well we work together toward a common goal of service to senior adults. Our “Brain Carnival” this spring was well-received both by our clients and the community as a whole. To help streamline the event, we set up the carnival in stations, which included: Mindfulness Meditation (Kirtan Kriya), Writing Haiku, Legacy Writing, Juggling, Sensory Art, Aromatherapy, 7 Words of Wisdom, Coloring Mandalas, Parachute Play and Drumming. Overall, it was an amazing experience.
I am thankful for the communication and support of our mission by organizations like yours. Our clients now know about the Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation, and your generous support.
Warmest regards,
Sheila Levenhagen
Balance & Fitness
Yoga Instructor
Steady For Life
Huntsville, Alabama
The Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation held our Annual Meeting in October 2015 in Tucson. Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa and Kirti Khalsa greeted and appreciated every member of the team. Our Program Director, Dana Evans, attended from Colorado, our Chief Communications Officer, Simran S. Stuelpnagel from New Mexico, and several representatives from the state of Arizona. Dr. Khalsa led opening remarks, and invited us to practice the Kirtan Kriya, the brain-healthy meditation we’ve researched for over a decade, at the end of our formal meeting. We welcomed guests and supporters from the community for a reception, where we provided brain-healthy and delicious foods like blueberries, raspberries, and dark chocolate, and had wonderful conversations about wellness.It was an energetic, positive meeting. Every member of the staff has found the ARPF for a reason: we are yoga teachers, social workers, retired air force, higher education professionals, psychology majors, healers, musicians, and more. We come together to serve others with great inspiration and optimism. We have a shared vision and desire to see Alzheimer’s fade into the background, and healthy lives for all of us come to the forefront.
Your ARPF Team, L to R: Simran S. Stuelpnagel, Chief Communications Officer; Tryn Rose Seley, Newsletter Editor, Educator; Linda Sharp, M.Ed; Educator, Local Representative Marilyn Kaler, Customer Service; Kirti Khalsa, COO; Dr. Khalsa, President; Dana Evans, Program Director; Bee Berger, Volunteer; Eileen Pattarozzi, Administrative Assistant; Austin Chambers, Order Fulfillment.
Community Outreach
| OCTOBER 8, 2015 AARP Mesa Caregiving Forum Mesa, AZ |
NOVEMBER 17-19, 2015 Two presentations at the 2015 SharpBrains Virtual Summit Web-based Seminar |
JANUARY 20, 2016 Tucson Estates Health Fair Tucson, AZ |
| NOVEMBER 2, 2015 Presentation at Fellowship Square Retirement Community Tucson, AZ |
NOVEMBER 18, 2015 ARPF Teleseminar: The Caregiver’s Journey Teleconference |
MARCH 12-13, 2016 Memory Screening Day and exhibit booth at the Tucson Festival of Books Tucson, AZ |
| NOVEMBER 5, 2015 Presentation and exhibit booth at the Brain Futures 2015 – MHAMD Centennial Conference Annapolis, MD |
DECEMBER 5, 2015 International Holiday Bazaar at St. Michael’s Church Tucson, AZ |
MAY 17-20, 2016 Presentation and exhibit booth at the Integrative Medicine & Health Conference Las Vegas, NV |
| NOVEMBER 7, 2015 AZ Men’s Health and Wellness Expo, Mayo Clinic Phoenix, AZ |
JANUARY 16-17, 2016 Presentation and exhibit booth at the 14th Annual Mild Cognitive Impairment Symposium Miami Beach, FL |
by Tryn Rose Seley
2015 has been an exciting one for the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation. Because we believe in both funding valuable research and choosing a healthy lifestyle, we have plenty to share with the world about changing the predicted statistics about Alzheimer’s disease.For more than 2 decades, we’ve planned, seen through, and continued studies on our Four Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention. This year, we’ve made a change – a new, broader priority.
From our first newsletter of the year, Dr. Khalsa, who is an anesthesiologist by training, said: “…I’m certainly not opposed to the use of pharmaceuticals that work. However, as of yet, the available FDA approved drugs don’t fit that bill very well.”
Our Fourth Pillar has been Medicines for more than 20 years. Now, we’ve learned from our research studies that becoming spiritually disciplined bears more fruit than counting on medications in a predictable way.
From our Third quarter newsletter, we introduced the summary of the new Fourth Pillar:
including service, enjoying
the company of like-minded
people, and living your
mission and purpose in life.
Andrew B. Newberg, M.D., is director of research at the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center of Integrative Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. Two quotes from his article in the Journal of the American Society on Aging (Volume 35, Number 2) read:
“Evidence suggests that meditation, prayer, and other related religious and spiritual practices may have significant effects on the aging brain – positive effects that may help improve memory and cognition, mood, and overall mental health (p. 83).” and “Meditation practice and increased mindfulness are related to improved attention functions and cognitive flexibility (p. 88).”
At our Annual Meeting in October, Dr. Khalsa invited us to understand that all spiritual disciplines can lead to stress reduction, and benefit our overall health, whether it’s serving others, practicing meditation, saying a prayer, and choosing a life purpose and actively following it. All of these practices are valuable and measurable. Because your ARPF shares life strategies that we can truly stand behind, we’ve made “Spiritual Fitness” our new Fourth Pillar.
In that same newsletter, we had a lot of people to thank for making our efforts a success in the fight against Alzheimer’s:
“…we acknowledge more than 1,300 donors, for which we are very grateful. Your contributions keep our research going strong.”
Please join us as we go forward in the new year, continuing our ground-breaking research and choosing our positive, effective lifestyle approaches.
Please see our current and developing research studies at www.alzheimersprevention.org.
Newberg, Andrew B. “Spirituality and the Aging Brain.” Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging Volume 35, Number 2 (Summer 2011):83, 88. Print and online.
THANK YOU to Our Generous Donors!>
New Program Director,
Dana Evans
Dana has a background in marketing, social campaigns and website management. In her previous career, she managed online health and wellness programs for Fortune-100 companies. This work gives her perspective for what it takes to design, develop, plan and execute programs and ensure success for both the company and the employees.
While Dana enjoyed this work, she was looking for something that had a more substantial impact on others. As a certified yoga instructor and avid foodie, wellness and preventative care have always been important to her. This, paired with her work background, made ARPF the perfect match for her new path. She is excited to dive into the world of preventative health and focus her skill set on something meaningful to the entire population. She is looking forward to being a part of this growing non-profit.
Together, we are doing everything possible to protect
our families from Alzheimer’s disease.
Please consider making a generous year-end donation
to further the research efforts of the ARPF at
www.alzheimersprevention.org.
Discover all the exciting activities the ARPF has in store for you by visiting us on the web at
www.alzheimersprevention.org,
following us on Twitter at
https://twitter.com/PreventAD,
or ‘Liking’ us on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/PreventAD
The ARPF is a Proud Member of
| JULY to SEPTEMBER 2015 | |||
| Donations Made In Honor Of: The Deacon Family Dawn TullyRuss Hart Timothy VerretKundalini Yoga of Crestone Sue Ann Beck David McClung and In Memory Of: Carol Balcof Annmarie Irwin and Roberto Di Giovanni Ken Grandstaff Robert Gordon Hayes Joanne S. Kempic Joseph Maranto Larry Wright and Barney Payton Rosalene Melton-Henry Saundra Jean Plotz |
In Memory Of:Marjene Smart Natalie TuckerVera Struebing Donna Thomas Wayne Zlotshewer’s In-Kind Donor: The ARPF is a proud Individual Donations |
Vickie E. Byers Carol Ciccone David G. Corbell Marilynn Costello Vikki Dahle Daniel and Sheila Teitelbaum Jesus Francisco De La Teja Vanessa Dominguez James Dougherty Denise Douglas-Faraci Mary M. Eary Joan Edmunds George R. Ellis John W. Ellis, Jr. Shan W. Evans Gina Femali Randall A. Ford Barbara Forth Fraternal Order of Eagles, Lake Havasu City Auxiliary #4299 Karen Fuller Christopher Fultz Daviette A. Gilbert Joan Goodman Phyllis Gray Dr. Harold Grupe Sue Gunderson Cindy L. Haley Brenda K. Helgren Tracy Ann Hockman Lydia Hoffman Tammy T. Holland Robert Houston Susan Hutchinson Vicki W. Irby Carson Jeney Susan C. Kelly Katherine J. Kerchner Dr. Siri Gian S. Khalsa Rolf Kotar Suzanne Krycler Marjorie Kulak Brittany M. Lee Laura Lehrer LeRoy Elfmann Mary Elfmann Rebecca A. Leslie Mark Levay Brad D. Levenson Linda R. Lewis Virginia Linder Catherine Livingston Gary W. Lowe Cecilla Ann Lynch Mary Madeley Christine W. Marcin Alan R. Martin |
Hillary D. Martinez Paula May Kenneth W. McCaskey Archie McGinthy Michael V. Meed Cheryl Montrenes Vance Moreira Kelly S. Morgan Christopher J. Napolillo Mark Norris Susan Nutter Dianne A. Olla Warren L. Parker Jan Pennell Nannette W. Pfiester Richard R. Phlegar Noreen Poirier Maralyn L. Polak Karen S. Poshefko Joleen Pouliezos Brian D. Ragland Ethan Redmon Kris Reicks Robert B. Rice Stephen T. Riley Jeffery L. Rinard Illyes Rives Winifred Roberts Jackie Roller Marianne Rowe Merri S. Ruhmann Kelli G. Saldana Leslie P. Saucedo Hadassah M. Schloss Mike R. Schofield Arthur J. Schwab, Jr. Anita Louise Showels Stephen C. Siwlinsel Valerie Smith Rachel L. Snell Catherine Somerville Tommye Sprotte Shanna A. Starkey Susan Sundwall Jill R. Sutherland Karen O. Svien Daniel P. Switek Linda Taylor Nancy Thompson Gail G. Totten Amy Trester Mario Vielmann Courtney Wade Jana S. Warren Tina R. Washington Alan M. Whitaker Diane Whitmire Priscilla Wolkonowski Robert A. Woodruff Patricia Wygle Kin Yeung |
