By Robin Smith
and event moderator, shares the stage with Chick-Fil-A Chairman Dan Cathy
and renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
“It all begins with your brain.” Dr. Sanjay Gupta stated this during his presentation last Wednesday to a group of individuals assembled to glean information and data in their collective commitment to wellness and health care that is rooted in the belief that wellbeing is the priority, while managing decline is the reimbursed practice.
In his research and medical profession as a board certified and practicing neurosurgeon, Dr. Gupta, a household name and personality from his medical reporting and writing for CNN, his podcast called, “Chasing Life,” and his books–the latest of which is Keep Sharp, Build A Brain at Any Age–has found that what’s good for the brain is also what’s good for the heart relative to nutrition, movement, activity, exercise, and approaches to wellness.
Interesting, but not likely surprising, Dr. Gupta continued with heads nodding affirmatively and some writing his quote down feverishly.
“Seventy percent of chronic disease is preventable.”
Read that again. Then consider that about 30% of our ailments, illnesses, and diseases are from uncontrollable causes or factors that must be managed.
Now, consider how many trillions are spent annually on healthcare. In 2023, $4.9 trillion was spent by Americans on healthcare. Is it really care or managed decline?
Dr. Gupta’s 90-minute presentation was hosted by the Trilith Foundation for the planned town where “creatives” live, work, and thrive located in Fayetteville County, about 20 miles outside Georgia’s capital. Many movies from Marvel, Disney, and DC, as well as the Family Feud game show and Peyton Manning’s Capital One College Bowl are filmed at the Trilith Foundation’s 32 soundstages.
Dr. Gupta was joined on stage by friend and business leader, Dan Cathy, chairman of Chick-Fil-A. The discussions featured a Q&A session, followed by a breakout and a second Q&A round. Answers were found in Dr. Gupta’s in-depth book, Keep Sharp, which reveals how new insights into outdated brain information offer good news for all of us.
Unlike medical information from decades past which believed the brain to have little to no ability to regenerate or grow after a certain age, the research presented by Sanjay Gupta is directly perpendicular and encouraging.
In distinguishing between memory and memorizing, Dr. Gupta set the stage to understand that memory is an ongoing inventory used to frame our entire lives based on experiences and information taken in for thinking and for storing in archive.
“Your brain is the one organ that can get stronger as you age…anyone can build a better brain at any age,” declared the 55-year-old associate Chairman of Neurosurgery at Grady Hospital who completed a fellowship with the world renowned Semmes Murphey Clinic in Memphis.
One fascinating example of behaviors Dr. Gupta encouraged, in addition to at least 30 minutes of walking daily, was music–playing and singing it. When music is heard, one part of the brain becomes active during a functional MRI. When that music is heard while reading the lyrics, still another part of the brain activates. Then, singing the lyrics activates even more of the brain, he explained.
Who knew? Walk and join a choir!