Unlocking the Secrets of Heart and Brain Health with Guest Speaker LeAnne Stuver

Join us at GetSetUp for Guest Speaker: LeAnne Stuver - Exploring the Heart-Brain Connection, an enlightening guest speaker session featuring LeAnne Stuver, an accomplished health educator with a rich background in nursing and adult education. With over two decades of experience in health education, especially in senior living communities, LeAnne brings a wealth of knowledge to our community.

LeAnne's Journey to Brain Health Expertise

LeAnne's journey began in pediatric nursing, which eventually led her to earn a master's degree in education. Her passion for educating adults, particularly in senior living settings, has been a cornerstone of her career. Over the years, her focus has shifted to brain health, integrating it into lifelong learning programs. This transition highlights the evolving nature of health education and the importance of staying current with research and practices.

The Heart-Brain Connection

At the heart of LeAnne's session is the critical relationship between heart and brain health. She emphasizes, 

"As a nurse, I always knew about the heart's influence on our brain. What we do for one greatly impacts the other." 

This profound connection underscores her message: actions benefiting the heart also nurture the brain.

“People are schooled on how to take care of their heart but not necessarily on their brain. Most people don’t know that heart-healthy choices at restaurants are also brain-healthy choices!” 

Top Three Heart-Health Tips

LeAnne advocates for three key areas to get started with heart health. Plus, she reminds people that heart health is also brain health, so a great way to improve overall health. 

Her suggestions to get started are:

• Physical Activity: Any movement is better than a sedentary lifestyle - Move more and sit less!
• Diet: Focus on whole foods and reducing processed food intake.
• Managing Chronic Conditions: Keeping conditions like high blood pressure or pre-diabetes under control is a huge help to your overall health. You can still be heart and brain-healthy with chronic conditions if you learn to actively manage them! 

Why LeAnne's Expertise Matters for Older Adults

LeAnne stresses the importance of heart and brain health for older adults. She believes that while people are often educated about heart health, they are less informed about brain health. Her goal is to bridge this gap, providing practical, easy-to-adopt strategies based on scientific evidence. 

She remarks, "Everything I suggest is practical and easy to implement, taking the complex science and making it accessible."

LeAnne's Personal Health Practices

As a testament to her teachings, LeAnne actively practices what she preaches. From daily physical activities by walking 3 miles with a friend outdoors to dietary changes. Last year, she cut out sugar substitutes and limited her sugar intake while trying to eat whole foods. She is a living example of the benefits of these health strategies. Her personal journey with pre-diabetes has led her to focus on metabolic health, focusing on balancing hormonal and nutrient balance in the body. She’s already seen improvements in her thinking clarity and decision-making since she started to focus on her metabolic health. 

The Role of Lifelong Learning

LeAnne is a firm believer in the power of learning at any age, particularly for brain health.

 "Our brain loves to learn," she says, advocating for daily challenges that keep the brain active and engaged. 

“In retirement, we often think we will turn off because we are tired, but instead, people should be focused on learning new stuff that is fun. Our brain needs to learn to function at its highest level, so retired people should look to learn something fun they are interested in, be that crafts or travel.” 

She encourages learners to seek new experiences, whether it's a puzzle, a new hobby, or simply reading a different genre for at least 10-15 minutes a day. 

Why Attend LeAnne's Guest Speaking Session?

Guest Speaker: LeAnne Stuver - Exploring the Heart-Brain Connection is a must-attend for anyone interested in maintaining heart and brain health. Her approach is not only informative but also practical, ensuring attendees leave with actionable knowledge. 

"Anyone who wants their heart and brain to work well together for the rest of their life will find something helpful in this session," she assures.

LeAnne takes the hard science and makes it into practice tips so anyone can do small steps that make a difference in their health and wellness. 

Join us in this valuable session towards a healthier, more active brain and heart.