What Every Woman Should Ask Her Doctor About Brain Health with Barbie Bowles, RDN

In this episode of the Brain Health Kitchen podcast, Annie talks with Barbie Bowles, a registered dietitian specializing in women’s midlife brain health and Alzheimer’s prevention. Together, they explore how heart health, metabolic health, hormones, inflammation, and nutrition all shape the way the brain ages.Barbie explains why midlife is such an important window for prevention, especially for women navigating perimenopause and menopause. They discuss the labs and biomarkers worth knowing, including LDL cholesterol, ApoB, lipoprotein(a), fasting insulin, hemoglobin A1c, hs-CRP, homocysteine, B12, vitamin D, and omega-3 status. They also talk about why HDL is more complicated than “good cholesterol,” why Alzheimer’s is not simply “type 3 diabetes,” and why women may need to advocate for more prevention-focused care.This conversation is full of practical ways to think about brain health before symptoms begin — from blood sugar and visceral fat to exercise, supplements, pregnancy history, hot flashes, and how to partner with your healthcare provider.Chapters02:53 — Why a registered dietitian is different06:26 — Why Barbie focuses on women’s brain health09:54 — Why women are more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s12:15 — What APOE4 can and can’t tell you18:53 — Why heart health is brain health21:21 — The blood sugar signs to catch early27:12 — Should you use a continuous glucose monitor?31:01 — The labs women should start tracking33:23 — Why cholesterol is more complicated than “good” and “bad”42:41 — What pregnancy can reveal about future risk45:59 — What hot flashes may be telling you49:41 — How visceral fat affects brain health56:14 — Why eating for your brain supports everything else59:49 — The supplements worth testing for1:04:30 — When to consider seeing a cardiologist1:09:02 — How to advocate for better care1:12:43 — Barbie’s favorite exercise snacksLinksBarbie Bowleshttps://www.barbieboules.comBarbie Bowles on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/the_cognition_dietitianThe Synapse by Barbie Bowleshttps://barbieboules.substack.comBrain Health Kitchenhttps://brainhealthkitchen.substack.comWe are grateful for our sponsorsNeuroReserve: https://neuroreserve.com Use code BHKPodcast for 10% off:Relevate: a brain-specific blend of omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA)Revanta Creatine: a highly dissolvable pure-grade creatine monohydrateBHKEVOO: our recent harvest of extra-virgin olive oilBetter Brain: https://betterbrain.com/annie Use code AFENN50 for $50 off your assessment, which brings the cost of a full brain health biomarker panel down to $39; most people pay $0 out of pocket for the coaching sessions.