By Cristal Johnston
There is a quiet kind of strength that lives inside a woman.
It shows up before the world wakes.
It stays long after everyone else has gone to bed.
It holds families together in ways no one ever really sees.
Right now, I am living inside that truth.
I am home with my parents, helping care for my mom – the heart and soul of our family.
She is beginning to show signs of dementia.
And if you have ever watched someone you love slowly change, you know how heavy and sacred that space can feel.
In these moments, I am not just a nurse.
I am her daughter.
And I am holding both roles at once.
When the Brain and Body Speak Together
What I have learned through years in the ER, and now through this deeply personal season, is this:
What is happening in the brain is not separate from the body.
It is connected to everything.
Especially the gut.
We now know the gut and brain are in constant conversation through what is called the gut-brain axis.
Inflammation in the gut can drive inflammation in the brain.
Blood sugar swings can impact memory, focus, and mood.
This is why you may have heard Alzheimer’s referred to as “type 3 diabetes.”
Not as a diagnosis, but as a way to describe how insulin resistance and blood sugar dysregulation affect the brain.
So here we are, doing what we can with what we know.
We are gently shifting her environment:
- Less sugar
- Less processed foods
- More whole foods that nourish
Because food is not just fuel.
It is information.
It tells the body to heal, or it tells the body to inflame.
And we are choosing healing.
The Overlooked Power of Strength
We are also focusing on something many people overlook:
Strength.
Muscle is not just about appearance.
It is deeply protective especially for the brain.
Research shows that staying physically active and building muscle is associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.
There are even studies suggesting that stronger lower body strength, like the quadriceps, is linked with better brain health and reduced risk of decline over time.
Movement sends powerful signals to the brain.
It improves blood flow.
Supports insulin sensitivity.
Reduces inflammation.
It tells the body:
We are still here.
We are still strong.
And that matters more than most people realize.
A Message Every Woman Needs to Hear
So many women.
So many mothers.
So many daughters.
Spend their lives taking care of everyone else while quietly running on empty.
Pushing through the brain fog.
The fatigue.
The irritability.
The feeling of not quite being themselves.
And thinking it is just part of getting older.
It is not.
Your body is speaking.
Your gut is speaking.
Your brain is listening.
The food you choose matters.
The way you move matters.
The way you care for yourself matters.
Not just for today, but for the years ahead.
For the memories you want to keep.
For the moments you don’t want to miss.
This Mother’s Day, Remember Yourself Too
This Mother’s Day, I want you to pause.
Not just to celebrate who you care for — but to remember:
You are worth caring for too.
Because when you support your gut, you support your brain.
When you lower inflammation, you protect your future.
When you choose yourself, even in small ways, you change the trajectory of your health.
So as we move into this new season:
Play big.
Move boldly.
But do it from a place of strength.
From a body that feels supported.
Because the truth is:
The smallest daily choices — the ones no one sees — are the ones that shape everything.
And it is never too early, or too late, to begin.
Cristal Johnston, RN
Gut & Metabolic Health Coach
FoodsNotMeds