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  Royal Motor Yacht Club of Newport July 2012 Ladies Lunch - 'Boosting Your Brain and turning Your Stress Into Success' by Dr. Helena Popovic

On Wednesday this week 112 ladies met for a lovely lunch and catch up at the RMYC, Newport. These lunches, scheduled for four to five times each year, always have a speaker whose subject matter will interest those who attend and each lunch also raises funds for the niominated chairty of the Ladies, which has been the BCNA (Breats cancer Network Australia) and the other half goeds to a chairty nominated by the speaker. This Wednesday Dr Helena Popovic nominated alzheimers Australia. The previous speaker had nominated Father Riley's charity and a cheque for $5000.00 was being presented at the same time the lunch commenced.

Another aspect of these Ladies’ Lunches, should you need more incentive other then great company, great food and a great view, is the Market tables at each one. July’s tables were from Blue Illusion, a women’s boutique in Mona Vale run by the lovely Jennifer McCay, Duck Creek Macadamias, with some samples, and costume jewellery from Sistaco. All these also contributed raffle prizes to raise more funds for worthwhile causes.

The feature of the day was the presentation given by Dr Helena Popovic though, a brilliant, insightful address given in a spirit of generosity and eloquence and from a place of experience. In opening Dr Popovic explained the premise of a personal journey she undertook with her father when he was diagnosed with Dementia, noting that Alzheimer’s  was fast becoming the most common disease in Australia and with an aging population will become more so.

Dr Popovic, a genuinely positive lady, outlined how we may reduce our risk and how to help those diagnosed with this heart breaking disease. “Don’t give up on anyone.” Was her message, especially appropriate after relating the humorous side of helping a loved one who was also bereft after losing his wife, her mother, at the onset, and enduring the grief that is part of this.

“One More Day, just give me one more day dad,” Helena continually asked her father and each day, due to his disease, did begin anew until a shift began to occur. Helping people suffering from dementia stems from turning ‘Can’t’ into ‘Can’. Words are especially powerful as our brains not only react to negative words, reinforcing negative behaviour, they also equally react to positive affirmations and are re-energized, re-energizing our physicality and emotional responses as a result.

Dr Popivic guidelines outlined and went in depth on three requirements, reiterating the Belief as in ‘can’, getting guidelines on what to do to promote Brain Health and prevention of Dementia, and to add Persistence to this, to keep taking one step at a time. The results speak for themselves; two and a half years later her father, with a 97 year old mate, were still delivering Meals on Wheels, he had taken up Line dancing, smiled when a French Tutor would arrive to give him lessons and even went with her to the gym once a week.

The practical side of all this is recognizing statistics, such as the brain being 25 of our body and using 205 of our blood, or knowing that one fifth of all food consumed is used to keep our congnitive functions working and that eating the good stuff will produce the good results as opposed to junk food which will produce… sludgy efforts in body and brain.

Among the Ten guidelines which are in her great book, In search of My father; dementia is no match for a daughter’s determination, are the ‘possibility thinking’ of turning can’t into can, insights into foods such as walnuts for their ‘brain food’ composites and ‘drinking to your health’ but no more then that as the ‘more you drink, the more you shrink’.

The most illuminating news is that recent research has shown our brains can grow new cells, can establish new connections, that we do, in fact, grow 5000 new brain cells everyday. Dr Popovic stated we should treat our brains like a muscle and exercise them to benefit from all a commitment to ‘lifelong learning’ brings. This book belongs in the homes of all who have an interest in their own brain health or wish to be of more help to those suffering from Dementia. 

The next Ladies’ lunch at the RMYC will be on Wednesday the 19th of September, 2012, the speaker Sue Williams, an award-winning journalist and columnist who’s written for all of Australia’s leading newspapers and magazines and has released numerous books on a range of subjects. Her most recent book is Welcome To The Outback, which was released in April 2012. Find out some more of Sue’s journeys in September. Bookings for the Ladies Lunch are essential by contacting the RMYC on 9997 5511. Cost is $65 for two courses including wine and coffee and starts at midday. After lunch Sue will be available for book sales and signings.

For further information about the Ladies Luncheon, contact Sally at the RMYC on 9997 5511 or sally@royalmotor.com.au