Speaking
Brain health talks that stay with people long after the event
Almost every room I speak to has someone in it who has quietly wondered, “Is that going to be me?” Maybe they watched a parent change. Maybe they walked into a room last week and forgot why they were there. They already know they should eat better, sleep more and manage stress. What they’re missing is why it matters for their brain and how to actually make it happen in a busy life.
That’s what my talks are built to give them. In my work as a nurse, I spent 30 years watching what happens when we care for the brain and when we don’t. Now I bring that experience to groups who want to get ahead of it, with a message that takes the fear out of aging and leaves people with a clear next step.
What makes these talks different
Most people don’t need more information. They’ve heard eat better, sleep more and manage stress a hundred times, and it usually ends up as one more list they feel guilty about. Willpower fades under stress, and that’s when good intentions fall apart.
So I teach differently. I use brain science to show your audience why these habits matter and how the brain actually builds new ones. Then we practice together in the room, with guided visualization and breathwork that help people connect the habit to something deeper than willpower: how they want to feel, who they want to be there for and the life they want to keep living. People leave with an understanding of their brain that changes how they see their everyday choices, and a tool they can use the moment they walk out the door.
Alzheimer’s and Dementia Prevention
The Power of Lifestyle: The Science Behind the Habits That Help Prevent Alzheimer’s
Most people believe dementia is written in their genes. The research tells a more hopeful story. Up to 45% of dementia risk is linked to factors we can change, and the changes in the brain begin 20 to 30 years before a diagnosis. That means the window is still open.
In this talk I walk your audience through the two bodies of research I build my work on. The first is the MIND diet, an eating pattern designed specifically for brain health, with the foods to eat more of, the ones to cut back on and how to make it work in a real kitchen. The second is the US POINTER study, a two-year national trial which found that people who followed a structured lifestyle program with support improved their thinking skills more than people who made changes on their own. We close with a short guided visualization so the science turns into something personal your audience can hold onto.
As a speaker for the Alzheimer’s Association, I also present their community education programs on brain health, memory loss and dementia.
Talks and Workshops
Stay Sharp
A brain health workshop on the everyday habits that protect memory, focus and energy. Your audience leaves understanding what their brain needs to work at its best and one or two changes they can start that week.
The Inflammation Fix
How chronic inflammation affects the brain and body, and the food and lifestyle shifts that calm it down.
Food, Mood, Memory and Focus
What we eat shows up in how we think and feel. This session connects the plate to the brain, with practical takeaways and a worksheet participants keep.
The Menopause Brain: What’s Happening and What You Can Do About It
A practical, empowering talk for women who want to understand the changes in their brain and take action to support memory, focus, energy and long-term brain health.
Own Your Edge: How to Fuel the Brain Behind Your Business
For business owners and professionals. Your brain is the CEO of your life, and this session shows how to keep it performing under pressure, with four tools participants can use right away.
Every talk can be tailored to your group, your time slot and your format, whether that’s a keynote, a lunch-and-learn, a hands-on workshop or a virtual session.
Where I’ve Spoken
Alzheimer’s Association community events, Peak Performance business owners’ event, Living Goldenwell, Life Time, North Cobb Rotary Club, TriFusion in Birmingham, GSPN and the Beyond Dementia Coalition symposium.
About Christine
Christine Despres, RN, NBC-HWC, CDP is a registered nurse, board-certified health and wellness coach, certified dementia practitioner and Brain & Metabolic Health Coach. She spent over 30 years in healthcare, many of them in dementia and hospice care, and is the founder of The Wellness Navigator, where she guides midlife women to build the habits and strategies that protect their brain, support healthy aging and unlock the strongest, sharpest version of themselves. She is also an Alzheimer’s Association speaker and Atlanta community educator. The power to age well is more in your control than you think.
Aging well is not luck, it’s a strategy.
Give your group the science, the tools and a clear place to start. Let’s talk about your event.