Hey there, I’m glad you found me here!
I’m sure you’re wondering why you should trust some random guy on the internet right about now. Well, honestly, you shouldn’t. At least not blindly. I will work hard to earn your trust. All the information you receive from me will be grounded in science. The depth of the citations I attach to your guide can be customized to match your interest in the underlying scientific mechanisms. I know sometimes too much information can be paralyzing, so I will break things down into the simplest of terms if that’s what is preferred.
So who am I? And more importantly, what do I know anyway?
My name is Mark, nice to meet you!
Putting a face to the name!
I have a deep fascination with optimizing the body’s (and more specifically, the brain’s) health through lifestyle interventions. This interest is both professional and personal.
Professionally: I received my B.S. in Exercise Science from Elon University. I’ve since performed medical research at Harvard University’s Center for Regenerative Medicine and Duke University’s Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, where I continue to work today. These work experiences afforded me opportunities to learn from, work with, and publish academic papers in peer-reviewed journals alongside world-class scientists. More recently my research is centered on the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, specifically Parkinson’s Disease. I’ve become fascinated by the increasingly accepted notion that Parkinson’s Disease may start in the gut, sometimes many years before it reaches the brain.
Personally: I’ve had family members suffer from AD, PD and ALS, so, unfortunately, I’m no stranger to neurodegenerative diseases. Having played football, hockey, and lacrosse I’ve also had more concussions than I can count. This combination of inherited and gained risk factors does not bode well for my aging brain somewhere (hopefully far) down the future. Fortunately, however, after scouring the medical literature I’m confident that various nutritional and lifestyle interventions can meaningfully mitigate this risk and work towards the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. I've also observed the profound impact dietary changes can have on those in the early stages of neurodegenerative diseases by working closely with recently diagnosed relatives and I would like to share this message with others.
For more on how these experiences influence my nutritional practices, click here.
So why the site?
Through these professional and personal experiences, I've come to realize there is a huge void in high-quality, actionable nutrition advice that reflects what we currently know about the human body. So much so that I'm currently in the process of writing a book. This site will serve as a way to disseminate all that I've learned prior to its publication and I hope to build relationships with many of you in the process.
Frankly, a lot of information online is just flat out wrong. And sure, there is high quality information that can be found, but often times it's drowned out by too much noise (ie, people pushing products down your throat). This leaves you to question the motives behind the information; is there truth to their claims, or are they just trying to make a quick buck?
This void is problematic because there are many people who truly do want to make the proper lifestyle changes, yet they get frustrated by the conflicting information they come across. I've seen this first-hand trying to help loved ones (with varying motivations) navigate this entangled web. You are already here, so pat yourselves on the back! There are millions more like you, all with different motivations. Some may be struggling with chronic illness and some be interested in doing their best to delay their onset or prevent them all together.
In addition to sharing my recommendations, I'll always go out of my way to explain the why. If you do not understand something well enough to explain to others, you will be much less likely to follow through. At the same time, this basic level of understanding will help you wade through any BS you stumble across.
Lastly, I was tempted to turn this into a website that resembles many other sites/blogs out there (but with my own unique twist). However, I've come to the realization that there is so much information on the web that adding to it all wouldn't be the most productive use of my time. Instead, I believe that in this new age of information overload, a more valuable service would be to curate this information for you; to cut through all the background noise and give you quality, actionable advice.
No matter what your motivations are. I hope I can help you reach your health goals. Please do not hesitate to reach out.
All the best-
Mark Sundman