In partnership with
🧭 Here’s what’s in today’s issue:
• 🧠 Trivia Challenge: Spotlight Hook
• 💪 Wellness Tip: Whole Grains, Fruits and Vegetables Tied to Reduced Dementia Risk
• ⚠️ Health Alert: Several Grocery Items Recalled Over Contamination Concerns
• 😄 Meme of the Day – Just for laughs
• ❤️ Communities need strong connections: Show Your Support
• 📅 Events: Upcoming Events (Top Picks)
👉 Browse the highlights. Click your favorites.
Did someone forward you our Cary newsletter? Then subscribe here
Question: What gives eyes their color?
(Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.)
😮 Most weekends in Cary fill up fast — but this one is worth planning around.
👤 The Cary Garden Tour is May 30–31 with access to 13 private and public gardens across Downtown Cary and South Cary — including some properties that have not opened to the public in years.
🎧 Explore pollinator gardens, terraced landscapes, vegetable beds, classic cars, plein air artists, and more — all while supporting two nonprofits deeply rooted in the Cary community.
The community is welcome to attend.
Want your event featured like this?
We help local events get seen by thousands of Cary residents before they happen.
If you have questions about advertising, email: [email protected]
CARY SPOTLIGHT: HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITION
These articles in our Cary Spotlight Wellness Wednesday Special Edition are for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Contact a qualified medical professional before engaging in any physical activity, or making any changes to your diet, medication or lifestyle.
Go from AI overwhelmed to AI savvy professional
AI will eliminate 300 million jobs in the next 5 years.
Yours doesn't have to be one of them.
Here's how to future-proof your career:
Join the Superhuman AI newsletter - read by 1M+ professionals
Learn AI skills in 3 mins a day
Become the AI expert on your team
Whole Grains, Fruits and Vegetables Tied to Reduced Dementia Risk
A growing body of research suggests that what people eat in midlife and beyond may shape how well their brains age. A new study published in the journal Neurology found that older adults who adopted a healthier plant-rich diet lowered their risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, even when those dietary changes began later in life.
Researchers followed nearly 93,000 adults with an average age of 59, drawing from a racially and ethnically diverse population that included African American, Japanese American, Latino, Native Hawaiian and White participants. Diets were evaluated at the start of the study, and a subset of participants provided updated dietary information roughly a decade later.
Diet Quality Made the Difference
The findings showed that people who improved the quality of their diets over time had measurable cognitive benefits. Adults who reduced unhealthy foods and shifted toward nutrient-rich plant foods lowered their dementia risk by 11% compared with people whose diets remained unchanged.
By contrast, participants who increasingly consumed unhealthy plant-based foods such as refined grains, sugary products and heavily processed options were about 25% more likely to develop dementia over the same period.
The study distinguished between different kinds of plant-based eating. Simply avoiding animal products was not enough to produce benefits. Researchers classified diets into tiers, with the healthiest category emphasizing whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, vegetable oils, tea and coffee.
Not All Plant-Based Foods Are Equally Healthy
Less healthy plant-based foods included refined grains, fruit juices, potatoes and foods with added sugars, while diets high in saturated animal fats ranked lowest.
Among participants already eating relatively healthy diets, those who consumed the greatest amount of high-quality plant foods saw an additional reduction in dementia risk. Conversely, people who relied more heavily on lower-quality plant foods experienced a modest increase in risk.
Researchers noted that heavily processed vegan or vegetarian meals can still contribute to poor health outcomes despite technically fitting within a plant-based framework.
Broader Benefits Extend Beyond Brain Health
The study adds to a broader pattern of research linking healthy plant-based diets to reduced rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic disorders. Prior studies have also associated these eating patterns with lower cholesterol, healthier body weight and longer life expectancy.
Researchers and outside experts said the results reinforce the importance of diet quality rather than labels alone. A plant-based diet centered on whole, minimally processed foods appears to offer the strongest protection for long-term brain health.
🧠 Do you actively try to eat foods that support long-term brain health?
Today’s wellness story is brought to you by Dr. Estelle Tsalik
Estelle Tsalik is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Certified Nutrition Coach, and Wellness Consultant based in Cary, NC. As the founder of Living Well with Estelle, she specializes in helping busy midlife women simplify their supplement routines, support their changing bodies, and reclaim their energy through science-backed, practical wellness strategies.
A mother of three, Estelle brings both clinical expertise and real-life perspective to the conversation around midlife health — cutting through the noise so women can stop guessing and start feeling like themselves again.
Her approach is straightforward: no overwhelm, no one-size-fits-all prescriptions — just clear, personalized guidance that fits your life where it is right now.
Just curious…
How do you get your exercise each week?
Several Grocery Items Recalled Over Contamination Concerns
Several food recalls and safety alerts have been issued in the United States over the past week, according to federal agencies and company notices.
The recalls include Straus Family Creamery ice cream because of possible metal fragments, Zapp’s and Dirty potato chips because of potential salmonella contamination, and Fly By Jing Creamy Sesame Noodles because of undeclared peanut risk.
Kroger Cheese Garlic Croutons and Ghirardelli powdered beverage mixes were also flagged for possible salmonella contamination linked to recalled powdered milk ingredients. USDA officials have also warned consumers about certain ground beef products that may be contaminated with E. coli O157:H7.
Consumers are being advised not to eat affected products and to discard them, return them or seek refunds where available.
How do you typically respond when you hear about a food recall?
Sound familiar?
Over 4 million people have had the same lightbulb moment.
Morning Brew is a free daily newsletter that breaks down what's happening in business, finance, and tech — clearly, quickly, and with enough personality to make it the best email in your inbox.
No yelling. No filler. Just the news, finally making sense.
Meme of the Day.
Brought to you by Cary's Daily Newsletter.
What’s faster than word of mouth? Cary Spotlight! Keeps you updated on what is going on locally and connects businesses to our vibrant community.
❤️ Communities need strong connections.
Your support helps us shine a light on Cary’s wellness leaders, wellness tips, and health alerts that keep our town thriving. Join readers who’ve already donated.
🎟️ Upcoming Events (Top Picks)
Outdoor events may be changed due to weather, so click the links to see latest event information. Here are a few ideas for the week, so plan ahead:
• Wednesday: Spring-Inspired Mixed Media 6:30PM-8:30PM
• Wednesday: Tai Chi: Downtown Cary Park 6:30PM-7:30PM
• Thursday: Live at Lunch: Mike Davis 11:30AM-1:30PM
• Thursday: Nature is Nuts! 6PM-7PM
• Thursday: Thursday Night Music Club: Rachel Sumner and Traveling Light 7:30PM-9PM
• Friday: Movie Night: Wicked (For Good) 6PM-10PM
• Friday: ZZ Top & Dwight Yoakam: Dos Amigos Tour 7PM
• Saturday: Cary Farmers Market 8AM-12PM
• Saturday: Yoga 9AM-10AM
But wait! There’s more. To save space in your inbox, we’ve moved the full list of events online — now you can plan ahead: See Full 2-Week Calendar
The Answer to the Cary Spotlight Hook Trivia Question 👇👇👇
A: Melanin
Eye color is determined by the amount of a pigment called melanin in the iris and how that iris scatters light.
High melanin results in brown or dark-colored eyes, as the pigment absorbs most incoming light. Low melanin results in lighter eye colors, like blue or gray. This happens because the iris lacks pigment, causing light to bounce off and scatter, reflecting back as blue light (similar to how the sky looks blue).
Moderate melanin results in green, amber, or hazel eyes, a mix of mild pigmentation and light scattering. This pigmentation process is controlled by variations in your genes, primarily those involved in the production and storage of melanin (such as the OCA2 gene).
Learn more, Is eye color determined by genetics?