1267. 5 Ways to Lower Your Risk of Parkinson’s + How Freeway Pollution & Farming May Play a Role

1267. 5 Ways to Lower Your Risk of Parkinson’s + How Freeway Pollution & Farming May Play a Role

From Heal Squad x Maria Menounos by Heal Squad

April 28, 2026 · 50 min

About this episode

Maria Menounos discusses Parkinson's disease with experts, exploring its rising prevalence and environmental factors while offering actionable insights for prevention and treatment.

Hey Heal Squad! This is one of those episodes you might think isn’t for you… but it absolutely is. Maria sits down with Dr. Ray Dorsey and Dr. Michael Okun, co-authors of The Parkinson’s Plan, along with Lisa Volenec, founder of This Is Parkinson’s, for a powerful, eye-opening conversation on what we need to know about Parkinson’s right now. They break down why this disease is rising so quickly and its surprising connection to things in our everyday environment, like what’s in our air, water, and food. We’re also talking about what you can actually do about it… from filtering your water, to being mindful of environmental exposure, and simple shifts that can support your brain health (they’ve got 25 of them!). Plus, there’s good news: there are more treatment options than ever, including things like focused ultrasound (something our friend Rebecca Crews recently underwent), and real lifestyle tools that can make a difference (turns out coffee can prevent the disease!). You’ll also learn the early signs most people miss, like loss of smell, sleep issues, and subtle body changes, and you’ll hear Lisa’s powerful story of being diagnosed young, hiding it for years, and ultimately…

People in this episode

Host: Maria Menounos

Guests: Dr. Ray Dorsey, Dr. Michael Okun, Lisa Volenec

Topics covered

  • Parkinson's disease
  • environmental health
  • brain health
  • treatment options
  • awareness and action

Keywords

  • Parkinson's disease
  • environmental exposure
  • brain health
  • treatment options
  • early signs

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: This Is Parkinson’s

Books & works: The Parkinson’s Plan

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