Is This One of Your Greatest Fears?

If you’re like many Baby Boomers and seniors, it is!  Alzheimer’s disease–it destroys brain health, and strips us of our wellness, our memories and our ability to do simple daily tasks.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of our biggest fears associated with aging.

November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. The number of people affected with Alzheimer’s is growing exponentially: fewer than 2 million Americans had Alzheimer’s 35 years ago; today the number is nearly 5.4 million and it’s expected to triple by 2050.

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN THROUGH THE YEARS
As we grow older, our brains go through natural changes that result in subtle declines in mental function: we can’t process information as quickly, we don’t “multitask” as well and parts of our memory start to decline, as does our ability to make decisions. But none of these changes affect our ability to function in everyday life.

With dementia, there is a greater deterioration in memory, thinking, behavior and the ability to perform simple activities that is not a normal part of growing older.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. AD slowly destroys brain health, leading to personality changes and eliminating our ability to carry out the simplest tasks of daily life.

With no definitive cause (the greatest risk factor is increasing age) and no known cure, the need to find preventive strategies is critical.

Luckily, researchers are making progress by identifying conditions that often accompany AD (“co-morbidities”). These include obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension–chronic diseases that respond to lifestyle changes. Let’s take a look at some recent recommendations.

FOOD
Researchers at Rush University Medical Center took the best parts of other food plans associated with brain and cardiovascular health and developed the MIND diet. The plan is rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, legumes and nuts, with some lean protein sources. It is low in sugar and harmful fats, and high in anti-inflammatories and antioxidants that help protect against chronic inflammation, a condition that often accompanies aging.

The results were published in 2015: the risk of AD was lowered by as much as 53% in participants who adhered to the diet rigorously.

Here are best practices for a brain-healthy diet:
• fruits and vegetables, up to 11 servings per day
–stressing berries and green leafy vegetables
• dried beans, 3 – 4 times per week
• whole grains, at least 3 serving per day
• olive oil
• nuts
• a small amount of fish and poultry, once or twice a week
• wine, in small amounts

Limit red meats, pastries and sweets, fried or fast food, fats from meat sources

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
With aging often comes a decrease of blood, oxygen and nutrients to the brain. We also see a drop in the number of brain cells (neurons) and the all-important connections between them (synapses), leading to brain dysfunction or dementias.

Scientists once thought we were born with a finite number of brain cells; when they died off, they were gone, along with the functions they performed. It was believed that nothing could be done to reverse this process.

But researchers now know we’re capable of rebuilding our brains through a process called “neuroplasticity.” The brain is actually capable of re-wiring its circuits, bringing back the ability to adapt to new circumstances and develop new skills.

This is where exercise comes in–hailed as one of the most promising lifestyle interventions for the prevention of Alzheimer’s. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and helps control many of AD’s co-morbidities: diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

But most importantly, it turns out that physical activity, especially aerobic or cardiovascular exercise, promotes the production of special proteins called brain-derived neurotropic factors, or BDNF. These chemicals stimulate new connections between brain cells, generate new blood vessels and produce new brain cells; they help protect our brains from mental decline.

The bottom line for exercise to support robust brain health:
• 150 minutes of aerobic exercise weekly that is consistent and mentally challenging.
• Strength training twice a week also boosts BDNF.
• Balance and flexibility training are important in preventing falls; head injuries are a major risk factor for AD; do these activities least two days per week.

For more ideas about maintaining your health as your age, give me a call!

We can discuss some practical tips and discover if any of my programs or classes are a good fit for you.
If you’d like to schedule that call with me, just CLICK THIS LINK, and let me know in the message that you would like a 1-on-1 call with me right away and I will be in touch to schedule that – oh, and leave me your phone number in there too since email is not as reliable as it used to be! Thanks.

 

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