Does your parent have Alzheimer's and you want to increase your chances of not getting this disease? Here is helpful advice for preventing Alzheimer's from someone living it.
So you say that Alzheimer's “runs in your family”, from your mother to your grandmother and now you are concerned about getting this disease too. How do you prevent Alzheimer's – if it's even preventable at all?
I want to talk to you about some important ways you can help prevent Alzheimer's. What qualifies me to share this information with you? I'll tell you what - preventing Alzheimer's has become the fight of my life ...
Eight years ago, my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. In the beginning, it was fairly unnoticeable: a coffee mug left in the microwave, misplaced keys or a forgotten birthday. After a few years, the short-term memory loss became more noticeable: conversations that went around in circles, the same questions asked over and over again and forgotten names of family members. In the last couple years, my mother's Alzheimer's has hit the moderate stage and now she has trouble remembering what she did an hour ago. Sometimes, she doesn't even know who my father is or who any of her children are. The short-term part of her memory is gone and now the disease affects her long-term memory.
As I watched my mother deteriorate over the years, I became determined to do everything I could to prevent Alzheimer's from taking over my life. How? I became a student of the disease and studied it, I mean really studied it. I read everything I could get my hands on related to preventing Alzheimer's and I picked the brains of family and friends who had a loved one with Alzheimer's. Preventing Alzheimer's has become the fight of my life and if you have a parent with Alzheimer's, it could become the fight of yours too – literally.
Here is what I have learned about preventing Alzheimer's. Each practice is something that I personally do daily to increase my chances of preventing Alzheimer's. It is my hope and prayer that this information will help you in the fight to prevent Alzheimer's from taking over your life:
Exercise your body. There has never been more evidence out there than we have today that exercise benefits your mind and can aid in preventing Alzheimer's. A recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Pittsburgh found evidence that could suggest that walking can help decrease risk factors for Alzheimer's more than any other type of exercise. Part of the reason this is true is that aerobic exercise (like walking) rushes blood to the brain and contributes to overall brain health.
“The best thing you can do for your brain all throughout your life and especially as you age is physical exercise.” - Dr. Samuel Gandy, Mount Sinai School of Medicine
- Exercise your mind. Remember the old adage, “use it or lose it”, this holds true for your mind as well as your body. You need to challenge your brain so it is constantly stimulated. This is important in preventing Alzheimer's. And, it doesn't just have to be crossword puzzles or math problems. Try a new hobby, read a novel or journal your thoughts daily. Learning spurs on the growth of new brain cells. “When you challenge the brain, you increase the number of brain cells and the number of connections between those cells,” says Keith L. Black, M.D., chair of neurosurgery at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
- Eat well. I cannot stress how important this one is or how much this has completely changed my own life and health. I made a very conscious decision several months ago to completely change my diet in order to give myself the best chance of preventing Alzheimer's that I could. Here is what the experts say about it:
A heart-friendly Mediterranean diet that consists of mostly fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts and beans – reduced the risk of Alzheimer's by 34 to 48% in studies conducted by Columbia University.
“We know that omega-3 fatty acids in fish are very important for maintaining heart health,” says Keith Black of Cedars-Sinai. “We suspect these fats may be equally important for maintaining a healthy brain.”
Now those are statistics worth changing your diet over!
- Socialize. Another important way to help prevent Alzheimer's is to socialize. We already know that socializing can improve your mood but can it also help prevent Alzheimer's? A 15-year study of older people from Sweden's Karolinska Institute showed that having multiple social networks actually helps lower dementia risk. “A rich social life may protect against dementia by providing emotional and mental stimulation,” says Laura Fratiglioni, M.D., Director of the Institute's Aging Research Center.
With what I have learned throughout the last 8 years, I am convinced that proactively preventing Alzheimer's is the key to fighting Alzheimer's. I know it has become the fight of my life - a fight worth winning.
Written by Tonia Roemer, Member of Navacare Team
Navacare helps adult children learn how to protect and prolong their elderly parents' independence by offering FREE resources and information at www.navacarenow.com.
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