These are some things to do to help ward off brain decline.
*Prevention starts with food choices. What you eat is critical for brain health. Studies of people who ate a Western diet vs. those on a Mediterranean diet are striking. Western diets have much higher amyloid protein deposits (that collect in brains of Alzheimer patients), while Mediterranean diets do not. Foods linked to dementia: Processed cheeses, including American cheese, mozzarella sticks, Cheez Whiz, and Laughing Cow. Processed meats such as bacon, smoked turkey from the deli, and ham. White foods including pastas, cakes, white sugar, white rice, and white bread.
*Good food choices: Raw leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, blueberries, nuts (walnuts), fish (salmon, mackerel), whole grains, poultry, beans (lentils and chickpeas), and olive oil.
*Vitamins you should be taking: Vit E, C, B1, B12, Folic Acid, Omega 3 fatty acids.
*Connect socially. Do not stay in isolation. Join a nurturing and strong social network. Texting does not give you the greater benefits of a face-to-face connection. Hugs are always beneficial.
*Start exercising and get moving. Regular exercise can reduce your risk by up to 50% according to Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation. Aim for 30 to 40 minutes, three to four days/week. Did you know that most Medicare plans have free gym memberships? This not only gives you the ‘exercise’ benefit but also helps connecting socially as well as ‘learning new things’.
*Get plenty of sleep. 7 to 8 hours per night. Harvard Health reports this helps protect your brain against decline.
*Keep a healthy weight.
*Learn new things. Try crossword puzzles, Sudoku, take new classes of any type to work our “little gray cells”.
*Manage your blood pressure. This is not only good for your brain, but very good for your heart health as well.
*Quit smoking. Whether cigarettes or cigars, please stop smoking. There is smoking cessation help for people on Medicare plans. Please check this out on your plan.
*Drink less alcohol.
Most of us understand that traumatic brain injuries and some hereditary types of dementia cannot be avoided, but this article is aimed at healthy things we all can do.
“One day… or …day one…you decide.”
“In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or step back into safety”
Content sourced from: webmd.com /verywellhealth.com/ vida.co.uk/Chatelaine.com