How to Avoid Alzheimer’s and Age Gracefully and Respectfully

When we are trying to slow the aging process, many of us don’t think about the things we need to do to keep our brains active and healthy. Believe it or not, there are some simple things we can do to reduce the risk of getting dementia or Alzheimer’s disease (unless of course you are genetically predisposed to these or other similar conditions). One way to keep your brain healthy and active is to use it. This can be by doing something as simple as a short crossword puzzle every day. The more we challenge our brains, the longer they are going to be healthy.

Eat Plenty of Brain Food

There are many foods that we can eat that are going to help keep our brains healthy. When our mothers told us to make sure that we always ate our vegetables, they knew what they were talking about. There are many vegetables that are considered to be brain food, and there are also other foods that should be included in a healthy, well balanced diet.

Some tasty, healthy brain foods include:

• Chocolate – Yes, chocolate is a brain food. Of course, this does not mean that you should live on a diet of chocolate, but a minimally processed chocolate is really good for our health. Dark chocolate is loaded with antioxidants (85% or higher is the best for your health), and it is a good idea to get into the habit of having a cup of cocoa at night, made with organic cocoa powder.
• Wild Salmon – Fish is always a healthy dietary choice, but wild salmon is one of the healthiest brain foods we can eat. It is loaded with essential Omega-3 fatty acids, and is low in saturated fat. Not only is this a really great brain food, it will also help to improve your mood, and it can reduce your risk of certain diseases, including diabetes.
• Blueberries – These tasty little berries are for more than just making tasty pies, tarts and muffins. Also known as the “brain berry”, blueberries are not only great brain food, but they can also help reduce the risks of a number of health problems, including many diseases. You can expect to be healthier longer, and have a healthier brain, when there are blueberries in your diet.

You can find a number of other foods that are also healthy for the brain, but this is just a small sampling of some that are possible.

In addition to keeping an active mind and eating healthy, you would find it beneficial to keep any ailments such as high blood pressure well controlled and keep your cholesterol at a level that minimizes the chance of vascular insufficiency and decreased blood flow to the brain.

It is important that we keep our brains healthy. Obviously, we can’t exercise them in the traditional way, but every time you learn something new, or put your brain to work, you are exercising it. It’s like the saying goes, use it or lose it.

The recommendations above are things that I personally think will help you to achieve a goal of “not getting Alzheimer’s and aging gracefully and respectfully”.

However, not all scientific groups support or believe this information. Here is a link to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America with their position statement on Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease and Cognitive Decline http://www.alzfdn.org/BrainHealth/statement.html. The panel basically concluded that there currently is no evidence of “even moderate scientific quality” supporting any modifiable factors such as supplement intake, use of prescription or non-prescription drugs, diet, exercise or social engagement as a way to reduce an individual’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease, and “low-grade” evidence showing weak associations between many lifestyle choices and reduced risk, it said that some of these interventions may confer other benefits.

Since this position paper was released, current research suggests that glucose metabolism plays a role in the onset and progression of this disorder and medical treatments such as intranasal insulin might prove to be of benefit.

So, where do we go from here? The field of anti-aging medicine is still in its infancy and there are many new discoveries to be made. Major breakthroughs will surely be made and Alzheimer’s prevention is likely to be one of them. While the subject is still controversial, you will be ahead of the game no matter what by eating healthy, following a positive lifestyle, and keeping your mind as active as possible and enjoy longevity with grace and honor.