Recommendations for Preventing Alzheimer’s
It’s now known that brain regeneration continues throughout adulthood. Building brain reserves through healthy lifestyle is currently our best defense. The following strategies can dramatically reduce your risk of developing AD:
1. Regular Physical Activity
No other lifestyle choice has as much impact on aging and Alzheimer’s as exercise. In a 2009 review of literature from the International Journal of Clinical Practice, scientists documented that over time, physical activity effectively reduces the probability of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
To maximize your benefit:
a) Exercise for 30 minutes to an hour on most days. Five workouts a week can reduce your risk by as much as 35%.
b) Build muscle. Lifting weights not only increases muscle, it helps prevent brain drain. Combining aerobics and strength work is better than either activity alone. Adding 2-3 strength sessions to a weekly exercise routine cuts risk in half for those over 65.
2. Healthy Diet
Two accompaniments to diabetes are very damaging to brain cells - chronic, low-grade inflammation and insulin resistance. This type of systemic inflammation is also present in those who eat a high-fat, refined and processed diet. Additionally, the American Academy of Neurology warns that elevated cholesterol in your 40’s significantly increases your risk of Alzheimer’s.
These food tips are protective:
a) Follow a Mediterranean diet. Consume lots of antioxidant-rich whole, plant foods: fruit, vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts. Include fatty, cold water fish, such as salmon, herring, and tuna for essential omega-3 fatty acids. Limit red meat to no more than 3 oz twice a week. Enjoy cultured dairy products and poultry in moderation. Avoid sugary, fried, and highly processed foods.
b) Drink tea and coffee. Green, white, and oolong teas are anti-inflammatory and protective. Drinking 2-4 cups daily has significant brain benefits. Moderate coffee drinkers also receive cognitive benefit from antioxidants in the bean.
3. Build Brain Reserves
According to a 2008 Wall Street Journal article, “Neurobics and Other Brain Boosters,” an active, stimulated brain reduces your odds of developing AD. Those who continue learning and consistently challenge their brains receive greatest protection.
The following activities will help keep your mind sharp:
a) Spend time each day learning something new. Practice a martial art, study a foreign language, play a musical instrument. The greater the novelty and challenge, the larger the deposit in your brain reserves.
b) Practice memorization - start with something short and progress to chapters of the Bible or lengthy poems. Create rhymes and patterns to strengthen memory connections.
c) Solve riddles and work puzzles - brain teasers and strategy games provide great mental exercise and build your mental capacity to form and retain associations.
4. Sufficient Sleep
Your brain needs regular, restful sleep to process, store, and recall information. Deprivation not only leaves you irritable and tired, but according to memory experts Dr. Andrew Weil and Dr. Gary Small, poor sleep over time can damage your brain and central nervous system.
These tips are important for restorative sleep:
a) Have a regular schedule. Going to bed and getting up at the same time reinforces your natural circadian rhythms. Your brain’s clock responds to regularity, and long-term disruption has been associated with not only cognitive problems, but also heart disease and cancer risks.
b) Stop snoring, dear! Alcohol, smoking, sedatives, excess weight, and high blood pressure increase risk for snoring. Snoring is sometimes related to sleep apnea, a respiratory condition that threatens both heart and mind. A new study from the University of California at San Diego estimates 70-80% of Alzheimer’s patients experience sleep apnea.
