What can I do to prevent Alzheimer’s naturally?
Author: Jonathan Marsh
Hi, Fellow Community Members!
If you follow our blog, you may recall our blog post back in February of 2016 entitled “How Old Do You Want To Be?”
http://www.homehelpershomecare.com/bradenton/blog/2016/02/how-old-do-you-want-to-be
When we discussed the idea of subjective age in that blog post, we defined that as how you feel and how you define that feeling for yourself. In that blog, I said, “There is evidence that indicates that we can live longer and better lives if we make healthy choices. By doing so, you can lower your chance of having a chronic condition or disease and can improve your cognitive functioning. There is an article I read recently on healthaffairs.org that indicates only about 30 percent of aging is explained by genetics. The other 70 percent is due to lifestyle and environment. So what does this tell you? Your decisions play a very large role in how you age, more so than genetics.”
Think of Alzheimer’s similarly. While some of us may be genetically predisposed to Alzheimer’s, it is largely a preventable disease. A life with a lot of stress, lack of exercise, and an unhealthy diet high in sugar and trans fat all contribute to Alzheimer’s. As a senior home care provider caring for many of our community members with Alzheimer's and Dementia, we feel it to be very important to promote ways to boost prevention. Listed below are just a few of the many ways to prevent Alzheimer’s naturally.
Preventing Alzheimer's Naturally
Manage your stress: Find ways to manage your stress levels such as meditation, yoga, exercise, socializing, etc. Stress erodes the mind and body. Stress produces a hormone called cortisol that actually kills brain cells. Read this article to learn more about the dangers of chronic stress: http://bebrainfit.com/effects-chronic-stress-brain/ Exercise: The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly. By doing so, you can improve your memory performance in just 12 weeks. According to studies, people who regularly exercise are one-fourth as likely to develop the disease. Here’s a short article about exercise and its benefits: http://www.mayoclinic.org/alzheimers-disease/expert-answers/faq-20057881 Maintain a healthy and nutritious diet:- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli as well as fruits such as pomegranates, wild blueberries, strawberries and apples have been scientifically proven to prevent Alzheimer’s. These fruit and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants that help fight free radical damage. Chocolate, vitamins C & E, and green tea also provide antioxidants. Here’s a small piece about the benefits of blueberries: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160314084821.htm
- Omega 3 fatty acids such as those found in fish oils can help prevent Alzheimer’s. You can also find these in seeds, including hemp and flax.