Keeping Your Marbles...Maintaining Brain Health

One of the scariest things anyone can imagine is losing their independence, and for me it's even scarier to lose my ability to think and reason. Can you imagine not being able to figure out how to dress yourself, or forgetting the names of your loved ones? How about being away from your home and not knowing where you are or how you got there and not even being able to tell any one where you live? There are a number of my family members who have been afflicted with this awful disease. Both of my grandmothers had it, my great grandmother, several great aunts and my aunt all had it. It's horrible to watch someone you knew as a strong vital person retreat into a shell of themselves and eventually retract into the fetal position until they waste away. I don't know if my parents would have developed it because they both died relatively young.

According to alzheimers.net, some of the early warning signs of Alzheimers disease to watch out for are:

• Difficulty remembering things that just happened - Forgetting dates, repeatedly asking for the same information to be repeated over and over and heavily relying on loved ones or reminder notes to remember and perform normal daily tasks
• Inability to plan or solve problems - Having difficulty keeping track of monthly bills or solving simple math problems, or taking longer than previously to perform such tasks
• Losing track of dates, seasons and time - If the event is not happening right now, an Alzheimers patient may become confused and not understand what is going on. Forgetting where they are and how they got there are also common symptoms
• Misplacing things - putting things away in unusual places, having trouble remembering or retracing steps to find something and sometimes accusing others of stealing a missing item
• Mood and personality changes - Alzheimers patients often suffer from anxiety, confusion, depression and suspicion. They are especially vulnerable when they are away from home
• Poor decision making skills - They may spend or give money away frivolously and stop personal grooming and hygiene habits
• Struggling with normal conversation - Not being able to find the right words or calling thing s by the wrong name, not being able to follow a conversation or repeating stories
• Trouble completing familiar tasks - remembering how to drive to a familiar place, or how to cook a simple recipe or remembering the rules to a familiar game
• Vision problems - having difficulty differentiating colors, reading or depth perception may also lead to trouble driving
• Withdrawing from social and work activities - failure to complete work assignments, not engaging socially and giving up favorite hobbies

While there still is no cure for Alzheimers, having a diagnosis before it becomes too far advanced can give you a voice in your future care and treatment may delay full onset longer than no treatment at all.

All is not lost. If you want to do your best to avoid developing Alzheimers or at least delaying it as long as possible, there are steps you can take according to helpguide.org :

• Regular exercise - Try to get at least 150 minutes weekly of moderate intensity exercise that includes both cardio and strength training. Building muscle as you age does more than help with strength,  balance and mobility. It can also contribute to good brain health. Also include balance and coordination exercises like yoga and Tai Chi. Balance issues often result in head injuring falls, which increase your chances of demential and Alzheimers. Adding regular daily exercise to your routine can help to cut your risk of Alzheimers by 50%.
• Social engagement - Humans are social animals and we don't do well in isolation, nor do our brains. As you age, maintain a strong social network and try to meet new people and make new connections when you can. You don't need a large network, just some people you are connected with, who care about you and whom you care about. Some ways to be social are:
• volunteer
• join a club
• visit your local senior center
• take classes
• connect on social media
• get to know your neighbors
• make regular dates with friends
• get out of your house to movies, museums, other public places
• Healthy diet - often described as diabetes of the brain, Alzheimers is being strongly linked to metabolic disorders. Insulin resistance and inflammation cause damage to neurons and inhibit communication between brain cells. Maintaining a healthy diet can reduce inflammation, allowing your neural pathways to remain healthy.
• Mental stimulation - Always try to learn new things and constantly keep your brain stimulated. Your brain is like a muscle. If you don't use it, you'll lose it. 
• learn something new
• raise the bar for existing activity - challenge yourself to delve more deeply into a skill you already have
• practice memorization
• enjoy brain teasers - do crossword puzzles, word or number games, Scrabble, etc.
• vary habits - eat with your non-dominant hand or drive a different route
• Quality sleep - getting enough good, deep restorative sleep is imperative for brain health. Sleep is needed for memory formation. Often people with Alzheimers suffer from insomnia but also people who suffer from insomnia are at a greater risk for Alzheimers. Develop a good bedtime routine to get a good night's sleep. Most adults require 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
• Manage stress - chronic stress is very hard on the brain. It leads to shrinkage of a key area responsible for memory and reduces nerve cell growth. Stress management is critical for maintaining brain health.
• Smoking - smoking is one of the most preventable risk factors for Alzheimers. Studies show that smokers over age 65 have an 80&% higher risk of developing Alzheimers than their non-smoking counterparts. Stopping smoking almost immediately increases blood flow into the brain.
• Blood pressure and cholesterol levels - improve these numbers and you will reduce your chances of developing vascular dementia. 
• Manage your weight - people who are overweight or obese in midlife run a higher risk of developing Alzheimers and dementia later in life.
• Drink moderately - excess alcohol consumption can accelerate brain aging and increase risk of Alzheimers and dementia.

Alzheimers and dementia do not have to be  foregone conclusion in your life, even if you have it in your family. Take steps to improve your health and lifestyle and you may be able to maintain a healthy brain long into your golden years.

ICYMI...How about a sugar detox? I don't have a fancy name for this program but I can tell you a little about it. We'll begin on September 18th and end October 16th using Zoom. Each session will consist of a short presentation by me, followed by Q&A, discussion of challenges and celebration of wins.

If you want to get your energy back, lose a few pounds and generally feel better, this is the place for you. I'll share some of the strategies I used to eliminate sugar from my life and to get back on track in my own weight loss journey.

Won't it be nice to eliminate cravings, not feel that "hangry" feeling when your blood sugar drops, and to be able to control what you're eating?

Click here to schedule a quick chat with me so we can decide if this is a good program for you. You'll be glad you did.   

As a health coach, I work with women who are facing serious health challenges like heart disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetes or who have been diagnosed as having a precursor to a serious health issue such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol or high blood sugar. I help them make food and lifestyle changes so they can get healthy, live longer and enjoy a fuller, happier, more energetic life. If you would like to have a free consultation about the health challenges you have and the improvements you would like to see in your health, click here to schedule a no strings attached call.