Warding Off Alzheimer's Holistically

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Photo Credit: minddisorders.com
Over the years in my content writing, I have done a lot of articles on the subject of Alzheimer's disease, functions of the brain and ways to keep it healthy. Many things have changed, like the studies regarding the advancement of drugs, but some things have never changed.

What It Is

Alzheimer's is a disease that impairs memory, behavior, and thinking. The most common form is called dementia. Dementia affects things like memory, reasoning, thinking and cognitive functioning.

It is a complex disease. It is characterized by the accumulation of two types of protein in the brain: Tangle (tau) and Plaques (amyloid-beta).

Science is still not sure why that only 1% of people afflicted have gene relation only (meaning all genes that relate to amyloid beta production are present). Then in all other 99% of cases, amyloid and tau are associated with things like brain inflammation, vascular factors, and LIFESTYLE.

Lifestyle Changes Can Help

According to Harvard Medical School, you can help your brain by enhancing your lifestyle with very simple changes that anyone can make.

Diet, exercise, sleep, connecting socially and learning new things may be keys to helping your brain achieve optimal health.

Diet

The things you choose to eat do affect your health. It has been shown that a good diet can slow or even halt Alzheimer's disease altogether.

The diet includes fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, olive oil, nuts, legumes, small amounts of poultry, eggs, and dairy. It is also recommended only very moderate amounts of red wine and red meat.

Omega 3 fatty acids contain DHA. DHA is a healthy fat that can reduce amyloid-beta plaques. Cold water fish contain good concentrations of omega 3 fatty acids. The list of fish includes salmon, trout, tuna, mackerel, and sardines. Omega 3 is also present in seaweed.

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Photo Credit: lethow.com
Fish oil supplements have been known to help as well.

Exercise

Physical exercising three to four times per week (3-4 times per) for thirty minutes (30 min.) per day provides benefit. This is moderate aerobic exercise such as walking, dancing, Tai chi, yoga, swimming, slow calisthenics, golf or tennis playing, and gardening. This exercise gets the blood moving and it should be comfortable to do and not overexertion like speed cycling or marathon running or doing a triathlon for example.

Sleep

Sleep is very underrated. Sleep controls a lot and studies of every kind conclude that sleeping is invariably tied to our well-being. Doctors agree that getting enough sleep not only recharges our brains, it is linked to greater amyloid clearing from the brain. Sleeping is in fact like housekeeping is in your house. Our brains clear the toxins that build up in our bodies when we are awake. The Harvard Medical school doctors agree that getting between 7-8 hours a day is preferred for amyloid clearing. 

Further Evidence

Less proven in studies, but showing signs of cognitive improvement in a person happens when they are learning new things.

If one pursues new activities they have not done before and are actually learning something very new this stimulates our brains cognitively.

Social Connections

Connecting socially stimulates our basic brain functions. We are social creatures and many studies have proven we are wired this way. Meeting new people and even simple conversations are said to not just increase a person's well-being, it stimulates our brains. We feel many things as we socialize. We feel sympathy, love, empathy and other stimulating brain responses. This is healthy. When we do not socialize in any way we are lessening our true core brain responses. 

Symptoms

Never take for granted any symptoms of memory loss in any way. We all forget where we put our keys once in a while, or we may also lose our car in a huge parking lot filled with cars, but, if you or someone you know is experiencing frequent or very frequent memory loss such as this each day, one should contact their doctor. If there is confusion in daily activities; if one is finding it hard to accomplish getting dressed, for example, one should get a screening. Don't take anything for granted.

Love your brain like you do everything else in your life. Our brain controls every aspect of our lives and our health.

For any other information you may need, please seek out your personal doctor or the Alzheimer's Association is a wealth of information. You can find them at     https://www.alz.org



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photo credit: canstockphoto.com


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