YOUR BRAIN IS YOU.
Think about that. Your brain is what makes you the person you are. It allows you to make choices, enjoy life, learn, do things, feel… If you have a brain, you’re at risk.
It’s common to hear people joking about getting older and ‘losing their marbles’. Losing their memory. It’s not a normal part of aging. It’s common, yes, but NOT NORMAL. It doesn’t have to happen.
If you could do something to prevent dementia and be the person who ages well with memory intact, instead of suffering the devastating effects of memory loss, wouldn’t you want to do that?
Now, why did I come in here again??
Have you ever had trouble recalling someone’s name, or experienced brain fog to the point that you couldn’t remember why you walked into the other room? Or had difficulty remembering all the details of something that you never thought you’d ever forget? Have you ever worried that perhaps this is the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) or dementia?
Maybe you think you’re too young to be worried about that…you’re not. NOBODY IS. The things you eat and the things you do in even in your 20’s and 30’s hugely impacts the likelihood of you developing dementia later in life.
There’s something simple that you can do NOW to improve your memory and thinking abilities and reduce your chances of developing dementia. Even people who carry the Alzheimer’s gene can reduce the chance of the gene being ‘turned on’ if they take certain dietary and lifestyle measures.
You may be experiencing memory and thinking difficulties because of your diet, lifestyle or lack of sleep. There are various reasons. But for many people, it’s a symptom of insulin resistance and other precursors to dementia.
Dementia is not a normal result of aging
Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia are not a normal result of aging and current research seems to indicate that it can be reduced or in some cases reversed. Dementia is a terrible disease for both the person going through it and for those watching their loved one decline. It’s also difficult for caregivers either at home or in long term care facilities to know how to deal with the behaviour difficulties that arise.
Imagine not being able to remember the names of your family members, or forgetting how to perform simple tasks of daily living like getting dressed, or walking around a familiar location and suddenly realizing that you don’t remember how to get back home. Slowly losing your ability to function independently. Often feeling confused, frustrated and tearful but no one around you seems to understand or is able to help you. Increasingly feeling like you need to leave, to go home, to be somewhere else but not quite remembering where you’re supposed to go or how to get there.
It’s terrifying. It can go on for many years, getting progressively worse. It’s a terrible way to spend your remaining years. It’s an awful way to watch your loved one die.
It can be prevented or at least minimized.
There are over 500,000 Canadians living with dementia with 25000 new cases each year (Alzheimer’s Society Canada, 2018).
Will this be you someday?
I have worked with hundreds of people over the years who have some sort of dementia and see how difficult it is for everyone involved.
Meet Jim and Sheila. I see Jim come in to visit his wife Sheila at the LTC, and she knows he’s a familiar person but can’t quite place who he is… sometimes she calls him ‘dad’. They had exciting retirement plans, that is until she started to get more and more forgetful. It got to the point that he couldn’t take care of her physical needs and wandering behaviours anymore. It breaks his heart every time he has to leave her. He has given up all of his retirement plans- THEIR retirement plans. Instead of traveling the world with Sheila, he now goes to the long term care facility to visit Sheila every day, hoping she will remember him. Somedays she is lucid and knows he is her beloved husband. But most of the time, she doesn’t quite know who he is.
Do something NOW
Keeping your mind functioning optimally is so important at any age. Think about how much more you can enjoy your life NOW when you’re able to think clearly and focus. You can improve your brain function now AND reduce your chances of Alzheimer’s or dementia later, by make small changes today.
Taking dietary and lifestyle steps NOW can be the difference between you having the retirement of your dreams or living in a seniors’ home or visiting your loved one there. It can be the difference between being able to dress yourself every day, or relying on a ‘stranger’ to do it for you.
Think this doesn’t apply to you?
Think you are years away from experiencing this?
NOPE. The groundwork for this brain decay starts at least 30 years before symptoms start.
30 years.
What can you do?
Exercise, sleep and food are key elements of a healthy brain.
Get moving. Even if it’s just a 10-minute walk. Do it every day. Be consistent.
Figure out how to get a better night’s sleep. Regular exercise will help. Reducing screen time before bed, taking a magnesium glycinate or melatonin supplement at bedtime, yoga or meditation before sleep, avoiding alcohol 3 hours before bedtime or getting treatment for sleep apnea can all help.
What you eat is critically important. A high carb diet (typical North American Diet) is very harmful to the brain. It promotes inflammation which damages the brain. A high carb diet also leads to insulin resistance and Type 2 Diabetes. People with Type 2 Diabetes have a significantly higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.
I’ll say that again…people with Type 2 Diabetes have a SIGNIFICANTLY higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease. I bet you didn’t even know they were related! Many researchers now refer to Alzheimer’s Disease as Type 3 Diabetes, because of the link to insulin resistance and blood sugar.
What should I eat?
Switching to a low carb diet is a powerful tool to balance blood sugar and reduce your chances of developing diabetes. People who are already showing signs of pre-diabetes can get their blood sugar back into the normal range by eating low carb.
Start with eating a low carb breakfast. See this POST for more information about why your breakfast choice is so important. Click HERE to get my Better Breakfast Recipe Book.
Check out my BLOG for low carb recipes or contact me to see if my CHANGE Method will work for you.
References
https://alzheimer.ca/en/Home/Get-involved/Advocacy/Latest-info-stats, June 29, 2018
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325195.php