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How to Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk

If you have and elderly loved one who is at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, or dementia runs in your family and you’d like to get ahead of the curve, this article is for you. You might be wondering about the causes of Alzheimer’s, the risk of getting it, and what you can do to prevent, delay, or otherwise, mitigate the effects of it. Whatever the case, you are definitely not alone. Here are fifteen things you can do to reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

How to Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk Exercise Regularly

It may surprise you to learn that  regular exercise plays a significant role in mental health . The human body is a group of systems all working together, so what happens in one sphere (physically, emotionally, mentally, etc.) affects all the others as well. In this case, physical exercise stimulates brain activity by giving your mind something to focus on. Furthermore, exercise causes your body to manufacture more of the hormones that help your brain run efficiently, thereby protecting mental health. This is especially true if you engage in workouts that involve quick, intense burst, rather than longer and slower workouts.  View Exercise and Recreation Items

Eat Healthy

Maintaining a healthy diet can go a long way for staving off Alzheimer’s disease. Diabetes is one condition that is a known risk factor for Alzheimer’s, as are high blood cholesterol and inflammation, so a diet low in added and unnatural fats and sugars can kill two birds with one stone. A proper diet can also elevate your mood, which will protect you against mental and physical illness. Diets rich in Omega -3 fatty acids (fish, chia seeds, walnuts, soybeans, spinach) stimulate brain health. Cinnamon can replace added sugar as a low calorie sweet that boosts energy and lowers cholesterol.  View Ensure Nutritional Shakes

Cut down on Alcohol

While it is often mentioned that the occasional glass of red wine is good for heart health, drinking to excess is a bad idea. In fact, the  FDA  advises that no more than one drink of alcohol should be consumed daily and that too much can cause memory loss. Too much alcohol intake can increase your blood pressure, damage your organs, and even exacerbate mental illness. Alcohol is especially harmful to people with depression or addictive personalities. Additionally, alcohol, especially in excess, can encourage one to make bad decisions, which can create other issues with physical, emotional, and social health.  View Alcohol Screening Products

Exercise Your BrainExercise your Brain

This one comes as a no brainer(pun intended.) Frequent and varied brain activity strengthens the mind. The brain is a lot like a muscle, and to make a muscle stronger, one must exercise it regularly. Conversely, when one does not exercise a muscle, it deteriorates over time. And, much like the muscle, the brain’s cognition and memory likewise deteriorate with minimal use. Engage yourself in puzzles, games (electronic or board games) or other thought-stimulating activities that test your reflexes, cognition, memory, and critical thinking skills. Learning a foreign language can also be a contributing factor to improved brain activity.  View Chess Sets

Protect your head

Another no brainer, head trauma is thought to contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease, particularly if the trauma in question causes the victim to lose consciousness. Take care to avoid head injuries by using sound judgment, wearing a helmet during sports or other potentially dangerous behavior, and check in with your doctor if you experience memory lapses, losses of consciousness or severe headaches. Make sure to fall-proof your home and be careful navigating difficult terrain (use handrails, avoid icy or wet flooring, etc.)  View Fall Prevention Items

Foster Social Engagement

Regular interaction with others can, directly and indirectly, contribute to a healthy mind. Social health supports mental, physical and emotional health. Furthermore, interacting with others through conversation requires you to remember details and engage with friends on a mental level to maintain a conversation. Social engagement prevents isolation, which can lead to depression and generally ill health. It goes without saying that socialization is a great way to provide encouragement and support to one another, both emotionally and otherwise. For example, social interaction can be physical activity or volunteer efforts, allowing you to build social health while making a difference.

Practice Self-Care

You might argue that all of these points are essentially forms of self-care; while the goal of all of these points is to remain healthy, self-care, in this case, refers specifically to restorative treatment for the self, by the self. This means ensuring daily needs are met, including eating, bathing, and getting enough sleep. It also means being aware of other needs and finding ways to avoid stress. This means taking time out of busy days to do things you enjoy, knowing when to excuse yourself from stressful people/situations or the occasional spa day, or other indulgences to relieve stress.

Listen to Your GutListen to Your Gut

Keeping the previous point in mind, if something doesn’t feel right, there’s probably some truth to your concern. Listen to your body and see your doctor if you notice anything out of the ordinary, such as bruising, swelling, random aches and pains, or other symptoms. Typically, when there is a problem in one part of the body, it has effects on other bodily systems as well. A lot of illnesses, while easily treatable, can create more serious complications if not dealt with early. Don’t second-guess your intuition. Additionally, if you’ve already got chronic illnesses, make sure they are well managed.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is the body’s natural time to repair wear and tear caused by your daily activities. Not sleeping enough, or not getting restful sleep can cause a number of health complications. It can make you irritable, or otherwise negatively affect your mood, which could, in turn, make it harder to get to sleep. Prepare for a restful sleep by eliminating distractions at bedtime: No TV or computer screens, which can stimulate your brain and keep you awake. Establish a regular sleep cycle and stick to it. Try to get between seven to nine hours of sleep each and every night.  View Comfort Pillows & Cushions

Don’t Overindulge

While it is definitely important to take care of your physical, emotional, and social needs to protect your mental health, you don’t want to overindulge in things that may undermine that effort. Getting rest when you need it, for example, taking a break or a ‘cool down’ period after strenuous exercise, or catching a nap here and there, is a key part of self-care. Constantly oversleeping, however, or remaining sedentary can actually hurt your health. The same thing goes with dietary needs; don’t load up on salts, fats, and sugars. Treat yourself occasionally; if you must indulge, don’t overdo it.

Have New Experiences

One thing that stimulates brain growth in children is the abundance of new experiences. This is one quality that remains even as we age. As we learn more, we grow more, and that helps to preserve our mental health because we are using our brains constantly (remember, the brain is like a muscle.) Not only do new experiences directly help our mental health in this manner, but they also create opportunities to stimulate our overall health other ways. For example, if we try a new physical activity or attend a new social event, we can stimulate social and physical health.

Develop New Skills

Developing a new skill is helpful for reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease because it literally forces you to learn. When you work on a new skill, you’re stretching your brain, teaching yourself to think in ways that you haven’t before. This is especially true of music. Learning to play an instrument can help you improve your memory and even spatial and logistical intelligence. Interested in picking up a new skill, but don’t want to do it alone? Learning new skills with partners adds an exciting social component that helps the both of you learn faster and live healthier.

Contribute to Others

Contribute to Others’ Lives

When we make contributions to others, we make a difference in their lives that enriches our own.  Studies show that doing good for others helps create a personal well-being, and this emotional health can lead to better social, mental, and depending on the contribution, physical health. Remember, a contribution doesn’t necessarily have to be monetary in origin. You can donate your time to mentor or chaperone youth. You can volunteer with soup kitchens, food pantries, and homeless shelters, donate blood, and generally put smiles on the faces of the less fortunate, which will bring a smile to you as well.

Learn more about of our Non-Profits CWI Medical works with such as Island Harvest and Team for Kids

Travel

Traveling provides you with a number of opportunities to stay healthy physically and mentally. Depending on the nature of the adventure, you can gain access to regional foods with various health benefits. The journey itself could involve a lot of physical activity (sightseeing, backpacking, hiking) while going with old friends and making new ones can promote social health. If you end up traveling out of the country, you may have the opportunity to try out foreign language skills, which keep the brain sharp. When done right, even a day trip can be relaxing and reward just the right level of indulgence.

Live a Full Life

Many activities that combine this advice. Ultimately, the best thing you can do to ward off Alzheimer’s disease is to live your life fully, but safely, with those you love. Experience new things with loved ones, engage and assist people, even those you don’t know, and regularly exercise your body and your mind with appropriate workouts. Being mindful not to overindulge and cutting down on harmful influences, like stress and alcohol, can minimize complications that contribute to Alzheimer’s. Lastly, maintaining good habits, such as practicing self-care, eating healthy, and getting enough sleep will help you live a full, healthy life.

 

By Dianne G.

 

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