Your body is your most important investment. It is your greatest asset. If you are doubting this, visit a local hospital near you and realize the suffering many people are going through. At that time, you will not be thinking of your good-paying job, the brand-new car you have acquired, or the beautiful home you have just bought. You will simply be grateful for your gift of health.
A look at the most common writings on health show that most people are focused on diseases like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Alzheimer’s disease is not covered as widely as these three but its danger looms. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, it is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. In the past 20 years, deaths from the disease have increased by more than 140% and 1 in 3 seniors die with the disease. Monetarily, Alzheimer’s disease costs the economy more than $290 billion every year.
For starters, Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disease that leads to the deterioration of the memory. As a result, people affected with the disease end up failing to perform basic tasks and handling discussions. While there are younger people with the disease, most of the patients are more than 65 years old. Indeed, there are more than 5.5 million people aged above 65 that have the disease according to the National Institute of Aging. Since the disease cannot be cured, experts recommend a number of ways to prevent it. This article will look at the three most important things you can do to stay away from the disease.
Focus on Your Food
The food we eat plays an important role in the health and wellbeing of our brains. Experts who know Alzheimer’s well know how simple dietary changes can improve the brain. This is particularly important because of our brains are nourished by the food that we eat. For this reason, experts recommend a number of things.
First, they recommend that we should eat a lot of plant-based foods. In fact, they recommend that 75% of all the meals in your plate should be plant foods. These foods come loaded with brain-boosting nutrients like phytonutrients and antioxidants that help with the brain development. These plants include items like spinach, kale, and arugula among others.
Second, they recommend that we eat a considerable amount of fat. As you might be aware, fat makes 60% of a person’s brain. This is the main reason why low-fat meals tend to cause fatigue, brain fog, and mood swings. To deal with this, they recommend taking a lot of natural fat such as that from avocados, olive oil, and coconut.
Proteins are also essential in dealing with the brain. Experts recommend that our meals should have about 30 grams of proteins. This protein helps to build muscle. The idea is that when you lose your body muscle, you age faster. When you age, your brain tends to take a hit. An important protein that you should consume regularly is fatty fish.
There are foods that you should try to avoid if you want to avoid the disease. Some of these are sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, processed foods, junk foods, and preservatives.
Get Moving
Staying idle for so long can be a major cause of Alzheimer’s disease. For this reason, experts recommend that you should try to move as much as you can. This does not necessarily mean that you get a new gym membership. It means that you should do things that keep you active. For example, if you are fond of playing a sport like golf or tennis, we recommend that you do it as often as you can. If you live close to where you work, you can walk or ride a bike when you can. When you are at home, you can do the basic chores.
The benefit of being active is that it helps to improve the performance of your brain. It does this by improving the blood flow, and metabolism. It also help to increase the insulin sensitivity. At the same time, it helps to improve your brain structure.
Other things that can help you get moving are enrolling in a gym, good fitness club, hiking, swimming, motivation from celebrity personal trainer and riding. Remember, experts believe that social isolation can lead to faster cognitive decline.
Rest
We get it. You might have a lot of work to do. Maybe you are the managing director of a large company. You might also be a student. As a person who runs a company, I am also pressured many times to do a lot of work. Jim Cramer, Donald Trump, and other people have proudly said that they sleep for just four hours every day.
The reality is that experts believe that resting can help improve the performance of your brain. It can also help prevent its decline. Therefore, they recommend that regardless of how busy you are, you should always set time aside to rest. A good night sleep is one of the best ways to do this.
Deal with Stress
Stress is part of our daily lives. No one I know is immune to stress. This includes some of the most powerful people in the world. I am reminded of famous chef Anthony Bourdain, who was one the most successful chef’s in the world. He committed suicide in 2018 after going through depression. His story is shared with most people around the world. Experts believe that excessive stress can negatively impact the performance of your brain. Therefore, it is always good to talk to someone and learn how to deal with stress. As the Smithsonian writes, “a little tension can keep you on your toes. Too much can break down the system”.
Final Thoughts
Alzheimer’s disease is a monster that kills too many people every year. While the disease cannot be healed, we can do a few things to avoid it. Dealing with stress, eating right, being active, and resting as much as you can are some of these things.
