Creating a guide to help battle Dementia!

Creating a guide to help battle Dementia!

Our lives nowadays are so much different than the ones our grandparents and even our parents lived. People are pushed over their boundaries today, both at work and in their personal life, trying to achieve more and more due to the increasing demands of our society. Because of this, the body of a normal adult gets tired and worn out faster than the one of a person who was born in 1900, for example. That's why in developed countries the retirement age has been constantly decreasing ever since the 80's. This constant battle for survival and prosperity erodes the brain and its functions, increasing the incidence of brain diseases such as dementia. This disease manifests itself through the gradual loss of memory and several functions, including speaking, motor functions and emotions. The most known form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, the latter making up almost three-quarters of all diagnosed cases of dementia. But then, why doesn't every old man and woman have dementia nowadays? Well, because not all men and women are the same and, secondly and most importantly because there are recipes for avoiding dementia.

One golden rule is to stay involved in sports or to engage in physical activity at least 150 minutes (two hours and a half) every week. This helps the brain maintain its neuronal activity and keeps the body running. Aside from classical cardio or muscular training, it is helpful if you begin or continue some coordination and balance exercises, so that these functions of your brain are kept in perfect shape. Dementia and especially Alzheimer’s disease are characterized by frequent spills, from liquids to food, and these exercises target exactly these kinds of problems. Of course, after a certain age, it's not easy anymore to engage in physical activity. Start with minimal effort and increase the number of exercises as you go. This way, you'll protect your body from any kind of trauma. And, finally, speaking of trauma, the risk of dementia increases when one receives numerous blows to the head, due to the sports or by accident. Be careful, throughout your life, to always protect your head.

Next up comes our diet, which plays a very important part in the battle to prevent dementia. Sugars and fats are not just bad for your weight, but also for your brain. They increase blood sugar levels, eroding your brain and lagging in your thinking. Nowadays, most products, even the ones you wouldn't expect, like pasta, have plenty of sugar inside including high fructose corn syrup which is in many products and is one to avoid. Therefore, always make sure to read the label and check for additional sugar or fats before you buy a product. Try and follow a healthy a diet as possible and include in your daily meals products like beans or grilled poultry and fish. Not to mention the favourites of all doctors, fruits, and vegetables. Following a healthy diet will offer you all the right nutrients, vitamins and proteins that will help you live a long and dementia-free life.

Finally, another great means of battling dementia is social engagement. This will have a tremendous effect of stimulation on your brain, an increased number of social connections helping your neurons connect better with each other. What do we mean by social engagement? Basically, any activity that helps you meet new people, including hobbies, classes, volunteering, joining a club, or just leaving the house and going to the movies. All these will maintain your communication skills, as well as your emotional intelligence. In addition to socializing, some mental stimulation activities would be very welcome. This includes a wide range of activities, from signing up for a course and learning something new to playing games, charades, riddles or making puzzles. Your brain will stay sharp and your attention capacity will remain at high levels.

There you have it. While dementia can be a scary prospect for the latter years of your life, don't panic. If you keep with the rules we've laid on paper today, there's a much smaller chance of dementia occurring in the course of your lifetime. You might say to yourself that these rules are impossible to follow considering the amount of free time people have nowadays, but it's a matter of habit, and of safety; for your brain.  Don’t feel you are alone there are many groups and clubs you can join right in your area so don’t fall out of touch make new friends and live your life to its fullest. 

If you are interested in finding both independent and assisted living options in your area as well as information on senior center’s and activities in your area call us at 800-881-7706 or visit us online at www.acaringhandformom.com.