Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, causing even the simplest tasks to become difficult.
It is believed the likely causes of Alzheimer's is mix of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
National Institute of Aging describing Alzheimer's Disease,
states, "....scientists are learning how age-related changes in the brain may harm neurons and contribute to Alzheimer’s damage. These age-related changes include atrophy (shrinking) of certain parts of the brain, inflammation, the production of unstable molecules called free radicals, and mitochondrial dysfunction (a breakdown of energy production within a cell)."
Based on this description we can see what areas of our lifestyle and diet we need to focus on to support a health brain.
A healthy life style and diet would at least be the best way to start, right?
A simplistic view of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and diet is outlined below.
Exercise: Improve circulation of blood to the brain with exercise. Our circulatory system brings nutrients to cells, removes waste, and stimulates the release of hormone and neurotransmitters. Walk briskly, ride a bike, play tennis, work out, anything that keeps you moving for at least an hour a day, preferably more, 4-6 times a week.
Education: The brain is a muscle and needs to be exercised. Continue a life long course of learning through reading, artistic pursuits, classes, listening to others views, participating in hands on activities. (not passive activity such as watching TV). New neuro pathways are created when you learn something new. The more pathways we have, the
better our brains function.
Alcohol: Consumption of small amounts of alcohol, especially red wine, have shown to be helpful in reducing the build-up of plague in the arteries, however, over consumption leads to many health and mental problems.
Drinking purple grape juice may be as beneficial as wine.
Heavy drinking, three to five drinks a day, are associated with a higher risk of dementia.
The safe amount of alcohol for men is no more than two drinks a day, and for women,
it is one drink a day.
Smoking: Nicotine (a substance widely used as an insecticide in the past) constricts blood vessels, making it harder for the heart to pump blood through the arteries, and contributes to plague build-up in the arteries. Nicotine causes the release of fat and cholesterol into the blood.
Nicotine has a greater affinity for the brain that it does for skeletal muscle. It causes a release of epinephrine and increases the heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and it raises blood sugar. Nicotine creates an environment in the body that leads to cancer. When nicotine enters the body it is distributed quickly through the bloodstream. It reaches the brain within 10-20 seconds after inhaling.
If you are a long term smoker see a physician before quitting cold turkey. The nicotine patch may be the best way to start the "quitting" process.
Like alcohol, small amounts of nicotine have been show to have a beneficial effect.
Emotional Connections: Human beings need deep emotional connections to feel complete, loved, supported, hopeful,and for a healthy sense of self worth. Human beings need to be touched, hugged, feel close to others for mental and emotional health. Start hugging more people, reach out to friends and family regularly, build new relationships, network among your friends to connect with new people. I have thought at times that all the hugs people get in 12 Step programs may be the magic that heals so many people.
A research study I recall from long along, noted that every time someone received a hug their hemoglobin went up!
Get massages, hold hands, dance with other people. These connections, along with laughter, will improve the function of our brain and all the bodies organs.
Diet: This topic becomes a little more complicated so I will try to keep it simple. Here is the conventional wisdom for keeping the brain as well as the entire body healthy.
Wisdom Says:
Shop for groceries only in the produce isle and meat department, avoiding all the processed stuff in the middle of the store. "Fresh" fruits, vegetables, and quality protein are the important components of a healthy diet. Buy from a local farmer's market whenever you can for the most nutrient dense foods. The foods in season in your area are the best choices.
If food is in a can, box, or package, think twice before you buy it. Also think twice before buying anything white, like rice, flour, or creams. If grains are important to you select only whole grains. Trans -fats, salt, sugar, overly milled grains are the enemy of good health.
Fats: Eat "good fats". The most important nutrient for the brain is fat because the brain is made of fat. The best fat for the brain if omega 3 fatty acids which are found in cold water fatty fish, deep green leafy vegetables, flax seed, nuts and some grains.
Select olive oil instead of vegetable oils or butter. Eat wild salmon, (not farm raised, they contain more man made pollutants and are often treated with antibiotics) tuna, trout, herring, or anchovies several times a week. These foods provide the quality proteins, and proteins are the building blocks of all our cells. Take fish oil supplements to obtain these healthy fats if fish is not available.
Go nuts (raw, not roasted and salted)! English walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, pistachios are good foods because they provide a quality proteins and the good fats.
Read labels and do not buy foods that have hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats (free radicals). These fats are the enemies and almost all packaged foods have them.
Probiotics: Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, miso, and sauerkraut provide "good" bacteria. We contain large volumes of bacteria, so we want the good ones in and on us and not the ones, which make use sick. The good ones keep the bad ones away. Probiotics promote intestinal and colon health, breaks down bile in the gut, may decrease dental carries, and on and on. The benefits are too exhaustive to mention here so please do some in depth study and learn more about these foods. It will be good for your brain!
The Mediterranean diet is the simplest way to get all the healthy foods we need to lessen heart disease and brain disease, along with a healthy weight loss. The diet includes vegetables and legumes, fresh fruit, olive oil, and moderate amounts of fish, poultry and red wine.
Limit red meat to two times a month. Substitute fish and poultry for red meat. When you do eat red meat make sure it's lean and keep portions about four ounces, the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards. Avoid sausage, deli meats, bacon and other high-fat meats.
Herbs and spices make food taste better and they are packed full of health-promoting substances. Season your meals with them rather than salt. Great selections are curry spices, particularly turmeric, fresh garlic, cayenne, ginger, cinnamon, basil, and oregano. The aroma and taste are wonderful and they contain medicinal properties. There was a time when medicines were only from plants, so eat and drink herbal teas often.
Add mushrooms to your diet especially Shiitake and Maiake. Mushrooms are valuable health foods that are low in calories, high in vegetable proteins, chitin, iron, zinc, fiber, essential amino acids, vitamins & minerals.
An analysis of 1.5 million health adults demonstrated that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with reduced cancer rates and reduced cancer mortality rates, reduced cardiovascular mortality, and reduced incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Below I have displayed the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid and links to websites that will give you more information about the diet. Please learn more about the food you eat, make healthier choices, and live well.
Good health to you.
"Let medicine be your food and your food medicine."
Hippocrates, The Father of Medicine
460 - 370 BC
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mediterranean-diet/CL00011
See the NIH Fact Sheet at http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/adfact.htm
It is believed the likely causes of Alzheimer's is mix of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
National Institute of Aging describing Alzheimer's Disease,
states, "....scientists are learning how age-related changes in the brain may harm neurons and contribute to Alzheimer’s damage. These age-related changes include atrophy (shrinking) of certain parts of the brain, inflammation, the production of unstable molecules called free radicals, and mitochondrial dysfunction (a breakdown of energy production within a cell)."
Based on this description we can see what areas of our lifestyle and diet we need to focus on to support a health brain.
A healthy life style and diet would at least be the best way to start, right?
A simplistic view of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and diet is outlined below.
Exercise: Improve circulation of blood to the brain with exercise. Our circulatory system brings nutrients to cells, removes waste, and stimulates the release of hormone and neurotransmitters. Walk briskly, ride a bike, play tennis, work out, anything that keeps you moving for at least an hour a day, preferably more, 4-6 times a week. Education: The brain is a muscle and needs to be exercised. Continue a life long course of learning through reading, artistic pursuits, classes, listening to others views, participating in hands on activities. (not passive activity such as watching TV). New neuro pathways are created when you learn something new. The more pathways we have, the
better our brains function. Alcohol: Consumption of small amounts of alcohol, especially red wine, have shown to be helpful in reducing the build-up of plague in the arteries, however, over consumption leads to many health and mental problems.
Drinking purple grape juice may be as beneficial as wine. Heavy drinking, three to five drinks a day, are associated with a higher risk of dementia.
The safe amount of alcohol for men is no more than two drinks a day, and for women,
it is one drink a day.
Smoking: Nicotine (a substance widely used as an insecticide in the past) constricts blood vessels, making it harder for the heart to pump blood through the arteries, and contributes to plague build-up in the arteries. Nicotine causes the release of fat and cholesterol into the blood.
Nicotine has a greater affinity for the brain that it does for skeletal muscle. It causes a release of epinephrine and increases the heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and it raises blood sugar. Nicotine creates an environment in the body that leads to cancer. When nicotine enters the body it is distributed quickly through the bloodstream. It reaches the brain within 10-20 seconds after inhaling.
If you are a long term smoker see a physician before quitting cold turkey. The nicotine patch may be the best way to start the "quitting" process.
Like alcohol, small amounts of nicotine have been show to have a beneficial effect.
Emotional Connections: Human beings need deep emotional connections to feel complete, loved, supported, hopeful,and for a healthy sense of self worth. Human beings need to be touched, hugged, feel close to others for mental and emotional health. Start hugging more people, reach out to friends and family regularly, build new relationships, network among your friends to connect with new people. I have thought at times that all the hugs people get in 12 Step programs may be the magic that heals so many people.
A research study I recall from long along, noted that every time someone received a hug their hemoglobin went up!
Get massages, hold hands, dance with other people. These connections, along with laughter, will improve the function of our brain and all the bodies organs.
Diet: This topic becomes a little more complicated so I will try to keep it simple. Here is the conventional wisdom for keeping the brain as well as the entire body healthy.
Wisdom Says:
Shop for groceries only in the produce isle and meat department, avoiding all the processed stuff in the middle of the store. "Fresh" fruits, vegetables, and quality protein are the important components of a healthy diet. Buy from a local farmer's market whenever you can for the most nutrient dense foods. The foods in season in your area are the best choices.
If food is in a can, box, or package, think twice before you buy it. Also think twice before buying anything white, like rice, flour, or creams. If grains are important to you select only whole grains. Trans -fats, salt, sugar, overly milled grains are the enemy of good health.
Fats: Eat "good fats". The most important nutrient for the brain is fat because the brain is made of fat. The best fat for the brain if omega 3 fatty acids which are found in cold water fatty fish, deep green leafy vegetables, flax seed, nuts and some grains.
Select olive oil instead of vegetable oils or butter. Eat wild salmon, (not farm raised, they contain more man made pollutants and are often treated with antibiotics) tuna, trout, herring, or anchovies several times a week. These foods provide the quality proteins, and proteins are the building blocks of all our cells. Take fish oil supplements to obtain these healthy fats if fish is not available. Go nuts (raw, not roasted and salted)! English walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, pistachios are good foods because they provide a quality proteins and the good fats.
Read labels and do not buy foods that have hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats (free radicals). These fats are the enemies and almost all packaged foods have them.
Probiotics: Fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, miso, and sauerkraut provide "good" bacteria. We contain large volumes of bacteria, so we want the good ones in and on us and not the ones, which make use sick. The good ones keep the bad ones away. Probiotics promote intestinal and colon health, breaks down bile in the gut, may decrease dental carries, and on and on. The benefits are too exhaustive to mention here so please do some in depth study and learn more about these foods. It will be good for your brain!
The Mediterranean diet is the simplest way to get all the healthy foods we need to lessen heart disease and brain disease, along with a healthy weight loss. The diet includes vegetables and legumes, fresh fruit, olive oil, and moderate amounts of fish, poultry and red wine.
Limit red meat to two times a month. Substitute fish and poultry for red meat. When you do eat red meat make sure it's lean and keep portions about four ounces, the size of the palm of your hand or a deck of cards. Avoid sausage, deli meats, bacon and other high-fat meats.
Herbs and spices make food taste better and they are packed full of health-promoting substances. Season your meals with them rather than salt. Great selections are curry spices, particularly turmeric, fresh garlic, cayenne, ginger, cinnamon, basil, and oregano. The aroma and taste are wonderful and they contain medicinal properties. There was a time when medicines were only from plants, so eat and drink herbal teas often.
Add mushrooms to your diet especially Shiitake and Maiake. Mushrooms are valuable health foods that are low in calories, high in vegetable proteins, chitin, iron, zinc, fiber, essential amino acids, vitamins & minerals. An analysis of 1.5 million health adults demonstrated that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with reduced cancer rates and reduced cancer mortality rates, reduced cardiovascular mortality, and reduced incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
Below I have displayed the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid and links to websites that will give you more information about the diet. Please learn more about the food you eat, make healthier choices, and live well.
Good health to you.
"Let medicine be your food and your food medicine."
Hippocrates, The Father of Medicine
460 - 370 BC
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/mediterranean-diet/CL00011
See the NIH Fact Sheet at http://www.nia.nih.gov/Alzheimers/Publications/adfact.htm
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