What can you do…? How can you prevent it…? Live longer for your loved ones!!!!

Posted on by Coachabc

Last week I touched on signs, symptoms, and a little insight into dementia. This week I will go into a little more detail including exercises you can do to help you physically and cognitively. I will also explain what you can add or remove from your diet to try and prevent this terrible illness.

Of course everyone wants to keep their amazing figure and stay healthy. But now with all of the pesticides being added to our food, and the unhealthy conditions our food (meats) are being raised in you really need to be mindful of what goes into your body. You always want to have a hefty amount of vegetables and proteins in your diet, but try your best to go organic. Some say it is a little more costly but if you shop at your local farmers markets and look around at you neighborhood grocery stores it really isn’t that much more. Some foods that you really want to incorporate EVERYDAY are not too different from what you might already eat.

There are 10 main (brain) foods:

  1. green leafy vegetables
  2. other vegetables
  3. nuts
  4. berries
  5. beans
  6. whole grains
  7. fish
  8. poultry
  9. olive oil
  10. wine

And…I know what you’re thinking, WINE… really? But yes a little wine is good for the brain. (Only one glass a day)

Now I will list 5 foods you want to avoid that are doing more harm than good to your brain:

  1. Red meat
  2. Butter and margarine
  3. Cheese
  4. Pastries and sweets
  5. Fried food and fast food

You also need to exercise your brain to keep your gears moving. Incorporating some cognitive exercises on top of your physical full body workout is a great way to stay in a routine. Like they always say “a moving body is a healthy body” and the same goes for your mind.

Here are some great cognitive exercises:

  1. Stay curious and involved — commit to lifelong learning
  2. Read, write, crossword or other puzzles
  3. Attend lectures and plays
  4. Enroll in courses at your local adult education center, community college or other community group
  5. Play games
  6. Garden
  7. Try memory exercises

 

Notice anything strange about these activities? They look like some things you may do on a daily basis. But try to make them more challenging, really make your brain work.

 

With anything in life you have to work for it, but in this case don’t you think it’s important to work a little harder at this. Keep your body and your mind strong, live your life to the fullest.

 

Protect yourself and your loved ones……

Posted on by Coachabc

Dementia: The signs, symptoms, and what you can do to help prevent it….

So many people work out, and eat right so that they can make sure that their physical health is taken care of. But… do you know that also with physical good health as well as eating right is also helping aid in good mental health, and preventing diseases later on in life. Researchers are finding that if you take care of yourself NOW your life span can be lengthened.

A lot of people are now are finding their loved ones with many incurable diseases, whether they be genetic or not you have the ability to help your body be the best it can be to try to prevent these life altering situations with what you eat and the way you take care of your overall health. One big modern day disease that is ravaging families is dementia. It is said that 14% of people 71 and older have dementia in the United States. People who are 65 and older have some form or slight symptom of dementia.

Dementia is a debilitating disease that can be ultimately fatal. It starts with slight memory loss for example: (Names of relatives, kids, or your spouse. Not remembering where specific locations are like your favorite go to coffee shop.) Later dementia can cause your normal everyday activities into a struggle, you can’t remember how to dress yourself, brush your hair, or even tie your own shoes.
Once you are in the final and worst stages of dementia you can lose the ability to swallow food, walking, talking and have to be cared for around the clock as you will no longer have the cognitive means to support yourself in any way. Ultimately this is the stage that can be fatal. You are at this point in a vegetative state.

So…. What can you do to possibly help stop or even slow the risks of this type and many other diseases?

EAT RIGHT….

 

WORK OUT….

 

AND JUST PLAIN TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF….

Here is a list of foods that you can add into your diet on a daily basis to help your body fight off these diseases:
• Berries- Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries they are called super foods for a reason.
• Sugar spice- Like nutmeg, and cinnamon are known to boost your central nervous system
• Omega-3’s- flaxseed and different types of fish are good for strong brain development.
• Coconut oil
• Leafy greens- Known to help support your cognitive health.

All of these foods are great to have in your diet every day, and here’s one more reason why you should make it your personal goal to stay in good health and not just temporarily diet because you want to fit into that cute outfit. Your physical and mental health count on you to take care of your later self.

Next week I will touch on further preventatives for dementia, the different types of dementia, as well as different cognitive and body exercises that will strengthen you if done on a continuous basis.