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:
- green leafy vegetables
- other vegetables
- nuts
- berries
- beans
- whole grains
- fish
- poultry
- olive oil
- 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:
- Red meat
- Butter and margarine
- Cheese
- Pastries and sweets
- 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:
- Stay curious and involved — commit to lifelong learning
- Read, write, crossword or other puzzles
- Attend lectures and plays
- Enroll in courses at your local adult education center, community college or other community group
- Play games
- Garden
- 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.