My original draft for this weeks article was about The Cardio-Vascular system, how it works and how to keep it healthy. That can wait for a week.
I just returned from a workshop sponsored by OneLife Fitness in Reston, Virginia, and presented by the Insight Memory Care Center of Fairfax,VA. The title was Brain Health as You Age. Since it was presented to a group of young Seniors, most of whom were, like many of us, not in the throes of major cognitive decline, but approaching the age where we should be on the lookout for certain warning signs, I thought I would summarize some of the things the presenter had to say — before I forget. I hope you find as much value in this article as I did from attending.
The presenter was Lindsey Vajpeyi, Director of Education & Outreach for the Insight Memory Center. She did an excellent job in providing valuable and useful information.
The first thing that stood out in her presentation was when she said that research has shown that one third of all dementia is preventable through intelligent lifestyle choices. Of course, that leaves the other two thirds due to other causes. But anytime we can help prevent a third of a major disruptive disease by making lifestyle changes before the disease pops up, it’s well that we know what those lifestyle changes are and to implement them.
Ms. Vajpeyi pointed out early in her presentation that many of the things we may be concerned about are really normal signs of aging. She said that we start losing brain cells after we are 35. She said that as a normal result of aging, we may start having difficulty finding the words we want, have difficulty multi-tasking, and may find ourselves being distracted more easily (decreased ability to pay attention).
The presenter listed a number of warning signs of cognitive decline. Yes, memory loss was on the list, but only to the extent that it disrupts daily life. Not so much forgetting where you parked your car, or where you put your car keys, but instead, maybe not being able to identify your car when you are looking for it. She also listed difficulty in completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, decreased or poor judgment and difficulty with visual images and spatial relationships as being among a list of possible warning signs.
She listed some possible risks to brain health as including some medications, SMOKING, poor diet, excessive alcohol, lack of sleep, LACK OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY and reduced social activity.
The presenter talked about Alzheimer’s, one form of Dementia, as a buildup of harmful proteins in the brain, the death of brain cells, and loss of connections among them. She said that some approaches showing promise in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s include: EXERCISE, healthy diet, and cognitive “brain” training (which includes just about anything that uses the brain).
With
respect to those lifestyle items that can help prevent cognitive decline, the
factors that stood out were:
- Eat healthily. She suggested a Mediterranean “style” diet including a lot of green, leafy vegetables.
- GET MOVING. That’s MOVE YOUR BODY. You know it as EXERCISE! 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
- Keep mentally active with lots of stimulating reading and actively learning new things.
- Stay connected. Engage in meaningful activities. Volunteer. Belong to a social network.
Did you happen to notice a resemblance to what people in Dan Buettner’s Blue Zones are doing to live to be 100 plus?
So yes, lifestyle choices are important in both how long you live and how well you live. If you are a regular reader of these articles, you should already be doing those things. If you’re not doing them, it’s time to start.
For information about the Insight Memory Care Center, go to their website at https://www.insightmcc.org/ .
Thank you for reading.