“I’m losing my mind. I can’t think of the word I want to come up with!”
This is a remark I will often hear from my Dad. Both of his parents had dementia, and he worries he is destined for the same future.
What I have been learning and what I have been sharing with him is this is not true. Just because you have a genetic history of a disease does not mean you are destined to get the disease. Science is sharing with us today, that even though you may not be able to change your genes, you can change how your genes express themselves…meaning which ones turn on or off and how that translates into health or disease.
What influences whether those genes turn on or off is referred to as Exposome, the sum total of things we're exposed to through diet, exercise, sleep, stress, environmental toxins, and gut flora. (Broken Brain, Alzheimer’s, Dementia & MS) © 2017 Hyman Digital.
Before I go further into those markers, here are some sobering facts about neurological diseases impacting our society.
- 10% of 65-year-olds, 25% of 75-year-olds and 50% of 85-year-olds will develop dementia or Alzheimer's disease.
- The fastest growing segment of our population is the 85-year-olds.
- Alzheimer's is now the seventh leading cause of death and the most common form of dementia.
In addition, Max Lugavere shares, “Millennials are considered by many people to be the caregivers on deck and a big reason Millennials should be interested in this topic. I see Millennials as patients on deck because I know, based on my research, that changes begin in the brain decades before the first symptom of memory loss—20 to 30 years by some estimates, and even longer by others. What will ultimately manifest as the clinical presentation of Alzheimer's disease and dementia really is a lifelong cascade of events that builds up in the brain. It's something that young people really should be conscious of their whole lives, the same way that we want to do certain things so that we look better come summer time, and we're at the beach in our bathing suits.”
These statics can be scary to look at, but the good news is there are many things you can do to influence your brain health. I will briefly explore two areas, and I encourage you to do more reading and research on ways you can improve your brain health…I’m only scratching the surface.
- Diet: Why are some people still sharp at 102, while others show cognitive decline much earlier? Our society accepts loss of memory as a normal aging process. In reality, memory loss is a preclinical disease caused by the breakdown of various systems in the body. The body and mind are actually capable of remaining very functional well into the 90’s and 100’s, and a key element that is influencing your brain and body’s health is food.
Scientists are referring to Alzheimer’s as Type 3 Diabetes, because the research is showing that insulin resistance is one of the major factors that damages the brain and robs the memory of over half of the people heading into their 80’s. Sugar causes inflammation in the brain and that inflammation impacts how the brain functions. According to the data, eating sugar and refined carbohydrates can cause pre-dementia and dementia. However, research also indicates that cutting out sugar and refined carbohydrates and adding in more good fats can prevent and even reverse pre-dementia or early dementia. (Dr. Mark Hymen, EPISODE 3, The Broken Brain.)
“The Mediterranean diet, for one, is a dietary pattern that's inherently higher in fat—it's rich in extra virgin olive oil, fat cuts of meat, fatty fish, etc., and people from this region tend to have a significantly reduced risk for developing Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and cardiovascular disease. There have been randomized control trials with hard data showing that when you consume more fat in the form of nuts or extra virgin olive oil, it actually leads to improved brain health outcomes.” (Max Lugavere , Episode 3, The Broken Brain)
- Stress Reduction: It is important to start cultivating a mindset of being on the front end your health verses on the reactionary end of your health. Preventative medicine is all about that. It is widely known that stress contributes to most diseases; therefore, the reduction of stress is essential to maintain good health! It is also something you have the ability to influence greatly. There are many ways you can choose to lower your stress. The key is to set your intention, and take action towards that goal. Below are three things that can assist in stress reduction.
- Exercise: Exercise is critical to your health, and it does not have to be strenuous. Just walking daily, staying active, and moving physically can have great impacts on your brain and body. I posted an article last week on Facebook about how beneficial dancing is for your brain. Check it out here
- Mediation: Dr. Rudy Tanzi conducted a clinical trial with 30 novice meditators and 30 expert meditators. They all stayed at the same resort and ate the same food, so there was a control for diet. What they discovered was that both the novice meditators and expert meditators influenced the genes involved with inflammation in the body. Specifically, using mediation resulted in changes in the production of the anti-aging enzyme, telomerase; an enzyme that grows at the end of your chromosomes and keeps your cells dividing longer. Both groups received significant health rewards in just a week of practicing meditation, however, the expert meditators experienced a 40% increase in the telomerase activity.
- Sleep: Sleep is critical to your health. You want to make sure you’re getting good sleep and enough sleep. According to Dr. Daniel Amen, sleep apnea triples the risk of Alzheimer's disease. When a sleep deprived brain is viewed on scans it looks like the person has Alzheimer's disease. It is critical for the brain to get enough oxygen. Keep in mind your brain is the most oxygen-hungry organ in the body. If sleep is challenging, try cutting down on smart phones and technology at night. The blue light from the devices tells your brain that it’s day time and time to wake up.
- Exercise: Exercise is critical to your health, and it does not have to be strenuous. Just walking daily, staying active, and moving physically can have great impacts on your brain and body. I posted an article last week on Facebook about how beneficial dancing is for your brain. Check it out here
There is so much you can do to improve and maintain good brain health. Get empowered and learn more. In the meantime, if you looking for an inexpensive and simple way to lower your stress level check out my Distress Less audio program. It provides simple actions you can take on a daily basis to lower your stress. Check it out here.
Dedicated to raising your consciousness!
