Dementia Archives - Brainfit Resorts

Our Multi-Domain Approach

Prof. Dan J. Sherman — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 15:57:01 +0000

Age-related cognitive decline and dementia are strongly associated with lifestyle choices; therefore, their prevention requires a multi-domain approach (that is tailored to address individual risks). This means that any prevention strategy needs to address all the domains of our lives: food and eating habits, physical and mental activities, sleep patterns, perceived psychological stress, as well as emotional and social engagement. Therefore the pillars of our multi-domain approach will address all these aspects and include:

Individual risk factors assessment
Nutrition, supplements and brain-healthy diet
Physical activity and exercise
Stress reduction and management
Sleep health
Memory and information load management
Cognitive stimulation and training
Social engagement
Innovative cognitive enhancers/stimulants

How To Move Past Thoughts Of Negativity

Brett Simmons — Tue, 28 May 2019 07:44:41 +0000

Do you often find yourself thinking about the worst possible outcomes in everyday situations?

Maybe tragedy has struck in the lives of someone you know and care for.

Thoughts Of Negativity.

The feelings, emotions, and decisions that can often result from these external forces can have a very real impact on how we think and what we perceive to be true.

Take for example, as horrible but very realistic as this example is if someone you love has been diagnosed or is suffering from cancer, or a disease, such as in our field of expertise, Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia.

It can hard to experience as a witness.

The grief it generates, along-side the guilt, frustration, exhaustion and anger that may come through daily dealing with the symptoms of this disease.

With this first-hand experience, the “fear” of also having Dementia can occur.

One might question their own future.

What if it happens to me too? How likely might this occur? Am I at risk?

Fear By Association.

It’s amazing how by simply associating the thought of something that happened to someone else, it may, in turn, happen to us, can cause such stressful emotions to arise.

The fear and anxiety these questions bring up in us can be absolutely paralyzing.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Today, we discuss how we can better respond to these thoughts when in the moment.

First: The Bad News.

There is no permanent way of removing all worries from our minds.

Our mind is designed to predict danger to keep us out of harm’s way.

We are built to worry as a means of survival.

So, when your mind tells you that you may be at risk of Dementia, ironically, this is your mind trying to keep you safe by scaring you.

But, here’s is the good news.

A worrying thought is not a fact.

It’s a worry.

And worry is simply thoughts about a perceived threat.

“Perceived” meaning it is not necessarily a real threat, but we simply “see” is a threat.

You see, even though your mind is suggesting you may get Dementia one day, this is not a fact.

These worrying thoughts and feelings, however, are completely rational and normal.

However, if you choose to believe everything your mind tells you, you may act in ways that are not healthy for you.

Imagine how the thought “I am doomed” might impact your actions differently from “I am in control of my life”.

When a question like “What if Dementia happens to me?” or similar enters your mind, try the following:

Step 1:

Take a nice deep breath.

Pause and ground yourself back into the present moment.

Breathing slowly will help your brain switch from a flight and fight state (which is what leads to anxious feelings and thoughts) back to recognizing you are safe at this moment.

Right now, you are well. “This was just a worried thought”.

Step 2:

Take a few more long breaths, and with each out-breath, let go of any tension you notice.

Allow the muscles to relax and allow any tension to melt away.

This will also help the brain disengage from the flight and fight response and calm the mind from predicting all these tragic outcomes.

Notice thoughts and emotions as they are.

Simply events of the mind and body.

Step 3:

Ask yourself these two little questions and see what arises for you.

What is most important to me right now? and
How can I take care of myself at this moment?

This may help you connect to actions that matter to you (i.e. taking better care of your health).

Again, engaging your thinking brain with a profound question about values will move the brain from fight/flight to being more present and aware.

Know that feelings carry valuable information you can use to guide your actions. Use this awareness for your own good.

These simple steps will not stop the experience of anxiety from taking place but will allow you to attend to the feelings that arise with awareness.

This will reduce being trapped by the worries and then acting in unhelpful ways.

Engage in this practice whenever you feel the need to nurture and self-care any worry that is painful to you.

Attend to the anxiety with an attitude of care and compassion and be aware of the fact that feelings are temporary, and this moment too shall pass.

Most importantly, learn to recognize that anxious thoughts and feelings are not truth or a representation of reality, and use these challenging moments to connect to the healthy you that you want to be.

These suggestions are to help you handle better the anxiety when it strikes.

However, be aware that there is no quick fix and it may be uncomfortable and challenging at times.

If you would like to know more about what normal age-related cognitive decline looks like, and the things you can do to protect yourself from Dementia, have a read of some of the articles below from Prof. Dan J. Sherman, MD, as you will find them packed with information and useful hints.

For more information on what one can do to take care of their health, to prevent cognitive decline, protect their brain from the effects of aging, and promote healthy aging, click on the button below to SUBSCRIBE and we’ll send you weekly updates with news, blogs, videos and articles on how you can live your best brain healthy life.

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We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our Blog, and if you have any comments, questions, suggestions or feedback, be sure to leave it in the comments below.

We’d love to hear that you were able to put some of our suggestions into action.

Until next time, Live Strong. Live Well. Live BrainFit.

How Iron and B Vitamins Improve Brain Activity

Brett Simmons — Tue, 12 Mar 2019 04:42:32 +0000

Iron deficiency has been found to be a major problem in people of all ages.

Iron is the center of our red blood cells, which allow oxygen to be carried throughout your body and into your brain, which needs more than 20% of the oxygen available in the blood.

A lack of oxygen has a major impact on your brain’s health and in the formation of diseases like Dementia and Alzheimer’s.

How It Works:

The actual ability to absorb iron into your body is dependent on the amount of acid you have in your stomach.

If you have acid reflux or heartburn and are using drugs or antacids to get relief, you are affecting your ability to absorb iron.

To absorb iron, the pH in your stomach has to be normal, 1 – 2 pH.

Under these conditions, iron in your stomach chemically reacts with other chemicals and is prepared for absorption in the small intestine.

When you take drugs to reduce the acid in your stomach, the iron does not chemically react and change for proper absorption in the intestine. The result is iron deficiency.

Get More Iron In Your Diet:

The best way to get Iron into your system is through the foods you consume each day.

Some of the best foods you can eat that contain high amounts of Iron include:

Kidney
Liver
Wheat Bran
Ovaltine
Cocoa Powder
Spinach
Parsley
Radish
Peas
Leek
Carob
Sesame Seeds
Pistachios
Dried Coconut
Cashew Nuts
Muesli
Cornflakes
Oatmeal
Brown Rice
Cereal
Baked Potato

You can also use 25 to 50 mg of an iron supplement daily.

However, before taking supplements, it’s best to check with your doctor first, to see if you really need them.

While on the surface it looks like everyone should be getting more Iron in their diets, be careful. Taking excessive Iron can result in poisoning.

Benefits Of B Vitamins:

The B Vitamins folic acid and B12 have also shown to be a contributor to your brains activity.

B12 specifically, has been consistently found deficient in people with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Folic acid and B12 work to produce neurotransmitters and replace nerve cells.

The lack of neurotransmitters is responsible for the loss of a good memory.

To make sure B vitamins work for you in keeping your mental capacities intact, start making sure you are getting them in your diet or taking them as a supplement.

B Vitamin Rich Foods:

Fish and Seafood
Whole Grain Bread, Cereals, and Oats
Chicken, Beef, and Eggs
Most Leafy Green Vegetables – especially Avocado
Dairy products – specifically Cheese, Milk, and Yoghurt
Beans and Peas
Citrus fruits, such as Oranges, Lemons and Grapefruit
Various UNSALTED Nuts

Conclusion:

It is always best to get your minerals and vitamins in food. In food, minerals and vitamins are combined with other chemicals that allow your body to absorb them better than supplements.

So in short, getting the right foods in our diets and maintaining a healthy balance really can help to improve your brain activity.

Simply by making small adjustments to what we eat is proven to have a long-lasting impact.

What are some of the foods we’ve listed here that you’re going to consume more of every day?

Do you have any “questionable” foods you might be consuming daily, that you’d like to ask us about?

Feel free to leave a comment below, or send us an email to info@brainfitresorts.com.

Our expert Nutritionist will give you the right advice.

If you enjoyed reading this blog, and want to see more of our articles relating to optimum nutrition for brain health, check out some of our other feature articles by clicking on the links below:

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Can Vitamin C And E Help Prevent Dementia?

Brett Simmons — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 06:53:26 +0000

Vitamin C and E are both antioxidants that are believed to play certain very important roles in our bodies.

Very similar to one another, both vitamins help prevent free radical damage to our brains.

It is believed that free radicals can cause damage to cell structures and other genetic material.

The Dangers Of Free Radicals:

The damage free radicals often produce is called oxidative stress, and oxidative stress, in turn, leads to Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of Dementia.

The disease has no known cause at this time, but studies have shown that it involves the abnormal breakdowns of acetylcholine in the brain.

Some research studies have linked Alzheimer’s disease to high amounts of aluminum in the brain, but most studies indicate no link in the two.

Other research studies have been conducted regarding the effects of Vitamin C and Vitamin E in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

Does It Work?

While most of the studies are inconclusive on just how beneficial the two vitamins used in conjunction can be for patients, they have shown some positive results.

While some studies show dramatic reductions in cases of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of Dementia in people who increase their Vitamins C and Vitamin E, others show very little effect.

However, what most studies have shown IS a degree of positive effects, even if they are small.

It is clear that more studies need to be done, but this could be a breakthrough in Alzheimer’s disease prevention.

Multivitamins should be an important part of everyone’s daily routine, but if you are trying to prevent Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of Dementia, it can help to add additional Vitamin C and Vitamin E to your diet or supplements.

Not only do these vitamins help prevent free radical damage to our brains, but they also build our immune systems, and promote overall good health. These vitamins can also help through aiding blood and oxygen flow to the brain, keeping the brain healthy.

Foods rich in Vitamin E include:

Nuts
Leafy Greens
Vegetable oils
Whole grains

Foods rich in Vitamin C include:

Oranges
Broccoli
Strawberries
Other COLOURFUL Fruits and Vegetables

Other ways to prevent Dementia and Alzheimer’s are through the consumption of either natural or supplemented Ginkgo Biloba and increasing Zinc intake, although too much of either can have harmful effects.

While there is ultimately no guarantee of either Vitamin C or E lowering your risk of having Dementia or any associated diseases such as Alzheimer’s, it stands as good sense to implement ways to prevent it, in the same way, we may abstain from smoking or alcohol.

It’s simply not worth the risk.

If you enjoyed reading this blog, and want to see more of our articles relating to brain healthy nutrition, check out some of our other feature articles by clicking on the links below:

Be sure to hit the SUBSCRIBE button below so we can send you new feature articles and videos just like this one, as we release them.

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Finally, if you know someone who may benefit from this article or any of our other features, please SHARE this article with them using the icons below, and help us to better enrich the lives of those who need it.

Until next time… Live Strong. Live Well. Live BrainFit.

5 Steps To Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease

Brett Simmons — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 06:37:32 +0000

If you want to stay sharp and in control of your life well into your golden years, there are proactive methods to achieving the mental alertness you need.

More and more research is pointing to the fact that physical activity and lifestyle choices have more to do with preventing Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and other forms of Dementia – once thought to be a normal part of aging – than pure genetics.

So, if you had a parent, grandparent or sibling with AD it doesn’t mean you have to follow the same path.

What You Need To Know

Statistics gathered from extensive research do point toward a higher risk of developing AD if you had a close relative with AD – as much as 50%, but that has less to do with genes and more to do with following their lifestyle patterns.

If for example, your parents were smokers who rarely exercised, you may have developed some of the same destructive habits.

What can you do to break the cycle and prevent AD?
Take action, and take control TODAY.

Even if you are in your 60s and 70s, you can reverse some of the damage done to your brain through poor diet, inactivity, or damaging lifestyle choices.

Scientists have discovered very recently that the brain has the ability to repair cells and neurotransmitters and improve cognitive function and memory.

Start with these 5 Simple Steps:

1. Eat Right.

It seems so simple, yet too many people just don’t get enough of the mind preserving antioxidants found in fresh fruits and vegetables.

A well-balanced diet, free of dairy products and using low-fat sources of protein will protect both heart and mind.

2. Supplement where necessary.

Many diets lack the nutrients proven to promote brain health.

These include sources of essential fatty acids found in fish and specific herbs and minerals that can enhance cognitive function.

3. Exercise.

Originally it was thought that exercise increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain cells.

This is still true, but a report prepared for the National Institutes of Health states that exercise can also stimulate the production growth factors, which are molecules produced by the body to repair and maintain nerves.

4. Lower Your Cholesterol.

Many people with early dementia or AD symptoms may have actually experienced small strokes that damaged the brain’s neurotransmitters.

By keeping cholesterol levels in check, the arteries are free and clear of plaque that can cause a stroke.

5. Exercise Your Mind.

Keeping up with current events, working puzzles each day, learning and memorizing new information all work to keeping the mind strong and alert.

It is normal for people to sometimes forget a name or date, but the more practice recalling such information the greater the brain’s ability to do this throughout old age.

In the case of mental challenges, the more you do the more you can push back the clock on cognitive decline.

Final Thoughts

Five easy steps, when you think about it, can do much to make aging an event to celebrate instead of dread.

With age there comes experience and wisdom, and we should all do whatever is within our power to be able to pass that on to the next generation.

Think you might need a hand in creating your ideal brain-healthy lifestyle?

You’re not alone. In fact, most of the people who engage with our articles and posts tell us the hardest thing about a plan to prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s and Dementia, is getting started, and knowing what works and doesn’t work.

We created our ProtectMyBrain Program to give people the tools and strategies they need to identify their individual risks and tailor a personalized plan to prevent these diseases from ever becoming an issue.

To find out if our ProtectMyBrain Program might be right for you, click the link below.

ProtectMyBrain Dementia Prevention Program

We hope these tips provide you with some insights and assistance to living your most brain healthy life.

If you enjoyed reading this piece, and want to see more of our works relating to prevention and brain-healthy lifestyle, check out the links to some of our other articles below:

Be sure to hit the SUBSCRIBE button below so we can send you new feature articles and videos just like this one, as we release them.

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We’d love to hear what’s on your mind.

Until next time… Live Strong. Live Well. Live BrainFit.