9 Behavioral Tips to Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Support Your Brain Health
According to brain expert, Dr. Daniel Amen, author of New York Times bestsellers, Change your Brain Change Your Life and Change your Brain Change Your Body, and the founder of the Amen Clinics, there are a number of behavioral practices you can incorporate into your life to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and cognitive decline in general.
The Skinny on Alzheimer’s Disease
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, in the United States alone, over five million individuals suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease, and this number is expected to increase by eleven million people by the year 2050. Alzheimer’s Disease affects fifty percent (50%) of people over the age of eighty-five.
Moreover, Dr. Daniel Amen explains that Alzheimer’s starts thirty years before any symptoms. This is why it is so important to start taking steps now to protect your precious brain.
Almost all the cells in the brain are in place by age two or three, and only a few small regions of the brain grow new cells after that point. While the brain typically accounts for less than two percent of a person’s weight, it consumes twenty percent of the body’s energy at a rate that is ten times faster than the rest of the body per gram of tissue. As a result, the brain requires a constant supply of energy to function, and what you ingest and are exposed to has a direct impact on its processes.
Lifestyle Habits To Optimize Your Brain Health
So what steps can we take now to prevent ourselves from falling into the category of the one in two people who eventually get Alzheimer’s Disease? Below are nine recommendations:
Exercise - As Dr. Amen explains, “The stronger you are as you age, the less likely you are to get Alzheimer’s Disease. If you walk at 3 miles an hour when you’re 80, you have a 90% chance of living until you’re 90. if you walk at 1 mile an hour when you’re 80, you have a 90% chance you will not see 90, so exercise is absolutely critical.” Physical activity helps improve cognitive function, reduces the risk of depression (which is a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s Disease) and improves cardiovascular health. Exercise also boosts memory and coordination.
Social Activity - studies have shown that social activity among the elderly has a neuroprotective effect, reducing the likelihood of cognitive impairment, so try to find ways to spend more social time with family, friends or your community.
Avoid Toxins as Much as Possible - Toxins have a very negative impact on brain health. According to Dr. Amen, studies have shown that if you work in a nail or hair salon you have a much higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease. To help reduce your exposure to toxins opt for organic foods, evaluate the ingredients in your self-care, beauty and cleaning products (a great resource is the environmental working group, which ranks the safety of millions of products), and use chemical-free yard and garden solutions.
Practicing Religion or Spirituality
Practicing religion or spirituality has been positively associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline. Not only are there benefits derived from being a part of a community, but also there are significant health benefits to believing in a higher purpose and feeling that your life has meaning.
Dr. Christina M. Puchalski, MD, director of the George Washington institute for spirituality and health defines spirituality as follows, “Spirituality refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature and to the significant and sacred.” ‘Recognition that we serve a purpose of being on earth has been shown to increase our life span.
Dan Buettner, a National Geographic Fellow and New York Times bestselling author on the topic of Blue Zones (the places in the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives), has shown that having a feeling of purpose is one of the greatest indicators of longevity, tacking on up to nine years to the average life span.
Keep Learning - Learning a new subject or language may help strengthen the brian and reduce cognitive decline. Dr. Amen explains that “as you are learning new things, your brain makes new connections and it becomes stronger.”
Sleep - Dr. Amen tells us that getting at least eight hours of sleep a night has been shown to decelerate cognitive decline.
Find Time to Pursue Creative Hobbies - Creative hobbies, such as painting, dancing, or playing an instrument, may help reduce memory loss.
Find Ways to Reduce Your Stress - Using tools like meditation, exercise and gratitude lists can help reduce stress and put things into perspective.
Practice Being More Conscientious - Dr. Amen cites a Stanford study of 1,548 ten year old children, who were followed for ninety years. The number one predictor of longevity was conscientiousness. Those children that ranked highest on conscientiousness were the ones that lived the longest.
The Role of Your Diet
Your diet also plays a significant role in brain health. As Dr. Amen explains, “If you don’t feed it [the brain] properly, you won’t think properly. The fat on your body is not your friend. It stores toxins. It increases inflammatory cytokines that directly damage brain function. As your weight goes up, the size and function of your brain goes down.”