BRAIN WELLNESS/ALZHEIMERS



We all read a lot of articles about physical health, diet, and exercise and how important they are to a healthy life style. There is also another component to this healthy life style and that is brain fitness or wellness. There are a lot of things we can do to keep that Central Processing Unit functioning in a healthy and efficient manner. Not only will we be living healthier lives, we will also be reducing our chances of getting Alzheimer's disease.



Alzheimer's is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. 5.3 million Americans have been diagnosed. At the current course and speed 15 million will have it by 2050. And if we all live to be 85, half of us will be diagnosed with it. The annual cost is $148 billion now and will be close to $1 trillion by 2050. There is no cure.


While most of the people that have Alzheimer's are over 65, there are several things we can do now, regardless of our ages, to help reduce the risk of getting this horrible, insideous disease.


*Exercise several days a week

* Keep active mentally-do crossword puzzles, play cards, do brain teasers, jumbo's, play chess,
increase our vocabulary, etc.

* Control our weight

* Lower cholesterol and keep the arteries open, especially the carotid. We want to get as much

blood as possible to the brain.

* Consider a diet that is low in fat, lots of fish, fruit especially blueberries, lots of veggies and

Omega 3 fatty acid foods. The Mediterranean diet is similar to this

* Try to reduce the exposure to chemicals in our foods and in the enviroment.



Studies have shown that doing all of the above can, in some cases, reduce the the risk of getting Alzheimers. We should also be aware of:



* The impacts of head injuries, even at a young age, These can lead to an increased risk of
dementia.

* Exposure to second hand smoke has been linked to dementia

* Those with diabetes have been linked with a higher risk of Alzheimer's

* And being lonely or thinking you are lonely, has increased the risk as well


To summarize most of the above--"What is good for the heart, is good for the brain."


My mother died of Alzheimer's in September of 2007. It was very hard for my 2 sisters and I to see our mother deteriorate from this beautiful school teacher, painter, lover of books, traveler and great cook, to sitting in the corner of the nursing home in a wheelchair, not knowing her name, not knowing us, sitting there in adult pampers, not being able to dress herself or go to the ladies room by herself.


I have a detailed presentation that goes into all aspects of Alzheimer's, based on what my 2 sisters and I went through, called Alzheimer's Lessons Learned. I am available to give this to any group, organization or to sit down with a family who has just had a loved one diagnosed. The presentation is also available on Channel 10, thanks to the great folks at Port Media.

Happy 4th of July

Holidays were always a special time for our family when I was growing up and I still feel that way today. I have a chapter in my book, 5 Words and Then Some, on Holidays. If you have the book at home on your bedside table, its on pages 30-34.

Here is what I said about holidays in general:

"I think many of us have forgotten why we are celebrating holidays and what their true meaning is. I know we all live busy lives and we can all use the extra day off, but I think we have to pause--at least for a few minutes--during each holiday, and focus on why and what we are celebrating. And we can do this privately, or if you have several people over for a party, you can say a few words. Here are some of my thoughts for a few holidays. Depending on your heritage, your religion, and your background, you may have others."

Here are my thoughts on July 4th from the book:

"When I was growing up, every Fourth of July, Dad would take out the shotgun, load it with buckshot, go out on the back steps, point the gun in the direction of the woods, towards the police station, and fire off a round to celebrate the Fourth. This was always one of his favorite holidays, and I think of him now every Fourth of July, and I think about what an incredible group of men our founding fathers were. The Declaration of Independence will be around and discussed for hundreds of years."

Two of the signers of the Declaration, Tom Jefferson and John Adams, both died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing. Jefferson died in the morning and Adams in the afternoon. Not knowing that Jefferson died that morning, Adam's last words were something to the effect--"thank God Tom Jefferson still lives."

Well their spirit still lives and Declaration still lives and July 4 still lives. Have a wonderful holiday everyone.