Re-routing the Downward Spiral of Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Want to know the truth?

Do you really think you’re going to escape memory loss or neurological disease? Not likely. Especially if you live a long time.

 

• 1/3 of people over 85 “live” with Alzheimer’s Disease with 2/3 of those are biologically female. By 2050, cases will double. 
• 90,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease each year. By 2030, cases will more than double to 12.2 million a year. That’s only two types of dementia. 

What gives? Why is brain disease accelerating so much? 

 

How we handle disease prevention sucks.

 

Alzheimer’s is not one disease, it’s a conglomerate of problems that end up as AD (same for heart disease, cancer, and more). We must address multiple areas of health and lifestyle – not just the amyloid plaques and tau proteins that build up in the brain that prove someone has Alzheimer's. 

 

Science confirms brain disease starts decades before symptoms start. Brain shrinkage begins in our 30’s! Are you 45 or older? Double down now! Especially if there’s a family history of dementia, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes or if you lead a stressful life. Most humans love to ignore the future and loathe having to change. Me too. It's human. You’ll see below we all have more action we can take to reduce our risk of brain and body diseases. 

 

But here’s the punch line of Alzheimer’s and many neurological disease: It is up to us to prevent or reduce the risk of occurrence, even if we have genetic markers for dementia. 

 

There’s only one protocol I know of that reversed memory loss in AD patients. If you do it with a certified functional physician, it will cost you tens of thousands of dollars. As most of us don’t have that, I guide clients to work with their physician and get as much of the protocol engaged as possible. I’ll list the lifestyle areas in this blog and break each component down in future blogs.

 

The bottom line now is, do this stuff now to preserve all you can, for as long as you can. Action is the truth. Hoping on a pill, brain game apps, and magic supplements are not enough.

 

If you or a loved one is concerned about or experiencing even mild memory loss and the doctor isn’t too concerned yet, please don’t hesitate to book a consultation or at least, a free 10-minute chat. Click to my website to hear a remarkable recovery story. She’s now 96-year-old and still recognizes her family. 

 

The 8 + 1 Areas of the Healthy-Brain Lifestyle, in Brief

Embrace these for your best chance of a healthy body and brain. 

 

Someone with memory loss cannot pick and choose. It’s all in, all the time.  I’ll be indelicate: Deal. With. It. For any hope of memory to return – just do all of it and don’t stop. Patients who stop or pause this lifestyle regress quickly - another difficult truth.

• Eat a low inflammation, low blood sugar diet (Magic pill #1). 
• Exercise at least 150 + minutes a week (Magic pill #2).
• Get good sleep (Magic pill #3) and rest.
• See your doctor regularly. Ask good questions, have the right labs done, and get the right treatments.
• Use a range of strategic supplementation to support brain and metabolic health. 
• Socialize regularly – mix it up to connect with different people.
• Manage stress.
• Do mental gymnastics, meaning, engage in multiple forms of brain stimulation and mix the types up to keep the neural connections nimble.
• Address and eliminate environmental toxins. 

I’ll also add, do purposeful work, whether it be job or ministry, that uses your unique self to bring love and healing to a weary world. 

Thanks for reading!

Susan