Many of us will live well into our 80’s and beyond. Hopefully we will live a happy and healthy life without losing our faculties! However, we all know that the odds are, some of us will develop dementia which will eventually lead to us not being able to manage our own financial affairs or even being able to care for ourselves.
How do we know if we are going to develop symptoms? Just because Alzheimers or some other form of dementia is in the family, this does not necessarily mean we will also follow suit.
In fact, we all have a propensity to get the symptoms as changes in the brain can be seen as young as our 40’s, and it takes 15 to 20 years to develop symptoms. But it’s not an inevitable consequence and there are things we can do to prevent the symptoms from emerging.
It’s all about taking care of ourselves both mentally and physically.
So what are the 5 things we can do NOW, to help head off the symptoms of dementia?
#1 Follow a Mediterranean diet - there is growing evidence that specific diets may promote brain health including reduced risks of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive impairment, possibly through mechanisms that reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. The basic characteristics of a Mediterranean diet are: high levels of fruits, vegetables, fish, and legumes and low levels of processed foods, red meat, sweets, and sugars.
#2 Get plenty of good quality sleep (this is not necessarily such an easy one!) - impaired sleep contributes to cognitive decline and may increase your risk of Alzheimer's. Deep sleep is like a power sleep for the brain, even a single night of sleep deprivation can cause problems for the brain. To protect your brain, establish a bedtime routine, maintain a regular sleep schedule, and treat sleep-disordered breathing such as apnea.
#3 Regular aerobic exercise - physical activity may protect against brain aging and the build-up of amyloid beta protein (a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease) and will help improve mental function. Avoid long periods of physical inactivity and engage in moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3 to 5 days per week. Wearable fitness trackers and apps are a great way to track your progress and stay fit!
#4 Be social - loneliness and depression can impair cognitive health, causing memory loss and attention deficits. Maintain and build your social connections by being with people, meeting new people and enjoying old friendships.
# 5 Engage in mental activities and stimulate the brain - of the 5 things you can do, this is possibly the most important as the brain can be resilient and engaging in mental activities will create new neural pathways even where there is already some cognitive decline. It’s about learning new information (not just for example doing the crossword) by engaging intellectually, such as learning new languages, taking classes, volunteering, which are all activities which will help to keep your brain fit while staying socially engaged.
Of course, unfortunately none of us know if we will ultimately go on to develop the full blown symptoms and because of this, you may also wish to think about putting in place what is called a Lasting Power of Attorney while you can, to appoint that those who you love and trust to help look after your financial affairs in the event you can’t. It’s a fairly simple process (something you could do yourself) and if you need any help or advice then please do get in touch!
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