Worldwide, 50 million people are living with Alzheimer's, which is the most common cause of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other cognitive abilities serious enough to interfere with daily life. It is not a normal part of aging and there currently is no cure. However, there is a lot of research showing we can reduce our risk of developing dementia simply by living a heart-healthy lifestyle, even if we have a family history of dementia or currently have mild cognitive impairment. That means a minimum of 150 minutes per week of activity, a whole food focused diet aiming for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, avoiding toxic foods like processed grains, added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats, avoiding or quitting smoking, and curbing alcohol use as much as possible.
Exercise regularly
Make physical activity part of your daily routine, whether it’s going for a walk between meetings or when you go out to grab your mail or participating in other types of activity. Can you find 20 minutes in your day to dedicate to your current and future wellbeing? We think you can! Take advantage of the above information about walking and implement it in your day to day.
Focus on nutrition
Increase the amount of whole foods you are eating. Replace processed foods with vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains. You don’t have to think of it as a diet or restricting yourself from eating certain foods. Instead, when you are preparing your breakfast, lunch, or dinner, find creative ways to add in an extra vegetable or other type of whole food. Challenge yourself and members of your family or friends to see who can eat the most whole foods in a week. It also helps to take a look at the ingredients list on the foods you are buying. Aim to buy foods with the shortest ingredient lists and definitely those that don’t have any added sugar!
Maintain fulfilling relationships
Create and maintain fulfilling relationships. Don’t depend on one person to meet all of your emotional needs. Find people you share interests with and can be authentically yourself around, meaning you don’t have to pretend to like things or act a certain way when you are around these people. Focus on the way your friendships feel, not the way they look. If you are introverted or shy, it can feel uncomfortable to put yourself out there socially. Luckily, the key to connecting with other people is by showing interest in them, so listen intently and ask engaging questions. Try volunteering, taking a class, or joining a club to meet people with similar interests.