Bad joke, I know, I know.
While I was sick I had a lot of time to read, learn and take classes that I hoped would allow me to help people if I was to get out of that situation, and I haven’t stopped. Some of that reading and research was pertinent to my situation and some of it was outside of it. One of the best things about learning and expanding your purview is that you will learn things that might not be useful to you but may be useful to others.
Luckily for me, my parents are aging gracefully and seem to be healthier than most people my age, but dementia is a real threat to everyone eventually, and losing your mind while staying healthy is a whole other struggle that is hard to even imagine.
Alzheimer’s (the most common form of dementia) was one of the things that I came across by mistake. While I am still young enough that I do not need to concern myself with Alzheimer’s…yet, what I do live with and have experienced is “chemo brain” which is close enough to Alzheimer’s that I started to pay attention to what I can do to work on my mind. In doing so I came across some things that have helped me which are also proven to stave off dementia as long as possible. I figured it couldn’t hurt to share what I found with all of you.
Here are 7 things you can start to do immediately to slow down brain degradation:
1. Getting enough sleep (7-9 hours a night)
2. Reduce stress. Stress causes the release of cortisol which causes inflammation and kills neurons.
3. Social interaction. Getting out and being social lowers Alzheimer’s twofold.
4. Exercise. Active exercise induces neurogenesis and the birth of new neurons.
5. Learning new things. Intellectual stimulation, like reading, puzzles, and taking classes can cause new synapses to form in your brain. With so many classes free and cheap online that you can choose from, everyone should be doing this.
6. Low sugar diet. Sugar causes inflammation which kills neurons.
7. Video games! Near and dear to my heart. Not only does this help your eyes and brain stay hyperactive, but it also helps with dexterity as well as hand-eye coordination. Maybe most beneficial, it is a great way to stay connected to grandchildren online!
Just some things to consider for all of us to keep our minds sharp. If you need guidance or direction on how to accomplish any of these, please do not hesitate to reach out.
I am always willing to help,
Michael
