The Top 5 Things To Do To Defend Against Dementia

Worried about Alzheimer’s disease? Put on your helmet and get in the prevention game. The best defense against dementia, is a good offense! You can be the quarterback and use your lifestyle as your front line in your strategy to fight Alzheimer’s dementia – a degenerative disease with no medicines to prevent or cure and is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States.

The Top 5 from the Top Scientists:

Scientists reporting results from 5 different research studies investigating the effects of lifestyle habits concluded that adopting a combination of brain healthy lifestyle habits could reduce the risk of dementia by as much as 60 percent, even in people with a genetic family history of the disease.

“Although questions still remain about the the precise mix of activities for each individual, there’s substantial evidence to conclude people that do these things tend to be more protected than those who do not,” says Marwan Sabbagh, MD, Director of Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

Do What You Can Do! Try the Top 5

Research supports combining one or more of these healthy habits can really add up over your lifetime.

Exercise

Walk, swim, dance your way to better brain health with 150 minutes per week of aerobic activity plus strength, stretching and flexibility exercises.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Pass up the packaged, over processed, fast food diet for fresh vegetables, fish, nuts and whole grains. Fresh foods found in the Mediterranean and DASH diet tend to be the best for your brain to function at its best.

Challenge Your Brain Every Day

Focus. Spend 20- 30 minutes each day challenging your brain with games or puzzles, reading, creating art/poetry or learning something new. Choose a variety of activities to keep it fun. You may discover hidden talents.

Kick those Habits

Don’t smoke, vape or use tobacco products. Smoking is not only associated with a higher risk of heart disease and cancer, smoking doubles the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

Drink Less

Limit alcohol consumption to moderate amounts. Seek professional help if needed.

Five plus … Add-on and combine …

Prioritize the top 5 in your defense against dementia but also add to your playbook recommendations from our 6 Pillars of Brain Health like:

  • Adequate sleep
  • Relaxation
  • Maintaining a healthy heart

Get in the Game!

Re-take your brain health check-up to see how you’re offensive game is adding up.

How do I access my brain health check-up?

  1. Go to HealthyBrains.org.
  2. Select “Login” from  top right corner
  3. Enter Username
  4. Enter Password (Forgot? Press forgot password)
  5. If you have completed all 6 Pillar questions, press DASHBOARD to see last score.
  6. Press each Pillar to see tips or re-take survey.
  7. Just can’t figure it out?  Email us: [email protected]