Mental Health
Ten Tips to Slow Down Dementia with Healthy Lifestyle Habits
I present ideas to reduce the risks of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease for better healthspan and longevity.
Purpose of the Article
This article introduces ten lifestyle changes that can naturally reduce the risk of dementia. I only focus on the essential items and will not go into details on each item as I published several articles related to these critical points, which can be found in my publication Euphoria, reflecting my health, fitness, and lifestyle transformation.
Dementia as a Life-Threatening Condition
Dementia is a debilitating health condition affecting millions of adults globally. Living a long life is desirable but living a quality life is vital. As a type of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease affects 6.2 million Americans.
Aging is a significant risk factor for dementia. However, scientific evidence shows that we can reduce the risks by addressing the factors. Common symptoms of dementia are memory decline and personality changes.
There are many known risk factors for dementia. Most of them relate to lifestyle choices. Of course, genetics plays a role to some extent, but we now know that epigenetics can address some genetic constraints. By changing our environment and lifestyle, we can influence to turn on good genes and turn off disease-producing genes.
There is no cure for dementia yet. However, researchers have developed some promising medications, as I mentioned in this article. So, rather than treating dementia, the approach is to treat the causes, such as nutritional deficiencies and biological defects, via medication and lifestyle changes.
1 — Consuming Nutrient-Dense Foods
Our body and the brain need essential amino acids, essential fats, minerals, and vitamins to perform. While we need glucose to feed the brain and some organs as an energy source, the body can create glucose from amino acids. The process is called gluconeogenesis.
So, even though some of us need carbohydrates, they are not considered as essential as the body can create glucose without carbs. This is not just a theory.
Like many people, I have been on a zero carbs diet for over a decade and did not feel any problem with my blood glucose and energy levels that I monitored meticulously. Far from it, cutting carbs helped me thrive as a carbs-intolerant person.
Of course, this is an individual choice, so something working for me might not work for others, but my point is we need to be mindful of excessive glucose in our bloodstream, which can make us insulin resistant. Unfortunately, I see insulin resistance as the elephant in the room, like many thought leaders and researchers. Metabolic syndrome is a global health issue.
There is significant evidence of the side effects of insulin resistance on neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. This condition is even known as type three diabetes, as the brain cannot properly use glucose.
As an alternative energy, ketones, especially β-Hydroxybutyrate, provide metabolically cleaner energy to the brain. Therefore, I enjoy intermittent fasting and a ketogenic lifestyle with no snacks.
Our body needs many minerals. Some are trace minerals in tiny amounts. Some vitamins are critical such as Vitamin D, as I mentioned in this article, and Magnesium in this one titled What Happens If You Don’t Get Enough Magnesium?
2 — Undertaking Regular Exercise
Exercise is essential for the body and the brain. Specific types of exercises, such as aerobics, can increase BDNF. Movement is also necessary to remove toxins from the body.
Workouts can produce good-feel hormones and neurochemicals in the body. These neurochemicals can help create new connections in the brain.
I provided a chapter from one of my books introducing joyful exercises. However, exercise is an individual matter. Therefore, it is wise to discuss with qualified healthcare professionals and customize a workout regime aligned with our health conditions.
3 — Having Meaningful Social Connections
Social connections are essential for brain development. We are social creatures. Our limbic system is an open system craving intimacy.
Socially intelligent and active people live longer, as proved by the studies in the Blue Zones. Social connection is a known longevity factor.
Our emotional maturity contributes to our social intelligence.
4 — Refraining from Smoking and Excessive Alcohol
Smoking produces many harmful materials. It also affects blood flow, especially in the brain. Pure nicotine intake occasionally is arguably considered good for the brain in a low dose, but many other materials in cigarette smoke are dangerous. Thus, giving up smoking is a wise choice.
Healthcare professionals have been warning the public of the detrimental effects of smoking for decades. As a result, many countries have taken stringent measures to protect citizens from the harmful effects of cigarette smoke.
Excessive alcohol has brain-damaging effects. In addition, too much sugar in alcoholic drinks can lead to insulin resistance. I introduced the critical role of insulin resistance in healthcare in this article.
5 — Addressing Chronic and Emotional Stress
Chronic stress, primarily caused by negative emotions, can have a detrimental effect on the brain. As I mentioned in this article, many studies identified links between chronic stress and dementia.
When we have chronic stress, our body produces excessive cortisol hormone. While cortisol is a valuable hormone to manage stress, elevated cortisol levels affect melatonin adversely hence causing sleep deprivation and leading to a crash in the long term.
Studies indicate that many health issues are caused by emotional stress. Suppressed emotions accumulate and interrupt the energy flow and balance.
Emotional stress is caused by excessive and destructive emotions such as fear, anxiety, worry, anger, frustration, grief, dissatisfaction, and boredom. I shared the details in this article titled Emotional Stress As Larger Part Of The Iceberg In Energy Deficiency.
6 — Reducing Chronic Inflammation
Inflammation in the body, particularly the brain, is a severe health issue. Several neurological diseases are linked to chronic inflammation.
Acute inflammation is needed to repair our body from injury. However, chronic inflammation causes undesirable outcomes.
I published an article about dealing with chronic inflammation.
7 — Getting High-Quality Sleep
Sleep is essential for our health and well-being. It is a non-negotiable requirement for our body and the brain. More importantly, sleep restores daily wear and tear in the body.
Sleep duration can change from person to person. However, we all need quality and restorative sleep. Sleep deprivation can cause chronic stress and chronic inflammation.
I share a chapter from one of my books, including eight effective techniques that I used to improve my sleep quality. Improving sleep had a tremendous effect on my life.
The most prominent one was optimizing cortisol levels which had been caused by excessive stress and insomnia.
8 —Eliminating Toxins and Pathogens
Toxins can cause hormonal imbalances in the brain. Likewise, heavy metals and pathogens are hazardous to brain chemistry. There are some ways to get rid of heavy metals.
For example, I occasionally use activated charcoal as a proven method to remove them from the body.
However, we cannot entirely get rid of toxins. The defense system in our body can handle a certain level of toxins. Nevertheless, if they pass the threshold, we can experience adverse effects.
Therefore, we need to decrease toxic input from all sources, especially air, water, and food.
9 — Initiating Autophagy
Autophagy is a natural cleansing process
Autophagy recycles impaired organelles, mutant proteins, viruses, and bacteria. The purpose of autophagy is to maintain cellular health. Besides, autophagy is critical for skeletal muscle homeostasis.
I published an article on how to activate autophagy naturally.
10 — Creating Cognitive Reserves
As we age, it is inevitable to have cognitive decline.
However, dementia is not just an aging disease.
It is caused by several medical conditions and unfavorable lifestyle habits such as inadequate nutrition, lack of exercise, toxins, stress, and inflammation. Genetics is also a contributor to dementia.
So my point is we all will experience cognitive decline as we age. However, we can create cognitive reserves allowing us to perform mental activities despite the cognitive decline.
Cognitive flexibility is critical for our mental health. As I introduced in this article, we can use everyday activities as mental boosters to maintain our cognitive supplies.
Takeaways
1 — Consume nutrient-dense foods
2 — Perform moderate exercise consistently
3 — Create meaningful social connections
4 — Refrain from smoking and excessive alcohol
5 — Address chronic and emotional stress
6 — Reduce chronic inflammation
7 — Get high-quality and restorative sleep
8 — Eliminate toxins and pathogens
9 — Activate autophagy naturally
10 — Create cognitive reserves
I hope you find these tips valuable to customize your lifestyle aiming to slow down neurodegenerative diseases. I wish you a healthy and joyful life with your loved ones.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
As a new reader, please check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting my reviews, observations, and decades of experiments optimizing my hormones and neurotransmitters. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis.
ALS, Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Thyroid Disorders, Anemia, Dysautonomia, cardiac output, and urinary track disorders.
I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
Lutein/Zeaxanthin, Phosphatidylserine, Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and other nutrients.
Disclaimer: My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experience, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.
As part of my creative non-fiction writing goals, I’d like to share a few stories that might warm our hearts with a bit of humor into weighty topics.
Sample Humorous Stories
Finally, After Burning Her House, Georgia Found Enlightenment
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Based on my writing experience and observations, I documented findings and strategies that might help you amplify your voice, engage your audience, and achieve your desired outcomes in your writing journey.
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