| It can be the difference between living a
| |
| | these fish eaters when compared to peers
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| long, productive life and living a life.
| |
| | who did not eat fish as often. Mental
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| I walked into
| |
| | function in elderly men and women who ate
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| the hospital room. She lay on her bed
| |
| | fish two or more times a week declined at
|
| with tubes running from her arms and
| |
| | a rate thirteen percent slower than those
|
| electrodes taped to her chest. Equipment
| |
| | who did not eat fish.One final portion of
|
| at the side of the room recorded her
| |
| | a healthy diet that many people overlook
|
| heartbeat and blood pressure.She looked
| |
| | is drinking plenty of fluids. A
|
| up at me and said, "I know you." I
| |
| | dehydrated brain doesn't think clearly.
|
| smiled. She studied my face for a few
| |
| | Remember, plain old water is the
|
| moments. Finally she said, "Yes, I know
| |
| | healthiest fluid you can drink.3.
|
| you. You're my son Billy!"That was my
| |
| | Exercise Your BodyA study published in
|
| mother about a month before she died. She
| |
| | the Journal of the American Medical
|
| was 85 years old. She had had Alzheimer
| |
| | Association, consisting of 2257
|
| disease, the most common cause of
| |
| | Japanese-American men between 71 and 93
|
| dementia.The chances of having dementia
| |
| | years old, reported that regular exercise
|
| rise as you get older. By age 85, about
| |
| | can protect against the development of
|
| 35 out of 100 people have it1. After
| |
| | Alzheimer's disease. The research from a
|
| watching my mother I hoped I could figure
| |
| | number of organizations including the
|
| out how to fit into the sixty five
| |
| | Department of Veteran Affairs and the
|
| percent who grow old with a strong,
| |
| | Pacific Health Research Institute, also
|
| active brain.The Brain's FunctionsThe
| |
| | suggests that it is better to exercise
|
| brain is your body's control center. It
| |
| | throughout your life rather than trying
|
| controls the autonomic nervous system,
| |
| | to make up for an unhealthy lifestyle in
|
| those automatic activities such as
| |
| | your later years.Exercise helps us feel
|
| respiration, digestion, and heartbeat. It
| |
| | better both physically and emotionally.
|
| controls the somatic nervous system which
| |
| | It can help improve our self image. It
|
| activates your sense organs and muscles.
| |
| | also improves our strength and endurance.
|
| It also controls conscious activities
| |
| | It decreases body fat, improves movement
|
| such as reasoning, abstraction, decision
| |
| | to joints and muscles and increases the
|
| making and thought. It defines your
| |
| | body's ability to process oxygen. Regular
|
| characteristics and personality. Your
| |
| | exercise helps reduce depression while
|
| brain controls every activity in your
| |
| | reducing the risks of cardiovascular
|
| body.As you age, your brain begins to
| |
| | disease.What kind of exercise program
|
| function at a slower pace. It also takes
| |
| | should you engage in? It depends on your
|
| longer to rejuvenate. Your lifestyle, as
| |
| | particular likes and your body's physical
|
| well as other external factors, will
| |
| | condition. If you are over forty five and
|
| affect your brain's aging process. The
| |
| | haven't exercised in a while, you should
|
| good news is there are ways to enhance
| |
| | check with your doctor before beginning
|
| the power of your brain as time catches
| |
| | any type of exercise program.Your
|
| up with you. The following are four ways
| |
| | exercise program should include both
|
| to help slow your brain's aging
| |
| | cardiovascular and strength building
|
| process.1. Live a Healthy LifeThe second
| |
| | exercises. Cardiovascular exercises are
|
| most common cause of dementia is
| |
| | good for your heart. These include
|
| atherosclerosis, or in simple terms,
| |
| | walking, swimming, and bicycling and for
|
| hardening of the arteries in the brain.
| |
| | best results should be done for at least
|
| This is known as vascular dementia,
| |
| | thirty minutes a day, every day. Strength
|
| accounting for as many as 40% of cases.
| |
| | building exercises build your muscles
|
| Vascular dementia has been linked to high
| |
| | while helping keep your bones dense,
|
| blood pressure, high cholesterol levels,
| |
| | reducing the chance of osteoporosis. This
|
| heart disease, diabetes and related
| |
| | can be anything from calisthenics to
|
| conditions. Most experts feel that
| |
| | weight training.A favorite exercise of
|
| treating these underlying conditions can
| |
| | mine is Tai Chi, a combination of slow,
|
| decrease the odds of contracting vascular
| |
| | circular movements. A study by the
|
| dementia or, if a person already has it,
| |
| | Harvard Medical School showed that older
|
| can slow its progress. These diseases are
| |
| | women who practice Tai Chi regularly
|
| often accelerated by smoking, excessive
| |
| | experienced a better fitness boost than
|
| drinking and both prescription and
| |
| | walking briskly for three hours per week.
|
| recreational drug use.Smoking is bad for
| |
| | The study pointed out that this was due
|
| your health. It is also bad for your
| |
| | to better oxygen utilization.Tai Chi can
|
| brain. A study conducted in the
| |
| | help people suffering from arthritis and
|
| Netherlands followed 7,000 people age 55
| |
| | even osteoporosis. There is some evidence
|
| and older for an average of seven years.
| |
| | that indicates that the enhanced mind and
|
| During that time, 706 of the participants
| |
| | body connection resulting from the
|
| developed dementia. Smokers were found to
| |
| | practice of Tai chi can help protect
|
| be fifty percent more likely to develop
| |
| | against dementia and Alzheimer's
|
| dementia than people who had never smoked
| |
| | disease.Whether it's Tai Chi or any other
|
| or had quit before participating in the
| |
| | type of exercise the most important thing
|
| study.Alcohol abuse has been linked to15
| |
| | is to just do it.4. Reduce StressStress
|
| to 25 percent of all dementia cases2.
| |
| | increases your heart rate and blood
|
| Alcohol affects the brain directly as a
| |
| | pressure and can lead to stroke. There
|
| neurotoxin and is the cause of serious
| |
| | are two categories of stress. The first
|
| long term negative effects on the central
| |
| | type, acute stress, is also known as the
|
| nervous system. Alcohol abuse can lead to
| |
| | flight or fight reaction where the brain
|
| malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies and
| |
| | produces chemicals that tell the body to
|
| can also cause liver damage. Studies show
| |
| | speed up, making it perform more
|
| that these can lead to brain shrinkage
| |
| | effectively. This is the type of stress
|
| and brain damage.Illegal drugs can also
| |
| | you'll experience when another car pulls
|
| cause dementia. Cocaine affects
| |
| | out in front of you causing you to hit
|
| circulation and has been shown to cause
| |
| | your brakes suddenly. This type of stress
|
| small strokes. Heroin, if taken for long
| |
| | is normal and short-lived.The second type
|
| periods of time or in older people, can
| |
| | of stress is known as chronic or
|
| block the neurotransmitter acetylcholine
| |
| | long-term stress. This stress is abnormal
|
| which is involved with learning and
| |
| | and long lasting. There is strong
|
| memory.2. Eat Healthy Foods.As a general
| |
| | evidence that this type of stress
|
| rule, good nutrition for the body is also
| |
| | actually damages the brain. It occurs
|
| good for the brain. Healthy eating has
| |
| | when we don't let go of stress. Chronic
|
| been shown to reduce the risk of many
| |
| | stress increases the release of stress
|
| chronic diseases such as diabetes,
| |
| | hormones. Studies have shown that these
|
| osteoporosis, cancer and heart disease.
| |
| | stress hormones can actually kill nerve
|
| It also increases your chances of living
| |
| | cells in animals and can probably do the
|
| a fuller, longer life.To function
| |
| | same in humans.One method of reducing
|
| properly your brain needs top quality
| |
| | chronic stress is through exercise.
|
| fuel. A diet that includes five servings
| |
| | Stress can also be reduced through
|
| of fruits and vegetables a day,
| |
| | meditation. Another proven method is
|
| carbohydrates such as whole grain breads,
| |
| | through hypnosis. Using the visualization
|
| pasta and cereals, as well as fats and
| |
| | process hypnosis can help a person learn
|
| protein can provide this for
| |
| | to remain calm and relaxed even while
|
| you.Sometimes called brain food, fish is
| |
| | experiencing an event that had been
|
| a rich source of unsaturated fat and
| |
| | stressful to them in the past.Whatever
|
| protein. A study published in the
| |
| | method of stress reduction you choose,
|
| Archives of Neurology3 found that eating
| |
| | it's important to remember that taking
|
| fish at least once a week slowed down the
| |
| | steps to reduce chronic stress will
|
| development of dementia in elderly men
| |
| | improve your overall health. It will also
|
| and women. Overall mental function
| |
| | help you sustain your mental abilities.
|
| declined at a rate ten percent slower in
| |
| |
|
