Physical activity, healthy weight, diet, and brain health

 With your risk of dementia post stroke, DEMAND  YOUR DOCTOR GET YOU RECOVERED ENOUGH TO DO THESE ACTIVITIES!

Your risk of dementia, has your doctor told you of this?  Your doctor is responsible for preventing this!

1. A documented 33% dementia chance post-stroke from an Australian study?   May 2012.

2. Then this study came out and seems to have a range from 17-66%. December 2013.`    

3. A 20% chance in this research.   July 2013.

4. Dementia Risk Doubled in Patients Following Stroke September 2018

Physical activity, healthy weight, diet, and brain health

The Lancet Commission identified several modifiable risk factors that might prevent or delay up to 40% of dementias, and recall from the last email, protecting your hearing was one of them.

Two recent studies found that engaging in 2-3 healthy lifestyle behaviours could lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by 37%, while doing 4-5 healthy behaviours could lower your risk by 60%. These factors included diet, exercise, not smoking, light to moderate alcohol consumption, and participation in cognitive activities.

So, the more of these factors you can incorporate into your life, the better it is for your overall brain health.

Let’s explore the impact of physical activity, weight management, diet, and nutrition on dementia risk reduction.
 

Physical Activity

Many studies have shown that exercise is great for the brain and that those who exercise throughout midlife have lower chances of developing dementia as they get older. It helps to release chemicals in the brain that are responsible for maintaining and improving brain health. There are many reasons to exercise, such as: improved bone health, lower risk of heart disease, improved mood, decreased risk of falling, and maintaining brain health.

Both aerobic exercise (running, jogging, or brisk walking) and resistance training (muscle strengthening exercises) have been linked with better brain function, both immediately after exercising and over longer periods of time.
 

Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines 

The 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend that adults should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week. It is also beneficial to add muscle and bone strengthening activities using major muscle groups at least twice a week. If you are over 65, consider adding physical activities that challenge balance. Make sure to include several hours of light physical activities, including standing, to help limit your sitting time.(Today I got in 150 minutes of walking on rough terrain including thru 8 inches of water and mud, and will do the same tomorrow.)

The guidelines also highlight trying to limit sedentary time to 8 hours or less, with no more than 3 hours of recreational screen time. Try to break up long periods of sitting as often as possible.
 

Weight Management

Regular physical activity can also promote healthy weight management. Obesity in midlife is associated with an increased risk for developing dementia.
 

Diet & Nutrition

Eating a well-balanced diet with adequate vitamins and nutrients is very important for your brain health. Certain vitamins such as vitamin B12 and D are integral for brain health and deficiencies in these vitamins may have cognitive impacts.(But you give us no specifics! So totally fucking useless!)
 

Vitamin Deficiencies

Vitamin B12 helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. In general, vitamin B12 levels decline with age, and therefore, the prevalence of vitamin B12 deficiency increases in older adults. It can cause memory loss and has also been linked to an increased risk of developing dementia.

Vitamin D plays an important role in neurodevelopment. Research suggests that people with very low levels of vitamin D, or those with a condition known as vitamin D deficiency, can experience impacts on their cognitive functioning. In addition, some studies have found an association between vitamin D deficiency and a risk of dementia in older adults; though more research is necessary to better understand the link.

Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet has been associated with many health benefits such as: decreased risk of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Parkinson’s Disease.

The Mediterranean diet consists of the following:(Nothing is specific about the Mediterranean diet, so useless!)

• Eating mostly plant-based foods, such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts
• Replacing butter with healthy fats such as olive oil and canola oil
• Using herbs and spices instead of salt to flavour foods
• Eating fish and poultry at least twice a week
• Limiting red meat to no more than a few times a month

In some studies, people at risk for dementia who ate a Mediterranean diet improved their brain function by a moderate amount.

Many foods such as blueberries, leafy greens, and curcumin (found in the spice turmeric) have been studied for their potential cognitive benefit. One study on older adults found that eating a daily serving of leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and kale was associated with slower age-related cognitive decline.

Bottom Line

 

• Ensuring you are participating in regular physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight are effective steps to promoting brain health and reducing your risk of dementia.
• Diet changes can have a powerful effect on brain health (and other health benefits).
• What’s good for the body is also good for the brain.
• Check out the Mediterranean diet.
• Don’t waste your money on unnecessary vitamins or supplements unless you have an actual vitamin deficiency or your doctor has recommended supplementation for another reason.
• Start with small changes that seem manageable so you can maintain them in the long run.