I am a kind good man who values truth and I like to talk to people that can talk about anything you want to.
Dementia is not a single disorder or disease; it is an umbrella term that covers a wide range of specific medical problems, including Alzheimer’s disease. The abnormal brain changes cause these conditions grouped under the general term called “dementia.” Such changes cause a decrease in the ability to think, also known as a cognitive ability that is severe enough to hinder daily life and independent function.
Dementia affects behavior, emotions and relationships as well. In 60 to 80 percent of cases, Alzheimer’s disease reported. Vascular dementia, which is the second most common cause of dementia occurs due to superficial bleeding and blockage of the blood vessels in the brain. But many other disorders can induce dementia symptoms, including reversible ones such as problems with thyroid and deficiencies in vitamins.
Dementia is often misrepresented as “senile dementia” or “senility,” reflecting the historically common yet false assumption that a natural part of ageing is a serious mental deterioration.
Depending on the symptoms, there are many different types of dementia. The most prominent is Alzheimer’s disease, according to the National Institute on Aging. Other types are as follows:
- Vascular dementia
- Lewy body dementia
- Frontotemporal dementia
- Mixed dementia, or a combination of all types
There are a few typical dementia symptoms. In general, there must be two or more of these symptoms present in a person to label him/her a case of dementia and the signs and symptoms would be severe enough to cause interference with their daily lives. These include;
Subtle short-term memory changes
Memory disorder may be an early symptom of dementia. The shifts are often gradual, affecting short-term memory. An older person may not be able to remember the things he had for breakfast. Other short-term memory symptoms include;
- Forgetting where they left an object
- Struggling to remember why they entered a room
- Forgetting the way back home
- Forgetting what they were doing on any given time or day
“Growing evidence indicates that people can reduce their risk of cognitive decline by adopting key lifestyle habits,” says the Alzheimer’s Association. “When possible, combine these habits to achieve maximum benefit for the brain and body. Start now. It’s never too late or too early to incorporate healthy habits.” Read on—and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure Signs You Had COVID and Didn’t Know It.
1. You’re Not Fueling Up Right
“Eat a healthy and balanced diet that is lower in fat and higher in vegetables and fruit to help reduce the risk of cognitive decline,” says the Alzheimer’s Association. “Although research on diet and cognitive function is limited, certain diets, including Mediterranean and Mediterranean-DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), may contribute to risk reduction.”
One type of food associated with the Mediterranean diet offers especially large benefits. Switching to one of the world’s most popular and respected diets might lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. And consuming one specific component of the diet is likely to pay the biggest dividends. A recently published study from the National Institutes of Health looked more deeply at the Mediterranean diet to try to zero in on the elements of the diet that protect cognition. “Cognition” essentially refers to our mental abilities, such as thinking, memory, language and attention. Eat This Food If You Want to Avoid Alzheimer’s Disease (msn.com)
2. Food Sources For Vitamins and Minerals – Beta Healthy Both vitamins and minerals play a primary role in living as air and water. They are not only essential to keep your body healthy and functional, but also protect you from a variety of diseases. Vitamins and minerals get thrown together. However, they are quite different. It is beneficial for you to keep in mind that vitamins are organic substances produced by plants or animals. Vitamins are also called essential. The reason is that they are not synthesized in the body (except for vitamin D). They must come from food.
3. You’re Not Taking Care of Your Mental Health
“Some studies link a history of depression with increased risk of cognitive decline, so seek medical treatment if you have symptoms of depression, anxiety or other mental health concerns,” says the Alzheimer’s Association. “Also, try to manage stress.”
4. You’re Not Staying Socially Engaged
This one is hard to do during the pandemic, but it’s important. “Staying socially engaged may support brain health. Pursue social activities that are meaningful to you. Find ways to be part of your local community — if you love animals, consider volunteering at a local shelter. If you enjoy singing, join a local choir or help at an after-school program. Or, just share activities with friends and family,” advises the Alzheimer’s Association.
5. You’re Not Staying Educated
“Formal education in any stage of life will help reduce your risk of cognitive decline and dementia,” says the Alzheimer’s Association. “For example, take a class at a local college, community center or online.”
6. You’re Not Taking Care of Your Heart or Lungs
“Evidence shows that risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke — obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes — negatively impact your cognitive health,” says the Alzheimer’s Association. “Take care of your heart, and your brain just might follow.” Don’t smoke either.
7. You’re Courting a Brain Injury
“Brain injury can raise your risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Wear a seat belt, use a helmet when playing contact sports or riding a bike, and take steps to prevent falls,” says the Alzheimer’s Association.
8. You’re Not Sleeping Enough
“Not getting enough sleep due to conditions like insomnia or sleep apnea may result in problems with memory and thinking,” says the Alzheimer’s Association.
9. You’re Not Exercising
“Engage in regular cardiovascular exercise that elevates your heart rate and increases blood flow to the brain and body,” says the Alzheimer’s Association. “Several studies have found an association between physical activity and reduced risk of cognitive decline.”
RELATED: 5 Ways to Prevent Dementia, Says Dr. Sanjay Gupta
10. Play Brain Games
“Challenge and activate your mind. Build a piece of furniture. Complete a jigsaw puzzle. Do something artistic. Play games, such as bridge, that make you think strategically,” says the Alzheimer’s Association. “Challenging your mind may have short and long-term benefits for your brain.” And to protect your health, don’t miss these Signs You’re Getting One of the “Most Deadly” Cancers.
The Diet Hacks That Will Reduce Stress Right Now, Says a Doctor Jennifer Maldonado, Author at Eat This Not That ~ Bing images
There really is nothing worse than constantly feeling stressed.
Especially if you’re trying to focus on working toward any weight-loss goals, stress only ends up being more of a hindrance, as you simply aren’t in the best headspace to be your healthiest self. And that constant state of stress can have many (not-so-great) effects on you, overall.
“In order to understand the effect stress has on the body, we need to understand our stress-related hormones. The primary stress hormone is cortisol. The primary calming hormone is serotonin,” explains Gretchen San Miguel, MD and Chief Medical Officer for Medi-Weightloss.
“Stress increases cortisol, ‘the stress hormone.’ While this can cause you to have less of an appetite at first, long-term ‘chronic’ stress actually boosts your hunger.”
So yes, that means you might end up eating more, and you’re likely to eat the type of foods that aren’t the healthiest options around.
“High levels of cortisol can increase your insulin levels, causing your blood sugar to drop which in turn makes us crave sugary high-fat foods. Chronically, this can also lead to weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating,” says Dr. San Miguel. “When we are stressed, we tend to turn to comfort food, mostly because these foods, in turn, trigger counter-effective neuro-hormonal responses that have a direct calming effect on us , increasing serotonin.”
But don’t worry, not all hope is lost! That’s where we come in. Thanks to Dr. San Miguel, she shared some of the best and easiest diet hacks you can adopt that will reduce stress, right now.
“Healthy lifestyle changes could ultimately ameliorate the impact that chronic stress can have on your body and lead to improved health, more energy, and less weight gain, thus improving your overall wellness,” says Dr. San Miguel.
Check out the full breakdown of what you can do to reduce stress levels, and while you’re making healthier habits, be sure to try out any of the
15 Underrated Weight Loss Tips That Actually Work.
1. Decrease your consumption of sugary foods.
“High sugar foods will lead you to crave more high sugar foods, creating an endless cycle,” says Dr. San Miguel. “Consuming sugar is linked to higher cortisol levels in obese individuals.”
But there is an upside, as Dr. San Miguel says munching on dark chocolate is something you should be doing!
“Studies show that consuming dark chocolate reduces cortisol response to a stress challenge,” she says.
(If you need some help cutting back on sugar, here is the science-backed way to curb your sweet tooth in 14 days.)
2. Fill up on the right kinds of foods.
That means raw veggies.
“Mostly for the stress relief that comes from chewing them, eating raw vegetables can help release clenched jaws and decrease cortisol levels as well,” says Dr. San Miguel. “Veggies are very low in calories and are filled with essential nutrients and dietary fiber.”
You’ll also want to be sure you fill up on foods that increase serotonin. This includes eggs, cheese, pineapple, tofu, salmon, turkey, nuts, and seeds, according to Dr. San Miguel.
3. Grab some milk.
When in doubt, turn to a warm glass of milk. Sipping on it can help you get to sleep faster, and adequate, proper sleep is majorly important when you’re trying to reduce stress.
“[Go ahead and] warm [some] fat-free milk. Certain compounds in milk—specifically tryptophan and melatonin—may help you fall asleep,” says Dr. San Miguel.
4. Skip the simple carbohydrates and load up on complex carbs.
“Simple carbs like sweets and sodas are digested quickly and lead to a spike in serotonin, making us feel quick stress relief, but it does not last long and before you know it you will be craving for more sweets to replicate the feeling. As you can imagine, this leads to continuous elevated blood sugars which in turn eventually will lead to elevated cortisol levels, weight gain, and eventually many chronic diseases,” explains Dr. San Miguel. “Since complex carbs take longer to digest, they tend to be the ones that release a steadier supply of our feel-good hormone serotonin.”
Essentially, you’re going to want to choose whole-grain breads, pastas, and breakfast cereals, including old-fashioned oatmeal.
“Complex carbs can also help you feel balanced by stabilizing blood sugar levels, controlling hunger spikes,” Dr. San Miguel adds.
5. Drink up.
Water, that is!
“Adequate hydration, sleep, and exercise are also important to control hormones and stress levels,” Dr. San Miguel says. “Dehydration increases cortisol. I tell my patients to drink half their body weight in ounces of water per day.”
Along with getting your water fixed, you’ll want to make sure you “get enough quality sleep, [as] timing, length, and quality of sleep all influence cortisol,” and “exercise consistently, but not too much,” according to Dr. San Miguel.
“In general, most adults should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day and two strength-training sessions per week. Mild or moderate exercise at 40–60% of maximum effort does not increase cortisol and can actually help decrease cortisol,” she says.