1. It is never too late!
It is never too late to help prevent dementia. There are studies of older adults (over 65 years) doing exercise for the first time and it help reduced their risk of dementia. On the contrary, those who are over 65 year and stopped exercise also increased their risk of dementia. So get to it!2. Dementia is not a part of aging!
I work at a nursing home and I meet so many people with Dementia that I just think it is normal. It isn't the norm.3. Control your high cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes
People with high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugar have a higher chance of getting dementia. So if you control these with healthy eating, exercise and medication , it will reduce your risk of dementia. If you are struggling then go get help - see your GP/Dietitian/Health Professional.4. Healthy eating
You might be wondering - what is healthy eating? Lots of vegetable (at least 3 cups a day), include fruit (about 2 pieces/day), include grains, include unsaturated fats (e.g. avocado, nuts, seeds), include fish and poultry (twice a week).Unfortunately, there is no magic food that you can eat to prevent dementia. You might have read that aluminum can increase your chance of getting Alzheimer's dementia. But the study by the University of Tasmania found that it didn't. In the course, they also said that eating more of coconut oil, coffee, and turmeric did not reduce your chance of getting dementia.
5. Challenge your brain
Challenge yourself with new learning and this will reduce your chance of developing dementia. This could be learning a new language, visiting a museum, reading books, playing board-games, or doing puzzles. I have started learning French on an free app called "Duolingo".6. Be social
This is very important***They found that social activities like going to church, group exercise classes and playing games with people means you will reduce your chance of dementia.
Storytime - I think this is why my 99 year old Grandfather is so healthy. He goes to Yum Cha everyday for lunch and just chats to people. Love you, Grandfather!
7. Exercise
Physical activity is also of benefit to reduce dementia. However, they haven't worked out how much . The most important thing is to get started and do it regularly. Why not, find a exercise buddy and chat and exercise at the same time. I am so thankful to have a gym buddy, it is only reason why I get myself out of bed at 7am on a Saturday morning. |
| Source: http://www.alzheimers.org.nz/ |
P.S. If you are interested, you can enrol into the Dementia course at UTAS. It is also free. You don't need any pre-knowledge. You don't need to be a working in the medical field. https://mooc.utas.edu.au/courses
References for articles to show it is never too late:
Gregg, E. W., Cauley, J. A., Stone, K., Thompson, T. J., Bauer, D. C., Cummings, S. R., ... & Study of Osteoporotic Fractures Research Group. (2003). Relationship of changes in physical activity and mortality among older women. JAMA, 289(18), 2379-2386. doi: 10.1001/jama.289.18.2379
Byberg, L., Melhus, H., Gedeborg, R., Sundström, J., Ahlbom, A., Zethelius, B., ... & Michaëlsson, K. (2009). Total mortality after changes in leisure time physical activity in 50 year old men: 35 year follow-up of population based cohort. BMJ, 338, b688. doi: 10.1136/bmj.b688
References for websites if you want more information:
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