Tips for Delaying the Onset of Alzheimer’s and Dementia

Researchers have not found a cure for Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia, however, they have found that certain lifestyle choices can delay the onset of the disease. In order to try to prevent the onset of dementia there are 6 aspects of your lifestyle that you can try to make as healthy as possible. These 6 aspects of a brain-healthy lifestyle include regular exercise, healthy diet, active social life, mental stimulation, quality sleep, and stress management.

Regular exercise has many benefits. Exercise has positive psychological effects as well as helps maintain a healthy vascular system, preventing the onset of vascular dementia.  Regular exercise has been shown to prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by 50 %. Not only is it important to exercise to keep your vascular system healthy and prevent the onset of dementia, but eating a heart and brain healthy diet will help as well. Eating foods that are high in omega-3 fats and eating fresh nutrient-filled food will help maintain a healthy brain. Quality sleep is important for all ages to stay healthy. Our bodies and brains are restored during quality sleep, and without this sleep, our brains cannot function at full capacity. Mental stimulation is very important as it in a sense, exercises our brains. There are puzzles and “brain teasers” that people can do in order to exercise their brain, but we can also just try and learn new things, or do things differently. Instead of settling into a routine with all aspects of your life, trying new things will stimulate your brain. Stress management and maintaining an active social life can also help you live a brain and heart healthy life and  delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia.

To learn more about ways to live a healthy lifestyle that may delay the onset of dementia go to http://www.helpguide.org/elder/alzheimers_prevention_slowing_down_treatment.htm.