There are some risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease which we could not change and one of them is aging. Aging is a physiological process and doesn’t necessarily equal to Alzheimer’s. There are lots of thing we could change in our life style to assist us in going through a healthy aging. Those things are “Your Healthy Choices”.
1.Physical activity: Regular physical activity is a well-documented option to reduce the risk of Alzheimer when you get aged. No need to be a professional athlete, but as little as 30 min workout a day (walking, bicycle riding, swimming, dancing) works for you if they increase your heart rate and respiratory rate. Better blood circulation to your brain supports your mental wellbeing.
2. Mental activity: Take a few minutes of your time to do a particular mental activity. That could be reading a book, solving a puzzle or learning a new skill such as cooking a meal or learning how to fix your broken cabinet. Making you brain cells busy and focused on learning will push them to make better connections with each other while it increases the brain blood circulation.
3. Choose a healthy diet: Healthy diets could be delicious if you take your time to choose a balanced and healthy ingredients. Fish, olive oil, colorful vegetables and fruits are something you can add to your grocery shopping list. Too much salt, sugar or fat are not what your brain cells pickup from the menu. So next time before shopping, take a second look at your list, and change it for good.
4. Avoid smoking and too much alcohol: Smoking does not do any good to you, whatsoever. Apart from a long list of toxic substances that your body will be exposed to as a result of smoking, it reduces the blood flow to your brain. Also having more than 14 units of alcohol each week (spread over 3 or more days) significantly increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
