Reduce Your Risk of Dementia

One of the most important considerations when supporting a healthy brain is to reduce uncontrolled inflammation and put out the fire in your brain. The following suggestions all help to reduce inflammation and provide your brain cells with the nutrients they need to function.

• Eat a wide variety of plant-based foods rich in brain-protective antioxidants – aim for at least ten servings per day. Be creative, and choose foods with different colours. Plant foods are rich in fibre to feed a healthy gut because your gut has a massive influence on inflammation.
• Avoid foods causing your blood sugar to peak and then crash, such as processed foods, fruit juices, cakes and biscuits. Fluctuating blood glucose levels have been linked with dementia.
• Eat plenty of healthy fats from oily fish, flax seed oil, olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocados, as these are needed in large amounts by your brain cells. Your brain is made up of 60% fat.
• Improve your sleep hygiene. Set a consistent bedtime, including at weekends. Without sufficient sleep, your brain can’t repair itself.
• Avoid sources of toxins like chemical cleaners and personal care products. If you have mould in your home, take steps to deal with it, as airborne toxins emitted by mould can impair brain cell function. Include as much organic produce in your diet as possible – pesticides and herbicides contain toxic chemicals.
• Reduce alcohol, because even moderate alcohol use damages brain cells. It’s best kept as an occasional treat.
• Manage your stress. Ongoing stress is a major contributor to cognitive decline. Deep breathing is a stress-busting technique which can be done anywhere and costs nothing. Breathe into your diaphragm, making the out breath longer than the in breath.
• Consider fasting. Allowing a gap between an early dinner and breakfast the next day, rather than grazing throughout the evening allows your body’s cellular cleaning mechanisms to work effectively.
• Learn a new skill. Keeping your brain active really does help maintain those connections between brain cells. If it gets you moving, so much the better. How about learning to dance or taking up a new sport?