You Already Know This.

In today’s post, a reminder of the simple things we can do for brain health.

1. Actionable Steps to Reduce Dementia Risk

Changing habits is hard. Especially when the benefits of those changes feel intangible.

I thought about this a lot when my dad was first diagnosed and I was looking for help. I read research explaining how certain lifestyle adjustments could reduce dementia risk. The suggestions often seemed too generic or weak for what he needed. 

For example, in a Washington Post article called “15 science-based ways to reduce your risk of dementia,” taking a multi-vitamin and doing crossword puzzles made the list. You could practically hear my eyes roll into the back of my head.⚭

If you’ve ever witnessed someone mentally decline due to dementia, as I’ve watched my dad over the last 3+ years since his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, you might feel the same way. These “tips” just don’t feel like enough. I wanted western medicine, a medication or treatment that would stop or reverse the decline!

2. Until We Get A Cure

Pre and post diagnosis, I’d say my dad made healthy lifestyle choices. He took his vitamins and ate a fairly healthy diet. He exercised several times a week and was always up on his feet working around the house. He had company 24/7 and a fairly social calendar from getting lunch with friends, to meeting his trainer at the gym, to volunteering at a local “Save the Bay” non-profit. 

He and his caregivers were out of the house most of each day - going to the movies, the dog park, the grocery store and running errands for my mom while she was at work. Yet my dad has still made it to the stage that I’ve been dreading for years; the day when he looks at me and doesn’t seem to remember who I am. 

My dad is currently in the advanced stage of dementia, and is living on a memory care floor of a retirement community just 15 minutes from my mom’s house. We made the tough call to move him there in September of 2024 which means we were able to keep him home for three years after his diagnosis. During those years, whenever anyone asked me how he was doing, I’d respond “honestly, he’s doing pretty well!” And I really meant it. I live across the country from my parents, and each time I’d go home to visit I would expect to see some major change in my dad’s capabilities or behavior. For years, I didn’t. 

The progression of my dad’s dementia seemed so slow for so long, and I think this is something I’ve taken for granted. My closest friend has a mom with dementia, and she declined rapidly over a few months. While I was looking for a silver bullet to cure my dad, I overlooked the things we were already doing to help.

Could it be that my dad’s healthy lifestyle and social engagements allowed him to remain relatively independent and physically functioning for so long?

3. The Four Fundamentals

Current research supports the claim that lifestyle choices can help reduce the risk of developing dementia and can slow dementia once symptoms begin.⚭ I find this advice to be very basic, but worth repeating. 

1. Exercise Regularly. Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity each week. Gardening works motor skills and muscles. Walking is great, and can be combined with other errands like grocery shopping or taking the dog out to go to the bathroom. I’ve heard that walking also helps relieve the urge to wander. 🚪🏃🏽‍♂️‍➡️

2. Eat a Balanced Diet. Stay away from ultra processed foods as much as possible. Okay, what foods are “ultra processed”? The way that I do it is look at the ingredients list and if there are a lot of words on there that I don’t understand, I don’t buy it. Buy more whole foods next time you’re at the store - fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs, and nuts. If they make it into your kitchen and fridge, they may make it into your body!

3. Stay Socially Active. So many people are dealing with various types of dementia, they will understand what you’re going through. Break through any resistance you may have and maintain regular contact with friends and family. Participate in community activities, join clubs, or just walk through your neighborhood and stop when you see somebody to talk so. 

4. Avoid Tobacco and Limit Alcohol. For my dad, when he was showing early signs of dementia, a single beer or cocktail would make his symptoms twice as bad. His ability to speak coherently would tank while his general confusion would skyrocket.  As a caregiver, you might decide that stopping alcohol intake for your loved one with dementia is worth it. 

   1. If you smoke, seek resources to help you quit. 

   2. Try to help anyone with dementia symptoms limit alcohol consumption or quit all together. If you (or they) are having a hard time with self control, there are two things I recommend:

      1. Don’t have any in your house and don’t buy any when you’re at the store. It’s easier to not buy it at the store at 11am than it is to not pour a glass of wine at 6pm when you’re really craving one. 

      2. Do buy alternatives. Having a can of NA beer is a nice way to end the day. Don’t deprive yourself! There are delicious alternatives out there, ask at your local shop and try a few. And while NA liquors can be very expensive, iced tea and lemonade are still cheap! 

I know this list is pretty basic, but this is what the doctors and researchers are recommending.

At this stage in life, many of my friends are seeing cognitive decline in their parents or grandparents. The risk of developing dementia after the age of 60 is about 40%.⚭ A UCLA PHD researcher published that 46 million people (more than 1 out of every 10 people) have the first symptoms of dementia starting in their brains.⚭ It will be a decade before these 46 million Americans have symptoms strong enough to officially diagnose dementia. During these ten years, there is a critical window to make changes that could help slow or stop the onset of these symptoms. If you and your loved ones can change just one habit that makes you more healthy and lowers the chance of cognitive decline, then this simple list did its job.

Stay healthy and connected. B.

Want to keep reading? Check out the links below.

Is Alzheimer’s disease a Type 3 Diabetes? A Critical Appraisal