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Lifestyle Prevents and Reverses Cognitive Decline I confided to a friend—a very successful business man who has visited with us several times—that I was having problems with short term memory. He stopped me in my tracks by saying he had a similar problem and reversed it completely. After being tested and diagnosed with pre-Alzheimer’s, he steadily improved by following a program detailed in “The Alzheimer’s Solution,” a book by Dean & Ayesha Sherzai, MDs, Co-Directors of the Brain Health and Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Loma Linda University Medical Center. (Loma Linda, a city with a population of about 24,000, is considered the only "Blue Zone" in the United States where people live longer--due to one of the largest concentrations of Seventh-day Adventists in the world.) After meeting with the authors, he adopted their five step plan: Nutrition, Exercise, Unwind, Restore, and Optimize. He sent us a copy of The Alzheimer’s Solution, which reports “Radically Reducing Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease by 90%.” (Our friend’s results are an example.) This lifestyle approach aligns with our “Self-help” approach. We'll look at each step. Nutrition They begin by emphasizing the importance of diet for brain health. “Food determines the fate of our bodies: how we grow, how we age, and how we die. Though the brain comprises only 2 percent of the body by weight, it uses up 25 percent of the body’s energy, and because food is energy, our brains are especially vulnerable to each nutritional choice we make.” Here's the summary provided by our friend: “Eat a whole food plant based diet…no dairy, eggs or processed foods. No cheating.” Examine their approach and decide what suits you. What will you enjoy and be willing to eat for the rest of your life? You can’t go wrong by eating a balanced diet of whole unprocessed foods. That’s the cornerstone. Where you go from there is up to you. Exercise They recommend daily exercise and take 36 pages breaking down their approach. It's a must read. They include aerobic exercise, strength training, and movement every hour. They provide a detailed account of their personal approach to exercise. We like that they practice what they preach. They have exercise equipment in their home and in their office. This allows them to stay active during their work day. (Our doctor friend Arnie Jensen kept a stationary bike in his office at the Cooper Clinic.) “Exercise is crucial for every system in your body,” Dean Sherzia told a patient, “but especially your brain. We’re not designed to sit all day. We’re supposed to move, and move a lot.” Unwind The Doctors tell us that stress reduction is crucial when it comes to brain health. That we should find our own stress reduction program; one that we find relaxing. They recommend meditation, but if that doesn't appeal to you, there are many other calming activities. Find something that works for you. Something that relieves anxiety and depression. That helps you sleep better. That makes it easier for you to exercise and eat healthy foods, That will help you enjoy life to its fullest. Alternatives include walking at a pace that you find pleasant and relaxing. Yoga designed for stress relief. Surrounding yourself with friends and loved ones. Relaxing at home after a challenging day at work. Carol and I enjoy walking in the parks near our home. It's a good way to unwind at the end of our work day. The authors offer a weekly unwind plan. Restore Restorative sleep is a critical part of cognitive health. Getting six to eight hours of sleep is the end result. Getting there is the challenge. It requires planning. The authors keep a regular sleep schedule, even on weekends. They close down their computers at least 30 minutes before going to bed. They enjoy coffee and tea, but not later than mid-afternoon. They stop eating three hours before bedtime. They exercise in the morning and throughout the day, but save their evenings for relaxation. They sleep in a dark and quiet room--looking on it as a sleep therapy room. They got the idea after sleeping in a friend's basement and getting the best sleep ever. Just as they have created a space in their home for exercise, that have designed their bedroom for restorative sleep, where the brain renews itself for the next day. You'll find many more details in the 30 pages they devote to restorative sleep. Optimize Our friend calls this "twisting the brain," challenging it to develop new connections. It's my favorite step on the road to brain health. The authors tell us that we use 100 percent of our brain 100 percent of the time--even when we're sleeping. That means we have to keep challenging our brain. Let up, with age or otherwise and your brain slowly shuts down. The more complex the challenge the better. * * * I feel good about this, because I've never stopped challenging my brain--excelling in a very demanding law school, practicing law in many areas, writing books, undertaking a monthly column in Muscle & Fitness, and now with our updates. This article is my newest cerebral challenge, number 548 and counting.
I plan to keep challenging my mind--and my body.
This photo by Guy Appelman shows that I continued to challenge my body after picking up my dad's barbell in the fifth grade. * * * The Alzheimer’s Solution tells us that our friend and I are on the right track. We recommend the book to every one determined to keep their mind and body going strong. (Don't retire without a new challenge that excites you.)
You'll find more "how to" details in The Budge Collins Success Story in this Update. February 1, 2023 Comment on this article: FEEDBACK Ripped Enterprises, P.O. Box 51236, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87181-1236 Home | Products Index | Ripped Bks | Lean Adv. Bks | Lean For Life | Recommended Bks | |Consultations | Tapes | To Order | Feedback] Copyright © 2023 Clarence and Carol Bass. All rights reserved.
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