New Year Resolutions

It’s a new year…and that usually means a new list of resolutions. For many, the list may include losing weight, eating healthier, saving money, spending more time with family and friends, quitting smoking or drinking, and learning or doing something new. Perhaps instead of resolutions, we should consider commitments for the new year…commitments to a healthier lifestyle.

You are already familiar with the 4 Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention™, which include diet and supplements, exercise, and stress management. Make a commitment to eat healthier. Just like your body, your brain needs proper nutrition, blood flow, energy, and care to operate effectively. There is growing evidence that links brain health to heart health. Many of the conditions that damage the heart or blood vessels, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, and diabetes, appear to increase the risk of developing vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s. Eating a heart-healthy diet rich in cold-water fish, lean protein, nuts, whole grains, olive oil and healthy fats, and fresh fruits and vegetables can help protect against these conditions. Additionally, antioxidants found in foods and supplements, such as Vitamins A, C and E, help protect against free radicals, which are highly-reactive forms of oxygen that create chemical reactions that damage brain cells. Foods such as broccoli, tomatoes, kale, citrus, green leafy vegetables, blueberries, wheat germ, and seeds, are great sources of antioxidants.

Holiday Stress, Memory and the Brain

The holidays are upon us…a wonderful opportunity to visit and spend time with family and friends. For some of us, the holidays can also be quite stressful…traveling great distances, crowded shopping malls, paying for holiday purchases, setting up holiday decorations, preparing holiday meals, entertaining the in-laws, unexpected company, frequent family gatherings, increased workload… all of which can affect our brain function.

Numerous studies have shown that stress may adversely affect our ability to focus and solve problems, and may also cause short term memory loss. Here’s what happens chemically: the stress hormone cortisol damages the cells in the memory center of your brain. As stress and cortisol levels increase, so does the chance of developing memory loss. Remember frequent visits to the grocery store for ingredients that never made it on the shopping list? High levels of cortisol also impact your ability to learn and retain new information, which is called short-term memory loss.

So how can we cope with holiday stress?

Stress Management
Stress-relaxation techniques work by reducing stress, thus lowering cortisol levels, and improving many aspects of mental function. Research has shown that the benefits of a regular stress-relaxation practice can improve your overall health…such as improved heart function, reduced anxiety and chronic pain, and increased longevity…and can especially improve focus, attention, and optimal mental performance.

There are many ways to manage stress, the most obvious of which is to avoid stressful situations. Since this is less likely to occur during the holiday season, other techniques to lower stress and anxiety might include yoga, meditation, exercise, deep breathing, and chanting. Proper nutrition and proper sleep are also important for brain health.

During the holiday season and beyond, it is important for us to learn how to manage the stress in our lives so we can be better prepared for life’s unexpected and challenging situations. Stress management is essential for our continued mental and physical well-being.

Learn more about the 4 Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention™, which includes Diet, Stress Management, and Exercise, at www.alzheimersprevention.org.

Wishing you a stress-free holiday season!

Every 60 Seconds

According to the latest research, every 60 seconds someone is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, this statistic is up from last year when it was every 70 seconds. The number of people in America who will lose their memory is sky-rocketing. It could be because of aging, stress, life style issues, genetics, or some unknown reason but it is definitely happening.

The best way to make strides against Alzheimer’s is to not only maintain your brain as you age, but actually make it better by creating a lifetime of peak mental performance. An aging brain does not have to be the norm. You can make your brain, mind, and memory younger as you age and not allow yourself to lose it all.

According to my investigations, if we can delay the onset of memory loss by only 5 years, we can virtually drop the rate by 50%. More impressively, if we can delay the rate of memory loss by 10 years, which is possible, then we will never suffer from loss of mental function as we age. How you live your life today will go a long way towards determining the state of your mind and memory tomorrow.

You can protect and repair your brain with your lifestyle choices. You need to find a solution that first recognizes and then reduces the factors that put you at risk. The answer? The 4 Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention™:

• Diet and Supplements: Just like the rest of your body, your brain needs proper nutrition, blood flow, energy, and care. Discover how simple it can be to supercharge your brain health with the right diet and supplements. Diet and nutrition can prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s.

• Stress Management: The effects of the daily grind on your body are well known, but did you know your brain also suffers when you’re stressed out? Find out how you can benefit from easy stress-relieving techniques that can dramatically reduce your risk for developing Alzheimer’s.

• Exercise: It’s simple: if you want to maintain a healthy body and mind, you must exercise. But, in addition to physical exercises, it’s time for you to discover how mental and mind-body exercises are essential for your health and wellbeing.

• Medicines: Medications and hormones can be an important part of the answer. Working with your physician, it’s vital that you understand how pharmaceuticals may be an important part of your overall solution if you have an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

By following these lifestyle changes, prevention is possible. Let’s spread the word together so that “60 seconds” will turn into zero.

Love May Start in the Brain

It seems that there is always research being done on the brain, helping us to learn more about the brain and brain longevity. 

In New York, some unusual research was done by Bianca Acevedo, a New York neuroscientist.  Her research concluded that love is in the head and not the heart!

Acevedo is part of a new field in science that seeks to biologically explain love, and so far they have found that love is mostly understood through hormones, genetics, and brain images, according to a report from the Associated Press.

A Historic Moment: Improving Lifestyle May Decrease Alzheimer’s by 50 percent.

Dear Friend:

As you may have heard, a recent announcement at the International Conference on Alzheimer’s disease hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association in Paris, France, states that the prevention of cognitive decline is now within reach. This statement has drawn an enthusiastic response from many industry leaders.  The ARPF is among those quick to affirm the news. As you may recall, in 1993, we were the first to begin this pioneering prevention research work.

I’m thrilled that the Alzheimer’s Association and others have joined our prevention camp. When I first started speaking publicly about Alzheimer’s prevention, I wasn’t the most popular physician in the room. But science has always been on our side, and I was patiently optimistic that the conventional medical establishment would embrace the concept one day. Listening to the news that the other experts now agree with me that with lifestyle measures, we can reduce the number of people who develop Alzheimer’s by as much as 50 percent is validating – not of me personally, but of the science that we have been promoting for many years.

Life Expectancy: The Most Important Measure of Health

Life expectancy is perhaps the most important measure of health. It is readily comparable across countries and asks the most fundamental question concerning health: how long can the typical person expect to live?

Life expectancy increases due to healthcare improvements like the introduction of vaccines, the development of drugs or positive behavior changes like the reduction in smoking or drinking rates. During the 20th century, the average lifespan in the United States increased by more than 30 years as the rates of infectious diseases declined.

A VITAMIN A DAY KEEPS DEMENTIA AWAY

The driving force behind memory loss is age. But developing memory loss and Alzheimer’s is not a foregone conclusion.   There are many things you must do to give yourself the best research-backed chance to not get it. Some examples include slowing down the aging process and delaying or eliminating the likelihood of losing your memory.
Exciting new research suggests that it may be possible simply by taking a multivitamin every day. The new findings show that vitamins have many positive effects on your body, mind, and memory including those on telomeres.

Dr. Dharma visits with David Cassidy about Alzheimer’s Prevention

The well-known reality show The Celebrity Apprentice emphasizes the fact that celebrities compete for their choice of charity.  It’s great entertainment and a great way to raise awareness for many organizations. The ARPF recently had the opportunity to be one of these charities, chosen by David Cassidy to be his charity of choice. 

Dr. Dharma, Kirti Khalsa and Conni Ingallina visit with David Cassidy

 

David’s grandfather had severe dementia and his mother is currently in 24-hour nursing with severe dementia.  Alzheimer’s disease is near and dear to his heart and he chose the ARPF as his charity to help raise awareness that this disease can be prevented.

We were honored that David chose the ARPF as his charity for the Celebrity Apprentice and we went to Las Vegas last weekend to tell him so in person. David’s passion about this issue rings through in every word he speaks and we were privileged to hear his heart on this issue, as well as discuss other opportunities to raise awareness about Alzheimers and dementia. 

And what visit would be complete without going to a Vegas show?  We had the privilege of seeing David Cassidy in concert – he puts on a fantastic and entertaining show! 

What a great weekend, and a great opportunity for the ARPF to raise even more awareness regarding our research and programs.  Stay tuned for more…

FACEBOOK-A NEW “WAVE” TO KEEPING YOUR BRAIN YOUNG

Seniors might stave off memory loss by frequenting Facebook, a new study suggests.

Who would have thought that 40 years after the first email was successfully sent that we would be creating virtual spaces to connect with our friends, family and community via “the net!”  Not only has it become a modern phenomenon but it is a way of life.  I’m talking about Facebook.  Yes, the noun, the verb and the adverb– Facebook. 

Something that started as a way to rate chicks on college campuses in the early 2000s has essentially become THE hub to reconnect, invite, like, friend and chat with folks from all over the world.  And it doesn’t just stop there – social media tools such as Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, Skype have also joined the ranks.

A Report From the SharpBrains Virtual Summit

On March 30th and 31st and April 1st, I attended a great conference called the SharpBrains Summit. This conference was attended by over 200 people virtually, from all over the world, as well as by many well known and leading professors and speakers in the field of brain fitness, cognitive training, and memory loss. A lot of interesting topics were covered. I myself presented the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation’s work, including our recent publication of articles in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Consciousness and Cognition, Journal of Nuclear Medicine, and Psychiatry Research on how our innovative Kirtan Kriya meditation is able to affect positively the brain, improves memory, and enhances well being.

This is significant, because what was discussed was also the fact that aging baby boomers want is to create a lifetime of peak mental performance. In other words, they want to be able to maintain their cognitive function as they age, and not have their memory decline.