One of the biggest fears for people over 40 is the thought of losing their memory because of Alzheimer’s or other cognitive disorders. Now there seems to be an epidemic going on and no one really knows why.
More and more people at younger ages are developing degrees of memory loss. There are many cases of people in their late 40’s and early 50’s having to cope with memory problems. It is probably the number one condition that people fear because of prospect of not knowing what they are doing or who they are.
One problem related to loss of mental abilities is the shrinking of the brain as we age. The brain shrinks a small amount every year and by the time we reach senior citizen age, our brain can shrink to levels that can lead to greater cognitive decline and higher risks of death.
The shrinkage of the brain can be slowed and even stopped if you adopt a healthier lifestyle. People who suffer from excessive stress, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, being overweight, and an unhealthy diet are the ones who will show the most brain shrinkage and have higher risks of developing cognitive problems.
While there is no definitive answers to the reason for the large number of people dealing with cognitive disorders like memory loss, the factors of diet and fitness are key to stopping mental decline. One of the diet problems that needs to be addressed is eating a diet high in refined foods, especially carbohydrates.
Many studies have shown that a large percentage of people suffering from memory decline have high carbohydrate diets and many have diabetes or borderline diabetes. While there are no definitive studies proving a definitive correlation between the diet and memory loss, there is enough evidence to show there is some correlation.
One of the best ways to keep your mental sharpness is to continually challenge your mind. Doctors recommend keeping your mind fresh with different mental tasks like solving puzzles and learning new skills. Even just doing the daily crossword puzzle is a great way to keep your mind stimulated. There are also many mental tests you can do online that have been proven to improve memory.
People who get in a rut and don’t really use their mind are the ones who show the most signs of loss of memory and mental decline.
You don’t have to resign yourself to that fact that you will develop memory problems in the future.Your plan for avoiding mental decline and memory loss should include a healthy diet with less processed foods and carbohydrates, having a fitness regimen with several hours of exercise a week, getting enough sleep every night, and constantly challenging your mind.
I will try anything to help me keep my memory. I have read other articles that also said you should keep your mind challenged. I like Ken’s articles because they keep me informed.
I wonder how much heredity affects your risk of having dementia. If it runs in the family then that really puts you in a high risk. Need to assess risks and make improvements.