If you don’t believe that “lifestyle” is a huge contributing factor to getting Alzheimer’s, please watch this informative, compelling piece by Maria Shriver and Dan Buettner for the Today show! (~5 min.) They visit a Greek family who come from Ikaria, one of the Blue Zones where the residents tend to thrive well into their 100’s, with virtually no Alzheimer’s on the island. Check out what happens when this Ikarian family migrates here to the US…. and they live the way that we do.
Watch here:
And by “live the way we do” I mean:
The video and Today Show article are both compelling, showing that lifestyle really does make a difference – and in this case- for the worse. Getting away from the healthy daily habits found in Ikarian village life to adopt a typical American lifestyle appears to have been surprisingly harmful to this family.
The thing is, we CAN prevent cognitive decline in many cases if we make lifestyle changes early enough. There are no guarantees– but there’s a plethora of well-documented research that demonstrates the mental and physical benefits and the increased odds for wellness when we adopt a healthier lifestyle. If you liked what you saw in the video and what more, here’s Dan Buettner’s latest book:
THE BLUE ZONE SOLUTIONS, by Dan Buettner
His book is well worth the read, especially if you enjoy the stimulating mind travel of reading about other cultures and places. But in addition to that, the lifestyle takeaways are of great interest.
Regarding why the early adoption of a healthier lifestyle matters, in terms of prevention…
It matters because,
Scientists increasingly recognize Alzheimer’s as a disease process that begins years before symptoms of dementia become evident. Now, new research has found changes in the brain and body up to 20 years before Alzheimer’s symptoms arise.
-By ALZinfo.org, The Alzheimer’s Information Site. Reviewed by William J. Netzer, Ph.D., Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at The Rockefeller University.
Other practitioners believe the evidence appears even earlier: Brain guru Dr. Daniel Amen, whose team has done over 60,000 brain SPECT scans has seen evidence far earlier, even as far back as 50 years before symptoms are detected. This was a contributing factor as to why Dr. Amen has made an effort to educate the younger generations about Optimal Brain Health in his free course called BRAIN THRIVE BY 25
The course is geared toward teens and young adults, age 15 – 25. (Although anyone can take the free course at any age, and I highly recommend it!) There’s also an option to take the course for 3 units of college credit for only $299, which may be incentive enough to get some young people to take the course. The fee charged basically just offsets his initial costs for getting the course accredited. He believes, as do I, that it is crucial that we start understanding the importance of brain health far earlier than is the current norm. (And parents, if you ever wanted a way to convince your kids not to get overly involved with drugs or alcohol, this program can do it for you. The Spect scans of drug users might scare them straight!)
The course teaches students the following:
If you know of anyone who could benefit from this information, please share. And if you haven’t already, please subscribe to my newsletter where I share lifestyle tips, lifehacks, and interesting articles.
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#alzheimersprevention #earlyprevention #lifestylechanges #worththeeffort
Maria Shriver Dan Buettner Alzheimer’s Research & Prevention Foundation
I help clients reboot and invigorate their lives! I do this by guiding them as they gain clarity on what they truly want in their careers/ relationships/ lives; by coaching them as they create actionable plans to achieve their goals, and by supporting them as they create sustainable habits that lead to more meaningful, purpose-driven, healthier lives!