alzheimers news-15 ways not to get it

ALZHEIMERS NEWS-15 WAYS NOT TO GET IT

that is me about 10 plus years ago giving a talk with follow up questions at a senior expo in central texas

a few years before in 2010 i was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment due to alzheimers when i volunteered to be in a normal control group of a large alzheimers study

after i was diagnosed i became aggressive taking care of my health

recently an article linked here listed 15 science based ways to reduce your risk of getting dementia

try a plant based diet
i say i am a 90% vegetarian
i mainly follow the mind diet with an occasional meal of meat usually chicken

exercise regularly 
i work almost 2-5 hours a day in my community garden and get around 7000+ steps in

get vaccinated
dont listen to rfkjr
i have had my flu covid pneumonia shingles tdap and rsv immunizations
i need to update my shingles and pneumonia vaxxines
getting infections especially viral ones can activate an immune response of inflammation that may affect the brain
plus you can die from these infections

take a daily multivitamin if over 60
i dont but i use to 
i do take b12 d3 and folate since my blood levels of these were abnormally low

avoid air pollution
our air here in santa barbara is usually good except during fire season

protect against traumatic head injuries
i have had 3 concussions in my lifetime
around 12 around 16 and around 50
the first was when my pole vault pole broke 
the second was playing quarterback in the 9th grade
the last time was playing softball when i got hit in the head with a knee sliding into 3rd base
that cost me an overnight stay in icu

protect your hearing
yes hearing loss can increase your risk of getting dementia
should i develop this i wont hesitate to getting hearing aids

maintain your social connections
i interact with multiple folks every day online and at our community garden 
eg i supervise up to 10 people in our garden 3 days a week
plus i get to interact with my grandkids several times a week
dont isolate yourself 

reduce feelings of loneliness
i am too busy to be lonely

monitor blood pressure blood sugar and cholesterol
dont just monitor them
make sure they are normal
dont be afraid to take medications to control these
i wish i had started meds in my early 40s
if your are middle age and younger its important to control these 

get a good nights sleep
i only sleep usually 5-6 hours a night but i take an afternoon nap each day so i get 7-8 hours a day
my aricept or donepezil i take for my alzheimers interferes with my sleep
be careful taking sleeping pills as you age

reduce alcohol intake
i havent had anything to drink for 5 years and usually had only a glass of wine at night before i quit

stop smoking
i smoked cigarettes for about 8 years but quit when i was 24
i smoked a pipe for another 10 years
luckily i quit about 40 years ago

try to avoid sleep medications
sometimes they mask other sleep issues such as sleep apnea

do crossword puzzles
it is important to keep the brain busy
i eg read several news feeds a day read a book every night and write this blog
so i keep my brain busy

so i am doing all of these healthy 15 things
plus
i was diagnosed real early

i started aricept as soon as i was diagnosed
they slows down the symptoms but doesnt stop the disease
folks who start it early like me live longer and do better over time

i received 34 monthly infusions of aduhelm which removed all of the measurable amyloid plaque from my brain

add all of this up and this is why i am still sitting here writing this blog and not in a long term care facility 

you need to start these science based healthy things early in your life to delay or prevent dementia

the organicgreen doctor