Are You Worried About Forgetting?

Have you noticed that you and your loved ones seem to be forgetting more?

This has become one of the major concerns that comes up in sessions with my clients as well as in daily conversations. A healthy brain is one of the prerequisites of a fulfilling life.

Good and Bad News About Forgetting

According to a study carried in the University of Toronto, forgetting occasional details is healthy and makes us smarter. When your brain is crowded with memories they can create conflict and interfere with your ability to make efficient decisions. In the long run remembering the big picture as opposed to little details is better for our brain and our safety. That is why one of healthy brain’s functions is to overwrite old memories weeding out the most important details.
But the bad news is that according to Dr Amen, Alzheimer’s is expected to triple in the coming decades; 50% of people 85 years old will be diagnosed with the disease.  The Alzheimer’s Association also estimates that as many as half a million people in their 40’s and 50’s have early-onset Alzheimer’s and other dementias, and by 2050, the number is expected to triple.

Dementia, Alzheimer And Forgetting

Dementia is a general term that describes a variety of diseases and conditions involving mental deterioration that develop when nerve cells in the brain die or no longer function normally. The main causes of dementia are:

1. Alzheimer’s disease
2. Brain trauma
3. Alcohol abuse

Keep an eye on yourself and loved ones and look out for these warning signs of Alzheimer’s and Dementia:

1. Is your memory worse than what it was 10 years ago. It is not normal for you to have memory problems when you’re in your 40’s, 50’s, 60’s or 70’s. It is a sign of trouble, and not a sign of old age as many people think.
2. Memory loss that disrupts daily life. New problems with words in speaking or writing. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps. All these may be the result of stress, or of disease.
3. Challenges in planning or solving problems, difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at leisure. Decreased or poor judgment.
4. Confusion with time or place, trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships.
5. Being overweight increases the risk of the depression and dementia. Recent studies have shown that as your weight goes up, the actual physical size and function of your brain goes down!
6. Depression doubles the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in women and quadruples the risk in men.
7. Withdrawal from work or social activities. Changes in mood and personality.

Prevention

Evidence of Alzheimer’s begins in the brain 30-50 years before any symptoms arise. As there is no cure, it is important to focus on prevention from an early age. Here are Dr. Amen’s eloquent advice:

1) You need to protect your head. Drive safely with your belt on. Wear a helmet on motorbikes. Minimise the risks if taking part in dangerous sports.
2) Adopt healthy sleep habits. Good sleep is essential for healthy brain function. Less than six hours of sleep at night is associated with lower overall blood flow to the brain. Insomnia puts you at risk for obesity and depression and lack of sleep can impair your judgment.
According to Ayurvedic advice ideal time to sleep is 10.30PM, massaging the soles of your feet before sleep would help calming your system. In order to synchronise with the rhythm of the sun we need to wake up one and a half hour before the sun rise. At this time the environment is pure and calm opening our senses, improving mental performance, healing mental irritation, hyperactivity and lethargy.
3) Regular Exercise can increase the brain function from 4% to 45%! It should involve strength-training, aerobics including burst training and exercises to improve coordination.

4) Stay socially active. But find young stimulating company with whom you are more likely to enjoy yourself and find fulfilment. Avoid hanging out with negative people who bring your mood down.

5) Engaging in mentally stimulating activities and lifelong learning.  Whenever you learn something new, your brain makes a new connection. But when you stop learning your brain starts to disconnect itself. Meditation boosts the judgment part of your brain. Playing word games enhances your language centers. Memory games works the brain hippocampus and learning a new dance step can activate your coordination centers. To work your brain, spend 15 minutes a day learning something new.

6) Follow a diet with high-quality nutrients that your body is able to properly digest..Too many calories cause waste to build up in your cells causing everything to look and feel older. Foods That Help Both Brain and Skin are:

• Omega 3 rich seafood, nuts, and avocados
• Green tea
• Berries
• Green leafy vegetables
• We need to eat like a “gorilla”, eating lots of vegetables, some fruit, nuts and seeds and some protein. When you eliminate refined sugar, bread, pasta, grains, dairy, soy, coffee and alcohol you can’t go wrong.

Be smart in choosing high quality with nutritional value, low quantity calories. Drink water instead of coffee or alcohol. Choose clean protein to help balance your blood sugar and provide the necessary building blocks for brain health whilst maintaining lean muscle mass, which is a real issue as we age. Good fats are essential to your health, just eliminate the bad ones that interfere with your ability to recognise your sense of fullness.

Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)image:Marg