Seven is your lucky number if you want to significantly cut your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. According to the medical journal The Lancet Neurology, there are simple things you can do – starting right now – to significantly cut your risk of Alzheimer’s. Diet, exercise, hydration, and mindfulness can all work together to help you keep your brain healthy, even if you are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s
Preventable causes of Alzheimer Disease
Scientists say the main cause for Alzheimer’s is genetic, but that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to Alzheimer’s if you have the genetics for it. Having the genetics for Alzheimer’s simply means your risk of developing Alzheimer’s is greater than if you weren’t genetically predisposed. With or without the genetic predisposition for Alzheimer’s there are seven risk factors that increase your chances of developing Alzheimer’s:
- Diabetes
- Mid-life obesity
- Smoking
- Physical inactivity
- Low Educational Achievement
- Depression
- Mid-life high blood pressure
The importance of good hydration
Most of these risk factors for Alzheimer’s can be controlled by proper diet and good hydration. In fact, proper hydration can help you reduce your risk of four of these factors:
- Diabetes – Hydration helps keep your kidneys functioning properly
- Obesity – Drinking water can help you lose weight
- Depression – Dehydration is a factor in depression
- Blood pressure – Proper hydration helps keep your blood from becoming too thick
Alkaline water hydrates better than plain water. Improving your hydration status can help:
- Improve your mood
- Increase your energy levels
- Weight loss
- Reduce blood pressure
- Improve kidney health
What you can do to reduce the seven risk factors for Alzheimer’s
1. Drink Alkaline water from a water ionizer
A study called “The neuroprotective effects of electrolyzed reduced water and its model
water containing molecular hydrogen and Pt nanoparticles” shows that in laboratory testing, alkaline water reduced or prevented oxidative damage to nerve and brain cells. Researchers concluded that drinking alkaline water from a water ionizer has the potential to reduce the oxidative damage to brain cells that causes Alzheimer’s and dementia.
What you can do: Put a water ionizer in your home. It’s cheaper than you might think! You can finance a water ionizer for less than you may be paying for bottled alkaline water right now.
2. Choose a healthy diet and water for blood sugar control: Eat a healthy alkaline diet such as the Mediterranean Diet, and drink alkaline water. High blood sugar is a symptom of metabolic syndrome – a “constellation of physiological screwups.”
Research shows that there is a link between low urine pH and metabolic syndrome. An alkaline diet and alkaline water can work together to raise your urine pH. You don’t need a big change in urine pH either. An increase of less than half a pH has been shown to have the potential to eliminate all the symptoms of metabolic syndrome.
What you can do: Eat a healthy alkaline diet.
3. Screen yourself for metabolic syndrome: Metabolic syndrome is a factor in 3 of the seven risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. If you have at least 3 of these 5 symptoms, you may have metabolic syndrome:
- High cholesterol
- Obesity
- High blood sugar
- Low urine pH – How to test your urine pH
- High blood pressure
- Bone loss – How to test yourself for bone loss
What you can do: If you find that you are at risk for metabolic syndrome, talk to your doctor. Switch to a healthy alkaline diet, and drink alkaline water. Drinking alkaline water can raise urine pH
4. Quit smoking: Cigarette smoking is a factor in so many diseases, it’s an expensive way to die slowly and painfully. Smokers suffer the ill effects of smoking for decades in a gradual decline into morbidity. The good news is, your health starts recovering dramatically when you quit.
What you can do: Vapor pens have helped many people quit. Consider using one to give you something to do when you crave that cigarette break, it’s surprisingly effective!
5. Get active: Choose something fun if going to the gym bores you as much as it bores me. Even just a little extra physical activity, such as going for a walk, will make a difference. Improving your level of physical activity is also a great way to reduce your risk of cataracts.
What you can do: Get creative! If traditional exercise is too boring, and that makes it difficult for you to stick with it, try something different, especially if it’s very different! Here are a couple of choices I made that make staying fit exciting:
- Trapeze – I found a local trapeze school, one class and I was hooked!
- Poi Spinning – A Polynesian dance that involves two balls attached to chains. It builds stamina, flexibility, and coordination
You can find interesting and unique activities at adult learning centers, senior activity centers, and local gyms.
6. Keep your mind active: You can take classes at an adult learning center, or even take classes online. Think of your brain as a muscle, if you don’t use it, you’re going to lose it.
What you can do: Check your local community colleges for adult classes and take at least one class a semester that interests you. You can also take classes online. It’s best to do this with a friend, since you can keep each other motivated, and you’ll have somebody to talk with about what you’ve learned.
7. Control your blood pressure: All of the tips given in this article so far will help you reduce blood pressure. You should also watch your salt intake, too much salt raises your blood pressure.
What you can do: Switch to a low-salt diet, and drink alkaline water for improved hydration. Make sure you have a glass of water an hour before bedtime because it can prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Need help choosing a healthy lifestyle?
If you’ve read through the suggestions in this article, and you’re thinking: “But I’ve tried all that and it’s just too hard!” Life Ionizers can help, we have a resource just for you called The Alkaline Lifestyle. Basic membership in the Alkaline Lifestyle is free. The alkaline Lifestyle will give you information on how to make healthy diet choices, stay active, reduce stress, and more.
Hydration is an important part of reducing your risk of Alzheimer’s. Call us at 877-959-7977 to learn more about alkaline water, alkaline living, and resources that can help you choose a healthy lifestyle
References
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