HEALTH & WELLNESS
SPECIAL SECTION
HEALTH for the
Whole Family
Advice to help your family embrace
a healthier lifestyle.
Brain Games
As you age, your brain continually
changes. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is
important to your body and your mind.
Just like it is important to exercise daily to
keep your body in shape, it is equally as
important to exercise your brain. Memory
loss doesn’t occur simply due to aging,
but because of brain injury, illness or
disorders. Many of these issues are due to
unhealthy habits or poor lifestyle choices
that could be avoided.
Dementia is one of the most common
categories of brain diseases. A common
misconception is that dementia itself
is a disease, but it is not. Dementia is
a term that defines a decline in mental
ability severe enough to interfere with
daily life including impaired memory,
communication and language, ability
to focus, reasoning and judgment,
and visual perception. At least two of
the aforementioned symptoms must
be severely impaired to indicate signs
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of dementia. Usually the signs and
symptoms are progressive and get worse
over time. If caught early by a health care
professional, some symptoms can be
treated. One of the most common types
of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s accounts for 60 to 80
percent of all dementia cases. It causes
severe problems with daily tasks that
involve memory, thinking and behavior.
It is not a normal part of aging, but the
greatest known risk factor is increasing
age since the disease is progressive. While
it is most common in people over the age
of 65, younger-onset Alzheimer’s is found
in five percent of people as young as their
40s.
According to the Alzheimer’s
Association, evidence shows that
incorporating the following habits will
keep you fit both physically and mentally:
• Heart Health – Obesity, high blood
pressure and diabetes—all risk
factors for cardiovascular disease—
icmags.com
negatively impact your cognitive health.
Cardiovascular activity increases blood
flow to the brain and body, reducing the
risk of cognitive decline.
• Helmet Up! – Brain injury is one of
the leading causes of dementia and
cognitive decline. Play it smart and
always wear a helmet to protect from
brain injury.
• Sleep Tight – Have you ever stayed up
late, only to find you’re forgetful and
mentally lethargic the next day? Not
getting enough sleep can result in lower
brain function, affecting memory and
thinking.
• Be a Social Butterfly – Staying active
with friends and loved ones may
support brain health as well. A recent
study from the Women’s Healthy
Aging Project found that babysitting
grandchildren could lower the risk of
Alzheimer’s.
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