I gave a lecture on Improving Brain Function with Diet and Lifestyle on Thursday night at the Prince of Peace facility just outside of Calgary. Seeing as the material is still fresh in my brain, I thought I would write a blog about it. Apparently more than 650,000 people in Canada have dementia and that number is predicted to rise at a staggering rate. Women tend to me affected even more than men as they tend to be the caregivers for other loved ones that need aid. What can we do to offset the risk?
I just read Undo It by Dean Ornish, MD. He writes about how simple lifestyle changes can reverse most chronic diseases. If you go to his website, you can read his research on improving cognitive function using diet and lifestyle changes. I will write a summary of what I have learned from reading his research. The factors that can help offset risk include
Exercising for 30 minutes 5-6x/week. Even simply walking at a brisk pace for 25 minutes has been shown helpful to preserve brain function, It is also recommended that strength training three times to five times a week can help you. If you build strength in your legs, it can help improve brain function. After all. exercise increases brain derived neurotrophic factor-miracle grow for the brain. It helps grow the hippocampus which is involved in memory storage and processing. Exercise creates new neurons and protects neurons. Exercise improves insulin sensitivity which is so important for preserving brain function. Regulating glucose preserves brain function.
A beautiful woman came to my lecture and she was 93. She was moving well, alert and excited to be at my lecture. I asked her what was her secret for aging so well. She told me that she walked three times daily. Why did that not surprise me? It just confirmed to me how important exercise is to preserving brain function.
Exercise increases gene programs to suppress inflammation. It improves mood by increasing dopamine and serotonin. Starting a walking group amongst friends can improve connectivity to others which helps improve consistency and ward off social isolation ( a known risk factor for dementia).
Exercise improves quality and duration of sleep. Sleep is one of the things that is needed to be helpful for improving brain function. It is recommended that you get 7 to 9 hours of sleep nightly. Sleep in a cool room (18-24 C, dark room, quiet) for best results. Try to keep a regular sleep wake pattern. I go to bed at 10 pm and get up at 6 am to stay at optimal health.
The glymphatic system is active at night. It works all night ‘housecleaning’ the brain, removing wastes to make sure the brain is operating at its highest capacity during the day.
One thing that I learned from Dr. Ornish’s recommendations are to take one hour out of your day for relaxation. He recommends doing yoga or stretching exercises, breathing exercises, meditation.
Meditation is fantastic for the brain. It can increase stem cells in the brain, helping to repair the brain. It helps reduce cortisol improving memory retention and sleep. There are plenty of free meditations on youtube.com. Mindfulness meditations can improve mood and a sense of well being. Dale Bredesen, a known expert on the brain, recommends meditating for thirty minutes daily.
The reason for this is it will trigger more of the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and relax) vs the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) which is where 80% of North American culture spends there time in. We need to stress less to improve brain function.
Another thing that can help with lowering cortisol (the stress hormone) is generating more oxytocin in your system. You can increase oxytocin by cuddling with pets of your loved ones. That is enough information for Part One. Remember consistency and discipline do so much for health. Until next time, be well. Dr. Robin Vinge, Naturopathic Doctor
References: www.deanornish.com, Alzheimer’s The Science of Prevention On Line Series 2023