Brain Health Awareness

Are you taking the steps necessary to maintain a healthy brain? What is brain health exactly? Having a healthy brain means that one of your most important organs is functioning at optimal level. This includes your ability to recall memories, problem solve, learn, concentrate, and how you oversee life. It is never too late to adopt healthy lifestyle habits that can reduce your risk of declining brain health. Let’s go through some of the top ways to stay on top of brain function…

Move your body!

Exercising on a regular basis is essential to having a healthy brain. Aerobic exercise increases your heart rate, sending blood to the brain and body; researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas published a new study that found regular exercise improves brain health in aging adults. Those who follow an exercise regime showed an increase in blood flow to the anterior cingulate (region linked to excellent cognitive function in mature brains) and the hippocampus (key region affected by Alzheimer’s disease). You don’t have to spend money or do anything extravagant; even a short, daily walk can promote good brain health.

Don’t just exercise your body, exercise your brain too.

Cardiovascular exercise may show regional blood flow, but if you really want to optimize your brain health mental training is essential. Complex mental training increases your entire brain’s blood flow. This can mean signing up for a class at a local college or online, or reading at home on a regular basis. Not only will you see changes in your memory, mood, and confidence, but your overall quality of life will improve as well. Combining physical and mental exercises could be the best way to improve your overall cognitive function.

Relax.

Even though stress can motivate people to perform and get things done, too much of anything is bad for you, and your brain health. Studies show that stress can have a negative effect on multiple illnesses, and cognitive function. Adding meditation into your routine can reduce stress levels, improve emotional wellbeing, and overall health. The best part is you can practice it anytime, anywhere. There are many variations of meditation you can try to see these benefits, including: guided meditation, mindfulness, yoga, focused attention, or simply relaxed, deep breathing. Keep an open mind, and know that there is no “wrong” way to meditate. Lower daily stress, and bring balance to your mind and body.

Cut out the junk.

Food is fuel, what is in your fuel determines how well your brain and body function. Studies have found that processed food worsens your ability to regulate insulin, promotes inflammation and stress, and impairs brain health. Depriving your brain of quality nutrition is a sure way to speed up cognitive decline. Eating a balanced diet high in fruits and vegetables reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, and mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety.

Get enough sleep.

Nobody enjoys feeling sluggish and tired. Not getting enough rest impairs your ability to problem solve, reason, and concentrate. Studies show that sleep restores your brain health by flushing out toxins, and repairing cells. The glymphatic system drains waste from the brain by sending fluids through channels that surround your brain’s blood vessels. Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center discovered that this system can help remove a toxin known as beta-amyloid, a protein found in the brain tissue of patients with Alzheimer’s. Getting the sleep your body needs is essential to cognitive function.

Get started today!

A healthy lifestyle reciprocates a healthy brain. No matter what your age is you can embark on the journey of improving your life. It may take a few tweaks and adjustments to your daily life, but with consistency you will begin to see the benefits in no time.

Sources:
Brain Health

Mayo Clinic

Harvard Health

Nih Gov

May: Skin Cancer Prevention and Detection Month

In May, the weather is warmer and people start going out to enjoy the sun. We all know that absorbing some vitamin D is essential for our health, but being aware and cautious about its risks is part of the strategy for a balanced and healthy life. Let’s be aware of melanoma and skin cancer detection and prevention. Melanoma and skin cancer are types of cancer – the most common ones in the United States – that develop in skin cells when they start to grow out of control, and may spread to other parts of the body. They are normally caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet rays, either from the sun, tanning beds or sun lamps.

Prevention of Skin Cancer

Prevent Always

• Avoid burning and intentional tanning (in the sun or tanning beds).
• Stay in the shade when sun’s rays are the strongest, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Use long-sleeved shirts and pants, hat and sunglasses whenever possible.
• Apply sunscreen on exposed body surfaces; it should be applied on the face every day.
• Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 30 or higher for protection from ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation.
• Apply 15 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours.
• Be extra cautious around snow, water and sand as these are surfaces that reflect more sunrays.

Detect Early

• Do monthly complete body self-examinations to spot any signs of developing skin cancer. Learn how to do the self-examination step by step in the website below:

http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/early-detection/step-by-step-self-examination

• Invest in a first doctor’s examination and have it done at least once a year, along with your self-examination.
• Remember: skin cancers found and removed early are almost always curable!

Resources

www.cancer.org  Accessed in April 23, 2017.

www.skincancerprevention.org/skin-cancer/prevention-tips

www.skincancer.org/

Salad in a Jar –

Fall Into Fitness with Good Health – Join us for a Salad in a Jar.

How to Create a Super Brain!

How to create a super brain.  Tips on brain health and improving memory.

http://www.learn.hayhouseu.com/superbrain-video-whoscontrollingwho

April is National Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Awareness Month. 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most common functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder individuals struggle with worldwide.   The disease can be difficult to diagnose, because there are no physical signs, or specific testing that can be done to confirm IBS.  Therefore, the diagnosis is a process of ruling out other conditions.  Women are more frequently diagnosed with the disease than men, but the reasons are unknown.

This disease is characterized by symptoms that last for at least 6 months and involve belly pain for at least 3 days in a month, for at least 3 months.  If you have two of the following symptoms you may have IBS:

• Changes in bowel movement patterns (diarrhea or constipation, and change in structure)
• Bloating and excess gas
• Pain in lower belly
• Mucus in stools

What causes IBS? 

The cause is not fully understood; however, there may be possible factors like genetics, prior infections, trauma, as well as, alterations in bowel bacteria, and increased intestinal inflammation.

How to manage IBS?

Lifestyle changes are important in managing IBS. These include the following:

• Reducing stress
• Hypnosis
• Acupuncture
• Exercise

Can Nutrition and Supplements help with IBS?

Nutrition plays a role in managing all disease including IBS.  First, avoid trigger foods, and stimulants (caffeine, tobacco), and non-nutritive sweeteners (sorbitol and Xylitol).   Supplements can help with managing the disease, turmeric, peppermint oil and probiotics, have been show to improve symptoms of IBS.  Probiotics help with building health bacteria in the gut, so they are something you want to take on a daily bases.  Not all supplements are created equally, verify the quality and select those with the most scientific research backing their benefits.

Inflammation Management ABCs

Inflammation is the root of all disease, and controlling it will help reduce symptoms.  Start with increasing fiber to feed healthy bacteria, add fish oil to help reduce inflammation, and add a food supplement supported by clinical trials that reduces inflammation.  Our experience has shown that Juice Plus+ is backed by clinical trials that support its inflammation busting properties, as well as studies that verify its support for healthy DNA, among numerous other health benefits.  Learn more about the product on our website under the nutrition tab.

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Personal Response Safety Service’s (PERS) units allows seniors remain independent.

Personal Emergency Response Service’s (PERS) units help seniors remain independent.  Teaching senior’s home safety techniques and providing home fall safety checks is in the forefront of keeping seniors independently at home for as long as possible.  Studies show that seniors want to be home and they strive when they know they are safe in their own environment.   In addition to providing a quality aide to care for a senior, having an additional safety tool, such as a Personal Response Services (PERS) unit adds an extra level of safety.   One of the leading personal emergency response services is “Be Safer at Home” and we have partnered with them to offer our clients a variety of products that best suit their needs, at a discount.

Different types of (PERS) units are available depending in the needs and limitations of the senior.  The units can be worn around the neck or on the wrist.  Some of these units are activated through motion, so if a senior falls and is unconscious or has a stroke and unable to move to activate a button, the devise will activate automatically.   Certain units allow seniors to travel with extra security because the devise can be activated while traveling.

Medications are another safety concern for seniors and their care givers.  They can forget to take them or forget they took them, which causes either an under or over dose.  A devise that monitors their medication is also available.  This devise will dispense the required medication daily, enabling medication monitoring by the senior, family member and aide, to insure the proper dose is taken on a regular bases.    You can read more about these great products by “Be Safer at Home” at    http://www.besaferathome.com/products.html

Should the senior in your life be driving?

Driving requires one’s full attention, despite numerous potential visual, manual and cognitive distractions that can impact anyone at any age.   Let’s take a closer look at the types of distractions that may impact one’s driving:

1. Visual distractions: taking your eyes off the road.
2. Manual distractions: taking your hands off the wheel
3. Cognitive distractions: taking your mind off what you’re doing.

As seniors age, their visual, manual and cognitive skills decline making them more susceptible to distractions.  When you notice these skills slowing down, it’s time to have “the about limiting or stopping driving.”

To help you decide on the timing of taking the keys away, let’s look at some signs that driving may be dangerous.

Risky individual behavior:

• Does not stop at red lights or stop signs
• Stops at green lights
• Gets lost
• Concerns from people who have seen the senior driving
• Gets in accidents
• Problems with Alzheimer’s or Dementia
• Stroke victim
• Parkinson’s or severe arthritis
• Medication due to poor vision, anxiety, insomnia, or is on any form of narcotics.

If the senior can still drive but there are driving safety concerns:

Encourage them to:

• Drive in areas that are familiar to them
• Do not drive at night or in bad weather
• Stay off highways
• Limit any distractions while driving
• Set a limit of how far away from home they should drive.
• Have safety medical alert system with them at all times.

It is important that we keep our seniors and other drivers on the road safe.  These tips can help determine if a senior needs to look at the potential risks and see if they outweigh the benefits of driving.   And, perhaps with some help, they will conclude that it’s time to turn in their license.