TIPS FROM ASHLEY ALKER, M.D., ON PREVENTABLE DEATHS #8

Who knew there are so many ways to prevent death? I had never even thought about it until I ran across some articles from Dr. Alker. Maybe we need to remember the thought we started with, "The idea is to die young as late as possible." Today's post is about Stroke, and that's a big one for me. My late mother had a major stoke while home alone and wasn't found until the next day. She was left totally paralyzed on her right side. I took care of her in my home until her death almost two years later. I have some of the same health issues she had, and I am working to lower my risk. That's enough about me, let's talk about stroke.

Approximately 87% of stokes are ischemic strokes. Ischemic stokes are caused by a blockage of blood flow to the brain. Hemorrhagic strokes are caused as a result of a burst blood vessel.

In the United States more than 600,000 people will experience a first stoke each year. Yet, doctors tell us that that up to 80% off those strokes are preventable. Think about that for a minute. These numbers are from the American Heart Association.

You may be wondering what the risk factors for stroke are. The following are risk factors that can be modified by us. High blood pressure is a risk factor. If you know, or think you may have high blood pressure, get to your doctor. Get checked out and get on the proper medication. Diabetes is another risk factor. If you are a diabetic, visit your doctor regularly, keep track of your blood sugar readings at home and take your medicine! Other factors over which we have some controls are high cholesterol, smoking, and inactivity. If any of these factors are in your life, start now to lower your risk.

What can you do if you think you are having a stoke? You need to act fast to save your life and limit any effects of the stoke. Remember the following: BE FAST

B - Balance Loss

E - Eyesight Changes

F - Facial Droop (especially on one side)

A - Arm Weakness

S - Speech Difficulty

T = Time to call 911

And I might add, if you live alone, get a Life Alert or similar system so you can get help immediately.

At the 1st sign of a stroke, get to the ER. Forget the doctor's officer of an urgent care.

They will send you on to the ER. There is no time to waste.

TIPS FROM ASHLEY ALKER, M.D., ON PREVENTABLE DEATHS #2

Today is about the Brain -Eating Amoeba. The Naegleria fowleri lives in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, ponds, and hot springs. It can enter the body through the nose. 

Although infection is extremely rare, it is almost always fatal. Yes, almost always fatal! Only four people in the United States have survived this nasty amoeba. What can you do to protect yourself? When swimming in warm, untreated freshwater, keep your head above water! 

Also, a few infections have occurred when people used tap water to rinse their sinuses. Always use boiled or distilled water when cleaning your nasal passages with a neti pot or other device.

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VITAMIN B12 AND COGNITIVE DECLINE

 A study at the University of California, San Francisco regarding vitamin B12 and cognitive function was conducted with healthy adults over age 71. The researchers found that B12 levels in the lower range of "normal" correlate with faster cognitive aging and damage to nerve fiber that are essential for communication within different areas of the brain. If you or a loved one show early signs of dementia and perhaps some of the symptoms listed in yesterday's post, have your doctor check your level of B12.

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KEEPING YOUR BRAIN FRESH

My late husband died from COPD and some dementia. So, I was always reading information about the brain and/or cognitive decline. A study at the University of Illinois, last year I believe, suggested that the nutrient lutein may help slow down cognitive decline. What a tasty way to help slow this problem! Lutein is found in green leafy vegetables, avocados and eggs. Why not add a few more of these tasty foods to your diet? It just might keep your mind sharp!

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COCONUT OIL TO BOOST BRAIN POWER

In the past, on this blog, I have discussed various reasons for using coconut oil and here is a good one. Cook with coconut oil to boost your brain power!  Coconut oil has a type of fat that is immediately shuttled to your blood for your brain to use as fuel, according to Dr. Oz.  As previously discussed here it is also believed that coconut oil slows down and/or helps to prevent Alzheimer's Disease.  Be good to your brain and give it some coconut oil often.

ANOTHER REASON TO EAT BELL PEPPERS

Bell peppers are good for us in so many ways (there are several posts on this blog about them). Now some Italian scientists say bell pepper pigments (carotenoids) are good for the brain. They reviewed 9 studies and found that the compounds fuel the growth of healthy new neurons. They also boost the production of focus-enhancing neurotransmitters, cutting the risk of brain fog and memory lapses by up to 65% if you eat 3/4 cup daily. This applies to eating the peppers raw or cooked.

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WHY THE BODY NEED WATER?

The human body needs water more than anything else, except oxygen. At as little as a 2% loss of water, our bodies become fatigued. As little as a 10% loss can cause serious problems and a week without water can be fatal. Check out the following facts and you will understand why water is so important:

• Water makes up 83% of our blood.
• Water composes 75% of our brain.
• Water accounts for 22% of our bones.
• Water makes up 75% of our muscles.

The average adult needs around 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of water a day. If you are large, very active, or if you drink a lot of caffeine products which act as mild 

diuretics, you will need more.

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DO YOU DRINK ALCOHOL?

Do you drink alcohol? If you do, you need to read the rest of this post. There are many reasons to stop drinking alcohol or to cut back on the amount. Here are a few reasons you may not have considered or even known. Alcohol can cause inflammation in the body and inflammation is responsible for a lot of health problems. Alcohol is known to increase inflammation in the intestines, disrupting gut bacteria. Alcohol can change brain structure and function. It can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of stroke and heart disease. Experts recommend no more than one alcoholic beverage per day for both men and women.

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BOOST BRAIN POWER WITH AN ORANGE

 

MORE ON BRAIN ANTIAGING

Yesterday I talked about the brain and how puzzles of various types can slow down the aging of the brain. There are a few more suggestions I want you to be aware of.  Below are a few more suggestions I have found.

• Peace and Quiet - Harvard scientists found that people in their 50s who meditated for 40 minutes daily had the same amount of gray matter in one part of the prefrontal cortex as did those in their 20s. This even though the cortex shrinks with age. They said that meditation curbs production of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that can shrink brain tissue.
• Games - I consider games to be about the same as puzzles. Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, say playing games with others can make several parts of the brain bigger while improving thinking skills and memory. Even a game of solitaire pumps up parts of your brain power by protecting brain structures and functions vulnerable to decline.
• Want a snack? Try nachos. According to Japanese scientists say the beans and avocados in nachos contain minerals that can slash memory problems by 80% when eaten regularly. They are said to help the nerves in the brain signal properly so they can communicate clearly with each other.
• Sniff Rosemary. I have an earlier post on this blog about rosemary being helpful to the brain and here it is again. Give your brain an immediate boost with a sniff of this herb. British scientists found that the aroma can enhance prospective memory, which involves remembering time-sensitive tasks ie taking medication, by 75%.

BRAIN AGING

It doesn't come as a surprise that our brains age just like the rest of the body. Scientists say around 40% of us will have some form of memory loss after age 65. There are some things we can do to give us the brain of someone 15 years younger, according to the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.  On a personal note, several years ago when my mother suffered a stroke, my family heard about this. At the hospital after the testing on her brain, the doctors said they couldn't believe her age because her brain looked like the brain of a much younger person. They ask if she worked puzzles. The answer was, yes. She had worked puzzles all her life. Jigsaw puzzles, word find puzzles, crossword puzzles, etc. Puzzles were her favorite pastime. I spent time working puzzles with her throughout my life and puzzles continue to be a favorite activity for me. Do you have some type of brain activity you do on a regular basis? If not, consider puzzles.

WANT TO BOOST YOUR LONGEVITY?

If your answer is yes to the title question, and you normally have a glass of orange juice with your breakfast, try switching to pomegranate juice. This switch can slow, maybe even reverse, the aging of your brain, heart, muscles, and bones. Italian scientists say the phytonutrients in pomegranate juice energize anti-aging genes in every cell of the body.

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RAINDROPS FOR RELAXING?

 I am posting this after a day and night of everything from drizzles to rainstorms and I am not personally verifying this information. Scientists say it has been proven that the sound of raindrops bring one peace. A few years ago, YouGov polled 1,000 Americans about the noises they most enjoy hearing. The sound most people said were their favorite was raindrops. Another survey found that rain sounds make one more productive. The reason, the fast tempo wakes up the brain to improve alertness and problem solving. If you don't live in an area where you get much rain or you want the sounds on a routine basis, you can get the sound of recorded rain. There is a free app called Nature Melody where you can choose from several different rain sounds.

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WATER AND THE BODY

 Water is one thing the body must have to survive. The body needs water more than most anything else except oxygen. Did you realize that as little as a 2% loss of water, the body becomes fatigued. As little as a 10% loss can cause serious problems and a week without water can be fatal. Consider the following:

• Approximately 90% of the blood is made up of water
• Water composes 75% of the brain
• Water accounts for 22% of the bones
• Water makes up 75% of muscles

The average adult needs 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of water a day, more if they are large, very active physically or drink a lot of caffeine products which act as diuretics.

Make sure you drink enough water to keep your body is good condition.

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PROTEIN FOR THE AFTERNOON SLUMPS

I have mentioned this on this blog before but so many complain of afternoon slumps I thought another post might be in order. Whatever you do when you feel that afternoon slump coming on, don't grab a candy bar or other sweet treat. You need something protein rich to combat the slumps. British researchers suggest a snack that includes hummus or eating a hard boiled egg for a boost in pep. The reason? Amino acids in protein stimulate certain brain cells that make you feel more alert, according to the study's lead author Denis Burdakov, Ph.D. Protein rich foods are also rich in tyrosine, an amino acid needed to help the body produce noradrenaline another brain chemical that perks you up.

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EATING RED ONIONS, GOOD FOR THE BRAIN?

Have you ever connected eating onions with improving your brain? While that may seem like a strange connection, Egyptian scientists say eating 1/3 cup of red onions daily, could fast track the growth of healthy new brain neurons. They say that could banish brain fog and sharpen memory in as little as one month. These scientists credit the flavonoids in the red onions, saying they relax and open arteries thus improving the flow of blood to the brain.

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EGGS FOR THE BRAIN

 Huh? I'm old enough to remember when they told us to stay away from eggs. Now, they tell us eggs, especially the yolks are good for the brain! Egg yolks are rich in natural sources of choline. Choline is an essential building block of acetylcholine. What that big word means is that it is a neurotransmitter that brain cells use to communicate with each other. The researchers at Arizona State University, where we got this information, did a study that suggests eating just two eggs a day can help one think more clearly, concentrate longer and multitask more easily. So, go ahead and enjoy eggs.

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BLUEBERRIES FOR THE BRAIN

According to a Tufts University study, one cup of blueberries a day improves coordination and may reverse memory loss. Toss some blueberries on your morning cereal, use as a topping on ice cream or pound cake, use in a fruit salad, toss into a smoothie, the possibilities are endless.

 

WORK UP A SWEAT FOR BRAIN POWER

Are you one of those people who can't remember where you put your glasses, keys, etc? As we age, it is a fact that our brains shrink and unfortunately a smaller brain just doesn't work as well as we would like. Neurologist Majid T. Fotuhi, M.D., author of Boost Your Brain: The New Art and Science Behind Enhanced Brain Performance, says not to worry. He says the brain has the remarkable ability to keep growing at any age. But here is the catch - you have to have the right health habits if you want your brain to grow.

Based on his 25 years' experience teaching and doing research at Johns Hopkins and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Fotuhi says there are ways to significantly improve the performance of our hippocampus. The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for our short-term memory. And guess what the first one is? You guessed it - get moving! Don't become a couch potato and let your brain keep shrinking

According to Dr. Fotuhi, "When you're working out to the point of breaking a sweat, you're actually growing new brain cells in your hippocampus." He says he knows that is mind-boggling but that there is solid science behind it. Below is what Dr. Fotuhi recommends to see significant brain benefits:

30 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity like jogging and 15 minutes of strength straining, such as lifting hand weights or doing squats and pushups, four times a week.

How about this for an incentive? Those who have a bigger hippocampus are less likely to get Alzheimer's disease.  So, eat healthy and exercise for better memory.

OMEGA-3S WITH YOUR BRAIN IN MIND

Continuing today with more brain information from Dr. Fotuhi, credentials given in previous post, research shows that getting a certain type of DHA can increase the size of your hippocampus in about six months. (The hippocampus is the part of the brain responsible for short-term memory.) This is a type of omega-3 fatty acid found in fish, fish oil and algae. However, according to Dr. Fotuhi, it is almost impossible to get enough from your diet therefore this is an area where supplements are useful. He does state that you should buy supplements that come from algae rather than fish due to impurities such as mercury that might be in the fish oil. Dr. Fotuhi stated, "I really believe DHA is a super brain food. I take 1 gram a day, and so does my wife."

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