Alzheimer’s is a growing concern all over the world. As the number of people suffering from Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia continues to grow, there is a growing need for us to find ways to prevent these types of mental health issues. Here are 5 wellness strategies that can help you fight the onset of dementia and help strengthen your mental health.
Engage in Cognitive Training And Keep Your Mind Active
Cognitive training helps maintain your mental health and improves your memory and mental capacity. Many activities aid in keeping your mind active and allows us to train our cognitive abilities. The following activities are recommended by the National Health Service, UK.
- Reading.
- Learning a foreign language.
- Playing a musical instrument.
- Try out new activities and hobbies.
- Brain training games such as Sudoku.
Each of these can greatly help keep our minds active and is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.
Understanding the Early Signs
Reacting to the early signs of Alzheimer’s is the best way to keep the disease in check. While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s seeking out help during the early signs means you can get treatment for the many symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s. Some of the early signs to look out for, according to Alzheimer’s Association are memory loss disrupts daily life, challenges in planning or solving problems, difficulty completing familiar tasks, confusion with time or place, trouble with tasks like reading or balance, new problems with vocabulary, misplacing items, and difficulty with retracing steps. If you suffer from one or more of these symptoms, schedule an appointment with a doctor and start fighting Alzheimer’s early on.
Let Go Of Unhealthy Habits
Habits such as smoking, and drinking have various health issues. Both these substances can greatly affect our mind and mental capacities. Smoking is known to increase the risk of problems such as strokes, which can lead to brain damage and in turn various forms of dementia including Alzheimer’s. Alcohol consumption has many unhealthy byproducts that can all lead to brain damage as well. Reducing the consumption of alcohol is a big step towards curbing dementia and other mental illnesses. In turn, picking up healthier habits can greatly help deter these illnesses.
Eat A Healthy, Balanced Diet
Having a well-balanced diet is a great way to ensure that you remain healthy, both mentally and physically. Bad eating habits often lead to health risks such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart conditions, and obesity. All of these can lead to factors that affect mental health such as strokes, heart attacks, and bleeding from the brain. So, to prevent these a balanced diet of fruit and vegetables, carbohydrates, dairy or dairy alternatives, protein, and plenty of water is a must.
Exercise Regularly
To complement the healthy diet, there must some form of regular exercise. Keeping our physical body in check means that we are less susceptible to health concerns such as high blood pressure, heart conditions, strokes, and obesity. The release of certain in the brain due to workouts also helps in keeping the mind itself active and can help in maintaining a good mood while ensuring a healthy mental state. While people can find it hard to exercise, getting motivation is often not what keeps people away from this. Try adding some variety to your workout routines to help keep you interested in every workout.
While there are other things you can do to prevent or prolong Alzheimer’s, these are by far the best ways to do so. Remember that while Alzheimer’s affects your mental health it can also affect your social relationships so ensuring that you maintain these relationships is also extremely important. Remember that reacting to the early signs is always better than reacting to the illness itself. Always seek out medical help if you think you are suffering from any of these symptoms. For more information on Alzheimer’s visit the Alzheimer’s Association website and consider lending your support to the fight against Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.
