Surveys have shown that there is something that Americans fear more than death.
It is Alzheimer’s disease.
For most of us, losing our personhood--those characteristics which makes us who we are--is a fate worse than death.
What is Alzheimer’s?
Named after Alois Alzheimer, who discovered the condition in 1906, Alzheimer’s is a disease that affects the function of the brain by causing the brain cells to degenerate and then die. There is no cure, and the progression of the disease leads to eventual death. The first symptoms of the disease usually show up as forgetfulness, but as it worsens, more long-term memory loss occurs, along with other symptoms such as mood swings, irritability and inability to recognize languages.
How Prevalent is Alzheimer’s?
Alzheimer’s affects 5.3 million Americans, and it is predicted that by 2050, 1 in 8 Americans will be stricken with it. The Medicare system spends three times as much money on Alzheimer’s treatment as it does on any other disease.
Is Alzheimer’s Inevitable?
The good news is there is much you can do to reduce the chances that you will develop this disease. Because of the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in our country, many people view it as a normal and inevitable part of the aging process. But this is not so. Alzheimer’s is a disease, and you do not have to get sick with this disease.
In fact, in spite of it being so common in America, there are societies in which dementia and Alzheimer’s is rare, even for people in their 90’s and beyond. The elders in these cultures maintain clear thinking without the burden of dementia that we have come to associate with aging.
Preventing Alzheimer’s
Following are some steps you can take right now to protect yourself from getting Alzheimer’s.
1. Get plenty of physical exercise
In his book, Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples, John Robbins cites study after study that demonstrate the stunning effect of exercise on the brain’s ability to function well, even at advanced ages.
In one such study, documented in the Archives of Neurology (March 2001), it was found that the people with the highest activity levels were only half as likely as inactive people to develop Alzheimer’s. Further, these active people were also substantially less likely to develop any form of dementia or impairment in mental functioning.
In another study1, some mice were bred to develop the type of plaque that is associated with Alzheimer’s in their brains. Some of the mice were allowed to exercise and some were not.
Two important findings emerged.
- The mice who exercised developed 50-80 percent less plaque in their brains that the non-exercising mice developed.
- The exercising mice produced more of the enzyme that prevents the buildup of plaque in the brain.
The takeaway conclusion? Those people who exercise more are much less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease or any other kind of dementia.
2. Eat a healthy diet
Exercise is not the only thing that can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Diet also plays a crucial role. The best diet for preventing dementia is one low in animal-derived foods but high in plant foods such as
- fresh vegetables
- fresh fruit
- whole grains
- nuts
- seeds
- legumes
Scientists think that the protection these foods offer against dementia stems from their high concentration of anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants neutralize free radicals which are responsible for the damage that causes dementia.
A healthy diet also helps you avoid other health problems such as obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and arteriosclerosis.
In another study cited by Robbins, researchers found that persons who are obese in middle age are twice as likely to develop dementia in their later years as those people who had normal weights. Further, if these people also have high cholesterol and high blood pressure, their risk for dementia in old age escalates to six times higher than normal weight people!
What are you waiting for?
Remember, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Once symptoms start showing up it is too late. Start now to defend yourself against this fate-worse-than-death disease: get moving and eat a clean, healthy diet. You will reap the benefits literally for years to come!
To your success,
Coach Travis Barrett MS, CSCS
P.S. If you’ve found any of this helpful, please be sure to share, like, subscribe to this channel (and my YouTube channel listed below). DHP is exclusively built on word of mouth. We need your help in order to continue to grow and help more people!
P.P.S. - Whenever you're ready, here are 2 ways I can help
1) Subscribe to the DHP YouTube Channel for our most up to date free information about training, nutrition, and recovery
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Check out these testimonials below
Traci Counley said “I have been working with Travis for 6 years and he is an amazing coach! I have had several personal trainers over the last 15 years and by far Travis is the most dedicated, thorough, and up to date trainer I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He programs workouts for me on a really progressive and easy to use iPhone app and I do the workouts in my home gym. I love this flexibility and the ability to track my workouts easily. He really gets to know you as an individual and focuses on your goals and how best to achieve them. Travis has an extensive background in kinesiology, various training methods and power lifting and is constantly adapting to the needs of his clients to get them in the best shape of their lives. He consistently seeks out additional training and workshops to expand his fitness knowledge and then passes that onto his clients with new workouts. If you are committed and follow his scheduled workouts and put in a little extra time for mobility work, I guarantee you will be satisfied with your fitness goals. I am in the best shape of my life in my mid 40’s and the strongest I have ever been and the reason why is because Travis has me on a program that changes every 4 weeks and uses different exercises with different rep ranges, intensity and volume each block. He is amazing at coming up with new exercises that work muscle groups in different ways so that you are consistently making gains. He also uses the concept of periodization effectively to maximize strength but also works in appropriate deloading weeks. I cannot say enough great things about Travis not only as a strength and conditioning coach but as a human being. He is one of the kindest people I have ever met and is very easy to talk to and work with. Working with Travis has been the best decision I’ve ever made. Make the commitment now to the best trainer out there!
Emma Price said “Travis has been phenomenal to work with! As an avid runner and a stay at home mom, I was struggling to find a workout routine/program that wasn’t all “fluff” workouts and cardio, yet was also nervous to do anything at the gym beyond a treadmill due to a 15 yr old chronic back injury. Enter Travis! He has 100% met me where I’m at and created a path forward. I’m an absolute novice, and he’s helping me become comfortable in the gym, has handled all my questions and concerns, and most important to me, is helping me get stronger and more limber without hurting or aggravating my injury. Travis is extremely knowledgeable and attentive to detail, which I highly appreciate. As well as meeting in person, he uses a great coaching app we can communicate through and where he can share videos of the workouts I need to do and in return I can share my videos so he can check my form. I’m just a regular person, not a gym rat or body builder, so I was a bit hesitant to seek out a personal trainer, but it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made! Travis is just all around a great guy and amazing coach!!”
Fredrick Lee said “Travis is an absolute professional! I’ve been in special operations for over 12+ years and have had many injuries. I was about to get another back surgery when I started working with Travis. Within 6 months I was pain free, 6 months later I was reaching performance and strength I haven’t seen in years!”
