The numbers of people with dementia are expected to more than double in 30 years and outpace both heart disease and cancer in terms of cost. Because dementia can take root in the brain years or decades before symptoms appear, you can take action now to avoid becoming part of this skyrocketing statistic.
Today, nearly 15 percent of people aged 71 or older have dementia—almost 4 million people. Experts predict that number will more than double to 9 million people by 2040, costing the country more than $500 billion.
What’s worse is these statistics do not include mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or “pre-dementia,” which accounts for another 22 percent of people over 71.
How to lower your risk of dementia
Some experts say there is no way to prevent dementia, but studies show diet and lifestyle influence brain health. We can use that knowledge to lower the risk for dementia.
For instance, poor diet and lifestyle choices can cause inflammation throughout the body, which ultimately inflames the brain and accelerates the degeneration of brain tissue. It may cause symptoms such as brain fog or a gradual decline in cognition, but the average person will not connect this with an increased risk of dementia later in life.
The good news is you can slow the rate of brain degeneration and lower your risk of dementia with the following tips:
• Ditch the sugar, processed starchy foods, and junk foods. These foods lead to insulin resistance (pre-diabetes) and Type 2 diabetes. The link between a sugar-laden diet and brain degeneration is so strong some researchers call Alzheimer’s “Type 3 diabetes,” a totally diet and lifestyle driven disease. Sugars and processed starches and the insulin surges they create are devastating to brain health.
• Avoid hydrogenated oils (trans fats) found in processed foods, pastries, and many restaurant fried foods. The brain is mostly fat and the fats you eat play a role in its health. Hydrogenated fats are more like plastic than food and research shows eating hydrogenated fats leads to loss of cognitive function and smaller brain volume, evidence of degeneration. Eat healthy fats such as coconut oil, olive oil (never heated), and seafood, and get plenty of omega 3 essential fatty acids. Ask our office how you can do this to lower your risk of dementia.
• Exercise your body and your brain. Exercise has been well documented as a way to boost brain health and lower your risk of dementia. You should engage in both aerobic exercise and weight training for ultimate dementia prevention. You should also exercise your brain with mentally stimulating activities, such as learning new things, reading, writing, playing chess, etc.
For more information on how to lower your risk of Dementia, please see a nutrition and chiropractic specialists at the PRI clinic. This multi-disciplinary team is specifically trained to properly deal with this condition and allow your body to achieve a remarkable improvement in your lifestyle.
The sharp increase of handheld communication accessibility in the last decade has caused a cultural shift. Suddenly, the way people communicate has changed. Now, much of our conversations occur more in the virtual world and less in the real world.
Everyone has a different opinion nowadays on the effects of social media and instant communication.
Some people think that the ability to instantly get in contact with someone increases individual safety, while others think it makes communication less valuable.
But did you know that frequent cell phone use can be detrimental to your health?
What is “Text Neck?”
How much time do you spend looking down at your phone or tablet, checking emails, texting friends, and browsing the internet? Would you say a few hours a day or more altogether? If so, you’re far from the only one.
“Text neck” is caused when someone looks down at their mobile device so often that it causes chronic neck and back pain.
The craned-neck posture that people often hold as they’re looking down at their phone eventually results in the deterioration of the cervical spine, the part of your spine that supports your neck and head.
The full prognosis of text neck remains to be seen until the generation that grew up with such accessible technology grows old.
It’s impossible to know right now what the lifelong effects are of straining your neck and back in such a way, though some professionals speculate that text neck can trigger an early onset of arthritis of the neck.
However, text neck is already proven to cause a variety of health problems, including severe chronic upper back pain, neck and shoulder muscles spasms, and pinched cervical nerves.
Children and teenagers are most susceptible to these ailments because they typically are exposed to this technology at an earlier age than adults of today.
How to Prevent “Text Neck?”
You don’t have to stop using your electronic mobile devices to keep yourself from getting text neck. All it takes to save your neck and back is to be mindful of your posture and how much you’re looking down at your phone.
If you have to look at your phone, laptop, or any other electronic, keep it eye-level so that you’re not straining your neck or back. Set specific times during the day to check your email. You can also dedicate a period of the time during the day when you take a break from your mobile device.
As long as you’re not craning your neck or slouching, you’re not putting unnecessary and damaging stress to your back and neck.
At PRI, we’re keenly aware of “Text Neck” and we teach you and your loved ones specific exercises that you can do on your own, in your spare time to help prevent any ailments associated with that condition.
We also have great chiropractors, physiotherapists, and massage therapists on site that will professionally realign your spine from head to pelvis, to help you gain fast relief from “Text Neck”
So as you can see, “Text Neck” can have a significant impact on your overall health can lifestyle.
Look after your neck and your back – it has to last you a lifetime.