Under step #1 we talked about the essential need for good nutrition to maintain the health and full functionality of our brain. Oxygen is also critical for brain health, and the brain is an oxygen hog – often requiring more than 25% of the oxygen we take in, even though it takes up only about 2.5% of our body mass. However, even if we are consuming all of the nutrients and oxygen the brain needs in ample quantities, and digesting these nutrients properly, we still need to make sure these are being adequately circulated to the brain, where they are needed.
That of course is where physical activities (exercise), breathing strategies, and cardiovascular health become critically important. We will talk about regular physical activity in a bit, but to put this into proper context we would first like to make you aware of some critical issues related to arterial insufficiency and a few other cardiovascular issues that commonly contribute to Vascular Dementia.
First, as with the brain, our heart and vascular system require good nutrition, in fact they need many of the same nutrients as our brain – such as the B-vitamins, omega-3 and monounsaturated fatty acids, as in olive oil, polyphenols and other antioxidants, magnesium, and zinc. In short a good Mediterranean type diet. And as with the brain, excess sugar is not a friend of our vascular system.
For a good comprehensive review of contributing causal factors and how to prevent or recover from high blood pressure, strokes, heart attacks, arterial insufficiency and “vascular dementia,”see the notes, links and protocols on these and other measures that improve blood flow under CardioVascular Issues below the Dementia Prevention heading.
In the Maintain Your Brain class developed by the Alzheimer’s Association, around 2010 they noted four physical problems which studies had shown contribute to dementia. They were: Obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and strokes, and sleep deprivation. All of these as noted above contribute to heart or cardiovascular disease and accordingly may contribute to Alzheimer’s.
One mantra of this program was – “whatever is bad for the heart is bad for the brain.” However, there is one simple, free remedy which has been shown to be helpful in significantly reducing or controlling each of these; and that is physical activity, or dare we say…exercise. For some that is a nasty word. However, it’s benefits can be very desirable!
Other than diet, physical activity is perhaps the single most important thing we can do for our brains. In fact, as noted above, no matter how well we eat, if we are not “exercising” or moving around enough, those nutrients may not get digested and circulated to our brain, as well as needs be.
Studies show that exercise can reduce our chances of developing Alzheimer’s or other dementias by more than 60%! It can also be helpful for those with memory impairment to stay calm, sleep better at night, stay more alert during the day, and have more energy to think clearer and remember better.
Moreover, It’s been shown to be as effective in reducing depression as the leading antidepressant medications. So why is exercise so important for the brain?
Here are 7 simple reasons:
On the other side of that equation is the research which suggests that sitting for extended periods has basically the same effect on our body as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day! Being a couch potato, sitting in the same spot for more than an hour can contribute to obesity, neuropathy, COPD, diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, low energy and brain fog. So if you have been sitting at your computer or cell phone for more than an hour, instead of feeling guilty you may want to just stand up, and walk around a bit. Maybe get a drink of water or green tea. And then come back ready to learn about…
