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Signs of aging not considered disease by conventional
medical care include poor memory and slowing of the
thinking processes. A truly whole and healthy brain
happens when two components are present -- when your
thinking processes are at their best, and when your
emotions are consistently balanced. Thinking, or
cognition, includes your memory, your ability to learn
and retain new information, to remember people's names
and faces, to pay attention, to concentrate, and to do
all these things quickly. Our thinking abilities,
especially our memories, create our identity, the story
of ourselves during our lifetime.
While we do experience a slight slowing of brain speed
as we age, even mild memory impairment or difficulty
concentrating is NOT a normal part of aging. If you or a
loved one are experiencing any difficulty with your
thinking processes, please don't write it off to getting
older or being under too much stress (in fact, memory
cells are especially sensitive to the toxic effects of
chronic stress). Dementia does not happen overnight --
early warning symptoms may be present 20 to 30 years
before a diagnosis is made! And this is a good thing,
because it gives you the opportunity to make critical
changes in your health and lifestyle.
Are there ways to prevent dementia? Absolutely.
Treatable root causes can be identified and addressed.
These causes include long-standing stress that is
accompanied by elevated cortisol levels; chronic
inflammation caused by diet, infection, heavy metals or
other toxic chemicals; and insulin resistance.
Treatments include a low glycemic diet high in
antioxidant foods, specific medications and supplements
to increase acetylcholine levels and decrease insulin
resistance, and stress management skills to decrease the
stress response.
I want to encourage you to be proactive about your brain
health. Concerns you may have about your thinking
processes are not to be feared, but seen as motivation-
to learn what your disease risk factors are, and how you
can achieve optimal health...for your brain and the rest
of you as well! |
![Brain Health Assessments by Optimal Health & Aesthetics [Flagstaff, Arizona]](../../images/titleheads/Brain-Health.jpg)
