By Leni Felton, CCN, The Way of Health
What will YOU be doing when you are 94?
My mother was living in her New Jersey home of 50 years, reading avidly, attending cardiac rehab three days a week, driving, playing and winning at Contract Bridge, cooking, cleaning, taking out the garbage and — on a more fun note — swimming in the ocean in Mexico while on vacation with her daughters and son-in-law.
Why do I tell you this? To show you what is possible at age 94 when there is health of body and mind. And no, she did not have “good genes” or an easy life. Quite the contrary. But she had one of the greatest treasures we can hope for: a clear mind in her aging years.
It is estimated that by 2050 the population suffering from Alzheimer’s will equal the populations of New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago combined. Devastating statistics. Alzheimer’s is now considered the 6th leading cause of death (and the third leading cause specific to women). How could this be? And more importantly, how do we not “lose our minds” as we age?
Dale Bredesen, MD, has devoted his career to studying neuro-degenerative diseases and cognitive health. He expected to find the “one” biochemical cause and target of cure for Alzheimer’s. Instead, he found that it is a constellation of issues which have everything to do with environmental factors and healthy living practices. His direct clinical experience and documented studies demonstrate that dementia and even Alzheimer’s can be prevented and reversed. Several books have been published on the findings of his ReCoDe program – REversing COgnitive DEcline.
As Dr. Bredesen says, “We are now in the era of treatable Alzheimer’s.” And, similarly, we’re now in an age when we can more easily reverse cognitive decline and dementia. Integrative doctors, and even I as a Nutritionist practicing biotherapeutic principles, have for years known of the inextricable link between the body and mind. Clients report mental clarity and focus improving along with the resolution of digestive issues; and conversely, as anxiety and depression resolve so do headaches, systemic pains, and digestive ills.
So what does this mean for you? Aim high. Lisa Mosconi, Neuro-scientist and author of “Brain Food” says, “Aging is not a linear path toward unavoidable dementia.” Do not accept a decline in mental clarity as inevitable. If you are young optimize your cognition. “Optimize. Prevent. Reverse.” – a new mantra for 2022. My mother’s “secret sauce” can be yours. What gave her this benefit when she far outlived her family’s life spans? Her “health span” reads as a poster child for Dr. Bredesen’s healthy living practices: she ate well, exercised up to 3 months prior to passing at age 99, exercised her brain as a Life Master bridge player, and was a person of moderation — not perfection — who enjoyed life’s simple pleasures.
The question you should ask yourself is, what are you doing NOW while you are in your 40s, 50s, 60’s, 70’s and beyond? It is never too late to turn things around!
Please join me on February 1st at noon EST where I will outline the specific issues that contribute to cognitive decline and the “game changers” that are in your power to implement.
Join the Marion Institute and expert guest Leni Felton, CCN on February 1st, 2022 for our monthly BioBites series to learn more about the ways you can prevent and reverse cognitive decline. To register, visit https://bit.ly/feb1biobites
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