How To Stay Sharp As You Age
If you don’t use your muscles, you just might lose your brain. That’s the conclusion of dozens of studies over the past four decades. Most have found that people who exercise regularly have a lower risk of cognitive decline and dementia over time versus those who don’t.
How To Stay Sharp
“It’s great news,” says Danine Fruge, MD, Medical Director at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, which has been helping people develop heart-healthy habits since 1975.
“There really appears to be a magic combination. Daily physical activity and a Pritikin-style diet full of fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, fish, and other healthful foods can produce immense benefits for both body and brain.”
And it’s none too soon.
Alzheimer’s, Other Dementias
Diseases of cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer’s and other dementias, are now the sixth leading cause of death in America. And death is hardly the only problem. What these mind-robbers can do to the last several years of one’s life is heart breaking. For many of these years, 24-hour care is needed, and usually in nursing homes.
“No one wants to suffer with dementias, especially when there’s much that’s in our power to fend them off,” acknowledges Tom Rifai, MD, FACP, Regional Medical Director of Metabolic Health & Weight Management at Henry Ford Health System in Michigan and member of the Pritikin Scientific Advisory Board.
“There really appears to be a magic combination. Daily physical activity and a Pritikin-style diet can produce immense benefits for both body and brain,” says Danine Fruge, MD., even among elderly individuals,” wrote Dr. Gardener and fellow researchers.
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