Managing Alzheimer’s
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It’s important to maintain a healthy lifestyle when living with Alzheimer’s disease so that your emotional, physical and social needs are being met. Below are a few ways you can continue to live a healthy lifestyle with Alzheimer’s disease.
Staying Active
According to the Alzheimer’s association, “multiple studies have shown the benefits of physical activity for individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s. Research suggests that mild-to-moderate physical activity may help delay or slow a decline in thinking skills, reduce stress, possibly help improve symptoms of depression, and may even reduce risk of falls.” Incorporating 30 minutes of exercise such as going on walks or playing squash could be a good way to include some physical activity into your day.
Staying active and living well is important when diagnosed with early Alzheimer’s disease. Recommended activities include spending time with family, socialising with friends and keeping up with hobbies. Taking up new activities can be rewarding and can help to keep independence whether it’s attending an art class, learning to sing or taking up fishing, there’s something to suit everyone.
Early Alzheimer’s disease also appears to affect certain parts of the brain but leaves other parts active and functioning. For example, while painting, those with Alzheimer’s disease may have difficulty copying images but they can continue to produce art using their remaining strengths such as colour and composition. Encouraging the uptake of creative activities can have many benefits:
- An outlet for emotion: Living with Alzheimer’s can make it difficult to communicate. Activities like art can allow you or your loved one to express themselves without the need for words.
- Sense of accomplishment: Creative activity can be a very rewarding and positive experience for someone living with Alzheimer’s disease because it allows them to use the skills that they still have.
- Promoting relaxation: Creative past-times such as looking at art or listening to music may help to relax and improve mood.
- Bringing people together: Creative activities are an ideal opportunity for you and your loved one to spend time together.
Diet
Many of the foods found in the Mediterranean diet, including whole grains, berries, leafy green vegetables, eggs and fish, are rich in antioxidants and vitamins. These have been shown to help preserve brain cells and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as arthritis, heart disease and cancer.
So how can you incorporate these foods into your everyday diet? For breakfast, the Mediterranean morning starter of eggs on wholegrain toast is encouraged because it’s a meal that’s packed with brain-boosting B-vitamins. If you prefer something lighter to start your day, citrus fruits are also rich in vitamin B which plays a role in delaying cognitive decline and the onset of other mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.
While seafood can sometimes seem tricky to cook with at home, salmon and tuna are all high in omega-3 fatty acids which have been shown to help improve cognition and can easily be incorporated into your daily diet. For dinner, try baking salmon with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and serve with a squeeze of lemon, steamed potatoes and asparagus. If you’re looking for a light lunch, create a fresh salad with baby spinach, tomatoes, olives and fetta cheese and pan-fried or tinned tuna.
Other foods found in the Mediterranean diet, such as nuts, seeds and dairy can be enjoyed as snacks throughout the day. Try snacking on a small bowl of natural yoghurt with fruit, a sprinkling of nuts and a drizzle of honey as it replaces foods that are high in processed sugar and refined oils.
All these foods help support brain health and can delay cognitive decline as we age.
While consuming a nutrient-rich diet is important for people already diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s, drinking a 125-millilitre bottle of Souvenaid® daily is another effective way for patients to consume a Mediterranean like diet.
“The thing about Souvenaid® is that it has many of the ingredients of the Mediterranean diet, but in a far greater concentration than you could get from a diet,” Dementia and Alzheimer’s expert Professor Michael Woodward AM says. “But the concentration of particularly fish oil and choline in Souvenaid®, which you can get from your diet, would require you to eat 5 or 6 kilograms of the Mediterranean diet a day, which nobody’s going to do.”
Woodward says even those who have never eaten many of the foods in the Mediterranean diet can benefit from making the switch to a healthy diet, as it is never too late to start working on your health and wellbeing.
Mental Stimulation
Learning new information has been shown to help increase brain activity. You could explore some of the following activities to help stimulate the brain:
- Brain training apps/games
- Sudoku
- Crosswords
Social & Emotional Health
Aside from the above, it’s also important to ensure you are caring for your social and emotional needs and embracing any changes in your emotional state.
Speak to a loved one or counsellor or leverage some of the available helpful support and resources.
For more information about Alzheimer’s learn more through the link below.