This episode is the beginning of a major series. I have planned 17 episodes in the series, so this will take us a few weeks into 2021. The subject is dementia. I think it’s important. It affects 50 million people worldwide. But this wouldn’t necessarily convince me to spend so much time on this disease. The fact is, some pretty reliable sources of medical information say that dementia is a preventable disease. And since we want to be healthy as long as possible here on Running: A FEVER, we definitely want to do whatever we can to prevent dementia.
Last year at my physical with Dr. Bicak, I asked him about prevention of dementia and he gave me a few tips that I will share with you as a taste of what is to come. Then we’ll go through an outline of the series.
Dr. Bicak says that one thing the brain needs is fat. So you should make sure your body fat is not too low. I’ve never had a problem with this, but I know some people do have the problem of not enough fat. The classic recommendation is 16% as a minimum for men and 20% as a minimum body fat for women.
Do things that “cross train” your brain. Doing things that are not natural builds new neural connections. These can be child-like things, not just reading about a topic that is foreign to you, though I think that’s a good idea too. For example, if you’re a technical, computer person, try painting. Walk backwards. If you’re right-handed, use your left hand, and vice-versa. I would normally not think of taking dance lessons, but after hearing this suggestion, I think that might be a good idea for me. It’s just so much easier to do the same things over and over, that our brains don’t do any work and they get out of shape.
Well those are a couple of tips to get us started. Here’s an idea of what’s to come:
#2 – What is Dementia?
#3 – Types of Dementia
#4 – Type 1 – Alzheimer’s Disease
#5 – Type 2 – Vascular Dementia
#6 – Type 3 – Frontotemporal Dementia
#7 – Type 4 – Lewy Body Dementia
#8 – Type 5 – Mixed Demtia
#9 – Preventing Dementia
#10 – How the brain works – Memory
#11 – How the brain works – Aging
#12 – Staying Mentally Active
#13 – Improving Memory
#14 – Diet for the Mind
#15 – Vitamins for the Brain
#16 – Exercising for Mental Health
#17 – Sleep and Dementia
I’m really looking forward to this. As always, every topic I present on RAF is a learning experience for me, not just a teaching experience. And this is something I am very interested in. I hope you are too. NEXT in the series: WHAT IS DEMENTIA?