Page 54 - Harnett Life Summer 2019

Brain Health

By Dr. Damon Blackley

Since I began writing these articles for the Robeson Living mag- significantly lower our risk for a memory disorder.
azine, I have mostly focused of aspects of physical health. This
includes how you can improve your own health with activities Another way to improve brain function and decrease the risk of
such as sleep, exercise, and diet; as well as how to take steps developing dementia is to participate in activities that exercise
to prevent many conditions that affect people in our community and challenge the brain. A study by the American Academy of
every day such as diabetes, arthritis, and low back pain. Neurology found that in a certain population of seniors, memory
loss was delayed when the seniors participated in leisure activi-
I have not spent much time on another very important aspect of ties. These included reading, writing, doing crossword puzzles,
healthcare that many people rarely think about until it affects playing card or board games, having group discussions, and play-
them or someone close to them. I am talking about the health of ing music. Further, they found that the more activities that the
your brain and mental state. There are several things that you can participants did, the more delayed the memory loss was. Several
do to prevent mental decline and the onset of dementia as well as other studies have shown similar results with increased mental
improve memory and improve overall health. activity contributing to improved memory and decreased risk of
dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
The first topic is something that I have mentioned in several of
my other articles. Many of us immediately think of the physi- In addition to increasing mental exercise it has also been shown
cal benefits we get when talking about exercising. What many that when these things are done while participating in social in-
people do not know is that physical exercise is also extremely teraction the benefits are even greater. Previous research shows
beneficial to brain health. In fact, it is one of the most important that this kind of activity can ward off mental decline as well as
things we can do. Some studies have shown that regular aerobic prevent the decline of motor function. This can be done in several
exercise boosts our daily intellectual performance and lowers our ways such as reading to local children, volunteering at a senior
risk for dementia by up to 38 percent. center, or attending church events.

Along with exercise, another set of topics I have talked about It all comes down to the lifestyle choices that we make. If we do
several times are diet and weight loss. Despite what many com- the things we know we should, we reap the benefits. If we do the
panies and products claim, there is no miracle food or product to things we know we shouldn’t, we deal with the consequences.
improve cognitive function. The best thing you can do for your- This is true for physical as well as mental health, so start by help-
self is to eat a well balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and ing yourself or a loved one today.
lean meats; and to stay away from processed foods, sugars and
trans-fats. This will give the body the fuel it needs to function The Doctors at Beck & Blackley Chiropractic Clinic will be hap-
properly and will fight inflammation that can lead to multiple py to speak to you about the information contained in this article
health conditions. This can in turn help you to maintain a healthy or any other health related topic that concerns you. Just give ei-
weight and low ratio of belly fat which studies have shown can ther office a call: Lumberton (910) 739-5751 or St Pauls (910)
Harnett Life ~ Summer 2019 865-2100. Page 55

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