We live to work, plan, save, and spend wisely. While all that discipline can be downright annoying, we do it for the future—for those sweet, golden days of retirement. Building a strong financial strategy is the responsible thing to do, but is it the only thing to do? While some may argue yes, they are forgetting one important factor: the aging strategy.
Through all the retirement planning and dreams of lying on a beach, too many of us wait to do health planning until we have no choice—until we are stuck in disease. Our lifespans are determined by our time spent alive, breathing, whether upright or not. Our healthspan, however, is our time spent in wellness and vitality. What good is a long lifespan if the healthspan is cut short?
We’re already halfway there!
By now, most of us know we must keep our bodies healthy to prevent diseases like cancer, kidney failure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, anemia, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, etc. What only a small percentage of us know is the brain is very much part of the package.
“I’m having a senior moment…” How many people say that aloud when they fail to recall something? If you say this regularly, you’re not planning a good aging strategy. By simply saying it, you are accepting cognitive decline as a natural part of life and not a preventable neurodegenerative disease.
What if I told you the deterioration of the brain function doesn’t have to be part of your golden years? Would you make the changes to prevent it?
By the time diseases like Alzheimer’s are diagnosed, the decline has already been developing for 20-30 years. The good news is your story can be different. Growing evidence has shown several natural interventions that protect the brain and the entire nervous system.
At Forum Health Clarkston, I’ve planned a successful aging strategy by forming good habits and supporting my body with supplements and real food. Through their unique process, I’ve learned how to make my health a lifestyle instead of a chore.
If you’re unsure of how to get started, here are a few tips to get you on your way:
- Get in with your Functional Medicine nutritionist to A) test the current state of your cognitive health and B) to build a strong aging strategy.
- Multiple studies have proven a correlation between an inflammatory diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function. Make the beneficial changes to your diet such as one that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fish, healthy fats, and good sources of wild caught protein.
- The brain is 60% fat and 8% of that is DHA, an omega-fatty acid also found in fish and algae. DHA protects neurological function and supports the growth of new cells. The surest way to get DHA into your system is through a third-party tested fish oil supplement. Your nutritionist can help you find the best one for your body.
- Get moving! Exercise is a lifestyle intervention that creates chemical changes in the brain that enhance learning, mood, and thinking. It’s the whole package, good for the brain, body, and heart!
The future-you begs the present-you to invest in your health now, while you can. Prevention is possible when it comes to cognitive health. Depending on where you are in your journey, it can be as simple as changes in diet and routines to prevent or as serious as a plan of attack to reverse. The choice is up to you, but you owe yourself all the gold in those future years. You won’t get it with avoidance.
Find out more in Part Two: When to Pay Attention
Cognitive decline: When to pay attention
Adrian Schirr
Forum Health Clarkston
7300 Dixie Hwy. Ste 500
Clarkston, MI 48346
248-625-5143
