7 ways to prevent Alzheimer's disease

7 habits to adopt today

By Stephanie Eckelkamp

"You may be able to reduce your risk of Alzheimer's disease by a whopping 70 to 80%," says Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the non-profit organizations that sponsored the first annual International Conference on Nutrition and the Brain this past weekend in Washington DC.

Sixteen researchers presented compelling evidence about why the following seven habits could help warn off many neurological disorders, not just Alzheimer's, that steal our mind.

1. Minimize your intake saturated and trans fats. These "bad" fats tend to increase blood cholesterol levels, which encourage the production of dangerous beta-amyloid plaques in the brain -- a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease. In the Chicago Health and Aging Study, people consuming the most saturated fat had triple the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

2. Vegetables, legumes, fruits, and whole grains should be staples in your diet. These foods are rich in vitamins and minerals that protect the brain such as vitamin B6 and folate. The Chicago Health and Aging Study found that a high intake of fruits and vegetables was associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline. A plant-rich diet also reduces your risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, both of which can play a role in Alzheimer's disease.

3. Get about 5 mg of vitamin E daily. This antioxidant has been linked to a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease and can easily be consumed by eating small handful of nuts or seeds or munching on mangoes, papayas, avocadoes, tomatoes, red bell peppers, spinach, and fortified breads and cereals. But stick to food sources, says Dr. Barnard. Taking a supplement doesn't seem offer the same benefit.

4. Pop a B12 supplement. Getting adequate amounts of this B vitamin (about 2.4 mcg per day., found in animal products and fortified foods, helps reduce levels of homocysteine, an amino acid linked to cognitive impairment. In an Oxford University study of older adults with elevated homocysteine levels and memory problems, B vitamin supplementation improved memory and reduced brain atrophy. If you're over 50 or follow a plant-based diet, taking a supplement is extra important.

(Looking for the right supplements? Try one of these 5 All-Star Health Helpers).

5. Avoid multivitamins with iron and copper unless otherwise directed by your doctor. Most people get adequate levels of these metals through their diet, and ingesting them in excess has been linked to cognitive problems.

6. Avoid cooking with aluminum pots and pans. Instead, opt for stainless steel or cast iron cookware. While aluminum's role in brain functioning is still under investigation, preliminary data suggests that it may contribute to cognitive problems.

7. Walk briskly three times a week for at least 40 minutes. Research suggests that regular aerobic exercise can reduce your risk for dementia by 40 to 50%.

By adopting all of the above habits you may be setting your brain up to be around for the long haul.

Remember My Photo. Dedicated: Grandma Bev.

(Grandma Bev-Skiing! One of her favorite things that she loved to do.)

I have longed for and begun parts of the healing process to start since the passing of my grandma. Now a year and half later there are days I still cry, laugh, or smile when I think of her or a memory of us doing something together. Nothing can ever replaced her, however the disease that robbed her still haunts me.

Born July 10, 1928 to parents who were wheat farmers, she longed for a life in the city.   My grandma was a very different kind of woman. She married as a junior in college, had one son, and quickly decided she didn't want do not be married. This was a first for anyone in her family. Divorce. Her parents almost disowned her over it because back in 1953 you didn't do that.  She got her way and moved forward with life. The relationship healed with her parents and she did move forward.  She became a secretary to the general in the Army  in Washington for 25 years before retiring out and she found love 3 times with marriage.

She also found heart break with her own son. The custody battle between her and my grandfather was long, and went to the supreme court in Washington. In the end she got full custody and my father spent his summers with his father and lived the school year with his mom. She loved and cared for him, but in his adult years he chose drugs and alcohol to deal with his depression and bi-polar disorder.  She finally removed him out of her life in 1997.

When I came to know my grandma I was a baby, than a toddler, than a young kid, teenager and a young woman. I came to know her because of her son not playing an active role as a father in my life. He was hooked on heroin and alcohol and she wanted a relationship with the only grandchild she had so she asked my mother if she could care for me each summer while I was out of school as my mother worked 2 jobs to put a roof over our heads to support all of her kids (I came from marriage #2).

                                                      (Doing some school cloths shopping. 1993)

Spending summers with Grandma Bev growing up was magical and special. I was the only grandchild so I got all of her love and attention and also learned of my great-grandparents farming and life. I even helped planned there funerals with her because they didn't pass till I was thirteen.  We grew fond of each other. I could call grandma whenever I was back home, and we always picked up where we left off. We never missed a beat.  In my young adult years she always asked if I was going to "Stay in Nevada?", and I never really could give her a yes or no answer because I wasn't sure what my future held. She would send me cute cards and emails, and we would talk once a week as I began to work the corporate ladder.

(Great Grandma & Grandpa Orr, Grandma Bev's parents.)

(FYI: Grandma loved to fish!!)

The first time I noticed a change in Grandma Bev I was 24 years old. She had come to watch me in the Nevada Day Parade October 31, 2005, I was the reigning Miss University of Nevada Reno, 2005 and she was a very proud grandma.  We would talk, and she would quickly forget what we were talking about or ask me the same questions several times. When I began to dig deeper into what was happening she covered it up.   I slowly sat back and watched the next several years unravel into an Alzheimer's nightmare.  It all came crashing down right after I had my son May 5, 2010.  My grandma had been making two to five phone calls a day to my cell phone. Each time she sounded a little sadder and couldn't form sentences.   It was apparent that she wasn't getting all the care she needed from her third husband.  I had called several times for welfare checks on the both of them do to age and her progression in the disease.   Her husband unfortunately had a lot of health issues and really couldn't provider her the level of care she now needed.

When my son was about four months old I planned a trip to go see grandma, so she could met her great grandson. I was hoping it would cheer her up. I spent several weeks planning out our trip only to have her husband call me and say "Don't bother coming, I put your grandma in a nursing home." My heart broke and I became hysterical and could hardly tell my husband what was going on.  My husband and I choose to go up anyways and take our son. He knew how much my grandma had meant to me.

Her husband was both shocked and not pleased when I showed up; however he gave me the address to where he had "dropped her off at." I couldn't drive over from her house to the nursing home fast enough.  When we got there the staff was shocked to find out she had a grand-daughter because her husband mentioned no family members. They were happy to see me and quickly showed me to the lock-down ward of the nursing home she was in (which being a mother of a 4 month old I was not prepared for).

(Trying to smile through tears after seeing her in the nursing home for the first time)

There she was with her face pressed against the glass door that was locked by a key pad.  Her hair was messy and she was wearing a t-shirt with a long skirt. She looked disheveled, weak, frail and old. I began to sop uncontrollable as I hugged her. The staff all encouraged me, but I honestly was heart broken to see her like this. This was not the grandma I knew. Who skied until she was 77 years old, and who walked or hiked daily on average of five to ten miles.  This was Alzheimer's robbing me of the one person that had loved me and treated me and taught me respect. Changed my diapers as a child and now she was in diapers.

I quickly hired an attorney and filed a motion to be the guardian over my grandma Bev. The attorney told me, rarely is it possible to get custody of a person who is married. I would have to show evidence of her not getting care that she required with her progressed disease with Alzheimer's.  I was able to prove my case in court and won full custody of my grandma Bev on a emergency notification.

Her husband passed away not long after our court battle from lung cancer. Grandma Bev was still in the same nursing home being cared for. I wanted and longed to bring her to Reno but it was advised not to move her since she had settled into a place and could quickly disrupt her and put her into a depression with the Alzheimer's.  I ached to have her closer to me and my son. I called weekly to check on her and sent packages to her every two weeks. She was doing well. Eating. walking the halls in the lock down unit and would ask for Brooke, it was the day she took a fall that I knew her life was finally coming to the end.

The nursing home reassured me she was fine, but four months after the fall I received the call the end was near. Grandma Bev had gone to bed the night before and would now not wake up. Hospice had been called in. I drove up that Monday night February 20,2012 from Reno, Nevada to Redmond Oregon, praying for her not to pass while I was in root.  She waited for me.

When I got there I tried to wake her. She opened her eyes and said "Barry". This was her son. I knew in my heart I need to help her get closure with him. I was able to track him down. He was living in a closet of a motel in Berkley, California. He asked if he should come up to Oregon and I told him, that was his choice, but I was not leaving grandma's side.  He chose to speak to her on the phone. Her face lit up and moved around a bit as though she was trying to talk back to him, but nothing came out of her lips. That made me feel good that I was able to bring her some closure with her son.  I stayed with her each day and night until I felt her pull me to her on February 24, 2012 late in the afternoon. She took her final breathe in my arms as I was rocking her.  I watched her beautiful soul leave.  

(A photo of our hands together the week she passed away)

I try not to think of the last couple years of her life, because they are all very painful to remember. I try to think of all the things we did together. I really miss her and I laughing together, but more importantly I missed her long before she left this earth.  As I finally began to work through the grief I chose to offer free portraits to those diagnosed with Alzheimer's or ones that are suffering from Alzheimer's through my photography business (BMW Photography). It was embraced by my local community on the news and I paired up with the location Alzheimer's Association Chapter of Northern Nevada & California. I wanted to make sure the loved ones photos were remembered as well as their story. I tied it together with a blog called "Remember My Photo". http://bmwphotoproject.blogspot.com/

Paul Dugan reflects on 'devastating' loss of his wife, who had Alzheimer's

Paul Dugan was one of the first people I spoke to when asking about the care facility he placed his wife in. I had no other place to turn to when I began the process of getting full custody of my grandma who was knee deep in her Alzheimer's (2011). He shared with me and my husband how hard it was to place in wife in care, but also knew it would help her by having 24/7 care. I will be forever grateful to him that I was able to reach out and ask him about care facilities here in Reno and talk to him about his experience with his wife, and was able to share with him what I was going through with my grandma. In the three part series of stories the Reno Gazette Journal covered Paul's story of loosing his wife to Alzheimer's.  It's touching, and sad as I remember hearing some of these words first hand from Paul when he lost his wife.  

Paul Dugan remembers the day he learned his wife, a 57-year-old Reno elementary school counselor, had early-onset Alzheimer’s.

“I’ll never forget when they first told me Susan had it,” said Dugan, a former Washoe County School District’s superintendent. “I said, ‘How long are we looking at?’ And the answer I got was, ‘Two to 20 years.’ Fortunately for everyone, it was not that long.”

Susan Dugan was diagnosed with the disease in December 2007. She died on March 2, 2010, just a little more than two years later.

“The emotional toll of losing someone you love very much is devastating,” Dugan said of the woman who had been his college sweetheart and was his wife for 39 years.

But Alzheimer’s is an insidious disease that can rob people of their lives for many years before it destroys their bodies.

“She had no idea of who I was long before she passed away,” Dugan said of his wife. “For the last six to eight months, she basically had become a vegetable, and for our son, James, it was even more difficult.”

Dugan had retired after 26 years as Washoe County’s school superintendent in 2009, the year he put his wife in a Reno facility that cares for people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

“Unfortunately, the type of care you can find and the ease with which you can find it is relative to your income,” Dugan said. “When I put Susan in a care facility, it cost over $6,000 a month, and (medical) insurance doesn’t cover that.”

Caregiver support

The emotional and financial stress of Alzheimer’s often claims two victims, Dugan said.

“One of the real tragedies is, oftentimes, you hear about the caregivers dying before the people they are caring for do,” he said.

“If you are the caregiver and you are doing it all on your own, it takes an unbelievable toll because it is non-stop. You can’t take a break or leave that person alone even for a little while unless you have some support from family or friends,” Dugan said.

“And the requirements of taking care of them as the disease progresses is significant, from getting them showered and dressed to basically caring for them like a child.”

Jacob Harmon, regional director for the Alzheimer’s Association of Northern Nevada, said that, according to national estimates, from 60 to 70 percent of the people who care for Alzheimer’s patients die before they do.

In addition to the financial and emotional stress, caregivers often can’t take relatives with Alzheimer’s outside the home because they become afraid of places and faces, even those that were once familiar, Harmon said.

“So the biggest problem for the caregiver is they feel isolated,” he said. “What happens, particularly with a caregiver who is the elderly spouse of someone with Alzheimer’s, is they don’t get out to socialize or get exercise, and they eat poorly or stop eating.”

One of the priorities of the Alzheimer’s Association of Northern Nevada is to increase support to caregivers, Harmon said.

“We try to provide caregivers with the information and support they need not only to take care of the person with dementia whom they love, but also to take care of them.”

Research and funding

Before Susan Dugan died, Paul Dugan became involved with the Alzheimer’s Association of Northern Nevada and chaired the 2009 Reno/Sparks Memory Walk to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research.

“Obviously, everyone’s hope is not so much early identification of the disease but for a cure,” said Dugan, who now lives in Portland, Ore., with his wife Sherry Miceli, whom he married two years ago.

Now 63, Dugan continues to take part in Portland’s annual walk-a-thon to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research. He also facilitates an Alzheimer’s support group in Beaverton, Ore.

“For so many years, the emphasis has been on funding research for a number of other diseases, which are all worthy causes,” Dugan said. “But I think as more and more of us become elderly and have to deal with Alzheimer’s in one way or another, that it is getting more attention.”

He said more funding for research is the key.

“I think an equally important piece is the need to develop a plan of assistance for people dealing with this disease who don’t have the financial wherewithal to sustain it,” Dugan said. “I think there needs to be more recognition by the medical health insurance industry regarding this disease.”

ALZHEIMER’S RESOURCES

Alzheimer’s Association

Reno: 775-786-8061 
National helpline: 1-800-272-3900 (Calls from Nevada to the Reno office after normal work hours are automatically transferred to the 24/7 national helpline.) 
10 Early Signs of Alzheimer’s:
http://bit.ly/17UhUGN 
Reno-Carson City caregiver workshops 

Free workshops will be held in October to help family members deal with challenging behaviors that often result from Alzheimer’s and other dementia: 
• Oct. 8 at 5 p.m. at Atria at Summit Ridge, 4880 Summit Ridge Dr., Reno 
• Oct. 9 at 1 p.m. at the Business Resource Innovation Center, 108 E. Proctor St., Carson City 
• Oct. 10 at 5 p.m. at the Arbors, 2121 E. Prater, Sparks 
Alzheimer’s app

Activities can help keep Alzheimer's patients engaged

This is part 2 is a series of 3 stories posted by the RGJ on Alzheimer's.
Part 2: 9/14/2013

Alzheimer’s patients depend largely on caregivers and friends to fill the day with activities that can add pleasure, reduce stress and pass the time.

Here are a few activities you can do together.

Around town: Tour the city on a bus, an inexpensive and accessible mode of transit. Eat out someplace new. Visit an adult day-care center. Watch things that move, like clouds.

Household activities: Set the table. Polish and sort silverware. Wash the car. Match nuts and bolts. Arrange flowers.

Outdoor chores: Plant seeds. String cereal to hang outside for the birds. Plant a tree. Rake leaves.

Exercise: Play balloon volleyball, putt a golf ball, toss a beach ball or throw rubber horseshoes.

Stimulate the soul: Snack on a favorite childhood food. Read stories aloud from a newspaper or magazine. Have a spelling bee. Make homemade ice cream. Cut out paper dolls. Make holiday or birthday cards. Clean out a pumpkin. Blow bubbles.

Tap memory: Reminisce about the first day of school. Remember great inventions. Make a family-tree poster. Recall a favorite summer. Name the presidents.

Points to remember

• Limit distractions.

• Keep the noise level low.

• Select one activity at a time.

• Keep projects on a small scale and do one step at a time. Repetitive movements are easiest.

• Maintain proper communication. Establish eye contact and smile often. Speak clearly with short sentences.

• Don’t argue over correct answers. Be patient.

Source: Alzheimer’s Association

See sample questions from Alzheimer's evaluation

Great 3 Part Article Posted in the RGJ (Reno Gazette Journal) on Alzheimer's.
This is part one:
9/13/2013

You frequently misplace your car keys. You typically forget what your partner asked you to pick up at the store on your way home from the office. You never can remember whether Aunt Hildy takes cream and sugar with her coffee.

Incidents of forgetfulness are common and occur more frequently as we age. Sometimes, though, forgetfulness is a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia. Only a qualified medical professional can make the diagnosis.

Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the U.S., and the cyberworld is awash with tests claiming to help determine your risk. Experts caution against most of them, but a few are legitimate. Here are five questions from a validated test developed by Ohio State University. OSU experts say that four out of five people with memory issues will be detected by this test.

1. What is today’s date? Month, date and year. (From memory — no cheating!)

2. How are a watch and a ruler similar? Write down how they are alike. “They both are …”?

3. How many nickels are in 60 cents?

4. You are buying $13.45 worth of groceries. How much change would you receive from a $20 bill?

5. Draw a large face of a clock and place in the numbers. Position the hands for five minutes after 11 o’clock. On your clock, label “L” for the long hand and “S” for the short hand.

More information and additional tests can be found at www.alzheimersreadingroom.com. The site offers five self-assessment tests for Alzheimer’s, dementia and mild cognitive impairment.

Alzheimer's & Different Stories by the "Today" Show.

There are a lot of stories done on the Today show on Alzheimer's. See link.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/21134540/vp=52936506&#52936506