with your brain in mind - stanford...

Outreach,Recruitment,andEducationCore|BlairHumber,MS&AngelicaCeja

Healthy Aging and Lifestyle Choices Agingwelldependsongenes,environment,andlifestyle.Whilewecan’tcontrolallthefactorsthatcontributetoaging,whatwecandoismakehealthylifestylechoicestohelpmaintainahealthybodyandbrain.

5thingsthatcanhelpprotectbrainhealth:Takecareofyourphysicalhealth

• Getrecommendedhealthscreenings• Knowyourhealthnumbers!(bloodpressure,cholesterol,bloodsugar)• Activelymanageyourhealthproblems• Consultwithyourhealthcareprovidertomakesureyourmedicationsareright

foryou• Reduceriskofbraininjuryduetofalls:takeafallpreventionclassifyoucan• Quitsmoking!Eathealthyfoods(seetheMINDdietarticleonpage2)Stayactive

• Moveabout30minutesonmostdaysoftheweek• Walkingisagoodstart–getyourheartrateup!• Joinprogramsthatcanhelpyoulearntomovesafely(e.g.,strengthtraining,

balancetraining,andstretching)

*Checkwithyourhealthcareproviderifyouhaven’tbeenactiveandwanttostartanexerciseprogram

Learnnewthings–useyourbrain!

• Domentallystimulatingactivities–read,playgames,learnnewthings,takeorteachaclass,besocialthroughworkorvolunteering

Socialize–stayconnectedwithfamily,friends,andcommunity!

UpcomingEvents

April55:30-6:30p

April122-3:30p

May118a-4:15p

WisdomofAgingtalkseries:Nutrition.EastPaloAltoYMCA.

Presentationonhealthybrainaging.PaloAltoCommons.

With Your Brain in Mind

MonthlynewsandupdatesfromtheStanfordAlzheimer’sDiseaseResearchCenter

HealthyAgingTips

March2017 Contact:(650)721-2409|adrcstanford@stanford.edu

StanfordADRC’swebsiteStanfordADRC’sFacebookpage(English)StanfordADRC’sFacebookpage(Español)

Links

Photo:thenewStanfordNeuroscienceHealthCenter,openedinJanuary2016.Readmoreaboutithere.

MoreinformationonalleventscanbefoundontheStanfordADRCwebsitehere.

April88a-2p

4thAnnualAlzheimer’sLatinoConference.MayfairCommunityCenter,SanJose.Clickhereformoreinformation.

19thAnnualUpdatesonDementia:TranslatingResearchintoPractice.SouthSFConferenceCenter.Clickhereformoreinformation.

March2110:30a-12p

Presentationonhealthybrainaging.PeninsulaJewishCommunityCenter,FosterCity.

March2017 Contact:(650)721-2409|adrcstanford@stanford.edu

2NotallofthelinksprovidedareunderthepurviewoftheStanfordADRCandareprovidedasresourcereferences.

CarolynFredericks,MDClinicalAssistantProfessorofNeurology

WhatisyourroleattheADRCandwhatdrawsyoutodementiaresearch?

IamaclinicalassistantprofessorofneurologyatStanfordandaminvolvedwithboththeclinicalandimagingcoresattheADRC.Intermsofmyresearch,I’minterestedintheemotionalandbehavioralsymptomsthataccompanyAlzheimer’sdiseaseandotherformsofdementia,andalsoinlesser-knownAlzheimer’svariantssuchasposteriorcorticalatrophyandlogopenicaphasia.Istudythesethingsusingfunctionalneuroimagingandneuropsychologicalquestionnaires.

The MIND Diet and Healthy Aging

Meet the ADRC Team – a monthly feature

SomeoftheknownrisksforAlzheimer’sDiseaseincludeageitself,genetics(notamajorriskformostpeople),andheadinjuries,butothersuspectedriskscanbeheavilyinfluencedbylifestyle.Theseriskfactorsincludeheartdisease,highbloodpressureinmid-lifethatispoorlycontrolledinadvancedage,andlackofphysicalandmentalactivity.

First,it’simportanttomaintainahealthybrain.Somethingsthatcanposeathreattobrainhealtharesmoking,heartdisease,diabetes,notenoughsleep,notenoughphysicalactivity,socialisolation,somemedicines,toomuchalcohol,andanunhealthydiet.

YoucanreducetheeffectsofthislastriskfactorbytryingtheMINDDiet,whichstandsfor“Mediterranean-DASHInterventionforNeurodegenerativeDelay”.TheMINDDietrecommends:

• atleast3servingsofwholegrainsDAILY• atleastonedarkgreensaladandoneothervegetable

DAILY

I’mdrawntodementiaresearchbecausedementiaaffectsthewholeindividualandthewholefamily.Ithinkthemorewecanunderstandabouttheemotionalsymptomsthataccompanydementia,thebetterwewillbeabletodiagnose,treat,andsupportpatientsandfamiliescopingwiththeseillnesses.I’malsodrawntostudyinglesscommonvariantsofAlzheimer’sdiseasebecausethereislittletoguidecliniciansintreatingpatientswiththesevariants.IalsobelievethatstudyingthesesymptomscanhelpusbetterunderstandhowAlzheimer’sworksonabasiclevel.

• atleastaone-ounceservingofnutsDAILY• five-ounceglassofredwineorgrapejuiceDAILY• berriesatleasttwiceaweek:strawberriesor

blueberriesarebest• beansorlegumesatleasteveryotherday• poultryatleasttwiceaweek• fishatleastonceaweek• lessthan4servingsofredmeatperweek• nomorethanonetablespoonadayofbutteror

margarinedaily(useoliveoilinstead!)• cheese,friedfoodandfastfoodnomorethan

onceaweek• pastriesandsweetslessthanfivetimesaweek–

so,noteveryday!

Havefunexperimentingwithdifferentrecipesandinviteotherstojoinyouincooking…andeating!

ReadmoreabouttheMINDdiethere.