Seniors For Living

Everyone’s worried about Alzheimer’s and dementia, and though there is still no cure, there are a number of recommendations about prevention. Paul Nussbaum, an experienced doctor and the director of brain health with Emeritus Senior Living, shares his tips for boosting brain health the natural way in this new post. This is the first in a series and highlights good nutrition as an important means of maintaining your brain; essentially, what’s good for your body is good for your brain too.

We’ll highlight a few of his tips here:

1. Eat in moderation, a good rule of thumb for all to follow. Being overweight increases your risk of Alzheimer’s/dementia.
2. Get plenty of Omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in fish, walnuts and almonds (preferably unsalted), flaxseeds and flaxseed oil. Nussbaum’s professional advice is to avoid fish with high levels of mercury, like tuna, mackerel, or grouper. Instead, choose wild salmon, sardines, or herring.
3. Add antioxidant-rich foods to your daily diet, such as blueberries, red beans, dark chocolate, and beverages like green/white tea or red wine.
4. Coconut oil and a spice used most often in Indian dishes, turmeric, have both shown promise in preventing or easing dementia symptoms.

Read more about the importance of good nutrition for seniors here.