Understand that you have significant influence over your brain health and memory through lifestyle choices, which can contribute to your ability to remember today and prevent future Alzheimer’s.
Take memory seriously by prioritizing brain-healthy habits (exercise, sleep, diet, social connection, stress reduction), but hold it lightly by forgiving yourself for normal forgetting, as this reduces stress that can harm memory.
Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep per night, as this helps clear amyloid beta from the brain and can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by about half.
Perform 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking (like you’re in a hurry), five days a week, to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia by a third to a half.
Regularly follow the Mediterranean or MIND diet, which has been shown to reduce the risk of dementia by 40-60%.
Meditation helps reduce your reactivity to chronic stress, restoring cortisol levels and hippocampus size, thereby protecting memory and reducing Alzheimer’s risk.
Prioritize and maintain good social relationships, as strong connections help manage stress, combat social isolation (a risk factor for Alzheimer’s), and contribute to longevity and brain health.
Instead of brain games, build an Alzheimer’s-resistant brain by learning new and complex things like reading books, listening to podcasts, learning an instrument or sport, or visiting new places, as this creates new neural connections.
Consciously pay attention to what you want to remember, as attention is the first necessary ingredient for creating a lasting memory, preventing everyday forgetfulness like misplacing items.
Use checklists, to-do lists, or other external tools to outsource your prospective memory (remembering to do things later), as it is inherently unreliable for all humans.
While aiming for 7-9 hours of sleep is important, avoid stressing over occasional bad nights, as chronic stress itself can harm memory; instead, focus on doing your best each night, recognizing your resilience.
Recognize that normal forgetting (like names or where you put things) is common and not a sign of Alzheimer’s; stressing about it chronically can actually lead to memory problems, so give yourself a break.
If you suspect or have untreated sleep apnea, address it, as it can be a significant contributor to the development of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Incorporate green leafy vegetables, brightly colored fruits and berries, nuts, beans, olive oil, and fatty fish like salmon into your diet for high-octane brain fuel, both for daily function and Alzheimer’s prevention.
Prioritize aerobic and leg weight-bearing exercises like brisk walking, or engage in playful physical activities such as dance, pickleball, or swimming, which use your brain in a more complex way and reduce dementia risk.
Maximize the benefits of exercise by walking with someone to engage in conversation and choosing new, unfamiliar routes or locations to stimulate your brain and build new neural connections.
Be mindful of your food choices, consciously deciding what to feed your brain and body rather than mindlessly grabbing habitual snacks, to make healthier dietary decisions.
Don’t hesitate to Google names, facts, or words you can’t recall, as your brain isn’t doing anything useful by staying stuck on the ’tip of the tongue’ and looking it up is not cheating or weakening your memory.
Focus on getting necessary vitamins and micronutrients from a balanced diet, as supplements beyond B12 and Vitamin D (if deficient) are generally not proven to enhance memory and may just result in expensive waste.
When interacting with someone with Alzheimer’s, agree to their reality (‘yes, and…’) rather than correcting them, to maintain emotional connection and build a relationship.
Play music from an Alzheimer’s patient’s younger years, as familiar songs can activate related memories and emotions, bringing joy and connection even when other memories are inaccessible.