Nutrition is a huge topic to cover. For many people nutrition is the first “go - to” when someone has a new health issue. Have you ever gone to the internet to see the causes and cures that can be found in food? We are literally bombarded through commercials, articles, and social media posts about fad diets, supplements, or insane dietary restrictions that promise a quick fix or a cure to what’s ailing us. The claims are meant to draw us in, and we tend to believe them. ‘Never eat these foods’, ‘lose 20 pounds in 5 days’, or ‘eat this super food to promote brain health’ are the types of claims used to grab our attention. Some of us good-natured folks even look up nutrition and dietary information for our family and friends.
At this time, there is no good research that proves there is a cure found in diets or supplements for people with a dementing illness. Although we are hopeful optimists that omitting this food and taking that supplement will provide long lasting relief, there is no good data to support the claims. I recently went on the website of a popular dietary supplement company that claims their product is an “over-the-counter supplement for healthy brain function and memory improvement.”* By the way, that asterisk that you see after the claim explains that it was based on a “clinical study of subgroups of individuals who were cognitively normal or mildly impaired”.
On another blog post I found doing a quick search, there was a link that stated, “1 crazy morning recipe to stop brain disease.” I was afraid to click on that link- although it sounded great to have one breakfast and be cured, I remembered that this wasn’t my first rodeo and figured it was too good to be true. Sometimes those links are full of spam and computer viruses, so I scrolled past it.
So, what can we do? Is there any hope to prevent a dementing illness or slow its progression through nutrition? Right now, the best answer and hope lies in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The term healthy lifestyle implies that there is more to consider than just food. Here are the key things that you need to consider for a healthy lifestyle:
· Eat a balanced diet
· Get enough sleep
· Get enough exercise, stay active
· Socialize with others
· Learn new things
· Maintain a healthy weight
· Keep healthy blood pressure numbers
· Keep healthy blood sugar numbers
Some of these things can be done with other people and doing them together can increase the benefits! Good nutrition is an important part of our overall health regardless of the illnesses we are facing. Work with your medical provider to address a healthy lifestyle for you based on your health. If you are caring for a loved one, work with professionals to what find out what is best for their healthy lifestyle too. Remember, if you see a nutritional claim promising a cure that you are seeking, it is likely to good to be true. Good nutrition is one important component in an overall healthy lifestyle.
Stay patient. Stay kind. Give love.
Comments