Do You Have An Abusive Relationship With Sugar?

The Standard American Diet (SAD) is saturated with sugar, high omega-6 fatty acids, excessive calories, trans fats, processed and pesticide-laden foods. People who have a simple, carbohydrate-based diet (bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, fruit juice and sugar) have a 400% increased risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease. New research has also linked a sugar-laden diet to Alzheimer’s disease, which some scientists are now calling “type 3 diabetes.”

Some of the most common risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease include: obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, smoking, using drugs or alcohol, sleep apnea, insomnia, and low estrogen, testosterone, or thyroid. And, lest you think that only your memory is at stake, insulin resistance has linked Alzheimer’s with a wide array of behavioral and mood disorders including: depression, panic attacks, anxiety, insomnia, and ADHD.

Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity are national health epidemics that continue to grow. The answer is NOT to see them as individual, separate disorders, but rather as different outcomes of the same unhealthy lifestyle that have exactly the same cure. The best way to prevent Alzheimer’s is to eliminate all of the risk factors that are associated with the disease—and the good news is that most of them are either preventable or treatable!

Adopting these five brain-healthy strategies can help protect you from premature aging:

So Long, Sugar

Sugar is not your friend. Sugar produces inflammation in your body, increases erratic brain cell firing, and sends your blood sugar levels on a roller-coaster ride. If you’re in an abusive relationship with sugar, break it off today!

Brain Healthy Breakfast

A balanced breakfast (including protein) helps to keep the blood sugar balanced so that you can make smart decisions about how to take care of your brain and body.

Feed Your Second Brain

 There’s a reason your gut is considered your second brain. Intestinal problems increase inflammation—that low-level fire that destroys your organs—and increases your risk for depression, worry, chronic pain and poor cognitive health. To balance your gut health, eat fermented foods or take a high-quality probiotic supplement.

Lean Protein

Lean protein provides the necessary building blocks for brain health. For optimal brain function, include more healthy proteins in your diet, including: beans, spinach, raw nuts, free-range eggs and omega-3 rich salmon.

Eat Brain Berries

Wild blueberries, nicknamed “brain berries” by neuroscientists, have high amounts of antioxidants and are known to protect against Alzheimer’s disease.

Being serious about brain health has no age limit, especially when a better brain can help improve your focus, mood, and memory. You can create a brain-healthy life by learning how to love and care for the most important part of your body…your brain.

How Brain SPECT Imaging Can Help

Brain SPECT imaging looks at the functioning of the brain. It can tell us if your brain is healthy, experiencing accelerated aging, injured, overactive, or underactive. Without imaging and other assessments, there’s really no way to know what’s going on inside your brain.

Although getting older is unavoidable, aging is optional. To learn how we can help you prevent Alzheimer’s and dementia, call us today at 888-288-9834 or visit us online to schedule a visit.