I was at a forensic neuropsychology presentation yesterday evening and heard June Paltzer, Ph.D. speak. Dr. Paltzer is a licensed psychologist and board certified child and adult neuropsychologist whose expertise includes evaluations and treatment planning for individuals with difficulties in "cognition" (e.g., memory, attention), academic achievement, and emotional wellbeing. One of the most interesting points she made related to Alzheimer's is that there are steps one can take in their overall health to "protect" their memory and cognitive functioning. These "memory hygiene" tips are 1) maintain good general health practices 2) engage in proper nutrition-- i.e. bulk of foods should be fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, fish-- stay away from saturated fat, sugar, large doses of caffeine, etc. 3) Get adequate sleep 4) Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate-- drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water to prevent dehydration 5) Reduce the amount of alcohol you consume 6) Reduce your daily stress 7) Engage in physical exercise-- pick an activity of interest and do it consistently (Recent research has shown that the incidence of Alzheimer's is less for folks that engage in a minimum of 45 minutes of exercise at least 3x per week) and 8) Make mental stimulation a part of your everyday life-- choose something that is new and emphasizes your strengths, e.g. sports, music, socialization, crosswords, educational classes, learning a new language, or learning how to use an ipad :)
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