Holistic Ways to Combat Dementia

Remember these words by Dr.John R Christopher the founder of the School of Natural Healing...

"There are no incurable diseases; Only incurable People"...

and right now you will be wondering "Well, WHAT does THAT Mean?"... I will explain this later.

FACTS:

As of 2015, the number of people living with dementia was estimated at 47 million worldwide and expected to increase to 82 million by the year 2030.

IN 2018 Alzheimer's and other dementias will cost the US $277 billion dollars.

Those who care for people with dementia experience high levels of stress and strain. There are physical, emotional and financial stressors that need to be addressed and supported by the legal, health, social and financial systems of their society.

Early diagnosis can improve the quality of life for people with dementia and their families .

16.1 million Americans provide unpaid care for people with dementia related illness

Early and accurate diagnosis can save up to 7.9 trillion in medical and care costs.

People with dementia and their families often get discriminated against. Awareness and advocacy are needed to reduce discriminatory practices and improve their quality of life.

Addressing dementia related illnesses should be a public health priority!

The W.H.O. (World Health Organization) has stated the following:

"Dementia is overwhelming not only for the people who have it, but also for their caregivers and families . There is a lack of awareness and understanding of dementia in most countries, resulting in stigmatization, barriers to diagnosis and care, and impacting carers, families and societies physically, psychologically and economically."

Defining dementia and Alzheimer's:

Alzheimer's and dementia are often used interchangeably as many people mistakenly believe that they mean the same thing. The two titles often cause confusion on the behalf of patients, families, and caregivers, when they are used in their two distinct ways. It took me quite a bit of time to determine what a precise and understandable definition of each would look like!

What is dementia?"

What I have understood so far is that dementia is more of an umbrella term for a variety of symptoms that are related to brain disorders including impaired thinking and memory.

What is Alzheimer's :

Alzheimer's is a form of dementia that specifically affects parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language. "According to the Center for Disease Control, Alzheimer's disease is a common cause of dementia causing as many as 50 to 70% of all dementia cases. In fact, Alzheimer's is a very specific form of dementia. Symptoms of Alzheimer's include impaired thought, impaired speech, and confusion. Doctors use a variety of screenings to determine the cause of dementia including blood tests, mental status evaluations and brain scans."

This type of condition called dementia, once was considered an inescapable consequence of aging . However, we now know that this condition is a physical based one that results from a loss of brain cells... and this mean it can be avoided and/or kept in check, and even reversed in some cases. Generally speaking; declining health contributes to the problem, therefore we can often utilize the gifts of proper eating habits, nutritional supplements and mind exercises to help combat this disease. The body is amazingly resilient when we shift our behavior and begin incorporating regenerating habits into our lifestyle that the body can absorb.

Signs of Dementia:

Forgetfulness

Fearfulness

Depression

Agitation

Difficulty absorbing new information

Loss of normal emotional responses

Inability to recall events that took place a few minutes ago- but can recall events of years ago.

Anger

Mood swings

Paranoia

Frustration

Jealousy

Insensitivity to others' feelings

Fear of being alone

Repeating conversations

Inability to make decisions or complete a task

Hoarding

No sense of time

Self-neglect

Failure to recognize familiar people

Complications that are associated with this state of being include falls which lead to injuries, inadequate nutrition because the person will often not eat, constipation and a variety of infections.

Causes:

Various diseases that affect brain function

Nutritional deficiency

Alcoholism

Alzheimer's disease

Huntington's Disease

Parkinson's Disease

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Kidney failure

Liver failure

Hypothyroidism

Multiple strokes

Atherosclerosis

Multiple sclerosis

Aids

Diabetes

etc...

But the good thing is - contrary to popular belief...

"There are no incurable diseases; Only incurable People"... This means that humans, in general, are creatures of habit. When our inconducive habits create degenerative dis-eases for us, it is we, as people, who fail to allow our bodies to heal due to our habit that we simply refuse to let go of!!! That's all it is most of the time! Our own reluctance to make the necessary changes and therefore we become another statistic, another person with an "incurable" disease; thus we are an "incurable people".

Interestingly enough, a health professional named Mark Hyman, M.D., spoke on a panel for PBS TV at the American Association of Retired Persons convention in Boston a few years back, and the topic was dementia... and he feels just as I do. In his own words: "Dementia is a big problem and growing every day. I believe this is preventable, that we can slow this trend and even reverse it..." Dr. Hyman has created a system for helping his patients based on the persons themselves and a holistic approach; not the diagnosis. He looks at their genes and other unique nutritional and lifestyle issues.

The key is to catch diseases in their earlier stages before they get to a point of no return(ing) to normality. Forms of dementia, such as a drug interaction or a vitamin deficiency, are especially reversible or at the least temporary.

Medical Science knows a lot about what affects brain function and brain aging: our nutrition , inflammation, environmental toxins, stress, exercise , and deficiencies of hormones, vitamins, and omega-3 fats. With this knowledge, we can create a solution for the problem instead of falling into the trap of believing that it is incurable.

"Steps to Reversing Dementia

Start by looking hard for correctable causes of memory loss. They include:

Pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome

Low thyroid function

Depression

Deficiencies in B vitamins, especially vitamin B12

Omega-3 fat deficiencies

Mercury or other heavy metal toxicity

Vitamin D deficiency

High cholesterol

Unique genes that predispose you to nutritional or detoxification problems

Doctors who practice Holistic Medicine or "Functional" Medicine can help you find these problems.

Once you identify the underlying causes of the imbalance, here are a few things that can help your mind get a tune-up:

Balance your blood sugar with a whole foods, low glycemic diet

Exercise daily - even a 30-minute walk can help

Deeply relax daily with yoga, meditation, biofeedback , or just deep breathing

Take a multivitamin and mineral supplement

Take an omega-3 fat supplement

Take extra vitamin B6, B12, and folate

Take vitamin D

Treat thyroid or low sex hormones

Get rid of mercury through a medical detoxification program

This is just a start, but it can go a long way to giving your brain the chance to heal and recover if you have memory problems. Even if you aren't suffering from cognitive decline, you should take these steps because they can help you prevent the aging of your brain and obtain lifelong health."

Nutritional Supplements that help:

Avoid heavily coated or sustained release products because they are difficult for the body to break down. Use instead supplements that are in powder form, liquid or sublingual form.

For a complete listing of supplements recommended see the latest edition of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing" by Balch

Helpful Herbs:

Gingko biloba (memory)

Ginseng (memory)

Mullein oil (memory)

Anise (sharpen brain)

Blessed thistle (sharpen brain)

Blue Cohosh (sharpen brain)

Kava kava (calming anger)

St John's wort (calming anger)

Food Recommendations:

Eat 50 - 75% raw foods including various seeds, whole grain cereals, whole grain breads (remember this old saying: "the whiter the bread/the sooner you're dead"), raw nuts.

Low fat yogurts and soured products

Brown rice

Plenty of fiber (plant based) foods daily. (grains, brans; oats, rice, etc, veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds, greens)

Drink plenty of liquids even when not thirsty (thirst mechanism doesn't work as well in aged)

Elimination of food:

Sufficient Daily outbound movements are just as important as your daily intake. The bowels are a vital component of keeping a healthy body; as it is the central part of what nourishes our bodies and the seat of our immune system. If we allow our colon to stay backlogged, then we are setting the stage for health disasters; including a wide variety of diseases and parasitical infestation of the gut. The fiber from plant-based foods or nutritional bowel cleanse supplements will greatly help with keeping the bowels clean once the initial backed up food debris is removed from the bowels. See a specialist like a colon hydrotherapist.

And while you are at it - Next time you are at the store, be sure to pick up a word puzzle book for yourself. Be sure to do at least one puzzle a day.

Hopefully, I have helped to demystify dementia and it's associated diseases like Alzheimer's, and you will make note of some of the things you can do yourself to help shift the direction if you are personally experiencing these symptoms.

In Love,

Shakeenah

Resources:

Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Balch

World Health Organization article on dementia: http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/dementia/en/

https://www.alz.org/facts/ Alzheimer's Association

https://www.alzheimers.net/difference-between-alzheimers-and-dementia/

https://danielplan.com/healthyhabits/9stepstoreversedementia/ By Mark Hyman, M.D.