20 Tips to ward off Dementia

(Note: Due to the shifting of my residence from Old Mahabalipuram Road,Chennai to another house in Mogaippair,Chennai ,I was busy with the activities relating to shifting of the house. I got the broad band connection in the new house only two days back.

For this reason, I was unable to continue my blogging activities till yesterday and I also could not visit the blogs of my 'Indi blogger' friends for promoting their posts. I will continue my blogging activities from today--Sai baba)

What is Dementia and what are the effects of Dementia?

Dementia (taken from Latin, originally meaning "madness", from de- "without" + ment, the root of mens "mind") is a serious loss of global cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging. It may be static, the result of a unique global brain injury, or progressive, resulting in long-term decline due to damage or disease in the body. 

Although dementia is far more common in the geriatric population, it can occur before the age of 65, in which case it is termed "early onset dementia".

Dementia is not a single disease, but rather a non-specific illness syndrome (i.e., set of signs and symptoms) in which affected areas of cognition may be memory, attention, language, and problem solving. 

It is normally required to be present for at least 6 months to be diagnosed; cognitive dysfunction that has been seen only over shorter times, in particular less than weeks, must be termed delirium. In all types of general cognitive dysfunction, higher mental functions are affected first in the process.

Especially in the later stages of the condition, affected persons may be disoriented in time (not knowing what day of the week, day of the month, or even what year it is), in place (not knowing where they are), and in person (not knowing who they, or others around them, are). 

Dementia, though often treatable to some degree, is usually due to causes that are progressive and incurable as observed in primary progressive aphasia (PPA).

Symptoms of dementia can be classified as either reversible or irreversible, depending upon the etiology of the disease. Fewer than 10% of cases of dementia are due to causes that may presently be reversed with treatment. Causes include many different specific disease processes, in the same way that symptoms of organ dysfunction such as shortness of breath, jaundice, or pain are attributable to many etiologies.

(Source and refer for other details :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dementia)

Alzheimer's disease (AD), is one form of dementia that gradually gets worse over time. It affects memory, thinking, and behavior.There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death. It was first described by German psychiatrist and neuropathologist Alois Alzheimer in 1906 and was named after him.

Alzheimer's disease is also known as simplyAlzheimer's, and Senile Dementia of the Alzheimer Type (SDAT) .

Most of us start worrying about dementia after retirement - and that may be too little, too late. Experts say that if you really want to ward off dementia, you need to start taking care of your brain in your 30s and 40s - or even earlier.

"More and more research is suggesting that lifestyle is very important to your brain's health," says Dr. Paul Nussbaum, a neuro-psychologist and an adjunct  associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. "If you want to live a long, healthy life, then many of us need to start as early as we can."

     Dr. Paul Nussbaum

So what can you do to beef up your brain - and possibly ward off dementia?

Nussbaum, who recently gave a speech on the topic for the Winter Park (Fla.)

Health Foundation, offers 20 tips that may help.

1. Join clubs or organizations that need volunteers. If you start volunteering

now, you won't feel lost and unneeded after you retire.


2.
Develop a hobby or two. Hobbies help you develop a robust brain because

you're trying something new and complex.



3
Practise writing with your non-dominant hand several minutes everyday.

This will exercise the opposite side of your brain and fire up those neurons.



4.
Take dance lessons. In a study of nearly 500 people, dancing was the only

regular physical activity associated with a significant decrease in the

incidence of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. 

The people who danced three or four times a week showed 76 percent less incidence of

dementia than those who danced only once a week or not at all.

5. 
Need a hobby? Start gardening. Researchers in New Zeal and found that, of

1,000 people, those who gardened regularly were less likely to suffer from

dementia! 

Not only does gardening reduce stress, but gardeners use their

brains to plan gardens; they use visual and spatial reasoning to lay out a

garden.



6.

Walking daily can reduce the risk of dementia because cardiovascular health

is important to maintain blood flow to the brain. Or... buy a pedometer and

walk 10,000 steps a day.

7.
Read and write daily. Reading stimulates a wide variety of brain areas that

process and store information. Likewise, writing (not copying) stimulates

many areas of the brain as well.


8.
Start knitting. Using both hands works both sides of your brain. And it's

a stress reducer.



9.
Learn a new language. Whether it's a foreign language or sign language,

you are working your brain by making it go back and forth between one

language and the other. A researcher in England found that being bilingual

seemed to delay symptoms of Alzheimer's disease for four years. And

some research suggests that the earlier a child learns sign language, the

higher his IQ - and people with high IQs are less likely to have dementia.

So start them early.



10.
Play board games such as Scrabble and Monopoly. Not only are you taxing

your brain, you're socializing too. Playing solo games, such as solitaire or

online computer brain games can be helpful, but Nussbaum prefers games

that encourage you to socialize too.



11.
Take classes throughout your lifetime. Learning produces structural and

chemical changes in the brain, and education appears to help people live

longer. Brain researchers have found that people with advanced degrees

live longer - and if they do have Alzheimer's, it often becomes apparent

only in the very later stages of the disease.



12.
Listen to classical music. A growing volume of research suggests that

music may hard wire the brain, building links between the two

hemispheres. Any kind of music may work, but there's some research

that shows positive effects for classical music, though researchers

don't understand why.



13.
Learn a musical instrument. It may be harder than it was when you

were a kid, but you'll be developing a dormant part of your brain.



14.
Travel. When you travel (whether it's to a distant vacation spot or on

a different route across town), you're forcing your brain to navigate

a new and complex environment. A study of London taxi drivers found

experienced drivers had larger brains because they have to store lots

of information about locations and how to navigate there.


15.
Pray. Daily prayer appears to help your immune system. And people

who attend a formal worship service regularly live longer and report

happier, healthier lives.


16.
Learn to meditate. It's important for your brain that you learn to shut

out the stresses of everyday life.



17.
Get enough sleep. Studies have shown a link between interrupted sleep

and dementia.


18. Eat more foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids: Salmon, sardines,

tuna, ocean trout, mackerel or herring, plus walnuts (which are higher

in omega 3s than salmon) and flaxseed. Flaxseed oil, cod liver oil and

walnut oil are good sources too.



19.
Eat more fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables

mop up some of the damage caused by free radicals, one of the leading

killers of brain cells.



20.
Eat at least one meal a day with family and friends. You'll slow down,

socialize, and research shows you'll eat healthier food than if you ate

alone or on the go.

DOING ALL 20 THINGS LISTED ABOVE AND YOU WILL NOT FIND ENOUGH

TIME IN YOUR LIFE TO FIT IN DEMENTIA AS WELL: IN OTHER WORDS,

"CONTINUE TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU ALREADY DO AND YOU

WILL HAVE COVERED MOST OF THE THINGS LISTED!"

(For other details  of the works of Dr.Paul Nussbaum visit http://www.paulnussbaum.com/)

Healthy Steps to a Longer Life

One of the biggest factors that determine how well you age is not your genes but how well you live. Not convinced? 

A study published in 2009 in the British Medical Journal of 20,000 British folks show that you can cut your risk of having a stroke in half by doing the following things: being active for 30 minutes a day, eating five daily servings of fruit and vegetables, and avoiding cigarettes and excess alcohol.

While those are some of the obvious steps you can take to age well, researchers have discovered that centenarians tend to share certain traits in how they eat, move about, and deal with stress—the sorts of things we can emulate to improve our own aging process. 

Of course, getting to age 100 is enormously more likely if your parents did. Still, Thomas Perls, who studies the century-plus set at Boston University School of Medicine, believes that assuming you've sidestepped genes for truly fatal diseases like Huntington's, "there's nothing stopping you from living independently well into your 90s." Heck, if your parents and grandparents were heavy smokers, they might have died prematurely without ever reaching their true potential lifespan, so go ahead and shoot for those triple digits. 

Follow these 11 habits for a healthy longer life:

1. Don't Retire

"Evidence shows that in societies where people stop working abruptly, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease skyrockets after retirement," says Luigi Ferrucci, director of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. The Chianti region of Italy, which has a high percentage of centenarians ,has a different take on leisure time. "After people retire from their jobs, they spend most of the day working on their little farm, cultivating grapes or vegetables," he says. "They're never really inactive." 

You can use retirement to give something back to your community, country or planet. Become a volunteer for your favorite cause. It might be working at a local hospital, reading to kids in a school or joining Greenpeace. Getting involved will make you healthy, happy and fulfilled.

Read more: Top Ten Activities After Retirement | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_5966419_top-ten-activities-after-retirement.html#ixzz27S0GGl2m

2. Floss Every Day

That may help keep your arteries healthy. A 2008 New York University study showed that daily flossing reduced the amount of gum-disease- causing bacteria in the mouth. This bacteria is thought to enter the bloodstream and trigger inflammation in the arteries, a major risk factor for heart disease. 

Other research has shown that those who have high amounts of bacteria in their mouth are more likely to have thickening in their arteries, another sign of heart disease. "I really do think people should floss twice a day to get the biggest life expectancy benefits," says Perls.

3. Move Around

"Exercise is the only real fountain of youth that exists," says Jay Olshansky, a professor of medicine and aging researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "It's like the oil and lube job for your car. You don't have to do it, but your car will definitely run better." 

Study after study has documented the benefits of exercise to improve your mood, mental acuity, balance, muscle mass, and bones. "And the benefits kick in immediately after your first workout," Olshansky adds. 

Don't worry if you're not a gym rat. Those who see the biggest payoffs are the ones who go from doing nothing to simply walking around the neighbourhood or local mall for about 30 minutes a day. Building muscle with resistance training is also ideal, but yoga classes can give you similar strength-training effects if you're not into weight lifting.

4. Eat a Fiber-Rich Cereal for Breakfast

Getting a serving of whole-grains, especially in the morning, appears to help older folks maintain stable blood sugar levels throughout the day, according to a recent study conducted by Ferrucci and his colleagues. "Those who do this have a lower incidence of diabetes, a known accelerator of aging," he says.

5. Get at Least Six Hours of Sleep Each Night

Instead of skimping on sleep to add more hours to your day, get more to add years to your life. "Sleep is one of the most important functions that our body uses to regulate and heal cells," says Ferrucci. 

"We've calculated that the minimum amount of sleep that older people need to get those healing REM phases is about six hours." Those who reach the century mark make sleep a top priority.

6. Consume Whole Foods, Not Supplements

Strong evidence suggests that people who have high blood levels of certain nutrients—selenium, beta-carotene, vitamins C and E—age much better and have a slower rate of cognitive decline. Unfortunately, there's no evidence that taking pills with these nutrients provides those anti-aging benefits. "There are more than 200 different carotenoids and 200 different flavonoids in a single tomato," points out Ferrucci, "and these chemicals can all have complex interactions that foster health beyond the single nutrients we know about like lycopene or vitamin C." 

Avoid nutrient-lacking white foods (breads, flour, sugar) and go for all those colorful fruits and vegetables and dark whole-grain breads and cereals with their host of hidden nutrients.

7. Be Less Neurotic

It may work for Woody Allen, who infuses his worries with a healthy dose of humor, but the rest of us neurotics may want to find a new way to deal with stress. "We have a new study coming out that shows that centenarians tend not to internalize things or dwell on their troubles," says Perls.

"They are great at rolling with the punches."

 If this inborn trait is hard to overcome, find better ways to manage when you're stressed: Yoga, exercise, meditation, tai chi, or just deep breathing for a few moments are all good. Ruminating, eating chips in front of the TV, binge drinking? Bad, very bad.

8. Live Like a Seventh Day Adventist

Americans who define themselves as Seventh Day Adventists have an average life expectancy of 89, about a decade longer than the average American. 

One of the basic tenets of the religion is that it's important to cherish the body that's on loan from God, which means no smoking, alcohol abuse, or overindulging in sweets. Followers typically stick to a vegetarian diet based on fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts, and get plenty of exercise. They're also very focused on family and community.

9. Be a Creature of Habit

Centenarians tend to live by strict routines, says Olshansky, eating the same kind of diet and doing the same kinds of activities their whole lives. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day is another good habit to keep your body in the steady equilibrium that can be easily disrupted as you get on in years. 

"Your physiology becomes frailer when you get older," explains Ferrucci, "and it's harder for your body to bounce back if you, say, miss a few hours of sleep one night or drink too much alcohol." This can weaken immune defences, leaving you more susceptible to circulating flu viruses or bacterial infections.

10. Stay Connected

Having regular social contacts with friends and loved ones is key to avoiding depression, which can lead to premature death, something that's particularly prevalent in elderly widows and widowers. 

Some psychologists even think that one of the biggest benefits elderly folks get from exercise the strong social interactions that come from walking with a buddy or taking a group exercise class. 

Having a daily connection with a close friend or family member gives older folks the added benefit of having someone watch their back. "They'll tell you if they think your memory is going or if you seem more withdrawn," says Perls, "and they might push you to see a doctor before you recognize that you need to see one yourself."

11. Be Conscientious

The strongest personality predictor of a long life is conscientiousness— that is, being prudent, persistent, and well organized, according to The Longevity Project, co-authored by Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin. The book describes a study that followed 1,500 children for eight decades, collecting exhaustive details about their personal histories, health, activities, beliefs, attitudes, and families. The children who were prudent and dependable lived the longest, Friedman says, likely because conscientious types are more inclined to follow doctors' orders, take the right medicines at the right doses, and undergo routine

My visit to Melbourne, a city of my Dream

I am glad to post this article on my visit to Melbourne, from the excerpts from My diary:

15.8.2012

When I read about the contest "It's your Time to visit Melbourne Now !" in        Indi blogger I was very glad since it was my long desire to visit this  number one most liveable city of the world. 

I visited the site www.visitmelbourne.com/in to read about the interesting places to visit during the visit if I am selected in the contest. After reading about the interesting places in Melbourne in  some other websites, I went to sleep.

*Next  morning, I was astonished when my son told me that I could visit any place by air with the points accumulated by him due to his frequent visits to USA,UK etc. I asked him whether it was possible to go to Melbourne and return back to Chennai using the points accumulated by him. He  booked the tickets immediately and within a week I could complete the Visa procedure and boarded the flight.

I got down at Melbourne airport at the correct time. I was astonished to see how big and busy the airport was.

Melbourne Airport  also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne, and the second busiest in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the Melbourne metropolitan area.

The airport is 23 km from the city centre. It is the third most traveled passenger air route in the world and it features direct flights to 33 destinations including all states and territories in Australia plus numerous destinations in Oceania, Africa, Asia, Europe and North America

From the airport I went by Taxi to one of my relative's house  who had been inviting me many times to visit his house in Melbourne.

During my short stay, I could visit many tourist attractions in Melbourne and I give below the details of the same.

First Day Sight Seeing by City Circle Tram:

City Circle Tram

I  took  the City Circle tram or Tourist Shuttle to see  many points of interest along its route, and alight as necessary for an extended discovery stop.

The sight seeing tour is completely free on the City Circle Tram. We  get a running commentary on the places of interest along its route. We can get off the tram at any of its stops, so you can visit particular attractions at close hand, and catch the next one.

Flinders St Station:

I visited first Flinders St Station which  is a major Melbourne landmark, the hub of Melbourne's transport system. It is said to be the busiest suburban railway station in the southern hemisphere.

Flinders St Station

It is also a popular meeting place, particularly under the station's domed clock tower. 

Flinders St Station is a fitting  place to start a Melbourne travel and sightseeing tour.The  Station's striking Victorian architecture maintains the city's link with the past even as it sits cheek by jowl with the contrasting 21st century Federation Square. 

Federation Square is a destination in itself — with an art gallery, museum, wine centre and a variety of dining venues.

Federation Square

Federation Square is one of the most complex and ambitious construction projects ever undertaken in Australia. 

Comprising an entire city block the bold and audacious design is the work of Lab Architecture in conjunction with the Australian architects  Bates Smart. 

A unique fusion of civic and cultural activities, Federation  Square is recognised internationally as one of the world's great public spaces.

St Paul's Cathedral:

The next place visited by me was St Paul's Cathedral  which is the grand structure opposite Flinders Street Station. 

It is a great example of late 19th century Gothic-Revival architecture.

The interior is renowned for its wonderful carved cedar woodwork, tessellated tiled floors, stonework and stained glass.

St.Paul's Cathedral

The architecture of St Paul's Cathedral is described as a revival of the style known as Gothic transitional, partly early English Gothic and partly Decorated Gothic. Its foundation stone was laid in 1880 and the cathedral was consecrated in 1891.

Old Treasury Building:

After visiting St.Paul's Cathedral I saw  the Old Treasury Building which  is considered one of the finest public buildings in Australia. 

Old Treasury building

The building  occupies a unique position in Melbourne's history, having had its origins in the 1850s Victorian Gold Rush which accelerated the city's development.

Melbourne Museum:

Next place of my visit was the new Melbourne Museum.The museum was completed in 2000, , with its distinctive soaring roof line and grand proportions. 

It is the largest museum not only in Australia but in the whole southern hemisphere.

Melbourne Museum 

Located at Carlton Gardens in the capital of Victoria, the Melbourne Museum is located among the greenery with its veritable treasures which covers from Australia’s Aboriginal heritage through the years of history to today's digital marvels.

The Melbourne Museum exhibitions range from dinosaurs to forest 

secrets to racing legend Phar Lap. 

The museum is run by Museum Victoria whose collections comprise an estimated 16 million individual items in four museums at three locations, the jewel in the crown being the Melbourne Museum at Carlton Gardens.

Second Day Sight seeing:

Since I wanted to see the native animals of Australia like Kangaroo, etc, I went to Melbourne Zoo on the Second day . The Zoo is celebrating its 150 years anniversary.

I enjoyed watching the gigantic Asian elephant,Baboon,Gorilla,Pelicans,Tree Kangaroo,Penguins,Snow Leopard,Sumatran Tigers etc. in the zoo.

Kangaroo

Wild Sea is the new home for the Zoo's seals and penguins.  For the first time the Zoo will display a myriad of other Victorian marine wildlife, including fish, and Fiddler Rays.

The pools have been designed to show off the swimming skills of the seals and penguins, with large windows extending the full depth of the pools.   

(SourceLhttp://www.zoo.org.au/MelbourneZoo)

16.8.2012

* I suddenly woke up from my deep sleep and realised that my trip to Melbourne starting with the booking of air tickets by my son till the second day visit to the Zoo was only a dream which was due my reading of various interesting places and seeing their photos  in different websites.

Though it was only a dream, it created a lot of enthusiasm and expectation in me to make a visit to Melbourne which city is admired all over the world. 

  

I am glad that I could remember the places visited by me in my dream and write my experience in this post. Otherwise it would have been a difficult task to write an  article about a place without actually visiting it. I have to thank my dream and the websites mentioned in this post which enabled me to consolidate the details of the places seen in my dream. I also thank Google  Images for the beautiful pictures posted by me.

I would definitely love make my dream experiences a reality and  visit  my Dream city 'Melbourne" one day. 

Don't miss  visiting  this lovely city of joy,beauty,excellent roads,loving people etc which have made Melbourne the World's as  Number one most liveable city in the years 2011 and  2012 with the rating of 97.5 followed by Vienna of Austria.

Melbourne, Australia was ranked as the world's most livable city in 2011 and again in 2012. 

(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_most_livable_cities )

I hope that I have created enough interest and convinced you that it's your time to visit Melbourne NOW!