If you want to stay sharp and in control of your life well into your golden years, there are proactive methods to achieving the mental alertness you need. More and more research is pointing to the fact that physical activity and lifestyle choices have more to do with preventing Alzheimer s disease (AD) and other forms of dementia – once thought to be a normal part of aging – than pure genetics. So if you had a parent, grandparent or sibling with AD it doesn’t mean you have to follow the same path.

Statistics gathered from extensive research do point toward a higher risk of developing AD if you had a close relative with AD – as much as 50%, but that has less to do with genes and more to do with following their lifestyle patterns. If for example, your parents were smokers who rarely exercised, you may have developed some of the same destructive habits.

What can you do to break the cycle and prevent AD? Take action and take control today. Even if you are in your 60s or 70s you can reverse some of the damage done to your brain through poor diet, inactivity, or damaging lifestyle choices. Scientists have discovered very recently that the brain has the ability to repair cells and neurotransmitters and improve cognitive function and memory.

It’s Not Too Late to Make A Difference: Start the 5 Steps Today

1. Eat Right. It seems so simple, yet too many people just don’t get enough of the mind preserving antioxidants found in fresh fruits and vegetables. A well-balanced diet, free of diary products and using low fat sources of protein will protect both heart and mind.

2. Supplement where necessary. Many diets lack the nutrients proven to promote brain health. These include sources of essential fatty acids found in fish and specific herbs and minerals that can enhance cognitive function.

3. Exercise. Originally it was thought that exercise increases blood flow and oxygen to the brain cells. This is still true, but a report prepared for the National Institutes of Health states that exercise can also stimulate the production growth factors, which are molecules produced by the body to repair and maintain nerves.

4. Lower Your Cholesterol. Many people with early dementia or AD symptoms may have actually experienced small strokes that damaged the brain’s neurotransmitters. By keeping cholesterol levels in check, the arteries are free and clear of plaque that can cause stroke.

5. Do your Mental Exercises. Keeping up with current events, working puzzles each day, learning and memorizing new information all work to keeping a mind strong and alert. It is normal for people to sometimes forget a name or date, but the more practice recalling such information the greater the brain’s ability to do this throughout old age. In the case of mental challenges, the more you do the more you can push back the clock on cognitive decline.

Five easy steps, when you think about it, can do much to make aging an event to celebrate instead of dread. With age there comes experience and wisdom, and we should all do whatever is within our power to be able to pass that on to the next generation.

It is said that nearly one in four Americans suffers from some kind of digestive disorder such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Crohns Disease. Although medically recognized as incurable there is no need for sufferers of Crohns and IBS to give up hope.  Although the conditions cannot be eradicated, the symptoms and distress can however be controlled. It is often true that what medical science cannot cure, common sense, information and commitment can subdue.

It is a frustration to many, that in many areas, medical advancement has brought breakthrough and hope to many suffering at the hands of illness, but still there are is a silent percentage, waiting in the wings hoping for their time to come.

So how can we loosen the chains of Crohns and IBS?

1. Get Informed.

In today’s world of super fast and open communication there is really no reason why someone should suffer in silence or ignorance for anything. A simple trip to the library will uncover many books and guides outlining possibilities and methods for controlling disorders such as Crohns Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. A quick search on the internet will uncover many opportunities and avenues for discovering exactly what is going on with your body.

2. Get Support.

In the same way, that there is no excuse to being ignorant, there is also no reason to be alone. Some people early on after being diagnosed with Chrons Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) go through a phase of denial – that’s natural – but there also comes a time to pick yourself up and face your disorder head on – but that doesn’t mean alone. There are many national and local support groups established which will help, encourage and motivate you to live life to the full and give ideas about how to

3. Get Control

Although the general principle is something of an illusion (after all, we are all uncontrollable factors in life) – it is absolutely essential for Chrons and IBS sufferers to work towards getting to grips with their disorder so they can start to feel free and live life again. For the majority, its not actually that hard – as long as you have been through the process of Getting Informed and Getting Support. In my experience the only way to get control that lasts and is beneficial is to take the information and support and apply to my own life religiously. With careful monitoring, strict adherence and continual awareness, you to can live the life you deserve.