Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 9, 1 September 2020 — Healthy Lifestyle Habits to Reduce Risk of Dementia [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Healthy Lifestyle Habits to Reduce Risk of Dementia

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By Jodi Leslie Matsuo, PH DR Hawai'i's kūpuna population has been growing steadily, by about 37% since 2010. However, the number of keiki and working adults has decreased. In other words, our kūpuna populahon is growing faster than the populahon of potential caretakers. As we are part of a culture where taking care of our kūpuna is everyone's kuleana, and because heakh habits are often learned and passed down from generation to generation, practicing healthy behaviors serves to ensure the longevity and quality of life for the entire household. Dementia, the most eommon form being Alzheimer's Disease, is typically an agerelated disease that requires kōkua and aloha from all family members. It is caused by damage to brain cells, whieh interfere with memory, learning, thinking, emotions and judgement. Dementia often starts slowly and gets progressively worse. Early signs include challenges with short-term memory: keeping track of finances or personal belongings, preparing meals and remembering appointments. In its later stages, those affected require help with personal hygiene, feeding and other everyday activities. A recent study reported that practicing five lifestyle habits may collectively lo\ver the risk ofAlzheimer's Disease by 60%. These heahh habits are: 1. Not smoking. Tobacco contains a variety of chemicals known to be neurotoxic - toxic to brain cells. It also damages your heart and blood vessels, including blood vessels in the brain. It does this by increasing fatty plaque buildup in the arteries and by the formation of blood clots, whieh ean block blood flow and cause strokes.

2. Exercising regularly. This involves doing at least 150 minutes (2-1/2 hours) of physical activity per week, of moderate or vigorous intensity. Moderate intensity exercises are those where you ean carry on a conversation while doing it, but with some difficulty. Examples include brisk walking, aerobics and heavy yardwork. Vigorous activities are those where it is difficult to carry on a conversation. Examples include jogging, paddling, playing basketball or heavy outdoor labor. 3. Limiting aleohol consumption. Heavy aleohol use has been shown to reduce brain volume, resulting in impaired brain function. While some say there are heahh benefits to drinking aleohol in moderation, the overall heahh risk from drinking is mueh higher than any slight benefits that may be associated with it. If you don't drink aleohol, don't start. 4. Eating a plant-based diet. The MIND diet was developed by researchers who studied specific foods and their effect on brain heahh with the overall goal of reducing dementia. Foods emphasized on this diet include vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, fish, beans and ehieken. Foods found to be harmful include butter/margarine, cheese, red meat, fried foods and sweets. 5. Keeping your mind active. Regularly participating in mentally stimulating activities helps to improve cognitive function and the mental processes related to understanding, thinking, and storage and use of information. This includes reading, learning, puzzles, games and social activities. Taking care of ourselves helps us to better care for others. "Ola nā iwi" ("The bones live said of a respected elder who is well caredfor by hisfamily). I Born and raised in Kona, Hawai'i, Dr. Jodi Leslie Matsuo is a Native Hawaiian Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, with training in Integrative and Functional Nutrition. Follow her on Facebook (@DrJodiLeslieMatsuo), Instagram ( @drlesliematsuo) and on Twitter ( @ DrLeslieMatsuo ).