September is World Alzheimer’s Month and as a health coach, with a special interest in brain health, I want to not only raise awareness of the stigma and discrimination which exists around dementia, but I also want to raise awareness of the increasing amount of research by top scientists that is showing us that many cases of dementia could be prevented.
There are many different types of dementia. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common and affects more women than men. Other familiar types are Lewy Body Dementia, Vascular Dementia, Fronto-temporal Dementia, Posterior Cortical Atrophy and Parkinson’s Disease Dementia.
The World Health Organisation estimates that more than 55 million people today have dementia and that by 2050 this number is going to increase to 139 million. The burden on families, society, and the NHS is enormous. The global cost of dementia is around US$ 1.3 trillion!
Prevention: current thinking
Whilst dementia is common, it is not a normal part of ageing. Fortunately, our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias is improving and there is more research focused on prevention and this is, at last, reaching mainstream media. This is largely due to the work of people like Dr Dale Bredesen, a US neuroscientist https://www.apollohealthco.com/bredesen-protocol/ and Patrick Holford who, a couple of years ago, set up Food For The Brain. The mission of Food ForThe Brain, which has charitable status, is “to create a future where the importance of nutrition in optimising mental well-being and brain health, as a means of both prevention and treatment, is understood by all and implemented by many.” Even the recent Lancet Report on Dementia highlighted that up to 45% cases of dementia are preventable and cites 14 modifiable lifestyle factors that increase risk.
Prevention and proactive care:the role of a health coach
As a registered health coach, I support my clients to prioritise their brain health and we work together on my 6 key pillars of better brain health – Diet/Eating; Movement; Sleep; Stress Reduction; Active Brain; and Social and Built environment.
Obviously, I cannot, in this relatively short article, go into much detail but I will make a couple of suggestions below for each pillar of health.
Diet :we can support our brain health by ensuring that we eat a wide and varied diet of what I call real food. As far as possible, avoid added sugars and ultra-processed foods. Add in the green leafy vegetables, berries (frozen are fine), colourful vegetables like peppers and increase your intake of oily fish to 2 -3 times a week – tins of wild salmon and sardines are accessible and cheap! If you really can’t eat fish, then take a good quality Omega 3 supplement.
I also strongly encourage my clients to stop eating at least 2 and preferably 3 hours before they go to bed and make their overnight fast last at least 12 hours, ideally 14 hours. This gives our brains a chance to clean up, literally!
Movement: exercise supports good brain health. Vigorous exercise which raises our heart rate keeps our blood vessels nice and supple – we know this is good for our hearts but it is also good for our brains. Exercise also gives rise to something called BDNF (brain derived neurotrophic factor) which is like fertiliser for our brain. BDNF production naturally decreases as we age which is why exercise is important, especially vigorous exercise. But remember, vigorous exercise for you may look completely different to vigorous exercise for your neighbour. Start where you are and do what you can.
Sleep – as a I mentioned above, our brains clean up and remove toxins while we sleep. Aim for 7-8 hours of good quality sleep. How do you know if your sleep is good quality? Check in with yourself in the morning – do you feel well rested and ready to face a new day? No? The maybe it is time to work on improving your sleep. A health coach can help!
Stress reduction – stress seems to be part of normal life these days, but chronic, ongoing stress is bad for our health, especially our brain health. It can also be the cause of weight gain around the middle and it can put us at risk of type 2 diabetes which in itself is a risk factor the Alzheimer’s Disease. So, stress reduction and/or management is important. Most people find getting out in nature does wonders for their stress levels so can you find just 10 minutes to get outside – 10 minutes in your garden enjoying the birdsong can be deeply restorative. I am a huge fan of mindfulness and being outside is one of the best ways of practicing mindfulness.
Active brain: keeping our brains active is important for our brain health which is why retirement for some can prompt cognitive decline. My top 2 tips for keeping our brains active are 1. Stay socially engaged – make an effort to see friends and family; talk to strangers as well as this really makes the brain work hard. 2. Learn or take up something new – a language, an activity like gardening, a craft, a game such as Bridge or a new sport.
Social and built environment: Our environment matters–consider your social environment and surround yourself with like- minded people; find your tribe via a walking group for example. It is much easier to make sustainable habit changes if you are supported by a partner and friends. Our built environment includes both our home and the world outside our home. Toxins, such as mould, and certain household cleaning products can be found in our homes and pollution and air borne toxins can be found outside our homes. Toxins can affect our physical health in many ways and for some people, they can be the cause or part of the cause of cognitive decline. Take steps to remove the toxins from your home and avoid polluted areas especially when walking. Go organic if possible and use non-toxic cleaning products – they are better for our brains and for the environment!
A health coach’s role is to support their client to make small, sustainable lifestyle changes in the areas on which the client wants to work. Health coaches are trained to take a holistic view of health and to respect that each client is the expert on their own life. The health coach’s role is to support, educate where relevant, motivate and provide that all important accountability.
About the author
Amanda is a certified Health Coach and full member of the UK & International Health Coaching Association. Amanda is also a trauma informed coach, a certified Mindfulness teacher and a level 3 personal trainer. Her special interest is in healthy longevity, in particular brain health.
Her mother’s illness lead her to specialise in healthy ageing and brain health in particular. Her mother had Alzheimer’s diseaseso she has seen first- hand the devastating effects on both the sufferer and spouse/family. Her mother was first diagnosed in 2009 and spent 9 years (10% of her life) in a care home, passing away in June 2024.
Amanda currently works freelance for Tunbridge Well Borough Council as a health and wellness advisor. She mainly works 1 to 1 with people who are experiencing a wide range of physical and mental health conditions. She also runs her private practice working 1 to 1 or 1 to couple with people who wish to improve their brain health both today and in the future.
Amanda strongly believes that if we prioritise our brain health, we are supporting our whole health and reducing our risk of developing all chronic lifestyle diseases.
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