Preventing Dementia and Cognitive Decline: Two Interesting Ideas: Part 2

The two ideas for preventing cognitive decline I will outline here involve a particular food, and a way of living.

The food is chocolate, specifically dark chocolate with at least 70% genuine cocoa.  Small amounts.  The flavonoids help break up brain plaques, according to an analysis of 14 small studies, reported in a reputable nutrition journal.  We all believe that one because it's what we want to be true!!  

The way of living that has also been shown to be a powerful preventer (unless, like my mother, grandmother and aunt, you have a strong genetic driver; thank god I'm adopted) is continuing to stress your brain by making it learn new things.  The reason I say stress is that stem cells in your hippocampus won't be stimulated to create new neurons if you give yourself challenges that are easily achieved.  So take classes at the local universities "senior college."  I teach at the OLLI associated with Southern Oregon University, and it's great fun to teach as well.  I take tough and complicated classes free online through Coursera.org, a consortium of major universities, including Princeton, Harvard, U of Copenhagen (origin of the universe and life, 12 weeks, incredible) and U Alberta (that amazing 3 course sequence on dinosaurs, OMG!), Caltech, MIT, Harvard - you get the picture.  Really fun.  Really mentally challenging, even more so than my OLLI, because I have tests during the video lessons and at the end of each week's work.  I don't HAVE to pass, that's why it's free, but I WANT to test myself.

Books clubs, if they are run by serious, challenging thinkers, can work the same way.  [Some are more opinions than "backing up conclusions with facts" types of groups, so they are social rather than brain-stimulating.  Both types have their value!]

Reading non-fiction is something that you can do on your own.  Do comprehensive, clearly-articulated "book reports" on your blog or Facebook page.  Hell of a lot more interesting for your readers than what you had for lunch or how bummed out and bored you are because it's raining, right?  If you don't have friends who appreciate that kind of post, Friend me, because *I* do!

Learning a language is a perennial good idea.  It might take you longer to get fluent than it would have when you were younger, but that's not a reason to never start, right?  If you travel, set yourself a goal of knowing 10 key phrases and have a vocabulary of at least 50 additional words before you leave.  I have found that basic conversation, even if you are stammering and mis-pronouncing, signals to others that you are making an effort to meet them on THEIR ground, and generates reciprocal kindness.  Which you need when you are traveling, amen.

Just being able to read signs is a confidence booster.  I remember being in Moscow when my host stopped to gas up the car and I tried reading the signs.  One interesting one was "motor masla."  Motor was a car but masla was butter.  Butter in your car?  Then my brain crunched on butter, kinda-like oil, and the answer was clear.  Or when driving in rural Quebec and saw signs for "Maiz" (or was it maz?).  God bless my large English vocabulary.  Maize is another name for corn.  Yeah!  I can read French!


Explore more ideas at www.soaringdragon.biz.  Check out my newest book (Oct 2017):

https://www.amazon.com/Red-State-Blue-Heart-Victoria/dp/1974032272/