Our Ask An Angel correspondent is Arlene Petersen, Life Care Navigation Specialist in the area of senior home care.
Q. Is there a way to stay mentally sharp with natural means, such as food or vitamins?
A. The fight against memory loss is sometimes illusive. We hear claims about all sorts of ways to maintain our minds with puzzles and rest. While those components are very important, we canât forget that certain foods may delay the onset of memory loss. All of these efforts combine to make âgood foodâ for the brain.
Things to add to your diet would include berries and Omega-3 fatty acids. This includes fish, like salmon, or even talking to your doctor about fish oil supplements. The Alzheimerâs Association recommends eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, and lean protein foods. Stay away from high sugar, high sodium foods.
If cooking is a challenge for you, you might consider a perscaregiver to prepare healthy meals for you. Your caregiver can cook nutritious meals that would help you with your goals. Meals can be made in advance and frozen. Defrost them later, and before you know it, youâll be on the road to a healthy eating routine that promotes good health for your brain.
Simple food choice changes are important, but I recommend that you speak to your doctor about any advances that have been made in this field. The pursuit for the âfountain of youthâ used to include qualities pertaining only to our physical appearance â now it seems to hold much more than that!
⢠Have a question for our angel correspondent? You can send our angel an email to apetersen@visitingangels.com or send your question via mail to Ask An Angel, 65 Woodbury St., South Elgin, IL 60177.
