Fostering a heart-conscious lifestyle can play a crucial role in preventing neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s Dementia. Recent research from the American Health Association/American Stroke Association highlights the importance of a healthy lifestyle in keeping your brain healthy and reducing the risk of cognitive decline as you age.
Understanding the Impact of Heart Health on Brain Function
As people age, their heart health tends to deteriorate due to various factors, with diet and lifestyle playing a significant role. Proper blood circulation is essential for overall well-being, but aging individuals often experience narrowed or blocked blood vessels due to a condition known as atherosclerosis. This condition not only leads to heart issues like heart attacks and strokes but can also impact cognitive function due to reduced blood flow. By adopting a healthy diet, staying physically active, avoiding tobacco, and other lifestyle modifications, many risk factors associated with atherosclerosis can be managed effectively.
The Connection Between Heart Health and Cognitive Function
Research highlighted in the advisory indicates that the risk factors contributing to atherosclerosis are also major contributors to cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. By following seven simple steps outlined by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 program, individuals can not only prevent heart-related issues but also promote optimal brain health.
Life’s Simple 7 Guidelines for Brain Health
The Life’s Simple 7 program emphasizes several key factors to promote cardiovascular and brain wellness, including managing blood pressure, controlling cholesterol levels, maintaining normal blood sugar, engaging in physical activity, following a healthy diet, managing weight, and avoiding smoking.
Protecting Brain Health Across the Lifespan
It is crucial to take proactive steps to safeguard brain health from an early age, as atherosclerosis can begin during childhood. By addressing risk factors like high blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels, individuals can prevent complications that lead to reduced blood flow to the brain and cognitive impairment.
Addressing Vascular Cognitive Impairment
Elevated blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar can impact blood vessel health, leading to reduced brain blood flow and cognitive decline. Conditions like vascular cognitive impairment and vascular dementia are linked to vascular issues like atherosclerosis, emphasizing the importance of maintaining heart health for optimal brain function.
Expanding Research and Understanding Brain Health
Experts now recognize the interconnectedness of stroke risk factors and conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, highlighting the importance of lifestyle modifications in promoting brain health. By following practical guidelines like Life’s Simple 7, individuals can take actionable steps to improve their overall well-being and reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
Preparing for the Future of Brain Health
As the global population ages, the prevalence of dementia is expected to rise significantly. It is essential for policymakers and healthcare providers to allocate resources towards promoting heart health and monitoring cognitive function to address the growing burden of dementia worldwide.
As research continues to evolve, efforts to understand and address cognitive impairment and dementia are becoming increasingly valuable. By prioritizing heart health and adopting a brain-healthy lifestyle, individuals can proactively protect their cognitive function and overall well-being.
The post Seven Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Brain appeared first on Alternative Medicine Magazine.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 5 domains that make up integrative medicine (IM)?
Integrative medicine encompasses five domains: mind-body; nutrition; social determinants; lifestyle and prevention. These five areas encompass all aspects related to health care: spiritual, environmental, and physical.
Integrative medicine provides a comprehensive approach to the treatment of disease, health, and well-being. It encompasses both conventional medical treatments as well as complementary therapies like acupuncture and yoga, meditation and massage therapy.
What is the difference between holistic and alternative medicine?
Holistic medicine treats all aspects of the person: mind, body, soul, and spirit. It considers all aspects a person’s wellbeing, including the emotional, spiritual, as well as environmental factors, that are often ignored by traditional medicine. Alternative medicine treats specific conditions such as allergies, asthma, arthritis, etc.
What does it mean to use complementary medicine?
Complementary Medicine encompasses any medical treatment that adds to the mainline. This covers treatments like acupuncture, aromatherapy and chiropractic care, homeopathy or hypnosis as well massage therapy, naturopathy, reflexology and traditional Chinese medicine.
Complementary medicines should not be used in lieu of traditional medicine. They should be used alongside it. Sometimes they’re called “alternative”, or “integrative”, because they combine Western scientific methods along with other therapies that have proven to be effective in healing people.
What is Alternative Medicine?
It’s a method of healing that focuses more on prevention than treatment. It encourages people become educated consumers who are actively involved in improving their overall health and well-being.
Alternative medicine refers to any system of diagnosis and treatment that does not employ allopathic (conventional) medical practices.
Who uses holistic medicine
Holistic medicine treats the whole person and not only specific symptoms. It is concerned with both the physical and mental aspects of well-being.
Holistic medicine includes acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic treatment, nutritional counseling, yoga, and other complementary therapies.
People who practice holistic medicine include people with cancer, heart issues, diabetes and arthritis.
Statistics
- In the 17% in which they disagreed, a third reader agreed with one of the initial readers to set a rating. (en.wikipedia.org)
- According to the World Health Organization, 80% of people use herbal medicine worldwide. (webmd.com)
- According to a 2005 book by a US [116]Institute of Medicine panel, the number of RCTs focused on CAM has risen dramatically. (en.wikipedia.org)
- The concept of regression toward the mean implies that an extreme result is more likely to be followed by a less extreme result. (en.wikipedia.org)
- These studies found that 38.4% concluded positive or possibly positive effects for CAM (12.4%), 4.8% concluded no effect, 0.7% concluded harmful effects, and 56.6% concluded insufficient evidence. (en.wikipedia.org)
External Links
nccih.nih.gov
doi.org
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMed: The rise of complementary and other medicine: A sociological perspective
- PubMed – Holistic medicine
liebertpub.com
- Games for Health Journal, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers
- The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine – A systematic review of randomized controlled trials involving acupuncture for insomnia treatment
How To
What are the Shortcomings and Advances in Holistic Medicine?
Holistic medicine, a type of medical practice, emphasizes the importance and interdependence of mind, spirit, environment, social factors, and the healing process. The late 19th-century pioneer of holistic medicine was Dr. Edward Bach (1886-1936), the author of The Doctor’s Book of Mind Cure. He used simple techniques, such as visualization, meditation, and even hypnosis. People suffering from anxiety, depression and pain can benefit from this treatment. This therapy can also help patients deal with their problems and improve their quality life.
While holistic therapies remain popular today, little evidence supports their effectiveness. Some studies do show that these therapies can be used to reduce chronic conditions like arthritis, cancer and heart disease.
The advancements and the shortcomings of holistic medicine can be seen in:
- There is insufficient scientific evidence. The benefits of holistic therapies can only be evaluated in a small number of well-designed, randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The majority of researches show positive results.
- It is cheaper than traditional medicine. Some alternative medicines are cheaper than traditional ones, especially when the patient follows a natural diet.
- Patients are not under any pressure to adhere to the prescribed protocol.
- Many doctors recommend complementary treatments without prescribing them.
- Holistic therapies are often used in combination with conventional medicine. Acupuncture is often combined with medications or surgery.
- Many people believe alternative therapies work better than traditional medicine.
- Alternative drugs are considered more natural and less harmful than traditional drugs.
- Many patients also use complementary treatments to support their lifestyle changes. They not only want to live a healthy life but also want to be happy.
- Patients who practice holistic therapies are healthier.
- The popularity of holistic therapies is growing among seniors.
- It is important to conduct more research on complementary therapies.
- Studies show that most people prefer to try alternative treatments before going to a doctor.
- It is important for doctors to realize that not all patients will benefit equally from alternate treatments.
- Holistic treatments should be a part of our culture, education system and society.
- Holistic treatments may not be safe for all.
- So that patients can make informed decisions, we must be able to communicate with them about the various therapies.
- Holistic treatments don’t just appeal to hippies.
- Certain diseases can’t be treated holistically.
- Holistic treatments are sometimes dangerous.
- Holistic treatments are helpful for specific conditions.
- Holistic treatments work.
- Holistic therapies are based upon ancient wisdom.
- Holistic therapies are simple to learn.
- Holistic treatments are difficult to learn.
- It is difficult to learn holistic treatments.
- Holistic treatments are too expensive.
- Holistic treatments are expensive.
- Holistic treatments can be less expensive than conventional medicines.
- Holistic treatments tend to be more expensive that conventional medicine.
****
A Brief History of Holistic Medicine
Holistic medicine focuses on the whole person and not just their symptoms. It encompasses all aspects of the person, such as their mental, physical, spiritual, occupational, cultural, and social influences. It emphasizes prevention rather than cure and aims to prevent disease through diet, exercise, relaxation, stress management, etc.
The first holistic medical school was established at Bastyr University in Seattle in 1972. Holistic medicine was born after Dr. Andrew Weil published “Spontaneous Healing” 1996. Dr. David Williams, and Dr. Michael Murray founded the American Holistic Medical Association in 1997. There are hundreds of holistic medicine schools all over the world, including Bastyr University in Columbia, Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons and Maharishi Ayurveda Institute.
The World Health Organization named holistic medicine as one of five key trends in healthcare in 2013. This trend seeks to integrate conventional healthcare with complementary therapies, such as homeopathy, acupuncture and massage therapy. This integration aims to provide safe, effective, patient-centered care while minimizing side effects and costs.
Holistic medicine is based on the interconnectedness and harmony of the body, mind, spirit. When any of these three parts are out of balance, illness occurs. For example:
When your mind is anxious or stressed, you can become tense and out-of-balance. Your body responds by producing cortisol, a hormone that increases inflammation throughout your body. As a result, you feel tired, weak, and sick.
Anxiety and negative emotions can lead to anxiety, fear, grief, sadness, and other unpleasant feelings. These emotions can cause stress in the brain. If this stress is not treated, your body will produce adrenaline or cortisol. Adrenaline stimulates your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. Cortisol has a negative impact on your immune system and digestive tract. Both hormones can lead to fatigue, muscle tension headaches and dizziness, anxiety, depression, and other health issues.
If your spirit is low, it can cause you to lose faith in yourself and your ability to see the good in others. Also, you may lack self-esteem. This can lead you to poor eating habits and unhealthy relationships. It can also cause low energy. You feel happy, joyful, peaceful, and optimistic when your spirit is healthy.
Differentiation between alternative and allopathic medicine
Allopathic medicine relies on scientific methods. Doctors use laboratory tests, x-rays, MRIs, CAT scans, and other technologies to diagnose patients. They prescribe medications for treatment and surgery when needed. Allopathic doctors believe their knowledge of human anatomy and the best ways to treat diseases. Alternative medicine involves herbs, vitamins minerals, diet, exercise and spiritual healing. Alternative medicine is not defined in a standard way. Some people call it natural medicine, integrative medicine, and complementary medicine. Others refer to it as traditional medicine, naturopathic medicine, and CAM.
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If you or another person is suffering from a medical issue and you are concerned, consult your doctor or seek out other medical professional treatment as soon as possible. Do not disregard medical advice from a professional or delay seeking it due to information you seen on the blog or website or in any of the linked materials. If you’re experiencing an emergency medical situation, dial 911 or seek emergency medical assistance on the closest phone immediately.
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By: Dick Benson
Title: Seven Tips for Maintaining a Healthy Brain
Sourced From: alternativemedicine.com/conditions/brain-health/mental-health/seven-steps-to-keep-your-brain-healthy/
Published Date: Fri, 27 Sep 2024 16:45:43 +0000
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 5 domains that make up integrative medicine (IM)?
Integrative medicine encompasses five domains: mind-body; nutrition; social determinants; lifestyle and prevention. These five areas encompass all aspects related to health care: spiritual, environmental, and physical.
Integrative medicine provides a comprehensive approach to the treatment of disease, health, and well-being. It encompasses both conventional medical treatments as well as complementary therapies like acupuncture and yoga, meditation and massage therapy.
What is the difference between holistic and alternative medicine?
Holistic medicine treats all aspects of the person: mind, body, soul, and spirit. It considers all aspects a person’s wellbeing, including the emotional, spiritual, as well as environmental factors, that are often ignored by traditional medicine. Alternative medicine treats specific conditions such as allergies, asthma, arthritis, etc.
What does it mean to use complementary medicine?
Complementary Medicine encompasses any medical treatment that adds to the mainline. This covers treatments like acupuncture, aromatherapy and chiropractic care, homeopathy or hypnosis as well massage therapy, naturopathy, reflexology and traditional Chinese medicine.
Complementary medicines should not be used in lieu of traditional medicine. They should be used alongside it. Sometimes they’re called “alternative”, or “integrative”, because they combine Western scientific methods along with other therapies that have proven to be effective in healing people.
What is Alternative Medicine?
It’s a method of healing that focuses more on prevention than treatment. It encourages people become educated consumers who are actively involved in improving their overall health and well-being.
Alternative medicine refers to any system of diagnosis and treatment that does not employ allopathic (conventional) medical practices.
Who uses holistic medicine
Holistic medicine treats the whole person and not only specific symptoms. It is concerned with both the physical and mental aspects of well-being.
Holistic medicine includes acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic treatment, nutritional counseling, yoga, and other complementary therapies.
People who practice holistic medicine include people with cancer, heart issues, diabetes and arthritis.
Statistics
- In the 17% in which they disagreed, a third reader agreed with one of the initial readers to set a rating. (en.wikipedia.org)
- According to the World Health Organization, 80% of people use herbal medicine worldwide. (webmd.com)
- According to a 2005 book by a US [116]Institute of Medicine panel, the number of RCTs focused on CAM has risen dramatically. (en.wikipedia.org)
- The concept of regression toward the mean implies that an extreme result is more likely to be followed by a less extreme result. (en.wikipedia.org)
- These studies found that 38.4% concluded positive or possibly positive effects for CAM (12.4%), 4.8% concluded no effect, 0.7% concluded harmful effects, and 56.6% concluded insufficient evidence. (en.wikipedia.org)
External Links
nccih.nih.gov
doi.org
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- PubMed: The rise of complementary and other medicine: A sociological perspective
- PubMed – Holistic medicine
liebertpub.com
- Games for Health Journal, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers
- The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine – A systematic review of randomized controlled trials involving acupuncture for insomnia treatment
How To
What are the Shortcomings and Advances in Holistic Medicine?
Holistic medicine, a type of medical practice, emphasizes the importance and interdependence of mind, spirit, environment, social factors, and the healing process. The late 19th-century pioneer of holistic medicine was Dr. Edward Bach (1886-1936), the author of The Doctor’s Book of Mind Cure. He used simple techniques, such as visualization, meditation, and even hypnosis. People suffering from anxiety, depression and pain can benefit from this treatment. This therapy can also help patients deal with their problems and improve their quality life.
While holistic therapies remain popular today, little evidence supports their effectiveness. Some studies do show that these therapies can be used to reduce chronic conditions like arthritis, cancer and heart disease.
The advancements and the shortcomings of holistic medicine can be seen in:
- There is insufficient scientific evidence. The benefits of holistic therapies can only be evaluated in a small number of well-designed, randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The majority of researches show positive results.
- It is cheaper than traditional medicine. Some alternative medicines are cheaper than traditional ones, especially when the patient follows a natural diet.
- Patients are not under any pressure to adhere to the prescribed protocol.
- Many doctors recommend complementary treatments without prescribing them.
- Holistic therapies are often used in combination with conventional medicine. Acupuncture is often combined with medications or surgery.
- Many people believe alternative therapies work better than traditional medicine.
- Alternative drugs are considered more natural and less harmful than traditional drugs.
- Many patients also use complementary treatments to support their lifestyle changes. They not only want to live a healthy life but also want to be happy.
- Patients who practice holistic therapies are healthier.
- The popularity of holistic therapies is growing among seniors.
- It is important to conduct more research on complementary therapies.
- Studies show that most people prefer to try alternative treatments before going to a doctor.
- It is important for doctors to realize that not all patients will benefit equally from alternate treatments.
- Holistic treatments should be a part of our culture, education system and society.
- Holistic treatments may not be safe for all.
- So that patients can make informed decisions, we must be able to communicate with them about the various therapies.
- Holistic treatments don’t just appeal to hippies.
- Certain diseases can’t be treated holistically.
- Holistic treatments are sometimes dangerous.
- Holistic treatments are helpful for specific conditions.
- Holistic treatments work.
- Holistic therapies are based upon ancient wisdom.
- Holistic therapies are simple to learn.
- Holistic treatments are difficult to learn.
- It is difficult to learn holistic treatments.
- Holistic treatments are too expensive.
- Holistic treatments are expensive.
- Holistic treatments can be less expensive than conventional medicines.
- Holistic treatments tend to be more expensive that conventional medicine.
****
A Brief History of Holistic Medicine
Holistic medicine focuses on the whole person and not just their symptoms. It encompasses all aspects of the person, such as their mental, physical, spiritual, occupational, cultural, and social influences. It emphasizes prevention rather than cure and aims to prevent disease through diet, exercise, relaxation, stress management, etc.
The first holistic medical school was established at Bastyr University in Seattle in 1972. Holistic medicine was born after Dr. Andrew Weil published “Spontaneous Healing” 1996. Dr. David Williams, and Dr. Michael Murray founded the American Holistic Medical Association in 1997. There are hundreds of holistic medicine schools all over the world, including Bastyr University in Columbia, Columbia College of Physicians & Surgeons and Maharishi Ayurveda Institute.
The World Health Organization named holistic medicine as one of five key trends in healthcare in 2013. This trend seeks to integrate conventional healthcare with complementary therapies, such as homeopathy, acupuncture and massage therapy. This integration aims to provide safe, effective, patient-centered care while minimizing side effects and costs.
Holistic medicine is based on the interconnectedness and harmony of the body, mind, spirit. When any of these three parts are out of balance, illness occurs. For example:
When your mind is anxious or stressed, you can become tense and out-of-balance. Your body responds by producing cortisol, a hormone that increases inflammation throughout your body. As a result, you feel tired, weak, and sick.
Anxiety and negative emotions can lead to anxiety, fear, grief, sadness, and other unpleasant feelings. These emotions can cause stress in the brain. If this stress is not treated, your body will produce adrenaline or cortisol. Adrenaline stimulates your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing rate. Cortisol has a negative impact on your immune system and digestive tract. Both hormones can lead to fatigue, muscle tension headaches and dizziness, anxiety, depression, and other health issues.
If your spirit is low, it can cause you to lose faith in yourself and your ability to see the good in others. Also, you may lack self-esteem. This can lead you to poor eating habits and unhealthy relationships. It can also cause low energy. You feel happy, joyful, peaceful, and optimistic when your spirit is healthy.
Differentiation between alternative and allopathic medicine
Allopathic medicine relies on scientific methods. Doctors use laboratory tests, x-rays, MRIs, CAT scans, and other technologies to diagnose patients. They prescribe medications for treatment and surgery when needed. Allopathic doctors believe their knowledge of human anatomy and the best ways to treat diseases. Alternative medicine involves herbs, vitamins minerals, diet, exercise and spiritual healing. Alternative medicine is not defined in a standard way. Some people call it natural medicine, integrative medicine, and complementary medicine. Others refer to it as traditional medicine, naturopathic medicine, and CAM.
