
“It is possible to reduce your risk of developing dementia or at least slow its progression by 30 percent if you work at keeping your brain healthy.”
This is the good news Angela Caughey shares with us in A Better Brain for Life. Preventing Dementia and Other Chronic Diseases.
You can achieve this by eating healthily, exercising regularly, stopping smoking, drinking alcohol wisely, socializing regularly, minimizing stress, sleeping well, keeping your brain active and your blood pressure and cholesterol at suitable levels. This will also help to ward off other chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.
Fostering a healthy brain is a lifelong journey which should be embarked on very early. There is research which shows that the mother’s prenatal care can influence the future health of the unborn child and the likelihood of developing dementia and other illnesses in later years.
Angela Caughey has devoted a chapter to each stage of life from prenatal to infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and later years. Each is packed full of practical suggestions on how to foster a healthy brain.
A Better Brain for Life. Preventing Dementia and Other Chronic Diseases will be greatly welcomed by those who have watched a loved one, or dear friend, afflicted with dementia slipping away slowly until they are no longer the person they once knew and loved. Having seen it happen to my older sister I feel very heartened by Angela Caughey’s words that dementia is not an inevitable part of ageing and that we can do something about it even when we are older. She writes:
“The good news is that although you can’t turn the clock back and change what has happened to your brain during the course of your life you can still take steps which may stop you from losing ground unnecessarily. The only bad news is if you don’t make the effort.”
Angela Caughey took care of her husband who had dementia for more than 12 years which inspired her to write Dealing Daily with Dementia and How to Communicate with Someone Who Has Dementia. Both became international best sellers.
She is an excellent communicator and has shared the latest research on how the brain develops, and what can go wrong with this incredibly intricate organ at each stage of life, in a way that those without any scientific background can understand.
Her important message, that dementia can be prevented or slowed down, needs to be spread far and wide. People of any age would benefit from reading her book and will hopefully take her advice and make plans to practice ways of healthy living to nurture their brains. Knowing that this can significantly reduce their risk of developing dementia and other chronic diseases will be a great incentive. I want the best possible future for my children and grandchildren so I will certainly want to share this book with them.
Reviewer: Lyn Potter
Calico Publishing