“Keep Sharp” was written by Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon, chief medical correspondent for CNN, and four-time New York Times bestselling author once named as one of the ten most influential celebrities by Forbes Magazine. Sanjay is also the host of the Chasing Life Podcast and is widely regarded as one of the most trusted reporters in the media. His book was an educational, detailed, and fascinating read about the gimmicks and myths of brain health and revealed evidence-based practices along with guidance and insights for those already experiencing cognitive decline or caring for someone with dementia.
In order to best take care of your body, you have to first take care of your mind.
Cognitive decline is not inevitable! The five pillars of brain function include:
- exercise and movement
- sense of purpose, learning, and discovery
- sleep and relaxation
- nutrition
- social connection
The single most important thing you can do to enhance your brain’s function and resiliency to disease is to exercise. Move more and keep a regular fitness routine. Exercise improves digestion, metabolism, body tone and strength, and bone density. It also supports emotional stability, staves off depression and dementia, and increases self-esteem and sense of well-being.
Steps to improve brain health:
- Move more throughout your day and build an exercise routine into your life.
- Find new ways to stimulate your brain through learning and challenging your mind.
- Prioritize getting restful, routine sleep at night and incorporate daily de-stressing practices into your routine.
- Introduce a new way of nourishing your body.
- Connect authentically with others and maintain a vibrant social life.
Follow the S.H.A.R.P. diet:
- Slash the sugar and stick to the ABCs
- Hydrate smartly – “drink instead of eat” when you think you’re hungry.
- Add more omega-3 fatty acids from dietary sources (seafood, nuts, and seeds). Get your omega-3 from food, not supplements.
- Reduce portions.
- Plan ahead. Don’t get caught starving or resorting to junk food. Eat a wide variety of different colored vegetables to get a more diverse array of nutrients.
Supplements do not take the place of real food, and some can be harmful/largely unregulated. Also, no known dietary supplement improves memory or prevents cognitive decline or dementia.
Enjoying close ties to friends and family, as well as participating in meaningful social activities, may help keep your mind sharp and your memories strong. Loneliness has been shown to accelerate cognitive decline in older adults. Volunteer, join social clubs, and maintain connections.
Delay retirement as long as possible. When you do retire, find activities that are joyful and stimulating and stay engaged. Maintain a sense of purpose by continuing to learn, discover, and complete complex tasks. Built and sustain your cognitive reserve by maintaining demands on your brain that keep it thinking, strategizing, learning, and solving problems.
“Brain games” are not always effective at slowing cognitive decline. Speed training games are effective at putting off dementia. I have used the free versions of the Lumosity and Elevate apps for the past year or so and have really improved my cognition and skills.
People with a sense of purpose are less likely to develop cognitive impairment. Learn something new, teach, volunteer, or do whatever you find joyful, satisfying, and meaningful.
I want to live my life like an incandescent lightbulb. Burn brightly my entire life, and then one day suddenly go out. We want the same for our brains, and anyone can built a better brain at any age.
Sanjay Gupta
- It is the skin that contains pain fibers that must be dulled to perform brain surgery; the skull and the brain have no sensory receptors!
- The human brain comprises about 2.0% to 2.5% of the body’s total weight but uses 20% of its total energy and oxygen intake.
- Memory is fundamentally a learning process – the result of constantly interpreting and analyzing incoming information. Every time you use your memory, you change it.
- The patterns of activity of neurons in sensory areas can be altered by patterns of attention. Moment by moment, we choose and sculpt how our ever-changing minds will work. We choose who we will be in the next moment in a very real sense, and these choices are left embossed in physical form in our material selves.
- The brain remains plastic throughout life and can rewire itself in response to your experiences. It can also generate new brain cells under the right circumstances.
There are 6 senses processed in the brain:
- proprioception (a sense of where your body parts are and what they’re doing)
- equilibrioception (a sense of balance – tells you if you’re sitting, standing, or lying down)
- nociception (sense of pain)
- themo(re)ception (sense of temperature)
- chronoception (sense of the passage of time)
- interoception (sense of your internal needs, like hunger, thirst, or needing to use the bathroom)
Dementia is not a single disease in itself; it encompasses several underlying diseases and brain disorders that impair memory, communication, and thinking. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, comprised of 60-80% of dementia cases and 1 in 9 Americans age 65 and older. There is also a correlation between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
This book contained so much information about Alzheimer’s symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and resources. Here is a very condensed version:
Alzheimer’s disease starts 20-30 years before any symptoms develop. This book covered the stages of Alzheimer’s, diagnosis tools, treatment options, and resources for patients, families, and caregivers. There is no cure for Alzheimer’s and the disease creates a devastating emotional, financial, and physical toll on the families of those who are diagnosed with it.
Stages of Alzheimer’s disease and top 10 early signs of Alzheimer’s
Drugs that may increase the risk of dementia: anticholinergic antidepressants, antiparkinson drugs and antihistamines, antipsychotic drugs, drugs for overactive bladder, and antiepileptic drugs.
Diagnosis tools: The Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale – Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog), the Mini-Mental State Exam, the Mini-Cog test, the Self-Administered Gerocognitive Examination (SAGE)
Resources: AARP, The Cleveland Clinic’s Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, the Dementia Action Alliance, the Family Caregiver Alliance, the Mayo Clinic’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the Memory Disorders Program at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, the National Institute on Aging, UCLA’s Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program
After diagnosis: Find support and educational programs in your local area, find early-stage social engagement programs, find clinical trials matching your needs, keep your home safe, make a legal plan (POA/wills/trusts/advance care directive), make a financial plan (organize assets/debts/insurance policies/benefits), and build a care team.
Treatment: 2 drugs that temporarily improve symptoms of memory loss and problems with thinking and reasoning, both of which lose effectiveness as the disease progresses: cholinesterase inhibitors and NMDA receptor antagonists
When it comes to a person’s experience with dementia, the most important person is the caregiver. The majority of people with dementia in the U.S. live in their home, and for approximately 75% of these individuals, family and friends provide their care – mostly spouses or their children, many of which are unpaid. Women face difficulty because they often need to take care of their parent(s) and children. Caregivers of spouses with dementia are 6x more likely to develop dementia.
I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to prevent cognitive decline or wanting to learn more about Alzheimer’s or dementia!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I look forward to reading, learning, and sharing more with you soon!
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